Considering new 2010 Journey...

[newguy]

ok, we drove a 2010 RT today, very nice riding and driving vehicle. has everything we want/looking for except navi, but we can live without that. anyway, just joined the site, and the info on here is amazing, however, some of it is turning me against this vehicle, and i am not happy about that, because my wife now has her heart set on this one. we need a crossover, and this one fits the bill well. it has the 3rd row seats, which we want, but don't know how much we would actually use them, but they would be there when we did. it is also has the sunroof, which we want, but after reading the issues with those, i am torn. however, i can't buy a new vehicle without a sunroof, so if we buy this one, i guess it's a crap shoot. i will be pissed though if i do get it and it leaks. i am a ford guy, and we have had an Edge, as well a nissan Murano, both very nice vehicles, and both were so much nicer inside, but we got rid of them, and now kick ourselves. now, we just don't want to pay over 30K for another crossover. and for the money, the Journey is a great alternative to the higher priced crossovers out there. can people who actually own a Journey give me some reviews that may sway me to buy, or that would steer me away? i know not all cars in a same line will the be the same, and not everybody will have the same issues. we really like this Journey, but right now, i am scared to pull the trigger...

[04redmach1]

Buddy, SAME way here. HUGE ford guy and bought the first edge in the southeast 2007 model. LOVED my Edge but had to let it go due to loosing my job because of back injury. We since bought a Fusion because of the great deal we got, but getting in and out is KILLING me. So we are looking at SUV and I was SO impressed at what I seen when first looking at the Journey. Awesome storage, ride, and decent power. Need the 3.5 from Ford in there for little more power IMO. I was shocked to see 3rd row in this crossover as well. That one me over a lot, but more so THE PRICE!! I mean really, the price you can not do much better for vehicle. I would love another edge, but 30k is pushing it for crossover with only 5 seater. Now the interior is a downrade of course, I am sure you seen that. I don't care for the radio being below a/c controls and the damn seat belt dinger is obnoxious.

As for problems, the brakes scared me more than anything. I am actually going to make the dealer sign MY contract and will be in print on the final piece of paper with a 20,000 mile brake warranty and they WILL replace with aftermarket parts with ANY quick wear or problems. The sunroof leak is an issue I see as well, and I don't use it much to begin with so we are not getting it with the roof unless these guys with an 09' are going to give us a CRAZY deal. All in all, I test drove it again today for an hour and at 80 mph on interstate it rides great, low noise, and low 20's MPG at 80. I will get seat covers and a extra pad for comfy to my back. From one Ford guy to another, I say dive in. I am giving them a chance, and I feel good about it. The room it has along with upgraded alternator and rear air is just plain awesome. Price, price, and price is all I see too. I mean, how can I get a small escape when I can get this you know.

Short but sweet, I say go for it and give it a shot. This Ford guy is and hopefully I will not have problems. I am looking at a SXT with 3rd row and convenience package. Blue in color as well. DO NOT be afraid to have your dealer sign papers on extending brake service though, they wil not let that be a deal breaker this day in time I am a hard ass though hehe.

[newguy]

thanks man, i have the same views entirely. for the money, you can't beat the Journey on paper. however, the issues with them scare the hell out of me. we use a sunroof all the time. so that concerns me a lot. i have had only one other vehicle that leaked, and it was a camaro with t tops, and that annoyed me to pieces, wound up trading it for a mustang 5.0 and have been a ford man since. i too considered the Escape for a minute, and it's size is not much smaller than the Edge, if you can believe it. it just looks smaller. i have compared a lot of suv's and crossovers on Edmunds.com, you can build a comparison of up to 5 vehicles at a time, and you can see all the ratings, equipment, and specs side by side, and that helps a lot when trying to find a good size vehicle for your money. one thing i am doing though, and that's having my local ford dealer try to locate a 2009 Edge SEL with leather and sunroof. right now Ford is offering $4000 off all remaining 09 model edge's and my dealer has agreed to give me another $1000 off if they can find one like i want. so it's a little of a waitng game for me at the moment. however, the Journey RT we drove had the sunroof, 19" chrome clad wheels, 3rd row seats, safe and sound package, and trailer tow prep group. sticker was $31,310, and i can buy it for $27,810. not too shabby in my opinion.

oh yeah, by the way, i traded my Edge for a 4 cylinder Fusion and love my Fusion. i drive 80 miles round trip a day to and from work, so i needed the extra MPG, plus my Fusion is cheaper in payment than my Edge was by a lot.

[tg-journey]

We are Toyota fans but when we bought our Journey in early 08 the deciding factor was warranty, price and space. Although if I heard the dealer right the new dodge modales are no longer doing lifetime but matching with GM on warranty life. We have had lots of issues but they have all been resolved for the most part. They should by now know the common issues and have had them fixed. Although I would have to say on a personal note is that I think the front leather seats are less than impressive than other dodge models or makers....I have only seen the particular stitching in the journeys and every dodge model is stiched more. Has been a great ehicle for us overall and my huskies love the space to run about when we travel.

[04redmach1]

You are right, not huge size difference, but the 2nd row shows the difference a lot in the Edge. I miss my edge, but it just doesn't have the room I need. We have a blue and gold macaw, so his cage is a large dog carrier and his portable playstand is decent size as well and 3 chihuahuas, soon an Akita. We are trying to have kids so we need the extra room. I can't afford an Expedition EL right now, so this dodge is exactly what we need.

We got the 09 Sport blue package V6 fusion. We still get 31-32mpg at 60 mph, but my back is bad and getting in and out of car is taking a toll on me. Need suv now.

Everyone knows the mustang is the better car hahaha.

Just grab a 2010 model and I would hope all issues are fixed. I would love the lifetime warranty, but first versions of all cars suck. Except my Edge, no issues haha.

[BAC]

Here in the UK Dodge is a tiny fish in the big sea of car manufacturers. We only get the Caliber, Avenger, Nitro and Journey. To see one of these cars is fairly rare. Chryslers are a little more common especially the Voyagers (Town & Country) PT Cruisers and to a lesser extent the 300C and Neon. Hardly ever see a Sebring. There are quite alot of Jeeps though!

Since Chrysler/Jeep came back to the UK in 1995 I've always liked the look of them as they are different to the usual -boring- Euro/Jap boxes and in 2000 I bought our first 'Mopar' and stayed with them ever since, our family too.

So in nearly ten years here's what we've had and what has gone wrong....

2000 Bought a '97 Neon. Only problem was the air con needed regassing.

2001 Bought a '00 Neon. Just needed a pair of front wishbone bushes and the battery gave up this time last year.

2009 Bought Dodge Journey R/T Diesel. Alarm kept going off, known problem and new sensors fitted.

2000 My Mum bought a '97 Neon and had it 7 years (gave up driving due to broken hip). No problems at all.

2001 My Brother bought a '97 Jeep Cherokee. All it's needed was a brake caliper, nothing else.

With our family having five 'Mopars' we've had none of the issues that you often see on forums about these cars and I'm happy to continue to buy as long as the product interests me, does what I want it to do, and the aftersales is good.

So, the question about a 2010 Journey? It's up to you. You can read all the problems that people have had with them but how many people are out there who havn't had problems because they don't need to post on a forum to say 'I've had no problems' -it doesn't make very interesting reading!!

Here in Britain the motoring press hasn't had many good words to say about Chrysler cars over the years but they then contradict themselves by saying the cars may have 'cheap quality' interiors and not as good to drive as other makes but say they are fairly reliable -servicing is quite pricey though. I usually ignor what other people say and make up my own mind. Reports that the Journey's diesel engine is a bit noisey is true but not bad enough to make me not want the car. I like the styling and all the storage compartments, ease of driving, comfort, safety, and the simple way it converts from a 5 to 7 seater. For me that's good enough.

I don't know if this helps or not.

Cheers!

[RAV]

We had some of the same concerns that others had had regarding the Journey's reliability.

I also have a Ford (Sport Trac with Ranger previously) and we were looking to replace our 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan Sport AWD (captains seats in the middle).

We looked at all cars back in Dec 09 at the auto show. Were looking at Hyundai Santa Fe/Veracruz. Stopped due to economic issues. Picked up our search in September 2010.

I drove the Murano and did not like it as it was quite a bit more expensive and did not ride that well - or have any rear cargo space.

Almost by accident, we stumbled on a Journey packed in the parking lot at work. Did some research, test drove a few, and started to see that this was a nice possibility.

Thought there are better rebates on the 2090, they are not generally avaliable any more (short supply in general on this vehicle) and the past problems of a new (early) model year get corrected as the model years continue.

For us, the 2010 gave us some comfort that some of the problems were corrected. I also ran the VIN # in the recall system to see if there were any outstanding issues. BE AWARE, unlike the 2009, the powertrain does not have the lifetime warranty.

We got the RT AWD with the sun roof. We did not like the cloth seats so the leather made the deal better. The interior space, 3 rows, and the details I wanted (3 zone heating, lots of LED lighting for passengers to read without disrupting the driver, AWD, ABS, stability and traction control, and all of the included benefits at this price level were deal closers for us.

At this trim level, there are many things that make driving the car a nice experience. We did not want NAV or DVD (too expensive for the benefit when Garmin makes great hardware for under $200 and portable DVD players are under $100). Included integrated alarm and remote start, conversation mirror, seat heat, all the storage areas, 110 v AC power, plenty of 12v outlets all rows, adjustable 2nd row seat position, adequate for when it is needed third row seating, made the decision better.

Dodge is not advertising this vehicle much. I was worried it would go away but saw a TV ad the other day and got more confidence it will stay around.

We are all aware of the possible issues and the (minor negatives): gas mileage could be better, I'll probably replace the brake pads with aftermarket pads at 10K, vanity mirrors may be fragile and need to be opened carefully, interior is not perfect (plastic) but functional, etc.

Since I had a previous Dodge for 9 years, the wife - primary driver - found a certain level of familiarity with this vehicle. Looks sharp, had good lighting, and the kids (both 12 years old) really like it. In 5 years, they will probably become the primary drivers.

Check Youtube for the crash videos, they are really great to watch and the vehicle is a star in the testing.

I'm watching it carefully and have a book to log any issues to go back to the dealer. So far at less than one month and under 500 miles, the wife could not have been happier.

No vehicle is perfect unless you have unlimited funds. I'm a research hound and did a year's worth of research and even bought the $14 Consumer Reports printout on the car.

I shopped over 10 dealers, tried private sale of my van, got one dealer to go right to the end and discussed trade in value, and closed at the least expensive dealer (who had the car on the lot). I got the car at invoice, less the Dodge rebate, and a very fair value for my trade (we bargained very had on this as the dealer had no idea that I was considering a trade or that I was committed to buy). Got pre approved financing from AAA at 3.99% but per the dealer's previous committment, they would meet or beat, they came in at 3.89% and we sealed the deal.

Good luck, be an educated consumer. Hope this is helpful.

[newguy]

thanks guys. this has been very helpful to me. i am still undecided at this point though. i keep going on and on in my head, if i pay x for this car and it spends more time in the shop than on the road, then i will be pissed. i know it can happen with any vehicle, trust me. but the Dodge seems to be prone to this type of thing. i have had 4 other dodge/chrysler products in the past, and none of them gave me a minutes trouble with the exception of a bad headgasket and motor mount on a pt cruiser. i too have done numerous searches on all suvs/crossovers in this class or size. i am torn right now. one thing i keep telling myself is this is the best deal out there right now for what i want, but on the other hand, i remember something my Dad use to tell me all the time when buying vehicles, "you get what you pay for"! i wonder how Dodge can sell a vehicle like this so reasonably priced, with more equipment than most other manufactureres? they had to cut cost somewhere, or else they would be out of business. look at the prices, for under $30K you can get the RT version, sunroof, 3rd row seats, and 19" chrome wheels. ford edge for example with leather, chrome wheels and sunroof, you are over the $30k and it only seats 5. so i don't know yet. i am expecting a call tomorrow from my dealer so we can discuss my concerns and issues, and also to see how willing they are to deal on the car they have on their lot versus ordering a brand new one. i'll keep you guys posted.

for the record though, anybody with a 2010 journey with a sunroof and experience any water leaks yet?

[JourneyMan71]

I bought my Journey on Feb. 22 of this year and knock on wood I have had no issues with mine. The power sun roof has never leaked. I am sure the problem has been solved with the leaking issues. The Journey is a very nice cross over and I love mine. I hope and wish you well on your purchase. The Journey is a very nice ride.

[RedRT]

I have had my Journey RT with sun roof since February and have not had problems. I took it to the dealer at 10,000 miles to have the brakes checked and they replaced the rotors but not the pads. Purchased the Journey with a hitch and transmission cooler installed for $22,900 probably the best auto deal I have ever made. I have owned nothing but Chrysler products for over 25 years and have had normal problems nothing horrible.

[newguy]

thanks guys, i got a call this morning, and i can buy the 2010 RT fwd with sunroof, 3rd row seats, and safe and sound package for $28,125 out the door. it stickers for $31,310. not bad at all. however, and not to start any rumors or anything, but i read today that Fiat is planning to scrap Dodge altogether in 2012. so with this info, i am probably going to pass on the Journey. i don't know what i will get, but i will keep looking until i find a vehicle that fits my needs. i appreciate all the info, and i wish everyone well. i will be back on here, as this seems like a nice forum, not like some others i am a member of.

[RAV]

..... but i read today that Fiat is planning to scrap Dodge altogether in 2012. so with this info, i am probably going to pass on the Journey. ...

Being a new owner - less than a month - I'm watching these articles as well.

I read the Wall Street Journal article this morning.

Also from this source: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/dr.../10/620000499/1

TheJournal, citing an unnamed source says models about to axed also include Jeep Commander by the end next year, Chrysler PT Cruiser by 2012 and, eventually, Chrysler Sebring midsize sedan and Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot SUVs. Grand Caravan will go - a model that a couple of decades ago saved the company - but corporate cousin Chrysler Town and Country will stay as the company's only minivan.

Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne will bring in the Fiat 500 subcompact in 2011, built in Mexico. Fiat's Alfa Romeo will return to America - remember it from Dustin Hoffman and The Graduate? - with the MiTo subcompact, a midsize sedan, in early 2013 and the Alfa Milano midsize model. All will be made in North America. Alfa hasn't been in the U.S. market for a decade.

There was no mention of closing Dodge or any specific mention of the Journey (though ending the caravan - a dodge staple for so many years - is probably a mistake).

I noticed all manufacturers are pushing cross-overs so I am hopeful that this model has legs and will stay in the lineup.

Either way, I keep my cars for 9 or 10 years so I'm not worried about (short term) resale value.

The Dodge parts network will still be up and operational as well.

[newguy]

i can't remember what site i read the info on, but i will look and see if i can find the article. again, i wasn't trying to start anything or flame Dodge. i am always wondering about manufacturers and their plans, and i know Dodge as well as others are having a hard time right now. i have family who work for Dodge and trust me, i hope they stay around a while, or else my family will suffer more than from just buying new cars. but with all the uncertainty, right now i am considering used vehicles that are nicer in my opinion, plus they have already lost their initial value from being driven off the lots. i hope for AMERICA'S sake that no AMERICAN car manufacturer goes out of business, whether i drive one of their vehicles or not. i own a Ford, Dodge and Honda. and as much as it pains me to say it, the Honda is built far better than all of them. but i want to get rid of it because it's a Honda and not an AMERICAN car.

[RAV]

...... i can buy the 2010 RT fwd with sunroof, 3rd row seats, and safe and sound package for $28,125 out the door. it stickers for $31,310. not bad at all. ....

Check you info on cars.com. I'm not sure of the numbers but you should be able to get this car at invoice (or better) and then have the $1500 rebate applied to lower the cost even further.

[cvangorp]

newguy,

I have had my 09 journey for a year and no issues with sunroof or anything else. I haven't had the brakes checked yet, but dealer didn't mention anything out of the norm at my last oil change. Only problem I had was the drivers sill plate had to be replaced, it wouldn't go back down bent clips. Besides that I love, my SXT except for the fact now I have a 6 mo old and wish I got the rear entertainment package.....

thanks guys, i got a call this morning, and i can buy the 2010 RT fwd with sunroof, 3rd row seats, and safe and sound package for $28,125 out the door. it stickers for $31,310. not bad at all. however, and not to start any rumors or anything, but i read today that Fiat is planning to scrap Dodge altogether in 2012. so with this info, i am probably going to pass on the Journey. i don't know what i will get, but i will keep looking until i find a vehicle that fits my needs. i appreciate all the info, and i wish everyone well. i will be back on here, as this seems like a nice forum, not like some others i am a member of.

[04redmach1]

I have read the same. The are talking about keeping trucks but all other cars they are not sure of. Not too mention with consumer reports comin out and saying only the Ram being average in reliability, I AM PASSING ON THIS AS WELL. I will not risk it period. I will take my happy as back to Ford where I have always been happy Ford flex, here I come!

[newguy]

redmach, i am with you. got quotes on Flex's as well as Edge's today. very nice vehicles, and i am hapy with ford so i will stick with them...

[RAV]

From - Alisa Priddle / The Detroit News - "Chrysler offers buyouts to 23,000"; Last Updated: October 31. 2009 1:00AM

http://www.detnews.com/article/20091031/AU...outs-to-23-000#

"...The Jeep Liberty and Dodge Journey will be marketed globally but the slower-selling Dodge Nitro and Jeep Commander will be killed. ..."

Keep on rolling Journey!