dp360

I like the "exclusive" nature of my Journey. It's kinda cool to NOT be driving the same car as everyone else.

Currently, there are about 4500 Journey's sold per month in the U.S. IIRC, there's another 3000 or so being sold worldwide. This number varies seasonally - I think this past December was closer to 8000/mo in the U.S. I have a feeling that the refreshed 2011 model is going to sell much better. It is supposed to have a re-styled front-end, upgraded interior and new engine options. The Pentastar V6 should do real well in this vehicle. Imagine 290 HP/260 ft.lbs. of torque, 90% of which is available at 1900 RPM and better gas mileage! I just hope they don't de-tune the engine like they did with the current V6.

I've also heard unsubstantiated claims of bad wiring harnesses in some Journeys. A problem like that would throw technicians for a loop since it would appear to be a bad sensor or something but in reality it is a circuit that intermittently cuts out. Might want to ask them about that possibility, too.

hey am I just paranoid?i got my journey last week and everything else were perfect now I feel like the steering is heavy or tight, is this normal???

I don't think anyone here would be able to quantify what you are experiencing without actually sitting in your car. Making a noise or vibrating or requiring you to strain when turning the wheel would definitely not be normal, but "heavy" or "tight"?

I think there's a good chance you just may be paranoid. I know what you are going through having read your other comment. You've read about a lot of bad experiences and are now wondering if it will happen to you. You may be questioning the wisdom of your purchase. I know, because I went through a little of that after purchasing mine. Relax. Enjoy your vehicle for what it is. Don't allow yourself to get obsessed looking for problems. If something breaks or starts to go bad, chances are very likely it will be obvious. Hopefully it will never happen but the least you can do is stop worrying about a problem that may or may not ever occur.

That said, make sure you take the vehicle in for regular, scheduled maintenance. Ask if there are any TSBs or other issues that may be outstanding. Sometimes they may fix a problem that you don't even know you have.

Hi everyone,

I understand that this forum is open to everyone and peoples opinions and comments are what makes a forum informative and interesting. Having said that , I am waiting for my journey to come in, and can't believe that way over 3/4 o the comments on this forum relate to problems the Journey has. It goes from braking to radio and everything in between. I just want to let people know that every time a see a journey at a light or in a mall and the owner is around, I always ask what they think of their Journey and if they regret their choice. Most of the Journey's are 2010 and almost everyone says its a great vehicle with no issues. One person told me they changed their brakes after 48,000k's which is about normal.

I wish that more Journey owners that enjoy their vehicle and have only ordinary issues post their comments and not only the ones who have problems.

Gatrus

Ask yourself this - if you buy a product, any product, that performs as advertised and does what you need, are you going to go out of your way to tell the world about it? The answer is probably "no". Sure, you may praise it when asked, but you're probably not going to take the time out of your busy day to become an advocate for said product. However, if you purchase a product that has a problem, be it real or maybe just "user error", you're very likely to seek advice and help from an online community. If you have a REALLY bad experience with said product, you will likely become outspoken about your bad experiences and you very well may take time out of your busy day to denounce the product, just to get back at the company that has done you wrong.

My point is, these forums, by their very nature, will attract people with problems more so than people without any problems. This is true of virtually all products on the planet and is certainly true for all makes and models of cars. No vehicle being produced today is 100% defect free. All car makes have problems. Some more so than others but they are ALL "generally good" from a quality perspective. Keep this in mind when you read about problems and bad experiences on this or any other forum.

In my case, my '10 SXT purchased in November of 2009 has been 100% problem free through 8700 miles. Sure, it has some quirks that annoy me in a minor way and there are some details that I think could have been implemented better but, by and large, I am very happy with my purchase. My reasons for being involved in this forum are 1) to keep informed of problems that others may be experiencing so I can either prevent them from occurring to me or be better prepared to deal with them if they do happen, and 2) to see what kind of modifications and enhancements people are making to their Journey's because I eventually want to make some modifications/enhancements of my own.

I find this problem totally unacceptable. I so wanted back windows this time. I thought my eardrums were going to burst. It was actually painful... I had to shut the windows. Dodge must recognize that is is a design flaw.

As I mentioned in my first post, it is not a Journey specific problem. I have driven at least a half-dozen non-Dodge vehicles that exhibit the same behavior. Experiment with the window position to alleviate. I played around with it briefly the other day and found a significant improvement with a smaller window opening.

Just bought a new 2010 Journey SXT FWD. We drove a Dodge Grand Caravan Sport for 8 years, but we wanted something smaller and the ability to open the back door windows. We enjoy driving with the back passenger door window slightly open (6" or so). But to our surprise, the loud thumping wind noise prevents us from enjoying that. Has anyone else noticed this phenomenon? We think something must be wrong with our Journey. It is like something is attached to the roof rack and is slamming against the car. Surely Dodge engineers would not have allowed this!!

Just thought I would add that the noise sounds like a helicopter is directly over head, and starts at about 60-70km per hour. When we first heard it, we immediately put our emergency flashers on and pulled over. We though something had come loose on the car.

Nothing's wrong with your Journey. It's an aerodynamic effect caused by pressure changes inside your cabin. It happens on many vehicles when the rear windows are open and you obtain relatively high road speeds. Must have something to do with the wind-tunnel design of modern vehicles because I know I never experienced this on much older cars. Best I can suggest is to experiment with different amounts of open settings to see if you can make it any better. Or you can get wind screens for your windows!

2009 Journey Transmission totally went out without warning at 44k miles. Dealer has never experienced this. All parts and/or new transmission 2 week backorder best case. Anyone else have their trans just go ? And will Dodge pay my towing and rental car bill since it is clearly a warranty issue ? The dealer has yet to determine their course of action whether to repair or replace,but I'm still looking at 2-3 weeks because of backorder issues. If they do not compensate the tow or rental,any suggestions on where I can go for help?

Thanks.

Journey-less in Chicago

Somehow I messed that post!

The issue may be completely resolved by now but I'd say they should definitely reimburse you for towing & rental. The time to discuss the matter is always up front, however. Don't wait for the three week repair period to pass, go to pick up your car and then tell the dealer "Oh by the way...". If you have any problem with reimbursement, call Chrysler Customer Service. Remember to start out nice with them. Despite the claims of some people, an adversarial tone never works - at least not in the beginning.

my 2010 dodge journey r/t came in on monday ! i had some accessories put on so today I finally get to take her home, so excited don't know how i'll get through the morning lol

Congratulations!

I don't think wantanewcar's comment relates to brake wear. It sounds like shaking/vibration when applying the brakes at high speed, as if something is broken, warped or out of balance. Definitely not normal. My point was that it might not be a safety risk and that the dealer's suggestion just might be a temporary one until they can figure it out.

That said, I've heard from both ends of the spectrum on brake wear - some who had to change just over 12,000 miles, others that have reached 30,000 and are still going strong. I don't think premature brake wear with this vehicle is a universal phenomenon, but it definitely affects some owners. In my case, I still have plenty of meat on the pads at 8,300 miles. I love the fact that I can inspect them through the open spoke rims without having to remove a wheel. My guess is I'll easily make it to 20K but just how far past that will remain to be seen,

I am having problems with my brakes. I have just under 1200 miles on my new journey. I have had it in the shop twice and haven't even made a car payment yet!! I travel to work going down a lot of hills and my brakes and wheel shake. The second time it was in the shop the dealer called chrysler. They said that they are aware of the problem and right now the solution is to downshift when going down hills. ON A GAS MOTOR?? I should not have to down shift. I have owned many dodge vehicles...1500ram, 2500ram, Nitro, Jeep...none of which have I ever had to downshift. Currently, I have a complaint in with chrysler. I am so upset with this vehicle it makes me sick. I do not trust it with me in the car...let alone my one year old son. I do not know what to do.

I don't think they're offering that as a permanent solution but merely an interim technique to reduce the amount of pedal pressure you need to apply when braking at high speed. At least I sure HOPE that's the case because there's no way that problem should be considered normal! They must not view it as a safety concern or else they never would have suggested it. Have they given an indication of what the problem really is or have they just said it's a known issue?

Hello all,

I hope I'm posting in the proper forum. So far I'm loving my 2010 R/T AWD, but unfortunately, the other day my ETC light came on and throttle response became a little choppy. As well, on occassion when the light is on, the idle will rev between 500 and 1500 RPM when I'm stopped, a little strange. Well, last night it happened again, and actually stalled when I was stopped at a light waiting to turn left. It took me 3 tries to get it started again. I've made an appointment to leave it with the dealership. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this type of problem and what the solution was. It's a shame really, because so far I've been loving this vehicle, and now I'm feeling a sense of impending doom. I know I'm probably over reacting, I just hope they can resolve this for me in short order. Any thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

I don't have any direct experience with this but I have head about it in general (i.e. not specifically with the Journey). I believe it indicates that the computer is getting confusing signals from your electronic throttle a.k.a. gas pedal. Probably just a defective pedal sensor or maybe a bad wiring connection. Dealer should be able to take care of it.

Oh, and just FYI, your Journey does have a throttle override tied to the brake, so if you step on the brake pedal, it will reduce power to your engine. Thus you shouldn't have to worry about runaway, Toyota-like acceleration as long as you remember to step firmly on your brakes! This has been standard on all Chrysler vehicles with electronic throttles for the past six or seven years. Why it's not standard from ALL car makers is beyond me!

My 2009 Journey started doing this last month. It did it approximately 5 times before I was able to get in into the dealer. They told me that there were no codes on the computer so there was nothing they could do about it. Their suggestion was water in the gas. Was the problem determined in your vehicle? My vehicle only has 14k miles on it and I would like it to be fixed before the warranty is up.

Any insight would be great for me to go back to my dealership with.

Thanks.

I can't offer any insight - some of the other posts (here and in other threads) might be helpful, but I can't say that I notice any kind of consensus in them. What I CAN do is suggest you express your warranty concerns to your dealership and maybe even Chrysler corporate. Document all your attempts at getting the problem resolved to show that you made a good faith effort at solving it well within the warranty period. This way, if the problem doesn't get resolved in warranty and your vehicle finally does throw a code just outside the warranty period, you'll have a decent chance at getting it repaired at no expense.

It stinks that you have the problem but sometimes* you have to look at this from the perspective of the dealer. If there is no code and the car isn't acting up in their presence, it will be extremely hard for them to diagnose unless it is a known, widespread problem. Just be persistent and try to take it in as close to the event as possible. Information gathering is good, too, so relaying what others have experienced on this forum may be helpful. It might be just enough info to help them trigger a diagnosis.

*- note I say "sometimes". That's because the dealer can occasionally be a real prick about it and your best recourse is to take it to a different dealership, if possible.

... i could of easily upgraded to a honda pilot, toyota highlander gmc acaidia or ford flex and still been money ahead...

Of course that assumes you wouldn't have had any problems with any of those other vehicles. I notice a lot of people always think the "grass is greener" with another brand but last I checked, all dealerships had service facilities. Given that the service department is largely responsible for keeping any dealership in business, what does that tell you?

... ihave been a mechanic for 35 years and thought dodge was improving quality in the last decade. was i ever wrong.

Actually, it's pretty common knowledge that when Daimler-Benz took over in '98, quality has been on a slow downward spiral. So much for German engineering! Two owners later, it's getting better...

I find it odd that dodge does not sell these for the 3.5L

I am thinking there must be another dodge that we could borrow these from.....

I think the model to look at would be the 3.5L Avenger. It's built on the same platform as the Journey (or should I say that the other way around?) I believe Mopar has an exhaust kit for that car but I could be wrong. Some slight modifications would probably be necessary. I'm patiently waiting for someone to be the guinea pig here...

Hi! I've received my Journey R/T yesterday... It's wonderful!!!

Cesare (Italy)

Cool!

What engine/transmission is in the R/T over there?

my you are testy! How is anyone supposed to really know what they are getting if not for people who are willing to tell the truth? Oh well, I had to learn the hard way.........

You're basically trolling and nobody like a troll.

So you had a bad experience and you posted about it - fine. There is PLENTY of that on this board, some far, far worse than window visors falling off and premature brake wear. Information is great and if someone finds your comments useful, all the better. But then to go around to every thread and continue to bash the vehicle, that's where you crossed the line into trollhood.

Sure the Journey had problems out of the gate. That was both a function of new model glitches and a company that was in massive disarray at the time. CGLLC is a different company now with new management, new quality assurance processes and a new corporate culture. They've admitted their problems and have worked hard to address them. This is supported by an ever decreasing problem score on TrueDelta, significantly lower warranty claims per 1000 vehicles and a far less frequent occurrence of horror stories here on the forum.

My '10 SXT has been 100% problem free through 8,000 miles and I know there are many others on this forum who have had the same experience. Sure, there are some people with problems, too, but that's just the way it goes. That IS the nature of this forum after all. We come here to discuss problems, issues, experiences, wants and desires regarding our vehicles. Sharing our knowledge helps everyone here. To have someone come and basically say we are all idiots for purchasing this vehicle contributes absolutely nothing.

(I'm not sure why I bothered to type all this up because I am quite certain jeepgal will never be logging into this forum again)

I'm happy, but I'm not in the UK.

FWIW the '09 Journey was built by a different company.

Also, Edmunds.com lists a 9.2 average user rating on the 2010 Journey. Of course, there's only 12 reviews, but this is after they started requiring you offer some form of proof you purchased one. No more "I rented an xyz and what a piece of crap!" reviews for any of the listed cars.

Hi

I noticed after starting my Journey and shifting in to drive I start to accelerate and just under 20km/h I hear valve of some sort closing shut. What is odd this only occurs after the vehicle has been turned on, if at a red light and I accelerate I do not hear the valve shutting. Any ideas?

Took it to the dealer and the dealer said this was typical solenoid sound. I never heard this before in my Pontiac G6 and just want to find out if others have noticed this sound? Also wondering what is a solenoid and what does it do.

Thanks,

Is this at a fairly low speed, like 7 MPH? I hear something click at that speed, too. I've read in the Owners Manual that the Electronic Stability Control system does a self-check when you first start rolling after having started the car, so I've always attributed that click to the self-test.

Cool! Thanks!

Believe it or not Chrysler DOES monitor this forum....

If they actually have a person monitoring this forum, I'd be extremely impressed. More likely a bot just searching for keywords, which in and of itself is somewhat impressive.

As for the shift problem, have they even tried to do anything about it? You've made it sound like they refuse to, simply stating that's the just the way it's designed to work. I find it hard to imagine a "head jerking" shift could be perceived by anyone as normal. What if you simply go for a test drive in a brand new Journey - does it behave the same way? If it doesn't, then you clearly have a problem that they should bend over backwards to fix. If if it does behave the same way, then I don't know what to say because I certainly don't experience that. The only thing that I can confirm is it's tendency to hold on to sixth gear longer than it should, but that doesn't sound like your problem.

My wife and I recently ordered our Journey. It shipped Tuesday and will be here in about two weeks. Can't wait very excited.

Welcome to the forum.

Dealer called me and said it shipped and will be here 2.5 - 3 weeks. Ordered a 2010 SXT AWD crew package. Looks like the one on the home page at top of page only red.

So I guess the Crew is finally becoming available. Took long enough. Did you have the option of ordering one of the other trim levels (uptown, heat, etc)? I'm not saying you should have, I just want to know if those are becoming available, too.

New to the site :D

I have a new Challenger and am looking for a family hauler - thinkin' of a Dodge Journey!

Welcome to the forum. Any specific questions?

i had a 2008 avenger with the cai and loved the sound & the differece in power,sold it but kept the cold air intake and put it on the jurney,same motor and set up, everything lines up preffect except the snorkal,just a bit of modin and she was good to go she sound good &has more power,not munch but enough

What CAI system do you have?