Doug D

Replaced the OEM Kumho's (17") with Firestone Affinity's at 42K. Are wearing quite well - Now at 55K and they still look new.

+1! I noticed that too. Our 2010 Journey SXT with the 3.5L/6 speed routinely gets 25-26 mpg at 70 mph. Our last extended trip (500+ miles) it averaged 25.5 mpg - that was 150 miles of interstate driving (70 mph) and about 100 miles of hwy driving (60-65 mph) on US primary (4 lane hwy - not interstate) roads. Local driving yields 18-19 mpg.

FWIW - I've used regular oil in many of my former vehicles and current vehicles. Three EEK's that cumulatively logged over 800K miles. A '00 T&C Ltd that had 161K at time of trade in. My current Ram has 171K miles and our '10 Journey SXT has 52K. All have been run on "dino" oil and all had regular oil/filter changes at 5-6K miles on a regular basis. No engine failures. I'd say unless you operate your vehicle in extreme temperatures (subfreezing or very hot 100+) you're safe with regular oil. Synthetic does provide extra protection in such extremes. Bear in mind, regular oil has been vastly inproved as well. That's why some manufacturers are have increased the recommended max intervals to 8K miles between services. As posted previously, I use a quality oil filter (Purolator or Wix).

We've had two Journey's - one silver and the current one is black. 2009 SXT: 2010 SXT

30.4 mpg over only 99 miles means nothing. Heck, even my old 2000 T&C Ltd AWD showed 99 mpg coasting down a long hill...... When you have 99,000 miles and have "averaged" 30.4 mpg, then you have something. Not saying it can't be done, but fuel mileage is usually an "average" and 99 miles is not anywhere near enough to qualify. The 17.4 mpg my '06 Ram 1500 SLT w/Hemi has averaged means more since that is an average over the course of 169,000 miles. (I keep a fuel log and that is the average from miles traveled / gallons used - not the MPG display.)

It's best to use the EPA ratings to compare - that's what they are there for. Anectodal data (that's what real world data is) is not a good guideline - too much variance in driving habits. The EPA ratings are done in a measured consistent manner and do not necessarily indicate you will observe those mileages. That said comparing a 2010 Journey FWD (3.5L) vs 2013 Journey FWD (3.6L), the 2013 is only 1 mpg better: 2010 Journey FWD 3.5L - 16 city / 24 hwy / 19 combined 2013 Journey FWD 3.6L - 17 city / 25 hwy / 20 combined AWD: 2010 Journey AWD 3.5L - 15 city / 23 hwy / 18 combined 2013 Journey AWD 3.6L - 16 city / 24 hwy / 19 combined As you can see going from a 2010 3.5L FWD to a 2013 AWD 3.6L is no difference. The salesman is uninformed and not comparing the proper models. IMHO, it will take a long time (like 15 years or so) to recoup the cost of a new FWD unit on a 1 mpg gain - if ever. And that assumes you get the same fuel mileage as the ratings. There's no guarantee you will. Hence the phrase "Your mileage may vary". If you really need to have a vehicle that gets significantly better fuel mileage, you need to be considering models with much better fuel mileage ratings. Vehicles such as the new Dart (35-37 mph hwy) or Avenger (4 cylinder models) or a hybrid such as a Prius (ugh!) or a Fusion (Hybrid). To add fuel to the fire, you'll probably be upside down on your trade as well and will have to make up the difference out of pocket or roll the negative equity into the loan on the new vehicle. Not a smart idea. Unless you really, really need to upgrade, I'd walk, no, ummm, run from the dealer. He's just trying to make a sale.

Is the check engine light on? Oil level okay? I don't hear a true "knock" - I hear ticking. How many miles/Km? Do you have an extended warranty? I'd suggest having the dealer check into it.

You might want to read the following article: http://www.allpar.com/cr.html Part of the problem is many owners fail to note the difference between "repairing a part" that failed and "routine maintenance" when reporting a "problem" to CR. Nor does CR define what a problem vs a "serious" problem or what criteria earns a black dot. CR is IMHO far from objective and is very subjective in their reporting.

And just by slowing to 65-70 mph you'll increase your fuel mileage by 4 mpg. At 70 mph with the AC on I average 26 mpg with my 2010 Journey SXT 3.5L - no mods needed. Best and cheapest mod for fuel mileage is your right foot. Besides - outside of one particular hwy in TX I don't know where it's legal to do 80 mph. I dont' know where everybody is getting regular paper filters but last I checked they were only $7.99 at Advance.

Not saying your fuel mileage didn't increase, but until you can prove the K&N is entirely responsible for the increase, it's a false claim. You'd have to be able to isolate the K&N as the direct cause and until you do, it could be anything that helped the fuel mileage. I found driving conservatively pays more in the long run than any product.

I doubt there will be any significant difference. In the long run it'll be best to stay with the OEM air filter and drive like an egg is under the accelerator.

I beg to differ. I had Kumho's on a 2009 Journey SXT and they were worn out at 47K. I have a '10 Journey SXT now (long story) and the Kumho's were worn out at 42K miles. Sure, the dry/wet performance was good, but the longevity was something to be desired. The OEM Michelins on my '06 Ram lasted 111,000 miles by comparison. I installed Firestone Affinity (70K mile warranty) on our Journey - goit a good deal - buy 3 get one free. I will not purchase Kumho's again. Oh and I am glad I have 17" rims for the Journey and not 19".

The convenience store (Sheetz - a regional chain based out of PA) has 3 tanks - two are 87 and one is 91. There is no "89" or midgrade tank. In this case 89 is a blend of the two fuels. The store has a sign on the window indicating this. They have a 4th tank now - they recently added diesel.

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner. Yes, the Journey brakes are the same used on the Caravans which are also having issues. In fact the extended warranty provison was applied to the Journey's just after Chrysler extended them on the Journey's. Correct. If one reads the warranty carefully, brake components (pads, rotor and caliper) are considered "wear" items and are only warranted for the first 12 months or 12,000 miles (whichever comes first). I just had our '10 Journey SXT front brakes serviced at 48K miles at Firestone. They used Wagner Thermoquiets and turned the rotors. Pads are "lifetime" so the next time they should be "free" though I suspect I'll have to replace the rotors next time around. Since we bought this Journey used (30K on it) I suspect these pads were not the originals and we'll see how long the Wagners last. Took advantage of a online coupon and the brake service was only $89.95 (normally $159+). Wagner Thermoquiets are good pads. Have them on my '06 Ram 1500 and have 40K on them. Will probably get 60K out of them.

Have to agree. The best mod is to drive like there is an egg under the accelerator.

It's not that bad. Jack the left front up - either remove the LF tire or turn the wheels to the right. There is a panel in the fender cover that is removed and the battery is right there. Yes, not as easy as a battery located on top, but it's not that bad either. If you really want to complain, try R&R 16 sparkplugs on a Hemi (3 hour job minimum)....... But you didn't "fix" the problem. You just isolated where the issue is. Need to find out why the LED Flashlight BUS is draining the battery. Nothing like a half-baked "repair".........

IMHO you are better off staying with paper filters. K&N does not filter better nor does it increase fuel mileage (they don't claim to) nor increase horsepower. The factory setup is pretty much the overall best set up for power, filtering and longevity.

This is in the owner's manual, but it's quite simple. Turn the ignition "on" but do not start the engine. Within 10 seconds depress the accelerator pedal to the floor three times. Turn ignition off. Now start the engine. The oil change reminder should not come on. If it does, repeat the process. FWIW - I've always used regular oil and have had several vehicles log well over 200,000 miles - the key thing was I changed the oil/filter every 5K miles. As noted above, if you live in cold weather climates, synthetic would be preferred since it flows better in cold temperatures. Otherwise regular oil is just fine. Former vehicles: 1986 Chrysler LeBaron GTS - 273K miles 1992 Plymouth Acclaim - 302K miles 1990 Plymouth Acclaim - 240K miles 1993 Ford Aerostar - 203K miles Current vehicles: 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT QC SB w/Hemi - 149K miles 2010 Dodge Journey SXT - 44K miles.

Check your PCV valve. A failing valve will increase oil consumption drastically.

According to my owner's manual, unless you have the Trailer Tow Prep Package, you're limited to 7,300 lbs GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) and a tailer weight of 1,000 - 2,000 lbs depending on the number of passengers and luggage. Tongue weight would be limted to 100-200 lbs. That assumes the 3.5L V6 is the engine. With the Trailer Tow Prep Package the GCWR is 8,300 lbs and gross trailer weight can be up to 3,000 lbs. Remember the GCW (Gross Combined Weight) - that is the weight of the vehicle, trailer and everything in them including passengers - cannot be legally exceeded. IMHO, even with the trailer prep package you would be borderline overweight. It wouldn't take much "stuff" and people to push you overweight.

So explain why my '06 Ram (bought new with 17 miles on it) has 148K miles with absolutely no issues with the transmission. By your unfounded logic it should have stopped working at 36,001 miles (original warranty was 3/36K). I've owned several Mopar's (1965 Dart, 1982 Omni, 1982 Horizon, 1986 LeBaron GTS, 1992 Acclaim, 1990 Acclaim, 2009 Journey SXT, 2010 Journey SXT, 2006 Ram 1500 QC SB Hemi) and only one had a transmission failure and that was with 191,000 miles on the odometer. I had a '93 Ford Aerostar that logged over 203K miles on the transmission - no problems with the engine or transmission but the interior was another issue. And that's a good way to ensure you will have problems down the road. I've found my servicing dealer to be better than most area independent shops. And competitively priced. I believe your analysis is flawed. You can't just look at those vehicles with failures. You have to take the entire amount produced into consideration. Sure there will be some that fail early under warranty, and some just after and others that go years without any failures (that's at least 90% of them). Vehicles are made by humans and invariably there will be failures of some parts - it happens. That's what warranties are for. If a part is going to fail, it generally fails with in the warranty period. Yes, transmissions do have a designed lifetime but most (probably 95% of them) last well beyond the basic warranty and there is no "timer" telling it to induce failure - what a crock!

Last weekend we traveled to Martinsville, VA to see a Jr College baseball game (500 mile round trip). With mostly highway driving (I-95/I-85/US 58) our 2010 Journey SXT 3.5L recorded it's best fuel mileage to date. By the time we arrived home it was well over 26 mpg at 26.9 mpg. We had the AC on cruising at 70 mph on the interstates, and 60-65 mph on US 58. Used slightly more than a 1/2 tank (12 gallons) down and 1/2 tank getting home. Would have been real close on a full tank. Agree on city mileage - the average drops somewhat quickly in local driving.

Correct. And by the time the "red" oil light comes on it's probably too late - fried engine. FWIW - I did have one vehicle, a 1993 Aerostar, that in addition to the oil light had a "Low Oil Level" light that would come on if the oil level fell below a quart low. There was a sensor in the oil pan. All engines do "use" oil. Some more than others. From what I've heard 1,000 miles per qt seems to be the industry standard. If your engine is using excessive oil, first thing I'd check is the PCV valve. These can stick and when they do oil consumption will rise - sometimes dramatically. It should be a regular habit to check the oil level via the dipstick at least once a week - preferably when the engine is cold, but if you have to do it while fueling, wait until you've finished fueling and then check the oil. It is the owner/operator's responsibility to maintain proper fluid levels while in operation. You can't blame the manufacturer if YOU let it get too low and the engine subsequent suffers major damage. Do not assume your engine doesn't use oil - they all do - and it's your responsibility to maintain proper oil level.

Regarding the L25 recall, I didn't like how the ring made the key more difficult to turn, but I've grown use to it. I can deal with a little friction vs the vehicle turning itself off (which ours never did). Due to the recalls we were able to test a 2011 Ram 1500 Quad Cab for a weekend. The dealer finished the L25 recall and in the process of performing the K37 (ORM) flash, they fried the ORM. When the installed a new ORM samething happened. Didn't have any more in stock so they put us in a rental on their dime - new part would be in Monday (this was a Saturday). Only choice on the rental was 2 Rams or a Dakota. Took the one of the Rams. Even though it had the improved 4.7L, I still liked my 5.7L Hemi in my '06 Ram better. Still a nice ride. Chrysler figured out the handheld computer (not a laptop) had an issue and was shorting out the ORM. Told the dealer to use a laptop instead. Our recall ended up costing Chrysler over $1800 - two ORM's at $600 a pop plus the cost of the rental.

Contact Chrysler and open a case #.