Geer

Hey, nice to see a fellow R/T owner from Winnipeg!

It's happened to at least two others, including me, so you makes three! Go to "LOUNGE" and see my Dead Battery post from May 27! I'm thinking the plant got a bad batch of batteries from their supplier...

Very nice ride. Interesting to see the color combo as I think that's a first for me. Works well together IMO. As for all black being easier to clean, that is simply not true. Black shows EVERYTHING...but it does look wicked for the 60 seconds after you do clean it. Leather helps, though. Glad it finally arrived, you really had to wait! Enjoy cruising in the machine!

3 weeks driving my '11 now. From day one noticed gear noise - sounds like 3rd gear but sometimes can hear it over two gear ranges, so it might not be a specific gear. Also I have AWD so it could even be the transfer case. Its a high pitched whine, fairly subdued but noticeable nonetheless, that coincides with rpm. At first I thought it was radio interference from the ignition system, but its not. It also sounds like gear noise in a high mileage car, when coasting. But this is under throttle. Anyone else notice or have dealt with this?

My lights, gauges, accessories all worked as well but as you say there wasn' enough juice to crank the motor. Also I did notice that the charging symbol (red lightning bolt) registered on the EVIC. So I was convinced something had drained the battery all night. I used the 75amp engine cranking feature on my battery charger to start it, and it did work. Last night I trickle-charged the battery and it took a charge the entire evening, so something had really drained the battery. Only thing I can think of that would do this is the headlamp lights coming on and staying on. interior lamps shut off after 5 mins of being left on. instrument lamps would not drain a battery in that time frame. I guess there's nothing to do but play the "wait and see" game!

No, I was about 25 feet away and immediatly noticed the gauge cluster and EVIC were lit. I think this has happened twice now. Now I''ve been watching to see everything turn off when I leave the vehicle. If the lamps go on when touching the door handle, even w/o keys - this must be the illuminated entry feature that I recall reading was part of the equipment package(?) I'm still trying to figure out all the specifics of how the keyless enter 'n go system operates - there's more to it than what meets the eye IMO.

96 in a 60 (kph of course). Just a speeding ticket, no other infractions attached. I was just passing traffic. I was in disbelief so much that I ask to see the radar gun. I think I said in an earlier post, the 3.6 is very powerful in the mid to upper rpm range - the power doesn't wane. So you really have to watch your speed it will take you by surprise. And as in my case, not neccessarily in a good way.

(posted below)

Unpleasant surprise this morning...hopped in the R/T to go to work this morning and...DEAD BATTERY! Somebody else here experienced the same thing, also on a new '11. As I recall they figured it was due to the "auto" function for the headlamps. I've noticed once or twice now that I'll go to my car (park inside a parkade at work) and see that the instrument cluster lights are on (but no other lights on). I've tried changing the power-off time delay settings...not sure at this point if that prevents the problem. There must be quite a short or drain when this happens, because just having the instrument lights on is not going to kill a battery in 8-10 hrs. Whoever this happened to...can you chime in please? Was their a fix? Thanks.

I went in on delivery day planning to negotiate on the Chrysler extended warranty. However my dealer offered a SAL 3rd party warranty, comprehensive coverage for 7yrs/ 140,000km. The price was $2,700 + tax. I opted in. I checked around and more than one dealer told me the comparable Chrysler 7/115,000 warranty was almost $4000 for an R/T AWD. So I felt pretty good about the package I bought.

Wow, you must have a record at least here for worst-ever experience with a Journey. Absolutely terrible! I hope things do work out somehow...

I checked them out....SWEET!

Mainmango- Your stable of Chargers is awesome! Great pics. My dealer had an '11 Charger on display - what a nice machine. Then the other night I saw one on the road, the taillamps are wicked. Chrysler has always been top-notch with their styling and equipment, IMO.

I agree, I'd demand to find out or threaten to refuse the vehicle. If they can't be forthcoming, I would not have any confidence in the car you're buying. Its a big purchase, you gotta protect yourself IMO. Hope it works out for you!

Hey mainmango, haven't you taken delivery yet? I thought your Journey had made it in already?

Perhaps the 2nd set of mounting holes are to mount the bracket to the fascia. I'm guessing the holes holding the plate on currently are ones the dealer made and not supposed to be there.

Hey - that's a good idea actually. Worth checking into, 'cause its only a matter of time... One other little thing I'm not crazy about - the "back" of the steering wheel doesn't have contoured finger grips. With the leather wrap, its slippery. An overlooked safety item IMO!

Hi, you beat me to the punch on this topic. I complained about the exact same thing when I picked up my car 9 days ago. I also have the latest fascia. The dealer also told me there's no front license bracket. Well that's partially true. I checked with a parts buddy at another dealer and he checked for me. There is one, but it's on a nation-wide back order. So I called my selling dealer, gave them the part number, and told them they should order one for me (and I don't expect to pay for it either). My plate is simply bolted on at an angle - it looks crappy. I'm going to make some spacers up in the mean time, for the top plate bolts and at least get it straight.

I have the new fascia, and I also bought a clean used mopar hitch off the classified here. I was out there today looking at the prospective installation, from underneath. Appears to be straightforward, although removal of the fascia and cutting out the hitch opening is mandatory. However I don't see it being any different than the other fascia version. It did seem to me that the spare tire is really close to the fascia - I sure hope the new fascia does not change the application spec for the hitch! I cannot confirm since I haven't picked up this hitch yet. If you go on the online mopar accessories catalog, you can download the installation instructions as a PDF.

So its been one week and 450km. All in all, I love this R/T. It blows away the '07 Equinox it replaced. Very pleased at the moment. What I like/love: I feel like I'm driving a vehicle that I should have paid at least 40k+ for. Appearance, interior, performance all gets a nod. I also feel as though I'm driving a vehicle much bigger than it actually is - I think its spatial perception with the large dash. The cabin is very quiet. The 3.6 is as smooth as silk, but when you punch the gas, it's all business. I really notice the mid to upper range performance, you can feel the ponies underfoot once the tach goes beyond 3,000 rpm - power keeps pouring on. Tight ride and handling. Nice road feel, even with the 19" wheels and low profile tires. The AWD is seamless, unnoticeable (except for the enhanced traction which is very apparent on wet roads) The interior is awesome, through and through. VERY confortabe seats. The dash is gorgeous. The 8.4N is kick-ass. Screen size, layout, response, bells and whistles - I can't get over how slick this unit is. The Garmin Nav is fine. LED taillamps at night are very cool. So is the LED lighting throughout the cabin. The keyless enter 'n go is soooo convenient (but it's taken me a week to get used to not using a key. I'm habitually taking the key fob out of my pocket, despite the fact there's no need to). Little annoyances (not issues really, so much as observations): I find the sill height quite high when exiting the vehicle, higher than the Equinox. For its decent size, it's a bit short on legroom in the back. Thank the engineering for the 3rd row seat platform (even w/ a 5-seater) - that's the compromise. No skid runner on the rear fascia beneath the tailgate. Seriously - that's an oversight! At times, the transmission slow to react or requires heavy throttle for downshift. Seems to have improved over the week - perhaps it has adaptive programming? Brakes feel somewhat underpowered. I read this in a media review as well. They feel undersized, as opposed to it being pedal feel (travel/ pressure point) IMO. It's just a week in, but so far I'm very pleased. The R/T is a great package and for the price, the equipment list just can't be beat. I hope the sentiment continues!

I've also just completed one week and 450km. I checked the other day and I'm running 16 for 100% city driving. I don't expect better numbers until at least 3,000 to 5,000km when the motor is fully broken in and loosened up.

OK a possibility for the beeping...you've got the 8.4 media radio, right? If there are any songs or artists selected as "favorites" on Sirius, the radio will beep to let you know that one of your favorites is playing on another station. Next time you here it - look down and see if there's a green bar that pops up in the top header area - if so, press it and it will tune to that station which is playing it. Assuming that's it!? Go into the menu and check your favorites settings, you can tell from the list.

My understanding was that the order cut-off date to make final 2011 production was some time in April. I'm surprised your dealer would not be privy to that information?

Welcome! I share the same sentiment about Chrysler. I can't stand it when people Chrysler bash because of junky cars they've put out in the past. Change does not come overnight, but they have been making leaps and bounds in quality and technology recently. Generally speaking it won't be long before the big three get mass recognition for their improvements and vehicle offerings - won't happen overnight but the proof is showing more and more with every new model year. I have a '69 Dodge Monaco...the motor has never been apart, nor has the transmission. Over 40 yrs old and still running like a top and has always been a very reliable car. 15-20 yrs after being built, most imports have already fallen apart and have been recycled into made-in-China toasters. There is nothing like Detroit steel, plain and simple. Detroit understands what north americans like in their cars...understands the passion for our car culture. Any time I've had to drive an import (such as a rental), offshore shortsightedness of that has always been evident to me, especially for a guy like me that has passion for cars - not just A to B transportation. You need look no further from the fact that none of the imports offer a true muscle car, like the Mustang or Challenger, simply because they don't understand them and the people who buy them either. They've had a free ride of success off the simple fact that the big 3 took their market for granted in the 80's and 90's and cheaped out on product to make a bigger buck. That is simply no longer the case as the big 3 have experienced quite the reality check the past few years. Well I will end my rant there!