Maybe I’m seeing your post in completely the wrong way here but it feels like you’re saying I’m making too big a deal out of all this. Yes, I absolutely agree that the dealer is mostly why I'm having such a hard time here and that is the main part of my displeasure, but I still don't believe a vehicle in this day and age should have this many problems in such a short time span. I can understand how it may seem to you like I'm nitpicking with some of the details here but I've owned three brand new cars previous to this one for a much longer time frame and those vehicles did not spend anywhere remotely close to the amount of time at the dealership as the Dodge Journey in a year and a half span. And I'm not talking oil changes and rotations here. I'm talking things that are out of the ordinary that need to be addressed. But let me try to respond to you as best I can.
"Well, I'm not a dealer, but some of your issues were quite simple and others perhaps the same issue over and over."
The problem is that even with simple issues, it never ends up being a simple fix. And the reason I keep having the same issue over and over, is that they constantly fail to resolve them the first time (failing to order parts, ordering wrong parts, two defective radios in a row). How many times was I told my vehicle was ready for pickup and immediately after or while driving home something would still be wrong. This really shouldn't be a complicated process. You fix something, you test it out, if it's not fixed, you continue working on it.
For example - that 'first 15 minutes of vibration issue' you're complaining about is simply the flat spot that tires get from sitting in one position being rolled out - check your tire pressure, you may need to inflate them a bit more to reduce the effect.
I believe I did say the original vibration problem was fixed after they replaced the strut, strut mount, bearing and did the road force balance. I didn’t make a big deal out of this. The "first 15 minutes of vibration" comment was more of an observation and I did specify that "the tires may just need warming up". My other vehicles in the past never had this behavior so I think it's normal that I would question it? Those vehicles would have been lighter than the Journey so maybe that could explain it. I do thank you for the suggestion. I will definitely see if more air could make a difference here.
Vibrations in general ought to be traceable - you put on wheels and tires at Canadian Tire and started having vibrations . . . . the likelihood is that CT did something, possibly killing a bearing - again, we're listening only to your simplified version of the story. There may have been other factors at work.
Simplified version? Other factors at work? What else do you need to know? Nothing else happened in that timespan that would change the outcome. Yes the vibration did start after I had tires installed at Canadian Tire. My first instinct was also to point the finger at them. But how would you explain the problem still being there after installing my summer wheels? Am I supposed to believe that the guys at CT could have damaged a strut by swapping a set of wheels? I highly doubt it. And as for that bearing, I'm no mechanic but I seriously doubt it would cause vibrations in my seat and not in the steering. IMO, the bearing got killed when the strut let go as the grinding noise started immediately after they replaced the strut and strut mount. My main argument with the bearing was not that it was shot but that they were sending me home with a loud grinding noise in the front right tire. If they would have taken a minute to test out the vehicle after replacing the strut and strut mount, they would have immediately found that there was still an issue to be resolved. As for the vibration, my main issue was that the dealer kept sending me home time and time again when the vibration was clearly still there. They should have looked deeper into the problem instead of ignoring it.
Brakes? They go. Especially on the DJ - braking vibrations means warped rotors. They did the rears? The fronts take more force and may have had pad left, but possibly were not true.
Yes, I was aware of the brake issues with Dodge Journeys so I was kind of expecting this. You're right, "they go", but it still doesn't make it right that they use up this fast. I won't spend much time on this because all one needs to do is read through the numerous posts about brakes on the forum and it becomes quite obvious that it's a design flaw.
Your radio issue? One big problem that needs someone to get you the right parts and install it properly.
I would sure like to find that "someone" you speak of! A month and a half later and still not fixed. Not acceptable! 2 faulty radios in a row. Not acceptable! Awful quality control.
The strut may have 'popped' if your wife turned into the driveway and jumped a curb - my ex would do stuff like that and say 'nothing was ever stressed' - my sister told me how aggressively she drove when I wasn't around. I'm not saying that this was the issue you had, but it is a possibility. At least they replaced it under warranty.
I don't want to get too personal here but your ex was your ex and not my wife. My wife and I have been together for over 13 years and she's no liar. I know without a single doubt that if she’d hit a curb, she would have told me then and there. I would never blame the dealer for something caused by my own fault. I have more respect than that. The only two people that drive our Journey is my wife and myself and it was never abused. I've had some people suggest that maybe the straps were over tightened when the Journey got transported at the dealership and that may have weakened the strut. I have no idea if this is possible but it's the only logical explanation I've had so far. Even then, that would be up to Dodge to cover the damage, not me.
In the end, for the vibration issues, if your dealer couldn't solve the problem, you ought to have taken the vehicle to a specialist (hint: Canadian Tire is not a specialist). I once owned a car that would start vibrating 1-5K after a tire swap - they'd balance it and it would be good for another 1-5K, then start vibrating again. Tires were from Goodyear. The dealer sent me to them - they replaced tires . . . 5 times!!! I finally got Goodyear to buy me a set of MIchelins and never had the proble gain. It turned out to be that the bead on that size of Goodyear tire was just large enough that it let the tire slip on the chromed rim under power (remember my wife, the race car driver?). The Michelin's were just a tad tighter and didn't slip.
Why should I have to take my vehicle somewhere else? Are you saying the ones that sell the product shouldn’t be specialists of their own product? Let’s be clear, I would never bring my vehicle to Canadian Tire for repairs. The only reason I did bring it to them at the time is because the vibration seemed to coincide with the wheel replacement. My first instinct was that the tires or wheels were causing the problem and that’s why I went the route of getting them replaced first. But once I had the summer wheels put back on and the same vibration was still there, it made no sense to blame the problem on the wheels anymore. The vibration only went away after they replaced the strut and mount so that was obviously the cause. I know I keep repeating myself here but they were sending me home time and time again saying the problem was fixed when it was clearly not.
Dealers are generalists. Not all dealers are the same. They certainly aren't rocket scientists when it comes to electronics and electronic systems. If you can't get things fixed then you need to get pro-active (or learn to live with the problem). Go to another dealer as a first step.
I took my DJ in for a radio issue requiring a flash update and in spite of the fact that I told them what to do the dealer told me they'd be charging me for time if THEY couldn't see the problem. I cancelled the work order then and there and went to another dealer who not only wouldn't have charged but gave me a loaner for the 3 hours they needed to get to the vehicle and do the work when they didn't have to, since they had a couple on the lot sitting around.
I’m paying over $30000 for a vehicle and I need to “get pro-active” or “learn to live with the problem”? Absolutely not! If Dodge wants to sell vehicles full of high tech electronics, they should make sure they have trained personnel to deal with these issues at every single dealership. I shouldn’t have to shop around until I find a dealer that knows what they’re talking about. Even then, I never knew it was possible to simply switch to another dealer. I always had the idea that if you buy a vehicle somewhere, that’s where you need to go for service. Now I know that’s not the case and will certainly use that option next time.
Your list unfortunately is littered with dealer issues:
You had 8 declared problems, but 'summarise' it as 18 items. The reality is that you are hyper sensitive to issues and I don't blame you. but in general it sounds like you had about 3 things go wrong (plus what is likely a Canadian-Tire induced issue) and a dealer that isn't interacting well with you, for whatever reason.
I apologise. Some items in that summary are things that were replaced and not “problems”. Maybe I should have simply titled it “Summary”. But I’m not sure why you only see 3 things that went wrong in that list. I count at least 8. Maybe something like a broken overhead console isn’t a real problem to you. I use that console every day when I bring my daughter to daycare. Hyper sensitive? Am I to blame for wanting a vehicle that doesn’t need something repaired every 5000kms? Apparently you’ve never had a good quality vehicle. I’ve had 3 and I can tell you right now they weren’t Dodge. I’m sorry but if you can honestly tell me you wouldn’t have been mad after all these issue and dealer errors, you sir have more patience than anyone I know!
Get yourself a large pitcher full of cold water, add some sugar, and grab a lemon squezzer, cause my friend. You've got yourself a lemon.
I understand your frustration, and I'm
Not going to tell you to find yourself another dealer.
Buying a car is not like buying a toaster. It's a big purchase, and as a customer you tend to expect consistency from the manufacturer and the dealer network. Unfortunately that's not the case.
I too was getting the run around from a dealer before also.
It's frustrating because, Chrysler should have better dealer quality standards, and ought to do something about it when something happens.
But oh we'll. Good luck with another dealer.
I won't pick apart your repsponse to my post, but will say that you asked and answered the questions - and the answers are obvious. If you aren't getting serviced properly by your dealer, find another and stop banging your head against the wall at the one you've been using. So, yes. If your dealer isn't fixing your vehicle to your satisfaction and you want the issues resolved, you DO need to get pro-active.
If your vibration started with CT and then persisted through the next tire swap, then perhaps CT damaged the vehicle while installing the tires? Bearings, stering and suspension components are relatively fragile when confronted by ham-fisted mechanics.
As to your wife's honesty? Not in question. However many women do tend not to appreciate the mechanical consequences of some of their actions.
Wow, I can see why you're upset and have every right to be. It's amazing that there are so many happy Journey owners and yet there are serious issues with some dealers that boggle the mind. As a long time employee of Chrysler and now a retiree I have owned many Dodge products and they were very reliable. I had one dealership that I bought five vehicles from and after the dealership was sold, I noticed a disturbing trend in their service department. They were great at excuses and pushing unneeded service. Unfortunately this reflects back on Chrysler. There's an old saying "once burned twice shy". Hopefully this new dealer and Chrysler Canada recognize the importance of a long term positive relationship with their customers. Bonne chance!
Wow, that's terrible. I am very fortunate to deal with a great dealership and I haven't had any service related problems ever with them. I haven't had nearly as many issues as you but how the service is handled really does make a huge difference. I hope you have better luck with your next dealership as your current one seems pretty incompetent.
I'm also sorry for your problems. If feel your pain on the hate for the vehicle you love. Long story short, I went through some challenging times with my Dakota. I toughed it out now I'm glad I did. Best of luck to you.
Peace.
Very sorry to hear that the Journey has been a big disappointment so far as mine has been great. I would strongly suggest that you change to another dealership to do your repairs as the one you are currently using seems to be the main source of your problem.
Dre,
Come on man, you buy a new car and expect it to work!!!???? :hysterical2: What do you expect from an "American" auto maker who assembles their cars in Mexico????
I hope by now you realize I'm completely on your side. Dealers are becoming less and less dependable (most anyway) and if you ever find one that is worth anything stick with them. I agree completely they should be figuring out whats wrong with your car not you. If your house is on fire does the fireman ask you how to put it out?
By the way, I didn't think steel belted radial tires got flat spots anymore, but I've been wrong before.
Hope you have some better luck. Keep the faith.......
Dre got a reaction from Lebowski in I've had it with this 2011 Journey and lack of service! (LONG POST)