humansoul

Sounds like what happened to my 2011 DJ. The symptoms are a slight intermittent clicking/grinding noise when the wheels rotate, but I only notice this on very slow speeds and after a few kilometres of driving. Both rear brake pads and rotors were replaced because the caliper became stuck and melted on the brake pad, as per the explanation that was given to me. I'm going in for an oil change this weekend and it appears the same issue may be starting up again; the sound is very faint, but similar to my previous problems. I currently have 36k on my DJ, the first time occurred around 26K.

I have a keen eye and I've been to that dealership, service-wise, way too many times for my liking, so I've seen the dealer badge and can recognize it right away! I own a 2011 Journey Crew in white with Thule roof racks and am in the Pickering area. See you on the Durham roads!

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I went through this experience recently on my 2011 Journew Crew: -At 3000km, front brakes and rotors replaced due to brake squeal -At 28500km (really 25500km on the brakes), issue with wet grinding noise, issue due to slight warping of rotors and uneven wear of the pads. Paid out of my own pocket to machine them -After 2500km after they machined all 4 brakes, grinding noise appeared on front brakes. After raising a ticket through Dodge Customer Service, the front break pads were replaced as a goodwill gesture -Just after this service, rotating clicking sound heard in the rear brakes. After two visits to the dealership and no replication was found, I managed to replicate the issue directly to the service manager. The techs found that the brake pads were stuck in the caliper that melted it together! Issue was non-owner fault and this too was fully replaced (rotors, pads, calipers) I am now hoping that this is the last of my brake issues. I do suggest raising the concerns to Dodge Customer Service and speaking directly to the service manager about your issues and referring to your claim so they know it's being tracked.

Just an update to my situation...car is going back to service due to issue re-occurring. After driving it this past weekend, when applying the brakes in a gradual stop, a grinding noise is present. Appears the noise is coming from the rear, versus the fronts, so possible further replacements of pads.

nice ride...i like the new style of the rims for the SXT versions, and the colour is pretty nice too! Looks like your ride was purchase at Pickering Chrysler, you in the Durham region?

According to the dealership, the pads were not aligned after the machining of the rotors that were done last month, so the contact was not 100% and thus causing the shuddering noise to re-appear. The recommendation was to replace the brake pads, which they should have recommended at that time. They did offer free labour, but I would have to pay for the parts. I spoke to Dodge Customer Care and also relayed the message to the service manager. They understood my frustration and the fact that it was partially their fault for not recommending the replacement and in turn replaced it for free as a goodwill gesture. Overall, I am satisfied with the outcome, however, only time will tell as to what occurs when I reach the 50K mark.

I posted on another thread about brake problems on my '11 Dodge Journey Crew. After getting the rotors machined, the brakes started having issues again with shuddering noises after 2500km and I've brought it back to the dealership to investigate. I decided to call Dodge Customer Care to submit a report as at this point it's getting a little ridiculous and I am really considering getting rid of the the Journey. Will keep you updated as to what the dealership says this time.

I first wanted the 7 seater, but none on the lot to choose from that had the Crew package, so I settled with the 5 seater, which I'm glad I did. It didn't matter how many times I tried to sell myself with the 7 seater, everytime I tried to put myself in the back, I could not withstand being there for another second. Mind you, I personally would not be the one sitting there, but the thought of my passengers having to put up with the small space, I couldn't bare it and would end up apologizing the whole ride! IMO, I think there's more cons than pros when it comes to the 7 seater Journey: -I may be wrong, but I would think with the extra metal and parts needed, the 7 seater would weigh more thus increase in fuel -Less cargo space, defeats the purpose of a long haul and not enough space for luggage for all 7 passengers -You'll probably end up being the car to use those long hauls with family or friends, so more chances of abusing your Journey versus someone who only has a 5 seater -Really bad visibility in the back when the seats are up due to the headrests But as others mentioned, it's your preference as to what you'll be doing with your Journey! Enjoy!

Nice pick up! Just came from the dealership to drop off my '11 Crew and noticed a '13 R/T fully loaded on the showroom that intrigued my interest...who knows! I noticed on your R/T that the lower side panel(skirt) is black, is that normal? Might be something that they don't include anymore in the newer years, but I specifically chose the Crew to have matching colours. Don't have a pic of my Journey right now, but I thought the R/T's would also match the colour of the lower side(skirt) panels

I'm aware of the noise, but the advantage of dissipating the heat and and water/snow on them is great. Had slotted rotors on my Lancer and they did the job very well. I don't really recall though having noise issues during salty conditions, care to expand on this? With the weather we've been getting here in Toronto, I thought to check out the '13 R/T models and maybe upgrade to an AWD. I love my '11 Crew, but just hate to see it depreciate and not be happy with some of the items, such as the brakes.

Did you upgrade to the bigger brake kits? If by chance the dealer is willing to replace the brakes, would there be any chance to request the 2013 kits?

It's probably time to chime in to this discussion. I have a 2011 Dodge Journey Crew and I seem to be affected by the brake issues the forum are discussing. Not sure what the symptoms others have had, but mine is more a shuddering or even no braking feel, almost like the brakes don't bite. I called my dealership today and inquired if there were any recalls or issues, but none were on file for the 2011+ Journeys. From what the rep said, they feel that it's wear and tear and due to the rotors warping, so unfortunately it's not covered under warranty. Wanted to inquire with the forum as to what to do: -Get the rotors machined and pads replaced, if needed(could be worn inproperly due to the rotors) and wait for this to happen again = could be a recurring cost -Get an aftermarket replacement, $450 or so in parts + labour = fix the issue now and hope for the best As for the discussion of upgrading to a big brake kit, I honestly think the issue is more due to the OEM brake product is not of good quality. I remember getting my Journey and within the first week, my front brakes squealed and had to be fully replaced. I can also account the brake dusts that I continue to get a sign of lower quality pads being used, but I could be wrong. I would also throw caution to those thinking of a big brake kit that downsize their rims and tires during winter. I noticed the clearance on my 17" winter rims are really close to the brake calipers. I did some research and found replacements from Centro, Stoptech, and Powerslot for rotors. The Stoptech and Powerslot are more expensive due to the drilled and slotted options, while the Centro is just plain. As for pads, I noticed the Akebono or Centric for ceramic pads.Any recommendations if anyone have gone with aftermarket? Thanks in advance!

Did you all buy the sets from Weathertech or through a vendor?

Looks like TRS modified and have an independent HID system for Mopar vehicles: http://www.theretrofitsource.com/product_info.php?products_id=18639 When I first inquired about the HIDs, they mentioned they needed a special harness to deal with the errors that people were getting when installing on a Mopar vehicle. This appears to now be included in this kit, but costs a bit more than the original HID kit.

Noticed today that TireRack now carries Toyos in the same size as the Kumhos for our Journeys. Price is a bit more, but at least there's a second option now in case people don't like the Kuhmos. The ToyoA23 appear to be the OEM tires for Mazda CX5s (GT version)

DDMtuning appear to be a good option, easy plug and play. I believe some users on here use DDM HIDs. I'm also in the market for HIDs, but may try the Marimoto HIDs from TRS. Appear to be high quality and the output from the ballast are much better than DDMs.

thanks for the feedback. Did you buy the HIDs on ebay too or local? Easy to install or did you go to a shop? Nice ride btw, love the blacked out grill...I'm in Toronto, so hope to see you around if you're in the GTA

Very nice...I'd love to see some nights shots of the front and also the view from the car if posible! Quick question about your HIDs, do they interfere with the automatic shut on/off when unlocking/locking the car or when you put it on auto for day/night sensor? Thanks!

wow...sorry to hear about your Journey. The mph to kmh is an easy flash; some dealerships are aware of the work order while some were not. When I took my car for my first oil change to where I bought my Journey from, they wanted to replace the whole unit and needed to get approval from Chrysler engineer! I knew the issue was a matter of a flash update, which was resolved when I went to my nearby dealership instead for my second oil change. As for the ETC issue, can't comment on that and can only have thoughts as to having a bad break-in period for the engine...it's hard to deal with two entities that don't work hand-in-hand. On one, you have a dealership, trying to fix your problem, on the other hand, you have HQ not knowing much about the problems and needing to get more information from the dealership. The fact that we haven't heard from you, it may seem everything is resolved now?

Chrysler/Dodge have been doing this is all of their cars, check out the Compass, Patriots, and the Caravans. It is used for safety purposes in ensuring the signal light is visible to oncoming traffic. Supposedly, there's a distance alloted from where the DRL is to the signal light, and if it's too close, the DRL should be disabled everytime the signal light is enabled. Lucky for us, it's not the main headlight that gets disabled, but the DRLs, on the caravans, the main headlight is disabled everytime you signal, which makes it look weird and sometimes people mistaken it for a busted bulb.

You might also want to check your other tires; it looks like your tires have been deflated and caused that soft 'orange' like effect that is common on tires not inflated properly.

22" rims will be so big...unless you're looking for that look. You are taking a risk of going bigger rims, given you'll need a lower profile tire as indicated by nerner, this would increase the chance of denting your rims if you ever hit a big pot hole or something. Gas consumption will also be impacted given the weight of the tires.

Well that's a bummer...it's a pain, and somewhat more dangerous, to raise one side at a time rather than having it be equal on both the front and rear of the Journey. I guess I'll ask the service dept and see if they can point out what points, if any, I can use.

A Chrysler dealership just opened up in my area and had a $9.99 special for oil change, so I have not paid full price yet bringing in my own oil. I suggest to just call them up and ask how much less it is when you bring in your own oil.

Could be because your engine is still in break-in period and may be burning more oil until it's broken in....Last month, I did my oil change and usually bring my own oil, brought 6 liters (4.4 Litre and two 1 Litre) to be safe and there was some left from one of the 1 litre bottles, so 6L is pretty precise.