Hello to all. I purchased a used 2009 Dodge Journey SXT in January 2011 with 10,101 miles and the remaining factory warranty. A few weeks ago, I installed a hitch to my vehicle. While under the vehicle, I noticed the rear wheels were worn pretty bad on the inside. I also noticed the vehicle was pulling a little to the right when I was driving. So, a couple of days ago, I took it to a Dodge dealer to have the tires rotated and balanced as well as have them perform a 4 wheel alignment. When the tech told me they were done, this is when the trouble began.
He stated the front was able to be aligned. As for the rotation and balance, they were not able to do this because the tires in the rear had wire showing. As for the rear, he stated they were able to adjust the TOE but the CAMBER was unable to be set properly. He asked if the vehicle had been in a wreck, and I told him the report given to me by the dealer didn't have any signs of being wrecked. As a result, the tech told me I would have to spend $492 for parts and labor to have adjustable upper arms installed so the alignment could be done properly. From what I have been told, alignment is only covered for 12 months from first purchase date or 12,000 miles, both of which I have exceeded.
Why would something like this need to be done? Shouldn't the factory warranty cover this? Does anyone know of any recalls on this topic? Why would adjustable upper arms need to be installed after only 15k miles, and why wouldn't something like this be installed from the factory?
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. When I talked to another tech at another Dodge dealership, he suggested I call Chrysler and see what they can do for me. I just really hate to pay $500 for these arms then turn around and have to spend another $400-$600 for new tires. I mean, it seems a little stupid to have to drop this kind of money on a vehicle that is less than two years old with only 15k miles.
