Journeyman425

Man, I love those...

Ha! You may be biased...

Thanks for all the input folks. Ended up going with the 2013 Crew. Wife wasn't willing to put down the additional $10k for a new one with similar features. Car checked out well with my mechanic. Had it professionally cleaned but not 100% sure the dog odour has been dealt with so that's something I'll have to monitor and deal with. Can't wait to pick up the car later on this week. Thanks again.

Mine is Copperhead Pearl. As soon as I saw this, I had to have it! My last three trucks were silver, so this was a big change for me.

Does it really matter? I have raced a challenger just for fun. It must have been a V6 because I managed to beat it with two bikes on the roof, 2 passengers, and a third row full of mountain biking gear. Terminal velocity over 100mph. Evidently, there is no real difference between 283 and 305. The only difference is the cocktail party banter? I used to think a tune would be simply bad ass, but now I realize the real strength of the DJ is utility. With a little vinegar mixed in, of course. If you want a challenger, get one. Our DJs won't ever be a challenger. DJs are cooler,IMHO.
Peace.

All fair answers I've always been a tuner, so it's something I really enjoy talking about, testing, tweaking, etc. So one thing to consider (especially with variable valve-timing engines) is that while the top-end power may not change much with a tune, you can move the torque curve around. I don't know much (yet) about the Mopar 3.6L VVT, but if it's similar to german cars, a big change in a "performance" mode is moving the torque curve back a bit (lower in the RPM range).
We bought a 2012 AWD Journey Crew trim last Friday, and so far we're really happy with it (with no tuning!). I think this is going to be a great family car for us. Tough to let go of my Audi, it pushes 320hp and 300 lb/ft of torque, but it's time to move on... We have too many kids and too many grandparents to shuttle around!

I would add that if someone out there were to develop a tuner, they should focus on making the transmission shift better first....

I think the reason why this topic has morphed into what it has boils down to something very basic. The car shows a feature that can be enabled if the owner so desires. Nothing happens when the feature is enabled. The owner inquires at the dealership level as to why the feature does not work. No one at the dealership level can provide a factual answer because the parent company has failed to issue such an answer on the matter. That's when the sparks begin to fly.
I've said this numerous times before - I *think* the sales code has been made into a factory-only sales option. All I'm asking of Dodge is to simply confirm it. If so, then yes - either the car has it or it does not and let's move on. But no one at Dodge has confirmed my theory so for now, I'm guessing. My customers don't come to me for guesses, they want facts. That is the issue that irks me the most and is the reason why I persist.

I think the reason why this topic has morphed into what it has boils down to something very basic. The car shows a feature that can be enabled if the owner so desires. Nothing happens when the feature is enabled. The owner inquires at the dealership level as to why the feature does not work. No one at the dealership level can provide a factual answer because the parent company has failed to issue such an answer on the matter. That's when the sparks begin to fly.
I've said this numerous times before - I *think* the sales code has been made into a factory-only sales option. All I'm asking of Dodge is to simply confirm it. If so, then yes - either the car has it or it does not and let's move on. But no one at Dodge has confirmed my theory so for now, I'm guessing. My customers don't come to me for guesses, they want facts. That is the issue that irks me the most and is the reason why I persist.

I think what most people are annoyed about are two things... Why have software to control something when not only is it not there, there isn't any way to get it. Most every "option" whether ordered from the factory or not, can be dealer installed. Don't have the oil cooler? The dealer will be happy to charge you for it and install it. Don't have the luggage rack? Again, the dealer will be more than happy to install it for you (for a fee). Don't have the custom wheels? Order them from the dealer. Want DRLs? You're SOL. That's what most people are upset about. I don't think most want them for free, but, they are being told that there is absolutely no way to get the stock DRLs. Whether you like them or not, whether you think the aftermarket looks better, the fact of the matter is that if for some reason you a) didn't know that option was available when you ordered your car b)you bought from dealer stock but want to "upgrade" your purchase or c) you just plain thought that they came with the ability (and they do), there is, apparently, no way after the vehicle leaves the assembly line to have them installed. Evidently, the only thing on the car that can't be installed/fixed/replaced after the car leaves the building.
As for aftermarket, as opposed to stock, I'll take stock. If for some reason I want them off; I turn them off or on via UConnect. The stock look fully integrated to the car (they are). Aftermarket units will always look like "aftermarket" additions since they aren't vehicle specific and they have to be added to the vehicle in places that don't look "designed in". Aftermarket also requires some knowledge of wiring to get them installed properly and with the CANBus, there is always the chance that you can place a load on a monitored line that the system isn't set for and whatever splices you make are subject to weathering and faults. There are also many folks out there that want DRLs, but, don't know which end of wire stripper to hold, let alone how to find a "hot only when running" wire that is bundled up in the wiring harness wraps or how to tap into the power distribution block without melting down the whole bus or how to get them mounted so that they aren't dragging the ground or hanging by their wires after the first freeze or rain. The stock DRL is built in; nothing to fudge, nothing to kludge and if there is a problem with them, the dealer will take care of them under warranty. Yes there appears to be a lot of "angst" and I suspect as more "new" buyers find out they may have been hoodwinked by Dodge (I think they have been based on my reasoning in the first paragraph), there will be new folks wringing their hands and wondering whether anything new has been found for getting them to work. Short of locking the thread, folks are going to be coming here and venting (that's a forum's number one use; whether that is the intention or not). I, fortunately, have a '13 and got mine working. I don't come back to this thread often, but, I do "check in" sometimes just to see if anything's changed. If you aren't interested in the thread, you can always just skip it... For those of you that want your DRLs activated, I hope, that through enough customer pressure, something may, eventually, be done for you. I don't think a law suit is the way to go, but, I'm not into the "sue'em" type mentality, but, maybe enough email complaints to the corporate office will get something moving for you.

Thanks Journeyman425. Keep up the good fight. Keep us posted if anything new from Dodge magically appears.
I hate lawyers, but there are times when their services are needed........

No, that is a false statement. The tires are not "cheap, crappy chinese" tires. They are major brand name tires made to the manufacturers specifications to obtain a soft ride, i.e. soft compound and they do wear out quicker than the tires you and I can get from the tire store.

It's actually a South Korean company that has R&D facilities here in the U.S...
They have been around since 1960 and have won many awards for the quality of their products over the last 50+ years. They also have a massive production facility in Macon, Georgia that supports a large number of American workers and supplies tires to North America...
You should know what you're talking about before posting and spreading misinformation on the site. As jkeaton said, these tires are manufactured to Chrysler's specification and meet all ISO standards for the production of automotive tires. They are also used in luxury brands like Mercedes...

Bramfrank makes a very valid point about aftermarket service contracts. I was on the fence about elaborating the cons of aftermarket warranties since you have already purchased it, but if you have a cancellation clause that does not fiscally hurt you then you might consider doing so.
Aftermarket service contracts (often, but not necessarily always) make the owner and the shop jump through many hoops in order to get a claim paid. The contracts are often worded with all kinds of terms which, if not followed to the letter, allow them to sidestep payment to the owner or the shop. It is for those very reasons why my shop will not accept any aftermarket warranties, nor do we sell anything but the Chrysler Service Contracts.
The factory Service Contract is very straightforward. All repairs correspond to an eight digit Labor Operation Number (LOP). There is no guesswork - if a customer's vehicle needs a repair, we simply type the LOP number into the customer's Service Contract. If the LOP is covered by the plan, we get paid no questions asked, and the customer is only responsible for the deductible as stated on their plan. No adjuster to call, no records to show, nothing is open to interpretation by a third party adjuster, often sent to the repair shop by the aftermarket warranty company to verify the shop's claim. Plus, as bramfrank states, all OEM parts are used and the contract is good at ANY Chrysler Group dealer, anywhere. Often times the aftermarket warranty companies will specify their own parts rather than OEM or worse, will pay only for a used part! The store I used to work for years ago sold these aftermarket warranties, and often times we had to leave the car on the lift for days, waiting for an adjuster to come to verify our claim. The customer was left with a disabled car at our shop and the contract company would not pay for a rental while you waited for them to authorize payment. This never happens with a Chrysler plan.
I purchased a Lifetime Maximum Care Contract of our Journey even though I work for a dealer and pay cost for parts. These cars have some very expensive electronics in them, not to mention the engine and tranny. I'm still driving my last new car - a 2000 300M with 286,000 miles on it. Our Journey may very well follow suit, especially if it will only cost me $100.00 to put a motor or a tranny in it, not to mention replacement of that nice 8.4" touchscreen which is bound to go bad after a few years. Plus, should anything ever happen to me, my wife will never have to worry about a repair bill exceeding $100.00 for as long as she owns the car. Something to think about.

I've got 41,000ish miles on my oem kumhos. I keep wanting to put new tires on the DJ, but honestly I think I got another 5,000 miles before they are shot. Tire wear depends on your driving style, your local street surfaces, and maintenance (air pressure and rotations). Mine still roll as smooth as they day I got my DJ.
Peace.

Correct - the upper intake manifold must be removed. Unless you have the correct tools and experience, this should be left to a technician whose skill level is commensurate with the job. Going by the Labor Operation number assigned to this job by Chrysler, I would have to delegate this job to one of my techs whose training level was second highest or highest (level 2 or 3) in order to submit a warranty claim in the event that we were doing this job under warranty. Here's an overview:
08 - Electrical/8I - Ignition Control/COIL, Ignition/Removal 3.6L Labor Operations: Click to display a list of Labor Operations associated with this procedure
Disconnect and isolate the negative battery cable.
If removing the ignition coils from cylinders 1 and 3 on the RH side of the engine, first remove the resonator (Refer to 09 - Engine/Air Intake System/RESONATOR, Air Cleaner - Removal) .
If removing the ignition coils from cylinders 2, 4 or 6 on the LH side of the engine, first remove the upper intake manifold (2) and insulator (Refer to 09 - Engine/Manifolds/MANIFOLD, Intake - Removal) .
NOTE:
The LH ignition coils are shown, the RH ignition coils are similar.

Unlock and disconnect the electrical connector (1) from the ignition coil.
Remove the ignition coil mounting bolt (3).
Pull the ignition coil (2) from cylinder head cover opening with a slight twisting action.
And now for the intake manifold removal:
09 - Engine, 3.6L / Manifolds / MANIFOLD, Intake/Removal UPPER Labor Operations: Click to display a list of Labor Operations associated with this procedure
Disconnect and isolate the negative battery cable.
Remove the engine cover (1).

Remove the resonator (1) (Refer to 09 - Engine/Air Intake System/RESONATOR, Air Cleaner - Removal) .

Disconnect the electrical connectors from the Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor (1) and the Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) (7).
Disengage the ETC harness from the clip (8) on the throttle body. Disengage the wire harness retainers (4 and 5) from the upper intake manifold near the MAP sensor and reposition the wire harness.
Disconnect the following hoses from the upper intake manifold: Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) (3) vapor purge (6) brake booster (2)

Disengage the wire harness retainer (4) from the upper intake manifold support bracket (5).
Disengage the wire harness retainer (3) from the studbolt (2).
Remove two nuts (1), loosen the studbolt (2) and reposition the upper intake manifold support bracket (5).

Remove the nut (2) from the support bracket of the heater core return tube (1).

Remove two nuts (1), loosen two studbolts (3) and reposition the two upper intake manifold support brackets (2).
NOTE:
The upper intake manifold attaching bolts are captured in the upper intake manifold. Once loosened, the bolts will have to be lifted out of the lower intake manifold and held while removing the upper intake manifold.
NOTE:
Exercise care not to inadvertently loosen the two fuel rail attachment bolts that are in close proximity of the upper intake manifold attaching bolts.

Remove seven manifold attaching bolts (1) and remove the upper intake manifold (2).

Remove and discard the six upper to lower intake manifold seals (1).
Cover the open intake ports to prevent debris from entering the engine.
If required, remove the insulator (2) from the LH cylinder head cover.
As I stated earlier - my feeling is that your misfire is head-related. Yes, it could be a bad coil but usually that is accompanied by a dead miss and a flashing engine light, neither of which you stated are occurring. You also may have a bad injector as well. They often give the same symptom as a bad coil but sometimes not as severe. Have it diagnosed at a reputable dealer. If you end up needing a cylinder head, the head will be covered by the 10 year / 150K warranty extension which was recently issued by the factory.

Correct - the upper intake manifold must be removed. Unless you have the correct tools and experience, this should be left to a technician whose skill level is commensurate with the job. Going by the Labor Operation number assigned to this job by Chrysler, I would have to delegate this job to one of my techs whose training level was second highest or highest (level 2 or 3) in order to submit a warranty claim in the event that we were doing this job under warranty. Here's an overview:
08 - Electrical/8I - Ignition Control/COIL, Ignition/Removal 3.6L Labor Operations: Click to display a list of Labor Operations associated with this procedure
Disconnect and isolate the negative battery cable.
If removing the ignition coils from cylinders 1 and 3 on the RH side of the engine, first remove the resonator (Refer to 09 - Engine/Air Intake System/RESONATOR, Air Cleaner - Removal) .
If removing the ignition coils from cylinders 2, 4 or 6 on the LH side of the engine, first remove the upper intake manifold (2) and insulator (Refer to 09 - Engine/Manifolds/MANIFOLD, Intake - Removal) .
NOTE:
The LH ignition coils are shown, the RH ignition coils are similar.

Unlock and disconnect the electrical connector (1) from the ignition coil.
Remove the ignition coil mounting bolt (3).
Pull the ignition coil (2) from cylinder head cover opening with a slight twisting action.
And now for the intake manifold removal:
09 - Engine, 3.6L / Manifolds / MANIFOLD, Intake/Removal UPPER Labor Operations: Click to display a list of Labor Operations associated with this procedure
Disconnect and isolate the negative battery cable.
Remove the engine cover (1).

Remove the resonator (1) (Refer to 09 - Engine/Air Intake System/RESONATOR, Air Cleaner - Removal) .

Disconnect the electrical connectors from the Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor (1) and the Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) (7).
Disengage the ETC harness from the clip (8) on the throttle body. Disengage the wire harness retainers (4 and 5) from the upper intake manifold near the MAP sensor and reposition the wire harness.
Disconnect the following hoses from the upper intake manifold: Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) (3) vapor purge (6) brake booster (2)

Disengage the wire harness retainer (4) from the upper intake manifold support bracket (5).
Disengage the wire harness retainer (3) from the studbolt (2).
Remove two nuts (1), loosen the studbolt (2) and reposition the upper intake manifold support bracket (5).

Remove the nut (2) from the support bracket of the heater core return tube (1).

Remove two nuts (1), loosen two studbolts (3) and reposition the two upper intake manifold support brackets (2).
NOTE:
The upper intake manifold attaching bolts are captured in the upper intake manifold. Once loosened, the bolts will have to be lifted out of the lower intake manifold and held while removing the upper intake manifold.
NOTE:
Exercise care not to inadvertently loosen the two fuel rail attachment bolts that are in close proximity of the upper intake manifold attaching bolts.

Remove seven manifold attaching bolts (1) and remove the upper intake manifold (2).

Remove and discard the six upper to lower intake manifold seals (1).
Cover the open intake ports to prevent debris from entering the engine.
If required, remove the insulator (2) from the LH cylinder head cover.
As I stated earlier - my feeling is that your misfire is head-related. Yes, it could be a bad coil but usually that is accompanied by a dead miss and a flashing engine light, neither of which you stated are occurring. You also may have a bad injector as well. They often give the same symptom as a bad coil but sometimes not as severe. Have it diagnosed at a reputable dealer. If you end up needing a cylinder head, the head will be covered by the 10 year / 150K warranty extension which was recently issued by the factory.

Hi Thanks again for your time and effort. Looks like it's not going to happen.
I love the car and driving it is a pleasure. Compared to some issues I've read about here, it's a minor one!
Have a good day/night, not sure which.
A fantastic day here for a winters day.

Quoting almost verbatim from the warranty guide - tires are the only item not covered by the New Car Limited Warranty, and are covered by the tire manufacturer themselves.
With 23,000 miles now on my Journey, the OEM Kumho Solus KH16's (225/55/19) are still every bit as smooth, quiet, and balanced as they were on day one. The car tracks straight and true with absolutely no vibration. I've rotated them twice and have never had to balance any one wheel. The current tread depth is at least 6/32" (they were 10/32" new). Barring any road hazards, I'm on track to go 40K miles on these before replacement. We'll see. I have read about all the problems people have had with them and have expected the worst, but I've been very fortunate, I guess. None of the problems I've read about have materialized thus far. I've always loved Michelins and both my 300M's wore them as OEM tires, but if these Kumhos continue to wear and perform as they have to this point, I would replace them with the same ones again, no questions asked. Very satisfied so far.

My 2011 Crew is Silver. I have my eyes on a 2014 Crossroad in Copper Pearl Coat.

Dodge will back the customer in this case since the head is a known problem. They want to minimize inconvenience to the customer so if a dealer loaner is not available, rental coverage can be authorized for a couple of days while this work is done. Respectfully request that the dealership cover the rental cost for you. If they do not oblige, contact customer service @ 1-800-992-1997 and request reimbursement.

There have been transmission software updates along the way. Yours may need an update. I also have a 300M (two of them, actually) and they shift more smoothly and predictably than my 2013 Journey. I like the extra ratios but the action is a bit abrupt or busy. I have learned to live with the shift quality but it is the only performance characteristic of the vehicle that I don't care for.
Intermittently inoperative cruise control is also a common issue. Most times the root cause is traced to the steering wheel switches. We keep them in stock at my shop for this reason. Not just DJ, but Grand Cherokees and Durangos as well.

It's been 3 months since delivery and to be honest, not much to report. Only one visit to the dealer and that was for a screw in the middle of a tire that I picked up. It wasn't even leaking air. I just happened to see it when washing the Journey. No mechanical issues at all. I did have to do a bit of extra cleaning due to a bit of a sloppy install of the body side molding, but detailing is a hobby of mine anyway, so not a big deal. There are now 3 coats of wax on it, including doing the door jambs once. There isn't a bug made that will stick to my Journey!
I did change out the black standard carpet floor mats for Lloyd mats which are much thicker and plush. Went for the beige colour, and are far easier to keep clean as those black ones show every speck of grit. Since I have the chrome clad wheels and a huge snow tire advocate, I purchased a set of 17 inch alloy wheels from a recycler. for just a bit more than a standard set of new steel wheels. A note for others thinking of this, 17inch Caravan wheels are identical to Journey wheels which gives a big increase in choices. After a lot of research I plan to purchase the upcoming Blizzak WS 80 tires for our delightful winters. I was thrilled to see that my 2014 came with ceramic brake pads. Keeping the wheels clean is super easy as ceramic brakes give off very little dust and it is white, which doesn't show.
Only thing I find a bit strange is the location inside the centre console for the USB port. I load mp3 favourites on a flash drive and it is a bit of a pain to try to insert into the port. The premium audio system is ok.. I realize some prefer a better subwoofer, but since I don't need to feel my liver vibrate, it is fine for me.
Only one highway trip to Grand Forks N.D. and back. Love the V6 and cruises the 75 mph speed limit on I29 with little effort. Gas mileage exactly as expected and better than the old Caravan, even though I seem to have lead weights on the bottom of my feet.
1st 5k oil change in a few weeks. I don't drive too much.

Went to Hither Hills again last week in Montauk, NY. Wonderful time with the family and I really like how well the Journey handles our pop-up camper. It never feels overburdened in any way, not even close.

Thank you so much for your help. The service dept at the dealership I bought my dj at is not known for their service dept. Thank God we have a person like you to fall back on for questions and get real answers.