HotRodLincoln

UPDATE: I'm all fixed up. I felt it was not worth legal action and just kinda of let it be. Time passed. Despite being well out of warranty period I visited my local dealer and complained again....this time someone higher up got the word. My entire tailgate was replaced brand new and a perfect repaint all courtesy of Dodge. Lesson; be persistent. Visit different dealers. 50k miles now and 4.5 years. This vehicle has been 100% reliable with ZERO mechanical or electrical issues. If not for the tailgate paint issue, its been flawless. The issue as determined by the body shop was that some oil had gotten onto the inside of the gate, which is made of a somewhat porous type composite, and it acted like a solvent and lifted the paint-base. Likely happened when I had it oil undercoated which I highly recommend....but do not let them spray inside that rear gate! As a testament to quality of this car; 85% of its miles are commuting in semi urban area so it can be called city driving....but not heavy congestion. Original wear items, but wiper blades, still intact...all of them. Tires; about shot Brakes and rotors, plenty left. Battery, was never really strong reserve-wise, but still doing its job. 87 Octane fuel always and never complains and gets 27 MPG on highway @ 65~70. Commuting its 21ish and this v-6 is very powerful. Would I buy again? Absolutely. There is no better valued SUV available. I get a chuckle when I read certain and plentiful known to be biased sources that dog this brand and model. They couldn't be more wrong and wonder they are so dishonest as they peddle problematic cheap underpowered Asian imports. Awaiting the new model with hopes they don't ruin an excellent well designed vehicle......my money is waiting.

Update; Dealer notified me that Dodge will not Continue any further with this claim/ repair, and then proceeded to tell the dealer that it should have never been authorized to begin with as records show that it was denied initially at the first dealer that I had brought it to here near me. My tailgate actually looks worse now that ever. The paint is lifting and bubbling in many areas. Dodge CS has always been two steps behind what the dealer was doing so I'm convinced they are just "yes" men to tell customer whatever they want to hear, and do NOTHING to make anything happen in your favor. Dealer suggested I get a lawyer.....but I'm not spending 2~3k or more on a 1~2k repair. I will plead with the body shop who repainted it and hope they are willing to try again a third time....at their expense. I doubt they will as they already lost money and know the composite tailgate is releasing some solvent that is lifting the paint. I have lost any and all confidence in Dodge standing behind their product. Sadly, this will be our last Fiat Chrysler product.

Update. So our local dealer was of zero help as you read above.. Under suggestion I took it back to the purchasing dealer about 45 mins from me. They re-submitted the claim and Dodge this time agreed to repair. The estimate came back from the body shop at $1000, but I was told that Dodge would only be willing to pay 800. ?? Dealer told me not to worry about it. More ISSUE; The body shop repainted the tailgate twice and each time the paint lifted and bubbled in the same areas......it now looks worse than before. Now there are rings and pimples and bubbles less pronounced but much more of. They did a great job with the paint work but are at a loss as to why that even with an epoxy sealer something is reacting with the paints. The body shop insists that a complete new tailgate be the next order of repair. I am awaiting word now as dealer is to talk to Dodge about the situation. Wow. We both love this vehicle and want it done right. Just a week or so without our DJ left us missing it. My wife was sure happy to get it back even though we both know it will have to go back for correction. Question is....will Dodge just step up or give me more grief? Stay tuned.

The fiasco continues on. Under recommendation, We have gone to the original purchased at dealer....they said looks like a no brainer...they should fix. They sent us to their subcontract auto-body shop for repair estimate... Apparently the estimate was too high (hello its pearl opalescent paint) and they are trying to cut the cost down before submitting it again to FCA. ?? The weeks roll by and the FCA customer service fellah never looks into it despite my pleads to do so. I get the run around by dealer, and messages back from FCA CS agent who only leaves a call back message...but is never available when I call. I'm officially horrified by the whole way I have been handled by FCA and dealers. I'm a very reasonable person and not a complainer at all, but this is an insult. Case #29044473.

My guess is that that rust warranty is regarding perforation only. They obviously don't want to be responsible for paint chips and scratches from damage leading to surface rust. Rust through would probably take more than 5 years in most if not all situations. So Toyota buys back 10 year old rusted pickups for top dollar from their owners, and FCA hoses folks with 2 y.o. warrantied vehicle with bubbling paint issues. OMG.

Thanks for your help journeyman425, I will try to get ahold of the dsm. So far I have had zero luck with dodge CS. I have talked to my case manager on three occasions only to be told she cant do anything. I have yet to get any explanation. I have tried calling back twice now leaving a please call back message with no call back. I have been very polite up until pretty darn soon. Case / claim # 29044473. I will not let this go as it has turned into principals now. This vehicle has been babied, over-maintained, hand waxed, parked in shade, etc. So the hatch is composite and the paint is lifting up off it in bubble form. Tiny bubbles, four areas. I have done paint and mech work for many years when I was younger and have never seen anything quite like it. Happened during this past winter (which was mild and near snowless). My only guess is that, and this is a stab in the dark here, is that something in the composite released and lifted all the paint product in circular patterns and only on hatch and only in four areas mid hatch about 3" radius per area. For this to not be covered on such a new low mile vehicle is a real shame on FCA. I plan to pursue this if necessary to the Automotive Consumer Action Program, the BBB, the State Consumer Protection Office, and lastly in small claims court with FCA as defendant. I am now very concerned with any other warranty issue I may have with this dodge, and my other dodge while still under "supposed" coverage. I have had ZERO warranty claims on either up until now....so claim one and here we go.

So if you follow my posts you will see I have reported shear excellence regarding our 014 DJ. Well, we have developed a problem. The car is 2 years old and has 20ish k on it. We wash it frequently and it gets hand waxed at least twice a year. It gets underbody / car washed minimum once a week all winter long while they are salting. We keep our vehicles mint. So, a few weeks ago while we were at the local dealership thinking about trading in for a 300.....the salesman looks over our DJ and notices that the paint is bubbling on the rear hatch in 4 areas. OMG. This must have happened over the winter (which was mild and near snow free btw). Anyway, shocked and surprised I say Dodge will take care of it as its clearly something going on UNDER the paint and must be prep/application error which finally appeared. Salesman says, hope so as it would effect trade value as we would have to repaint it yada yada. No problem we set appointment, Dealer takes pics and next thing you know I get the call saying FCA denied it. WTF! I call the customer line and he tells me the digital department says no and it stands. WTF! He agrees to escalate it to another person who essentially tells me the same thing. So here we are with a 2 y.o. 20 k mile DJ in otherwise brand new condition with the optional pearl white paint....and a rear hatch with the paint bubbling in 4 very noticeable and large areas and CLEARLY an issue UNDER the paint and NOT in any way from anything we may or may not have done. In no way is it environmental or anything like that. So...what are my options here? Small claims ct? the BBB? the state atty general? maybe the automotive consumer action program? Yup, did some research as to my re-course. What a shame that FCA would treat us so badly and unfairly after all these years of loyal ownership. A warranty that is not honored is a serious infraction. I hope that someone here can get a note to someone somewhere that can make this right. I certainly hope they rescind their denial decision mind before it gets ugly. Thoughts?

Turn key flawless vehicle. There are one or two recall notices sitting in the glove box if I ever get to the dealer, but I see no need to. This Dodge has been truly excellent. Still love the performance of the engine and transmission (I have a cherished memory of totally shamed some poser driving a bmw suv from more than one stop light, oh so sad). We love the ride and the comfort. We get positive comments and lookers still today. Really cannot be happier, what incredible value! oh and no sunroof leaks..ever. And we frequent high pressure touch-less carwashes. lol. This is our first new dodge suv, wont be our last. Our first new dodge was a 09 challenger, again, never been back to dealer for any issues whatsoever but for a recall it had no issue with. Very impressive car. Love it!

We bought this as a family vehicle for my wife and I, she uses it as a commuter and I have my own truck. More often than not, this one is on the road. We bought this because the features and value was surely heads and shoulder above anything else in this configuration and even when compared to much higher priced vehicles from other brands. 2014 black top 3.6 auto 6 spd front wheel drive 5 seater cloth, loaded, sunroof, alpine, nav. etc. After one year I can tell this vehicle has been FLAWLESS. We have had not one complaint about anything. Obviously its never been back to dealer fro any reason. I do my own maintenance as a seasoned mechanic. We have purchased many new vehicles throughout the years from many different brands. Our 09 challenger has been the same way, zero flaws or issues and never needed any repairs. We are very happy with the comfort and handling. I'm impressed with the 3.6 which is just a great motor delivering smooth strong power and great economy. I love the transmission calibration....it has a performance feel and keeps the motor loaded up good. We had one heck a winter here in the northeast and the front wheel drive paired with the sport orientated tires did about as well as I suspected. Good enough to get through anything reasonable and holds the slick road good as long as the driver is not foolish. Thank you Dodge, this is a great vehicle.

Real close to the one year mark here. 2014 fwd v-6 black top...loaded no 3rd row, does have sunroof & nav. ZERO issues. We have owned many new and used vehicles in the past 30+ years. I could not be happier with this vehicle. We get compliments regularly. What a bargain as well. I have run into a few other DJ owners and the story is the same. Highly Satisfied Ownership.

We just had ours undercoated with fluid-film. Guaranteed to prevent rust. We do it to all our vehicles once a year. My 03 Silverado that I just recently sold had ZERO surface rust underneath....and certainly no rust anywhere else. Great stuff and the best $125 you'll spend to protect your new Dodge.

its been about 6 mos for ours as well. Totally satisfied and happy. ZERO issues. We got as high as 28 mpg a few times but it 26~27 more the norm on the highway. Our previous car was a Honda fit which got 10mpg more, but was half the vehicle. We are happy with fuel consumption overall and the pentastar v-6 mated to the 6 speed auto is awesome. No complaints here and everyone loves it. Thanks Dodge!

Intermittent issues can be the toughest to deal with, and locate. Good luck.

You can please the people some of the time, but you cant please the people all the time. I myself think this guy is not entirely truthful and possibly even F.O.S. For starters, The pentastar v-6 makes this vehicle the most powerful vehicle in its class. There has yet to be a test article referring to this as "underpowered'. This is the internet folks, don't believe anything you hear, and only half of what you see. I know my way around cars and have purchased many.....and the Journey is tops and a no brainer purchase based on many points in this crossover class.

Mopar lists the window rain guards / deflectors for the journey up to 2010 (82210995) but nothing for the 11-up. Has the body or doors changed on the journey since the 2010 model? I would really like to be able to vent the vehicle when parked on those hot or rainy days.

lol. I'm an avid snowmobiler. I love snow. I love driving/riding on snow. MN has had some fairly low snow winters the last 5~6 years? I have snowmobiler friends out that way that told of some pretty poor snow years out mid west. We get those too but this winter has been more of a classic. NH has high avg snowfall thanks to the noreasters we get almost weekly. We all also get lake effect alberta clippers. I'm pretty sure we can hold a stick pretty close to MN. I snowmobile the north of the state, and live in the south part. We frequently commute up and down and at times, during snow storms. Stopping is far more important than going so awd wont help you one iota there. If ya think your driving faster with awd, your in a ditch soon. Getting stuck on the road is about unheard of unless you pushed your luck somehow. The problem is folks going into the ditch.....and many times its awd or 4wd with over-confident drivers. I also drive a plow truck. I tow my sleds with a Rwd pick-up.....I don't even need fwd, never mind awd. I understand some drivers feel more secure with 4wd and such but the driving skills of both my wife and I have never left us needing any more than fwd. Just this past weekend My wife and I drove up to Canada with my RWD pickup and most of the ride was in a snow storm....plow trucks galore all over the highways dumping salt and trashing the roads to keep them "safe". Its gonna be a long spring, summer, and fall on dry roads.......................We can discuss this further when its 70* outside hehehe.

The pentasar v-6 in the DJ has been on wards top ten best engine list, more than once. On price point there is no competition. Consumer reports has been a joke for many years. They have always been in the pockets of import car companies from Japan and Europe. J.D. power and other lists and awards usually do not coincide with the opinions of CR. That is telling enough. I have been wrenching on vehicles for 30+ years from every brand. CR is out to lunch and out of touch with reality. I would use them as a loose guide to options and features and hard data only.

hmmm. They don't have plows in Winnipeg? I'm pretty sure that like here, workers on the state dole are out there and round the clock even with overtime pay plowing what little snow might be on the road. Over here in the northeast snowbelt of NH, there are about 20 plow trucks that fight over snow flakes on the road. I have seen them plow rain for gods sake. Certainly no need for any awd the overwhelming vast majority of the time.....folks are spoiled and its just a toy for them to play with truth be told. Is it nice to have those few times? Sure. A necessity? Well its your money. I don't think many folks consider the lost mpg, wear and tear expense, and initial cost that awd is. In addition, the FWD does pretty dang good up my at times unplowed driveway......the very few times that happens throughout the course of a year. Now, if you tow a big boat and have trouble at boat launch, or you tow snowmobiles up to your unplowed camp up deep in the woods then that's another story.........

Our sunroof don't leak a drop. I really didn't want the sunroof but it was part of a sight and sound package that I did want. We have owned a few cars with a sunroof and never had any issues...our challenger R/t has one....no leaks at all.

Good choice on the FWD over AWD......I see no sense in having all the extra moving parts and fuel econ sacrifice for .01% of the time you might actually need it. .....and why is it someone is pushing the extra rear seating at over $1k+ when this is supposed to be a sporty crossover...not a minivan? I swear 9 out of 10 of these on lots have all the extra big buck seating. I too prefer cloth over leather due to interior temps while parked usually go real high and no more burning my butt on leather.

Was on schedule! I got the call on the 8th. Picked it up Monday the 10th. Awesome. We both are really happy with the new Journey! As soon as the weather gets nicer I plan to add some goodies like vent shades, bug shield, mud guards, etc

looks like its now at least 7 days behind schedule. its was supposed to be in tx back on 2/17 but did not until the 24th. Whoa. My birthday is on the 16th march, would be nice if its ready by then.

Can the current status of my dj be confirmed? Acccording to schedule its supposed to be on a train somewhere near st Louis??? Thanks. I'm getting anxious because we privately sold our car (to be replaced by the new dj) , and are now sharing my truck............is a bit inconvenient.

Yes, I would use a different fluid in the ps pump. Many different brands of high end synthetic stuff.

Very nice...thanks. I'm a bit worried tho' Did I read that right...my DJ was built on the 10th.........................a Monday? Monday and Friday built cars worry me.