Unhappy Dodge owner Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 I purchased my Journey on July 4th 2013. At 300 miles I noticed a vibration between 55 -65 mph. I took it back to the dealership. Tires were balanced and front end aligned. I knew on the drive home it wasn't fixed. A week later back at the dealership with the same complaint. The next diagnosis was two warped rims. How do you get warped rims on a new car driven only on interstate was my question. No explanation.Two rims were replaced and two new tires put on. Vibration is continuing. Since then I am on my 4th set of new tires because two dealerships insist the tires are out of round when they check them. The last set is Goodyear put on at Sears with me paying the difference in the Khumo price and Goodyear price.Guess what???? Vibration still there. It's so bad my kids car seats shake and cups vibrate in cup holders, not to mention your body vibrates when driving/riding. I have had no luck with Dodge customer service or two different dealerships. They either say its tires or no abnormal vibration. And now Dodge is telling me that Goodyear tires will cause a vibration. I called one of the dealerdhips before I bought them and asked if they would be ok tires. I was told yes. I am about to call an attorney. I am tired of being jerked around. I hate to even put my kids in this car!!! Anybody else having a similar problem? hurtado 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman425 Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 There is no way you should have been responsible for any cost associated with this repair. What size are your tires? The Kumho Solus has been a good quality tire overall. Years ago, there were vibration issues with the 225/55/17 Goodyear Eagle LS that came on the 300M. They switched to Michelin as the OEM tire in 2001 and that was the end of it. Your case qualifies for lemon law protection. You might consider using that at this point. No one has yet to diagnose your problem, and they have been given too many chances to do so up to now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addicted to Dodge Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 Did your Journey come with Kumho tires? If not you should try them. They seem to be a decent tire with a smooth ride on my Journey. Also, is your Journey FWD or AWD? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guls Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 If you feel the vibration in the steering then it is something to do with steering/ suspension. But if you don't feel the vibration in steering but just feel it in the car, it may be something to do with Torque convertor or something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redtomatoman Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 If the vibration changes with different gears, it may be transmission. If the vibration is just related to speed, it may be driveline/driveshaft issues. Change gears when the vibration is occurring to see if there is any change. You need to try as many dealers as possible. Based on your history, I don't think the problem is tire related. Just my feeling. . . Also have the dealer check the.motor mounts. Good luck. Peace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unhappy Dodge owner Posted October 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 Thanks for the quick responses. It came with Kuhmo tires which have no road mile warranty and I replaced with Goodyear which have 65,0000 mile warranty. It Can't be the tires.I have been told everything was checked but I got the Star reports from one dealership and if they checked it they didn't report it. I have called Dodge at least 10 times and am told there is nothing they can do until it's diagnosed and i have to pay for that. It has 6,000 miles on it. I am not paying for someone to tell me again that it's tires. I think there is something seriously wrong. I certainly don't want to have an accident edpecially with the babies in the car. Lemon law time maybe?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addicted to Dodge Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 A vibration does not make it a lemon. Its probably something simple and can be fixed with the right help. You shouldn't have to pay for anything out of pocket if you bought it new. Why did you change your tires 4 times? The 1st tire change should tell you that you don't have a tire problem. Does it vibrate at all speeds? Or does it vibrate at certain times in certain gears? Calling Dodge will not help until you have someone that can diagnose the problem correctly. As much as people here would like to help you, its up to you to find a reputable dealer and have them diagnose the problem. If you apply for a lemon law then it could take months to get any results from it and even then you are not guaranteed the results you want. I would devote hours if need be and call every local Chrysler dealer in your area and try to get some info from the technicians. Then you can decide where to go based on your phone call with different dealers. You might have to try multiple dealers but it will be worth it in the end. It sucks to buy a new vehicle only to have problems with it immediately. I to went through this with a Ford Explorer that was slipping in and out of gear with only a few thousand miles on it. Through research I finally found a dealer over an hour away that knew what the problem was and fixed it while in warranty and I never had the same issue again. Be patient and good luck to ya!! hurtado and Journey_SeXT 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unhappy Dodge owner Posted October 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 It obviously cannot be fixed if the only response I get is change the tires. Tires were changed four times because that's what Dodge said was the problem! We have two Dodge dealers within a 50 mile radius of where I live and it's been to both with the same result...change the tires!!!! I don't have hours to devote to repairs or calls to dealerships who cannot or will not help me. This car is my only source of transportation and it has been out of service for at least 15 days already...the last time I was not given a rental because I took it to a dealer other than where I purchased it. This is my first Dodge and it will be the last. I am all out of patience. hurtado 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman425 Posted October 13, 2013 Report Share Posted October 13, 2013 (edited) While I agree with the statement that a vibration does not make the car itself a lemon, your case/situation warrants protection under lemon laws which provide consumer buyback or vehicle replacement if there have been multiple, documented, repeated and failed attempts to repair a particular problem within a specified period of time and mileage. As a new car customer, based on what you have reported to us here, you have been subject to more than your fair share of repair attempts for one specific issue, and also have bore some of the expense of which you should not be responsible for - unless the change in tire brand was your choice and not something that was done without your authorization. Nevertheless, I am reading that as something that you decided to do based on professional dealership advice. Addicted To Dodge is correct in that the problem has not been properly diagnosed. When the first set of tires and rims were replaced, the car was obviously not properly quality controlled before returning it to you. If a mechanical inspection on the lift did not reveal anything obvious, we would have taken another Journey off the lot with the same wheel/tire combination, switched all four wheels and tires and driven both to see if the problem follows the wheels and tires to the other car. If the car still exhibits the same symptoms, then we know the wheels and tires are not likely the cause and further mechanical diagnosis is required. Then, provide alternate transportation to the customer, and stay with it until it's nailed down. This is a would have/could have/should have scenario now of which it's too late. Four times at two different dealerships in three months/6000 miles is more than a manufacturer has the right to ask of you. Your frustration is warranted and your patience has been exhausted, but the fact of the matter is you are the owner of a vehicle with a problem that still must be resolved in some manner, unfortunately. Take a deep, collective breath and let's figure out what action to take next. Have you met with the dealer principal (owner) and / or the service manager? Perhaps a meeting can be arranged with both present to discuss your situation and let them decide how they are going to help you. Do you have a case/reference/CAIR number from Chrysler? A CAIR is a Customer Assistance Information Request. Have that and ALL of your documented repair orders pertaining to this case with you when you meet. It is the dealerships' and Chryslers' responsibility to see that this gets resolved. It is going to require yet some additional time on your part to get it done, unfortunately, but there is no other way around it save from simply walking away from the car, and that should not be necessary. The Journey, as most members here will attest to, is a superb vehicle in so many respects and should provide you with many years and thousands of miles of enjoyment for you and your family. I'm sure you will see it that way once this is resolved. And there's really no reason why it should not be. Patience and perserverance must be employed by the technician on the case. It is the service manager's job to assign the right person to the job and keep him/her there until it is done. Keep us posted. Edited October 15, 2013 by Journeyman425 Addicted to Dodge 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mcgusto82 Posted October 13, 2013 Report Share Posted October 13, 2013 So let me understand.. You just recently bought the car new? If so, do you still have the khumos that came with the car? What happened to those? Why did you swap them? Just cause of the mileage warranty? Either way, if you have them, put them back on.. Problem still there? That's how you get dodge to admit, realize that the Goodyear have nothing to do with the vibes. At that point, you shouldn't have to pay for nothing else as it'll be mechanical, and that's warranty work regardless how much it cost THEM to diagnose and fix. Have you tried another make dealer. They'd be happy to take your money too. Maybe they can figure the prob, then send dodge the bill. They can't fight you on it. It's not like you haven't given them a chance to fix the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unhappy Dodge owner Posted October 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2013 So today I was advised AGAIN by Dodge customers service that I needed to put Michelin tires on my car and that would solve all of my problems. I asked them to send me some and I would put them on. Of course they couldn't do that..I would have to pay for them. Can anyone tell me how I could get a hold of 16 bad tires??? That's how many tires I have had on my car since July 4th. At what point will they look at something other than tires? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtsr Posted October 17, 2013 Report Share Posted October 17, 2013 Sounds highly improbable that you would not find a cure going thru 16 tires. Who paid for these tires? Were they dynamically balanced? Why would they change 4 at a time when 2 at a time front then rear might have isolated? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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