2009 Dodge Journey consumer reviews

I have owned a 2009 SXT Journey since 2010. PROS: 7 seater, looks nice, good engine power(V6), as far as engine goes it's been reliable. Nice to drive, smooth ride. Now the longer CONS list: Brakes are horrible and need frequent replacement, I have become efficient at doing my own brakes out if necessity to save money. The pads need replacing every 6-9 months and rotors about once a year. First 2 times brakes needed to be done I went to dealer and they only lasted about 24,000 kilometers. No difference when I do them myself, to extend the brake life it is important to service them every 6 months (grease the sliders clean components and if you want to make them stretch out longer tap all the old rust off the rotors, this technique prolongs needing to change them by 6 months MAX. By far the poor brakes for this vehicle are it's biggest downfall. My frost plugs completely corroded this past March 2016 and due to their location it is a labour intensive job and for $40 dollars worth of parts a final bill of $990 is a hard pill to swallow. (Had to drop the tranny to access the plugs) Luckily they failed while the car was parked in my driveway and I was dumbfounded as I could not visualize the source of the leak, if it was a hose or radiator issue I would have done the repair myself. I needed a mechanic to fix it. From day one we had issues with the starting system, would frequently not start and only 'click' with no turnover, paid dealership to do some software stuff but it never resolved the issue, I called the dealer recently about a recall I heard of on the news and although my Journey was not part of that recall it did have another recall related to this problem, They replaced the RFDI and new key fobs and the repair is working well. No longer an issue. Ultimately I am a Dodge guy and I wish the Journey didn't have the break issues it does (this is a wide spread problem with Journeys that is well documented and apparently fixed post 2012 model. I'm not willing to find out for myself) The other issues I had with this Journey were not horrible and overall the car never died on us or left us stranded. Things like wheel bearings (which I recently replaced both front ones) can be expected to go on any vehicle. I got to the point with the Journey that I wasn't confident with it anymore barring the poor brakes so it's time to look at a different vehicle. If you have an older Journey be prepared to spend at minimum $1000 yearly on maintenance or more if you rely on a mechanic to do all of your work. This car could be a lot better. The brakes are inexcusable. premature wear not due to driving habits but I can only believe that the brakes on the vehicle are too small for the weight of it. From cheap brake components to expensive ones the life span on the brakes was extremely poor.

I bought this car brand new with 3 miles on it in March of 2008. It was great for about 3 years then quickly started falling apart. I currently have 110, 000 miles on it (1/20/2016) and have had the battery replaced 3 times, the starter replaced twice, brakes replaced 3 times and am currently on the 3rd set of tires. A new heater has also been replaced at $1,500. The battery is located under the driver's seat and is very inconvenient. The tires on my particular Journey are 19" tires. Those run around $1,400 for a set. Yes this car looks sharp on the outside but is a complete problem. It has also had electrical problems on top of everything else. I would rather drive a 25 year old car with rust all over it that is reliable than this thing! Please save your money and look elsewhere!

I own a 2009 dodge journey sxt and this vehicle has never gave me any problems. This vehicle drives excellent in the city and on the highway. The engine is very quiet and smooth.. This vehicle is very attractive on the outside with the chrome wheelsx the structure of it, and thr paint color. The inside of the vehicle is filled with storage spaces and there is a build in sirius entertainment system with automatic headlights. I read a lot of these reviews which I disagree. Any car thats not cared for properly will give problems. I keep up with the monor maintenance ool change, etc... My first choice was a 2008 hyundai santa fe which is a reliable vehicle but the dodge journey Was an eye catcher and I'm glad I chose this vehicle.

I search for two weeks in a lot car dealers, comparing cars and models and prices and this was the best I could find in Princeton New Jersey and happy with this car the color interior and exterior thanku cars.com.

I purchased this vehicle used and have had no problems. It handled extremely well this past winter, always started with no problem, never got stuck in the snow. Very comfortable ride.....I consider this to be a good quality vehicle.

I purchased this vehicle new in 2009 and there has been nothing but problems with it. Twice I have major engine problems which took the dealer 2 weeks to fix, and now I have water leaking from the roof of my car.....not really sure where its coming from but I've had it with this car, I purchased the extended warranty and the Warranty Plus for life and they are saying that the contract does not cover the LEAKING!!

We love this car its comfortable on long trips. Gets up and moves for an suv.Would buy again and will we have the sxt model.

I bought the car brand new in 2009. Within the first year, less than 15,000 miles I was told I needed new front brakes. When I questioned how is that possible I was told it's probably your driving style. I contacted the corporate office and was given the same answer. Two months after paying for brakes the company issued a recall. Fastforward to 2012...my car overheated as I was driving home from work on a 6 lane highway. At that time I was told my water pump malfunctioned. 3 months later the check engine light comes on & I'm told I need a coolant reservoir $200. Two weeks later it overheats again. Now I'm told the reservoir was never the issue. Yesterday the engine light comes on again. Now I'm told over $2500 worth of repairs are needed. I will be picking up my new Buick lacrosse tomorrow!!! Don't buy this car unless it's a life or death situation!!!!!!!

I have a 2009 SE and have owned this car since 2010 when it was purchased with 36,000 mi. it was very reliable for the first 2 years but for the last 6 months it is falling apart. Most notably and frustratingly it randomly does not start. the battery has been replaced (100.00) the starter (500.00) the ignition (350.00) the TPM($1200.00) and the alternator (625.000) the problem persists. The car will be functioning fine but randomly will not crack or turn over. power and mechanical systems appear fine but it won't start. The dealer cannot diagnose the problem. I just spent over a thousand dollars on the TPM because this was his best guess and two weeks later I was stuck for 2 hours before it would start. after a time it starts right up like it never had a problem. Dodge denies there is an issue but there are websites devoted to this specific concern. (type " my journey won't start" into any search engine and see what I mean") this car is a total lemon and now I have a 4 year old car that is so unreliable I don't want my wife to drive it around with the kids in it.

We go the car used in 2010. It had the best styling we thought since it's based off of the Avenger. We were okay about the power, but not so much about the fuel economy. We bought a dodge because it's what we can afford. Just recently the car began to over heat. We got this fixed twice, but it was the dealers fault because the put in the wrong part. On the highway it has a really good ride. Sometimes, if your on a highway and your cruising up a hill you will definitely have to push the car. Honestly, the car has the best acceleration I have ever seen on a SUV. We regret buying the first year of production of the car, but we might consider buying a Dodge Journey again we actually love this car.