The Journey ends. Now what?

[TD Charlie]

this got super long. Thank you for your time

So, my 2012 DodgeJourney v6 is about to be declared unfit to continue. 9 years and 164k miles later. I replaced a thermostat, battery, alternator, and a door switch. Other than that, brakes/rotors a few times, a few sets of tires, and oil. Hell, until this month it still has the factory coolant and trans oil. It never spent a single moment in a shop or being check out by a mechanic. Never left me stranded. Never touched a tow truck winch. A true road warrior for me for 9 stress free years.

Recently she shifted HARD. Tuesday, the trans refused to engage and the motor was turning 5-6000rpm with just a feathering of the throttle. She wouldn’t move. After shifting in and out of drive several times it would catch 1st gear, but that’s all it had. Luckily i was just a couple miles from where i needed to be. The car sat until tonight. I wanted to try driving it home this weekend (40 miles) because i just wanted her home in my driveway with my tools. but it had no gas. So i decided to add a half gallon of fresh trans fluid and test it out to get gas tonight. I made it to the station. Barely. Several times i had to just coast it to a free curb and wait until traffic cleared enough for me to try again. On the way back from the station i got my first CEL ever from the car, and the trans disengaged long enough, with enough angry traffic behind me, that it warranted me getting out and pushing it to the side of the road.

i sat for an hour. Let everything cool. Fired it up one last time and made it the last half mile (blowing MANY stop signs cuz i couldn’t afford to lose my forward progress) to my girlfriends house.

It has hit me now that I will never get behind the wheel of that car again. I’m pretty upset, more than I should be. I’ve started the process of getting a truck here to pick it up for scrap. If i can score a few hundred bucks for it, sweet.


But now what? I really want a large lux sedan, and I’ve been pining for an Avalon for several months now. However, 3 kids...so I’m thinking i should focus on 3 rows. Currently considering gently used Subaru Ascent, Honda Pilot, Yoda Highlander, Ford Flex, Kia Sorento. I think i prefer captains/pilot seats in the middle row. Still, the Avalon, she calls me.

Any thoughts, team? Words of encouragement? T’s and P’s?

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[FMichael]

I’m all about practicality...If you’re just hauling your kids around and aren’t pulling a trailer - then I’d seriously consider the new 2021 Yoda Sienna since they’re all hybrids .

I spoke to a woman at the grocery store parking lot (nice burgundy XLE model) - says she’s getting 36 mpg - cannot beat that.

 

[HansonBro]

this got super long. Thank you for your time

So, my 2012 DodgeJourney v6 is about to be declared unfit to continue. 9 years and 164k miles later. I replaced a thermostat, battery, alternator, and a door switch. Other than that, brakes/rotors a few times, a few sets of tires, and oil. Hell, until this month it still has the factory coolant and trans oil. It never spent a single moment in a shop or being check out by a mechanic. Never left me stranded. Never touched a tow truck winch. A true road warrior for me for 9 stress free years.

Recently she shifted HARD. Tuesday, the trans refused to engage and the motor was turning 5-6000rpm with just a feathering of the throttle. She wouldn’t move. After shifting in and out of drive several times it would catch 1st gear, but that’s all it had. Luckily i was just a couple miles from where i needed to be. The car sat until tonight. I wanted to try driving it home this weekend (40 miles) because i just wanted her home in my driveway with my tools. but it had no gas. So i decided to add a half gallon of fresh trans fluid and test it out to get gas tonight. I made it to the station. Barely. Several times i had to just coast it to a free curb and wait until traffic cleared enough for me to try again. On the way back from the station i got my first CEL ever from the car, and the trans disengaged long enough, with enough angry traffic behind me, that it warranted me getting out and pushing it to the side of the road.

i sat for an hour. Let everything cool. Fired it up one last time and made it the last half mile (blowing MANY stop signs cuz i couldn’t afford to lose my forward progress) to my girlfriends house.

It has hit me now that I will never get behind the wheel of that car again. I’m pretty upset, more than I should be. I’ve started the process of getting a truck here to pick it up for scrap. If i can score a few hundred bucks for it, sweet.


But now what? I really want a large lux sedan, and I’ve been pining for an Avalon for several months now. However, 3 kids...so I’m thinking i should focus on 3 rows. Currently considering gently used Subaru Ascent, Honda Pilot, Yoda Highlander, Ford Flex, Kia Sorento. I think i prefer captains/pilot seats in the middle row. Still, the Avalon, she calls me.

Any thoughts, team? Words of encouragement? T’s and P’s?

Sorry for your loss Charlie. Im curious to know what that code is though. Those Journeys have a "limp mode" feature that sort of does what you described and it engages for various reasons

When I was waiting to sell my 99 I used it as a storage locker. After I sold it, I kind of missed the space. Food for thought

 

[TD Charlie]

Sorry for your loss Charlie. Im curious to know what that code is though. Those Journeys have a "limp mode" feature that sort of does what you described and it engages for various reasons

When I was waiting to sell my 99 I used it as a storage locker. After I sold it, I kind of missed the space. Food for thought

i don’t have a code reader. It’s been holding gears a little deeper into the range, stumbling into gears, and started whining bad recently. This doesn’t feel like a sensor or anything. When i changed the transmission fluid/filter/pan recently, that magnet was LOADED with clutch gunk. Not even shavings, just metal sludge.

it absolutely needs a rebuild. Pump, torque converter, they’re done. I just tried adding a video of the trans whine, but it won’t allow me. All gears, it whines almost like a steering pump, but louder and more meta sounding

 

[TheGreenTBer]

My wife owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. We got the Ascent for a good deal because we got my car at the same dealership at the same time. Very comfortable, roomy but doesn't drive bulky at all. The AC/heat controls can be a bit erratic and the CVT automatic takes some getting used to (I'm not a fan, she doesn't care.) However, the one glaring problem is that some models can generate unnecessary battery drain due to a faulty rear liftgate sensor and if you are the type of guy to leave a car untouched for a few weeks I'd be careful (I anticipate a recall at some point but am not sure) and do your research.

What's the age bracket on the kids? Any car seats required? It's incredibly easy to get car seats into an Ascent but you may want to look into a minivan if you require more than 1 car seat (EDIT: you can fit more than 1 car seat into an Ascent, obviously.)

 

[HansonBro]

i don’t have a code reader. It’s been holding gears a little deeper into the range, stumbling into gears, and started whining bad recently. This doesn’t feel like a sensor or anything. When i changed the transmission fluid/filter/pan recently, that magnet was LOADED with clutch gunk. Not even shavings, just metal sludge.

it absolutely needs a rebuild. Pump, torque converter, they’re done. I just tried adding a video of the trans whine, but it won’t allow me. All gears, it whines almost like a steering pump, but louder and more meta sounding

Yeah whine is the pump and shavings will be the torque converter i think. Its f'd lol

Well get over it. Move on. Buy something fun! YOLO

 

[rynryn]

We're considering an ascent if the outback ever looks like it's in danger of needing major things done...

why do you want a lux sedan over an SUV? i think the answer matters. Myself I'd rather stuff the kids into a small space and have fun driving than make sure they all have an armslength of space between them. Only have the two kids tho--pretty sure I'd be miserable in my current car (audi s3) with three of them stuffed back there on boosters. We've transported three kids on boosters in the back of the outback though.

tl;dr if you have to, try to get an SUV that has a bit of what you want that sedan for. comfort, performance, etc. I haven't driven one but from what i recall of reviews Mazda CX-9 are fun to drive for a large SUV.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

2012 and it's already dead? Damn, dude. That's tragic.

 

[Winger98]

this got super long. Thank you for your time

So, my 2012 DodgeJourney v6 is about to be declared unfit to continue. 9 years and 164k miles later. I replaced a thermostat, battery, alternator, and a door switch. Other than that, brakes/rotors a few times, a few sets of tires, and oil. Hell, until this month it still has the factory coolant and trans oil. It never spent a single moment in a shop or being check out by a mechanic. Never left me stranded. Never touched a tow truck winch. A true road warrior for me for 9 stress free years.

Recently she shifted HARD. Tuesday, the trans refused to engage and the motor was turning 5-6000rpm with just a feathering of the throttle. She wouldn’t move. After shifting in and out of drive several times it would catch 1st gear, but that’s all it had. Luckily i was just a couple miles from where i needed to be. The car sat until tonight. I wanted to try driving it home this weekend (40 miles) because i just wanted her home in my driveway with my tools. but it had no gas. So i decided to add a half gallon of fresh trans fluid and test it out to get gas tonight. I made it to the station. Barely. Several times i had to just coast it to a free curb and wait until traffic cleared enough for me to try again. On the way back from the station i got my first CEL ever from the car, and the trans disengaged long enough, with enough angry traffic behind me, that it warranted me getting out and pushing it to the side of the road.

i sat for an hour. Let everything cool. Fired it up one last time and made it the last half mile (blowing MANY stop signs cuz i couldn’t afford to lose my forward progress) to my girlfriends house.

It has hit me now that I will never get behind the wheel of that car again. I’m pretty upset, more than I should be. I’ve started the process of getting a truck here to pick it up for scrap. If i can score a few hundred bucks for it, sweet.


But now what? I really want a large lux sedan, and I’ve been pining for an Avalon for several months now. However, 3 kids...so I’m thinking i should focus on 3 rows. Currently considering gently used Subaru Ascent, Honda Pilot, Yoda Highlander, Ford Flex, Kia Sorento. I think i prefer captains/pilot seats in the middle row. Still, the Avalon, she calls me.

Any thoughts, team? Words of encouragement? T’s and P’s?

sorry about the Journey going up.

I've already pushed minivans in another thread, especially if you have a large family - double so if you have kid seats to hassle with. The in-laws bought a Flex and they like it. They haven't had any issues with it that I know of. We bought a 2011 outback new and haven't had any issues with it, just the scheduled maintenance. More important is that it's comfortable to be in for long periods of time. We routinely took it on trips "home" for the holidays until our family expanded and we started collecting minivans and the routine 2+ hour drives were fine.

I will second the preference for captain's chairs in the second row. It just makes it easier for anyone sitting in the third row to get in/out. Also, if you do have little ones and one of them gets unhappy in the middle of a trip, you or your significant other can just get up and get back there easier without having to pull off the road. It's not an ideal thing to do but, if you've had kids, you've had those moments where they just lose it.

Sorry again about losing your journey. I'd say I've gotten less attached to my cars over the years, but I've also went out of my way to hang onto my 07 minivan and I know that Outback is going to be a very hard vehicle to let go of.

edit: I will say that I think a third row with three kids is a good idea. We recently had to take the van in for a brake job (I'm just too lazy lately) and they had to wait for the rotors to be shipped (nothing special, they were just sold out from their supplier) and it took an extra day. we had to stuff three kids into the Outback for a trip home and it was less than comfortable for the oldest. If your kids are young, and you're going to be going on trips with vacations and trips with them for awhile with this vehicle...yeah, having a third row would probably be a good idea.

 

[TD Charlie]

sorry about the Journey going up.

I've already pushed minivans in another thread, especially if you have a large family - double so if you have kid seats to hassle with. The in-laws bought a Flex and they like it. They haven't had any issues with it that I know of. We bought a 2011 outback new and haven't had any issues with it, just the scheduled maintenance. More important is that it's comfortable to be in for long periods of time. We routinely took it on trips "home" for the holidays until our family expanded and we started collecting minivans and the routine 2+ hour drives were fine.

I will second the preference for captain's chairs in the second row. It just makes it easier for anyone sitting in the third row to get in/out. Also, if you do have little ones and one of them gets unhappy in the middle of a trip, you or your significant other can just get up and get back there easier without having to pull off the road. It's not an ideal thing to do but, if you've had kids, you've had those moments where they just lose it.

Sorry again about losing your journey. I'd say I've gotten less attached to my cars over the years, but I've also went out of my way to hang onto my 07 minivan and I know that Outback is going to be a very hard vehicle to let go of.

edit: I will say that I think a third row with three kids is a good idea. We recently had to take the van in for a brake job (I'm just too lazy lately) and they had to wait for the rotors to be shipped (nothing special, they were just sold out from their supplier) and it took an extra day. we had to stuff three kids into the Outback for a trip home and it was less than comfortable for the oldest. If your kids are young, and you're going to be going on trips with vacations and trips with them for awhile with this vehicle...yeah, having a third row would probably be a good idea.

thanks for the reply!

kids are 6-6-8, so yeah the third row and the captains are just about a requirement at this point

I think i got attached to the Journey because of my situation. Got divorced and took the Journey, ex got the Odyssey. I paid off the Journey quickly, and then enjoyed it for years without a payment or problem. It really allowed me to establish an excellent financial for myself.

I’m not too good for a van. I grew up in them and can appreciate the comfort and practicality. I LOVED the Odyssey i had. It was the upper trim with everything except the vacuum. Gorgeous as it was huge. So comfortable and easy to load up

i drove a Subaru ascent today and was very underwhelmed. I think I’ll try a Kia Sorento next. I also wanna try a Durango. Same motor in the Durango v6 that i had in the Journey, and ripped off 164k comfortable miles in it. It’s fairly easy to work on and I’m familiar with it as well. Durango seem to hold value in the event i need to offload it too. Looks like a gently used Durango v6 with low miles can be had around 30k. I can get with that.

 

[HansonBro]

thanks for the reply!

kids are 6-6-8, so yeah the third row and the captains are just about a requirement at this point

I think i got attached to the Journey because of my situation. Got divorced and took the Journey, ex got the Odyssey. I paid off the Journey quickly, and then enjoyed it for years without a payment or problem. It really allowed me to establish an excellent financial for myself.

I’m not too good for a van. I grew up in them and can appreciate the comfort and practicality. I LOVED the Odyssey i had. It was the upper trim with everything except the vacuum. Gorgeous as it was huge. So comfortable and easy to load up

i drove a Subaru ascent today and was very underwhelmed. I think I’ll try a Kia Sorento next. I also wanna try a Durango. Same motor in the Durango v6 that i had in the Journey, and ripped off 164k comfortable miles in it. It’s fairly easy to work on and I’m familiar with it as well. Durango seem to hold value in the event i need to offload it too. Looks like a gently used Durango v6 with low miles can be had around 30k. I can get with that.

Same motor but different trans I hope

 

[TD Charlie]

Same motor but different trans I hope

Yeah i think they switched to an 8 speed on the Durango. The 62te in the Pentastar Journey served me well, but i have heard far too many failing well before 100k

Some would say a 3.6 liter Durango is soft for the size. But it’s up just under 300 horse and fuel efficiency is solid. The Pentastar is one of the best I’ve ever had. Upgrading to a 350 Durango, or the insane 6.2 or Hellcat, isn’t necessary for me. The 350 is practical for some, the other two v8’s are overkill x10. If i had a 350 Durango i would just beat on it to hear that v8 pur. I try to drive my 64 Chevelle nicely, but once i see an open road ahead...i mean...come on. I’m only human.

 

[HansonBro]

Just do the homework bro. If people are still complaining Id avoid. The Durango has always had a bad rep in my eyes. I know things have changed over the years though

And yeah I baby my rig around too, but once in a blue moon I get excited for pony time and let er rip like *nnnrrrrrrmmmmm

 

[TD Charlie]

Its done. Kinda.

Just put a deposit down on a Sorento Hybrid. It's almost 3 hours north so I haven't even laid eyes on it yet, nor have I seen one in this particular color. I have driven others in the same trim and package level, and seen other models in this color though.

I waited them out long enough and decided to check back in today. End of the month and all. After over an hour of "let me check with my manager and I will call you back" type phone calls (I think we played this game over 5 separate phone calls) we had a deal. I ended up getting $975 off the sticker, which in today's market I will consider a massive success. With local shops asking $4k OVER sticker for this car, I believe I did more than ok. I'm pleased.

I pick it up Saturday. Looks like I'll need to look up places for lunch in south/sw New Hampshire. Now I gotta snag a bank check for the DP and contact my insurance company.

 

[Roboturner913]

2012 and it's already dead? Damn, dude. That's tragic.

It's a Dodge. 9 years is impressive. 9 Dodge years is like 35 Toyota years. I say this as somebody who has a soft spot for the brand (Dodge, I mean, not Toyota)

I liked the Journey though. It was a neat, affordable, unpretentious package. I hate all these family haulers that are loaded down with tons of tech. It's like, you know I am just carting around my screamy snotty kids right? Everything in this car is going to end up sticky and disgusting and within 2 years it's going to be a shit heap, so why spend $50,000 on a bunch of crap I don't really need?

 

[TheGreenTBer]

It's a Dodge. 9 years is impressive. 9 Dodge years is like 35 Toyota years. I say this as somebody who has a soft spot for the brand (Dodge, I mean, not Toyota)

I liked the Journey though. It was a neat, affordable, unpretentious package. I hate all these family haulers that are loaded down with tons of tech. It's like, you know I am just carting around my screamy snotty kids right? Everything in this car is going to end up sticky and disgusting and within 2 years it's going to be a shit heap, so why spend $50,000 on a bunch of crap I don't really need?

What are you talking about, kids are super clean. On a related note, my brother used to make a game of seeing how many boogers he could fit/stick underneath the back seat of my family's Toyota Camry when we were younger.

 

[TD Charlie]

It's a Dodge. 9 years is impressive. 9 Dodge years is like 35 Toyota years. I say this as somebody who has a soft spot for the brand (Dodge, I mean, not Toyota)

I liked the Journey though. It was a neat, affordable, unpretentious package. I hate all these family haulers that are loaded down with tons of tech. It's like, you know I am just carting around my screamy snotty kids right? Everything in this car is going to end up sticky and disgusting and within 2 years it's going to be a shit heap, so why spend $50,000 on a bunch of crap I don't really need?

i was totally fine getting 9 years out of the Journey. I spent 20k on it, and looking back at the title the other day it had 9k miles on it at the time. In those 9 years i pushed it up to 165k miles and it never broke down until it’s sudden death.

It was nearly all original still. I replaced the thermostat, battery, alternator, and a window switch, totaling about $400. Recently i just did the coolant, Trans oil/gasket/filter/pan for another $200. Other than that $600 it was literally just oil changes, a few sets of tires and brakes...that’s it. Original plugs, suspension, radiator, water/oil and steering pumps, everything all still there.

$600 in maintenance over 9 years and 165k miles. I think even the most loyal Toyota customer would say that’s really freaking good.

edit: like you mention, it is what it is and doesn’t pretend to be much more. A cheap, smallish, family hauler. There was ZERO tech in it. It had dual zone climate and an aux input and i think that’s about it. No lane keep, blind spot monitor, camera, sun roof, lumbar, heated seats, rear usb...nada. Just seats 7, had great power and efficiency, and didn’t look like total shit

 

[FMichael]

Its done. Kinda.

Just put a deposit down on a Sorento Hybrid. It's almost 3 hours north so I haven't even laid eyes on it yet, nor have I seen one in this particular color. I have driven others in the same trim and package level, and seen other models in this color though.

I waited them out long enough and decided to check back in today. End of the month and all. After over an hour of "let me check with my manager and I will call you back" type phone calls (I think we played this game over 5 separate phone calls) we had a deal. I ended up getting $975 off the sticker, which in today's market I will consider a massive success. With local shops asking $4k OVER sticker for this car, I believe I did more than ok. I'm pleased.

I pick it up Saturday. Looks like I'll need to look up places for lunch in south/sw New Hampshire. Now I gotta snag a bank check for the DP and contact my insurance company.

 

[GarbageGoal]

Meh, I would gone Toyota or Honda, but percentage wise your odds are good this vehicle will be reliable. Congrats. Looking for a used but still recent AWD vehicle myself to replace a 2002 Camry with 236,000 miles that needs to be bumped down to non-everyday status.

 

[TD Charlie]

Meh, I would gone Toyota or Honda, but percentage wise your odds are good this vehicle will be reliable. Congrats. Looking for a used but still recent AWD vehicle myself to replace a 2002 Camry with 236,000 miles that needs to be bumped down to non-everyday status.

i wanted a Highlander, but harder to find with captains chairs, prices were higher than I’d like considering the miles on them...and it also wasn’t all that enjoyable to drive.

i like the older box Pilots, but the newer bulbous ones don’t do it for me.

if you’re looking for an awd sedan check the Avalons. The redesign a couple years ago is super sharp. I was leaning toward one before i decided on a three row vehicle.

 

[GarbageGoal]

i wanted a Highlander, but harder to find with captains chairs, prices were higher than I’d like considering the miles on them...and it also wasn’t all that enjoyable to drive.

i like the older box Pilots, but the newer bulbous ones don’t do it for me.

if you’re looking for an awd sedan check the Avalons. The redesign a couple years ago is super sharp. I was leaning toward one before i decided on a three row vehicle.

Going for a crossover either RAV4 or CRV. I need to feel a little higher up now I think. Drove a Ford Escape for a bit and liked that feel.

 

[TD Charlie]

Going for a crossover either RAV4 or CRV. I need to feel a little higher up now I think. Drove a Ford Escape for a bit and liked that feel.

Both good choices. The newer ravs are gorgeous. Great interiors too. The one i tested a couple years back had a bit too much of a rough “truck like” ride, I’ve heard the hybrids are much smoother and really not much more expensive.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Both good choices. The newer ravs are gorgeous. Great interiors too. The one i tested a couple years back had a bit too much of a rough “truck like” ride, I’ve heard the hybrids are much smoother and really not much more expensive.

The RAV4 hybrids are indeed great but good luck getting one for a decent price.

 

[ShelbyZ]

It's a Dodge. 9 years is impressive. 9 Dodge years is like 35 Toyota years. I say this as somebody who has a soft spot for the brand (Dodge, I mean, not Toyota)

It's sad how that statement isn't really that far off... And not just for Dodge/FCA but GM and Ford as well.

A couple years back I bought my then-GF, now wife a 2008 Escalade with around 145k but from a Cadillac dealer where it had a long history of dealer work/maintenance. I expected to have to deal with a few things here and there, but it's been crazy the amount of little nick knack stuff here and there I've had to replace or that stopped working and isn't worth fixing but then just randomly starts working again. Then there's stuff like oil leaks, dash cracks and lights that fill with water.

Then for a little less than what I spent, my buddy buys a 2006 Lexus LX470 with over 260k and the thing is practically perfect...

 

[Baby Punisher]

I have a 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan with 163,000 miles. It runs great. Everything works. You have to change that Tranny fluid and filter every 50,000 miles.