“Journey provides a comfortable ride on a highway and a quiet passenger cabin, making it worthy of its name.”

The Dodge Journey is a tall five-door family oriented wagon/utility vehicle with seating for five or seven, with a third row “flexible” seating package.

The hugely popular Journey, introduced for the 2009 model year, offers outstanding value.

Journey is based on a stretched version of a Dodge mid-sized sedan platform and is available in all-wheel-drive editions. The “flexible” seating package includes a 50/50 split third-row seat plus a 60/40 split, tilt and slide second row seat and three-zone air conditioning. This Journey can quickly adapt (without taking seats out) into a variety of passenger seating and/or cargo configurations.

Family-friendly features included optional pop-up booster seats for children. Other neat features available in a Journey included under-floor removable cargo bins, extra storage under the front passenger seat cushion and a handy rechargeable LED flashlight.

The original two engines choices were a 2.4-litre four-cylinder in a base SE trim and a 3.5-litre V6 came in SXT and R/T trim levels. The 2.4-litre engine is coupled with a four-speed automatic transaxle and is the front-drive (only) version. Fuel economy is 11.0 L/100 km in the city and 8.0 L/100 km on the highway.

Changes in 2010 were relatively minor but did include standard active head restraints on the front seats. The base SE trim also came with a Canada Value Package that added keyless remote, illuminated entry and “Stain Repel” cloth seats.

The 2011 Journey came with a bunch of upgrades and a new V6 engine. The updates included new front and rear fascias on the outside and more soft touch materials throughout the interior. It also got new wheels plus changes to the suspension and steering.

The new V6 was a smoother and more powerful Pentastar 3.6-litre and it comes with a six-speed automatic that has a manual shift mode feature. It’s also only available with the all-wheel drive additions of Journey.

No significant changes were made to the 2012 or 2013 model year editions of Journey. .

Journey provides a comfortable ride on a highway and a quiet passenger cabin, making it worthy of its name. While Journey gets excellent crash safety ratings, reliability certainly could be better. Electrical and brake issues are common and the recall list is a lengthy one.

That said, the Dodge Journey is still uunbeatable bang-for-the-buck. Offering good cargo and people space and great kid-friendly features, it’s easy to see why the Dodge Journey is a popular purchase with young families.

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Price Check: 2009 – 2013 Dodge Journey (February 2015)

Year                    Edition                                                 Expect to Pay Today

2009                   SE 2.4L                                                       $8,000 to $11,000

2010                   SE 2.4L                                                      $10,000 to $13,000

2011                   SE 2.4L                                                      $12,000 to $15,000

2012               SE Plus 2.4L                                                  $14,000 to $17,000

2013               SE Plus 2.4L                                                  $16,000 to $19,000

*Prices vary depending on a used vehicle’s condition, mileage, usage and history. A complete mechanical check should always be performed by a reliable auto technician prior to purchase.

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Safety Recalls: 2010 to 2013 Dodge Journey:

2009: On certain vehicles equipped with a 3.5L engine, the engine wiring harness may get damaged, due to contact the left transaxle mount, could result in an engine compartment fire. Dealers will reposition engine wiring harness and repair as necessary.

2009: A broken solder joint on the printed circuit board of the Power Control Module (PCM) may affect fuel pump relay performance and stall the engine. Dealers will replace the PCM.

2009: An unused electrical connector can become corroded and cause a short circuit. Dealers will re-route and stow the unused connector, and remove the fuse to disable the circuit.

2009: The driver airbag squib wires on the steering column control module (SCCM) may be reversed. As a result, the driver airbag may not deploy as intended. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the SCCM.

2009: Wires to the side impact sensors in the front door wire harnesses may break. The side airbags may not deploy in a crash and the airbag warning lamp may illuminate. Dealers will replace the wiring harnesses in both front doors.

2009/2010: The Wireless Ignition Node (WIN) module, if fitted, may allow the ignition to inadvertently move from the ON position to the accessory (ACC) position while driving, causing the engine to shut off unexpectedly. Dealers will inspect the WIN module and install a secondary detent system if required.

2010: Faulty power steering pressure hoses may leak fluid, which could cause a fire. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the power steering pressure hoses.

2010: The Wireless Ignition Node (WIN), or ignition switch, may allow the ignition key to inadvertently move from the ON position to the accessory (ACC) position while driving, causing the engine to shut off. Dealers will replace the WIN module.

2011: A pivot rivet on the steering column may be missing or incorrectly installed, which increases the risk of driver injury in a crash. Dealers will inspect for steering column rivet presence and alignment, and repair as required.

2012: The 3.6 litre V6 engine may have debris in the cylinder block from the manufacturing process and this could result in connecting rod bearing and crankshaft bearing damage. Dealers will replace the engine assembly.

2012: The brake system may have been inadvertently filled with contaminated brake fluid, during vehicle assembly, which may damage brake system internal components. Dealers will replace all brake components that come in contact with hydraulic brake fluid.

Contact: bob [dot] mchugh [at] drivewaybc [dot] ca