My wife called me from the grocery store to tell me her car wouldn't start. We picked it up used two weeks ago, so I wasn't that annoyed. I sent my mechanic from work over to help her, and he came back reporting that I had a loose started wire. That night I pulled the car in and attempted to find the starter. Who the hell decided to put it there? You have to take half the damn engine out to get to it? Anyway, after a lot of swearing and whatnot, I realized that the starter wire was slightly loose. I zip tied the wire to another wire and it has been fine ever since.

The tow truck mechanic states that there is probably something wrong with the ignition system in my car as it only intermittently works. They guy at the repair shop says that I have to take it to the dealer because it's too complex for them to try to repair. My father worked for Chrysler for 25 years and I have only ever purchased Chrysler products. He would be so embarrassed and disgusted if he knew how much trouble I have been having with this car. I had the brake issue, my driver control panel doesn't work anymore, the transmission had to be repaired and there is a rust bubble on the hood over the passenger headlight. I am too busy for all of these problems and am sick of this car.

The car will not start, it just clicks. All the lights and windows work it just want start. this car has left my wife stranded over 10 times! We have replaced the battery the first time it happened but it did it again the next week. No rhyme or reason when it does it, any where any time. I have talked to two different dealerships and they say they have never heard of it. After seeing all the complaints online this is hard to believe. They say to bring it in and they will run the codes for around 150.00 and that's all they know to do. The car has been a good one except for an EGR valve that took 7 weeks to get in and now this. If anyone found the cause of this problem please let me know.

seems that reading out here that I am not the only one with this problem. Purchased this car in 09 with about 6K on it. A multitude of problems as soon as I got it from the front windshield being replaced (we didn't know, car fax was clean) wrong, with the wrong glass and it was leaking water when it rained. Had that fixed. Then the check eng light started coming and acceleration was spotty to hesitant to spotty. Replaced something in the MTU or whatever the heck he called it. Few months later that came back. Didn't get the acceleration problem, but light still on. Pinched wires or something leading to MTU replaced. Months later, wouldn't pass inspection, threw some codes about something electrical in MTU. Had all recalls done, cleared that out. NOW this, just for no reason, it will shutoff while driving or just won't start. they have no clue about what this is. Took it in, nothing but a charge for diagnostic (and how in the ham sandwich do you get off on charging me to hook my car up to the machine that's going to tell you how to fix it? If you don't do that how do you know what to fix? There should not be a charge for that, period!) and have a good day. This is stupid, I'm looking into some other avenues to deal with this because my mother-n-law is driving this car and I really don't want her to be driving this thing around and it strands her somewhere. If there is a fix, please advise.

I have taken my car in at least 5 to 6 times because it intermittently wont crank when I turn the ignition. It makes a cough or click sound. I have to take the key out three to four times before it will start or I have to jiggle and take it out 3 to four times before starting. Each time I bring the car into the shop they say they can't find anything wrong with it or they can't get the car to duplicate the problem. The problem is getting worse because it does it more often at least 2 to 3 times a week and it has shut down while driving. I shuts down to where it shuts engine but you don't know until you try to accelerate and can't get speed because radio is still on. The shop kept my car for two days without loaner and told me they couldn't get it to duplicate the problem. They put it on diagnostic machine nothing was found. The manger went to test drive the car and it finally did it on him. They kept the car three days and called me on the third that i need a new battery and would have to pay 130 dollars. I told them how is this the problem and if it was the battery should have been replaced in 2010 when I started complaining about problem. I was told my the dealer that Chrysler told them to give me the battery for a 53 dollar deductible. I feel i shouldn't have to pay anything because I have been bringing the car in since 2010. I think this is another bandage and the problem is still there. I think it is a shame that the mechanics are clueless about this electrical problem.

PRETTY MUCH THAT SAME REPORT AS OTHERS. OUT OF THE BLUE I GO TO START THE CAR AND JUST GET A CLICK. SOMETIMES IT TAKES A FEW TRIES AND OTHERS IT TAKES ANY WHERE FROM 5-8 TRIES. TOOK IT TO DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT GET IT TO DO IT FOR THEM. THEY DECIDED THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE A STARTER PROBLEM, SO THEY REPLACED IT AND I PICKED THE CAR UP ON MONDAY. HAD IT BACK ABOUT 1 1/2 WEEKS AND IT DID IT AGAIN. IT STARTED AFTER 1 CLICK. THEN AGAIN A FEW DAYS LATER. THE THIRD TIME IT TOOK ABOUT 6 TRIES TO GET IT STARTED. CALLED DEALER AND THEY GAVE ME AN APPT TO BRING IN FOR THEM TO KEEP FOR A WHILE TO SEE IF THEY COULD GET IT TO DO IT FOR THEM. IT HAS BEEN THERE ONE WEEK TODAY 7/2/12. NO WORD FROM THEM. I CALLED THEM TO ASK AND WAS TOLD THAT IT HAS NOT DO IT FOR THEM YET. HOW LONG AM I GOING TO HAVE TO DO WITHOUT MY CAR BACK. YES I HAVE A LOANER BUT IT IS A LOT SMALLER THAN WHAT I AM USED TO. QUESTIONING MY JUDGEMENT

Today after a short trip, the engine refused to start. It clicked, but nothing. Everything else worked. Doors locked and unlocked, windows opened and closed, but as for the starter, NOTHING. This is the 3rd time the car has refused to start first time/ both other times were less than a year ago.

The dealer has not yet been contacted, so I don't know what it will do.

A Federal complaint will be filed and a link to this site will be provided. 45 or 46 similar complaints are FAR TOO MANY for this not to receive serious attention.

I was driving home with my daughter after visiting my parents up north during March Break. We stopped for gas and when I tried to restart the car, nothing happened. Luckily, there was a Dodge dealership across the way so I called them. They came over and jiggled a bunch of wires while I turned the key until it started. Then I drove to the dealership, and they wrote down the name and number of the part to bring to my home dealership. They told me not to stop and/or shut off the car until I made it home. Huge inconvenience! I brought the car in and they replaced the part on warranty. I have since found out that there was an electrical recall, but I didn't receive a notice in the mail, nor did I receive a phone call. Brutal.

Me and my sons were on our way to Boston for a concert. We stopped for a bathroom break, and when we got back into my 2009 Dodge Journey it wouldn't start. The engine wouldn't even turn over. It was a Saturday afternoon and we were at a random gas station in the middle of nowhere. We started calling AAA and couldn't get any help. Finally the nice lady inside the gas station gave us the name of a garage a few miles away.A really nice guy from the garage came out to us with some tools in the back of his truck to see if he could find the problem. He suspected the battery. After he had to remove the front tire to even get to the battery, he found the hardware all around the battery was completely corroded. So he changed out what he could, and finally after 3 hrs. the Journey started. It was mostly a "cob-job" just to get us back on the road so that we wouldn't miss the concert. When I got home, I immediately took it to the dealership and they couldn't find any problem. They replaced all the hardware around the battery correctly. The Journey ran fine for awhile, then it happened again. Out of the blue with no forewarning of any trouble. I had to have it towed to the dealership, and once again they couldn't figure out why it wouldn't start. Just 2 days ago, it happened again. I drove it home after work, and the next morning when I got in it to go to work....NOTHING!!! Now the dealership has it again, and I am without a vehicle. Even when I do have my vehicle, I don't feel safe driving it because I never know when this problem will occur again! My husband and I are ready to tell the dealership to just keep it. I am very curious about other Journey owners having the same issues??

Update from Apr 25, 2012: After getting a new battery 2 weeks ago, my Journey had to be towed again today for the 4th time because it wont start!!! Obviously it is not a battery problem....So the question of the day is......WHAT is the problem and HOW can it be fixed if none can figure out what it is??????

Issues with the ignition seem to be a sensor type issue from what I am reading from one person on this site. I am beginning to regret my hasty purchase of this lemon of a vehicle. I am going to take my findings to the local dealership here in town and see if they know of the issue. I want to see if they know how to fix this issue or if I need to bring up what I know after reading many forums on the issues with this 2009 Model year Journey. My guess is they will tell me the ignition switch is bad replace the WIN module, which seems to be the reoccurring repair I read throughout the forums. But if my guess is correct, the issue is most likely caused by this sensor not other parts they keep replacing and people still have it reoccur.

Dodge needs to fix their piece of crap cars and stand by their products, instead of masking an already serious issue with flaws in safety and building of their vehicles. Get a f-in clue Chrysler, no wonder Chevy and Ford are better than you!

Greg G.

Grafton, WI USA

For the last year or so our 2009 Dodge Journey will not turn over when trying to start. All electrical items work so battery is fine. We have always been able to get it going, I turn off all the electrical, move the shift around, open and close the door and it usually starts. If not i get out and turn around three times with my right hand on the top of my head...then it works. This happened once when i was at the shop for an oil change, they were mystified. So far we have not gotten stranded but this is a serious concern for me.

So apparently I have fallen victim to the random starting issue as well. This car is a piece of junk! The best part is that when I had it towed to the dealership they said it started right up and acted like I was the fool. I referenced all of the other complaints regarding this issue and the service tech said it was the first he has heard of it. I have a feeling I am in for a battle here with Dodge not acknowledging or knowing how to fix this problem. I WILL NOT have my wife and toddlers driving around in a car that may or may not start. First and last Dodge.

Our Dodge Journey suddenly didn't start 5 days ago. We tried restarting it with booster cables but we were not successful. After reading all the complaints, we were able to restart the car the next day by playing with the shifting gear. We were sure that it was the Neutral Safety Switch that needed to be changed and had it changed at the garage. We were all happy that the car was working well when we picked it up.

Unfortunately, the car didn't start the next day! I had to use a towing service to bring it back to the garage. It is a garage specialized in transmission that served us. As the car was not working the second time that we brought it to the garage. The mechanic was able to do a diagnostic of the problem with its specialized equipment. He found bad ground connections at the driver side frame rail. I understood that wire connections were damage because of their exposure to water and salt being just beside the wheel. He cleaned the connections and applied a coating to protect them. The car is working again and we feel that we received a great repair service.

If you don't hear back from me, it is because the car is working well. Thank you so much for your website. It is great resource to have on the internet.

I've been reading all the complaints on here and I can't believe how many people are going through the same nightmare that I am! When will Dodge own up to this and fix it? So, here's my story...

Over the last few months, at random times, the car won't start. When this first occured, I changed the battery (the auto parts store checked the battery and said it was not good) But, of course, within a few days, it happened again. And again. It seems to be happening with more and more frequency. I also took it to the dealership, but without the problem occuring in front of them, there isn't anything to be done. I'm concerned after reading all the "fixes" people have tried and had not work. I won't be wasting hundreds of dollars on a "fix" that doesn't seem to fix the problem! Luckily, for me, the car has not stranded me. If I take the fob out, open and shut the door, and try again, it usually starts. But I imagine that someday soon it will leave me hanging. And I live in Phoenix, so I don't relish the idea of being stranded in 110 degree heat! Also, I signed up for AAA today, JUST because of this problem! I will be checking back frequently, looking for the post that says how they fixed this!