Hey all, thought I would see if you guys had any advice. I have what seems to be a relatively common issue. Turn the key and hear a click. Won't start. Will usually start after moving it from park, to neutral and back to park. This has been happening since we bought it 5 years ago and after a bit it got bad enough that it would happen at the dealer. They have tried re-seating connections, moving wires/harnesses and replaced the starter. Still happens and is starting to get worse. For the first couple of years I searched for a solution on the web and no one had any fix. Recently as it's been getting worse again I've noticed a few people mention that a Transmission Position Sensor may be to blame and would make sense. Problem is that I can rarely find any real information on repair procedures on the web and don't have a couple of hundred dollars for a factory service manual. It would appear that this sensor is inside the transmission. Does anyone have any information on this? I did see a video on youtube of an individual thinking that this could also be a ground issue and he beefed up his ground from the battery to the engine block and said it seemed to have fixed the problem. I'm at my wits end with this thing. I've never been a big Dodge fan because of the issues my family has had with them in the past but my wife really wanted a Journey, so I relented thinking that things had gotten better. So far, I am frustrated with this thing. It's ALWAYS been garaged and service regularly, yet still tons of problems. Some that are so common that it just pisses me off that Dodge refuses to do anything about them.

Starting issues
Two new intake plenums. Factory one failed, replacement failed and the third is holding so far
Window regulator and motor
Rear wheel bearings
Motor mounts
Coolant line to third row seat (this is so common in Caravans and Journeys that it's a shame there hasn't been a recall or class action law suit) and they want over $150 for the part that is exactly the same and will fail again
Coolant reservoir became brittle and cracked in multiple places and basically fell apart
Brakes ever time I turn around because the rotors and pads are too small for the vehicle, another problem I have read about that seems to be very common.
Sunglasses storage in the upper console won't stay shut and never has
Broken tabs on door kick trim panels
Broken tabs to lift the storage covers in the back for no reason
Trim around the shifter won't stay put and never has.

It JUST turned 100,000 miles and we were hoping to drive it for much longer but this thing is starting to wear me out. Any help you could give would be so appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

Gavin

 

Have your dealer check for STAR case #S1208000071. Many technicians overlook pin retention issues. I had to take one of my technicians through a no start today that was a spread terminal.
I hope this helps.