My brother sent me this video today...I thought it was very interesting, and thought I'd pass it on. It showed a good example of the differences of dealing with new-vehicle defects in Canada and the United States (Jill, you might also find it interesting, since you have residency in both countries, although you have reliable Toyotas).

The specific vehicle in question here is a Dodge Journey, a more-or-less-typical Chrysler product, but, of course, problems like this can affect any vehicle, at any time....there is no monopoly on Chrysler products. A family comes home with a new Journey, and is plagued with intermittent stalling problems that either can't be traced to a computer code, or the dealership just did not spend enough time trying to find the problem. In the end, they get a new Caravan at the same price, but it is unclear if that was because of the publicity the video brought or something the dealership would have done either way. And it does underscore the lack of specific Lemon-Laws in Canada, as compared to those in the U.S.

 

One possibility that I didn't think of earlier is...I wonder if they are putting crap-gasoline into it that has water bubbles or dirt particles in it. The video did not take that into consideration, and that can cause the engine to die on occasion. That could also explain the lack of a computer code.

 

Seems like they figured it out on choosing a Journey over a Caravan........

 

While there are some exceptions, of course, like Steve and his family being on their second Pacifica, many couples and families today tend to choose SUVs or crossovers over traditional minivans. I am not one, however, to make fun of minivans like much of the auto press does....I don't believe in that. Like it or not, they are some of the roomiest and most efficient vehicles for the money....which is why the original Caravan and Voyager made such a splash when they first debuted in 1984.

Unfortunately, minivans often did not translate into reliability......partly because automakers used what were essentially engines and transmissions designed for smaller sedans in these larger, heavier minivans, carrying more load.....and the result was predictable. The worst was probably the 4-speed Chrysler Ultradrive transmission...but there were other examples as well.

 

The Journey isn't the greatest suv/cuv, matter of fact its at the bottom of the pile........

 

Close......as a Blah vehicle and unpleasant to drive, I'd rate the Ford Ecosport at the bottom, and the Chevy Trax right behind it. The Journey, though, as you note, per Consumer Reports, has a reputation for unreliability.