NHTSA Complaint #10363616 — 2009 DODGE JOURNEY AWD

2009 SXT AWD DODGE JOURNEY IS A REPLACEMENT FOR THE INITIAL JOURNEY WE PURCHASED WHICH WAS A LEMON. WE PICKED UP THIS CAR 5/2009. IT HAD A STRANGE SMELL, MUCH LIKE PROPANE WHEN THE ENGINE WAS WARM. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY AFTER SEVERAL VISITS. WE GAVE UP. THIS PROBLEM CONTINUED FOR THE LAST YEAR - PROGRESSIVELY THE SMELL WORSENED. ON THURSDAY, 10-28-10 WHILE ON INTERSTATE 270 I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM MY ENGINE, AND THE PROPANE SMELL WAS ALMOST OVER POWERING. I PHONED THE DEALER AGAIN. THEY SAID TO BRING IN ON MONDAY, 11-1-10. ON THE EVENING OF 10-31-10 I NOTICED DRIPPING COMING FROM THE CAR ON MY GARAGE FLOOR. I WAS ABLE TO PUT A PAN UNDERNEATH AND TAKE TO DEALER MONDAY MORNING. AT THE DEALER 11-1-10, I WAS TOLD THIS FLUID WS "GEAR FLUID." SEVEN HOURS LATER I PHONED DEALER AND WAS TOLD THEY HAD TO ORDER A PTU SEAL. PLEASE, PLEASE GOOGLE OR SEARCH YOUR SITE FOR PTU ISSUES ON THIS CAR. THERE HAVE BEEN FIRES CAUSED, ENGINE FAILURES, ETC. EVEN AFTER THE PTU SEAL HAS BEEN REPLACED IT DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. WITHIN A FEW WEEKS IT APPEARS THAT WHEN THIS INITIAL SEAL IS BREACHED, IT DAMAGES THE OTHER SEALS, WHICH IN TURN CAUSES PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND BRAKING SYSTEM. ALSO, NOTEWORTHY, I JUST HAD TO HAVE MY BRAKES AND ROTORS REPLACED AT 18,000 DUE TO THE "TURNING BLUE." AND NOW, AFTER THAT WORK MY STEERING WHEEL SHAKES VIOLENTLY, WHICH THE DEALER CAN'T SEEM TO FIGURE OUT WHY. I AM ALSO FILING A COMPLAINT WITH CONSUMER AFFAIRS, THE ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE (MARYLAND) AND MOST LIKELY WILL BE GETTING A LAWYER. THE DODGE JOURNEY IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM FOR OUR ROADS. *TR