NHTSA Complaint #10509665 — 2010 DODGE JOURNEY

THE DODGE JOURNEY HAS A HISTORY OF TRANSMISSION FAULTS, LOUD AND NOISY AND ROUGH TRANSMISSION SHIFTS. WHILE SHIFTING INTO A GREAT IT WILL MAKE A LOUD THUD AND THE CAR WILL JERK. WE STARTED TO GET USED TO THIS AS IT HAS HAPPENED SINCE DAY 1. WE LET CHRYSLER KNOW ABOUT THIS AND APPARENTLY THIS IS "NORMAL." I HAVE NEVER HAD A SIMILAR ISSUE WITH ANY OTHER CAR SO TO ME IT IS NOT NORMAL. SO FAST FORWARD TO THIS PAST WEEKEND. WE WERE GOING TO TOW A FEW ITEMS AND DROP THEM OFF. SO EVERYTHING IS LOADED AND READY TO TOW, WE ARE ON A FLAT SURFACE WITH NO INCLINE AT ALL, START THE CAR UP AND PUT IT INTO DRIVE AND BAM! A LOUD NOISE WHILE WE TRIED TO PUT IT INTO GEAR. THE CAR WAS STILL RUNNING WHILE THIS HAPPENED AND WE STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS, WHILE IN DRIVE. I TRIED TO HIT THE GAS BUT IT JUST REVVED A FEW THOUSAND RPMS. I HIT THE BRAKES AND PUT IT INTO PARK AND THEN DRIVE AGAIN, BUT THE TRANSMISSION WAS STILL NOT ENGAGING. SOMETHING HAPPENED CAUSING THE LOUD BANG AND NO THROTTLE RESPONSE TO THE DRIVETRAIN. AFTER I PUT IT IN PARK, WALKED AROUND AND THEN GOT BACK IN STARTING THE CAR UP AGAIN; THE CAR ENGAGED GEAR THIS TIME. EVERYTHING RAN PERFECT AND THEN I TOOK IT TO THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP, THEY SAID THEY COULD FIND NO EVIDENCE WHAT HAPPENED OR WHAT WAS WRONG, BUT REASSURED ME AGAIN THAT THE LOUD TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ARE NORMAL. SO THIS COULD BE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IF THIS WAS TO HAPPEN WHILE ON THE ROAD OR AT A STOP SOMEWHERE. *TR