NHTSA Complaint #10854830 — 2011 DODGE JOURNEY

RECURRING SAFETY ISSUE WITH NO CONCRETE RESOLUTION. WHILE DRIVING AT 55MPH ON A PARKWAY VEHICLE ENGINE STALLED. I COULD NOT ACCELERATE AND THE BRAKES AND STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. RADIO, POWER WINDOWS, ETC. ALL WORKED AND I COULDN'T SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE VIA THE PUSH BUTTON START/STOP. WHEN I PRESSED IT TO TRY AND TURN IT OFF IT MADE A NOISE LIKE IT WAS TRYING TO START BUT COULDN'T. WHILE WAITING FOR THE TOW TRUCK ALL OF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING. HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR ($$) THOUGH DIAGNOSTICS REVEALED NO PROBLEMS AND THEY WERE ABLE TO START THE CAR FINE ONCE IT GOT THERE. ONE WEEK LATER I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED. IT WAS SO SCARY. I COULD BARELY GET TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD BECAUSE THE STEERING HAD LOCKED. MY SPEED WAS DECLINING RAPIDLY WITH CARS RUSHING PAST AT 65+ MPH. ONCE ON THE SHOULDER, EVEN THOUGH MY SPEED HAD DECLINED TO 0, I WAS ON A SLIGHT HILL SO I JUST KEPT ROLLING BC I HAD NO ABILITY TO BREAK. JOURNEY WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP AGAIN AND, AS BEFORE, NOTHING COMES UP AS THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM VIA THE DIAGNOSTICS TEST. THE ONE THING THAT DIAGNOSTICS DID REVEAL WAS THAT IT WAS DETECTING A KEY FOB IN THE CAR WITH A LOW BATTERY- BOTH OF THE KEYS ARE AT HOME WITH ME WITH NO CAR TO DRIVE. ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS AND REPAIR COSTS INCURRED HAVE INCLUDED MALFUNCTION OF ALL STEERING WHEEL CONTROL BUTTONS AND HORN, TIRE SENSORS NEEDING TO BE REPLACED (THEY ALL SHOWED 0 PRESSURE WHEN THE TIRES WERE FINE), AND KEY FOB DETECTION. I HAVE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS SCARY ENGINE STALL EXPERIENCE WITH NO CLEAR RESOLUTION AS TO WHY IT IS HAPPENING. IT SEEMS THE MECHANICS AND STAR TECHS ARE STUMPED.MY CAR ONLY HAS 75K MILES ON IT AND I AM TERRIFIED TO DRIVE IT ESPECIALLY WITH MY CHILD IN THE CAR. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED.