So ... this is a CRAZY story! I was woken up 2 and a half hours ago by a 2010 Dodge Journey RT honking over and over and over again in random intervals for hours at a time. It was so bad I went out to the balcony a few times, but the last time I did I saw the 72-year-old owner of the car doing one of these reactions to it:
She went back inside and then about 15 min later the horn went off again. It goes off like an impatient teen trying to get a hold of someone who is out of hearing distance of yelling at them.
Much like this:
I decided to go down to see what kind of vehicle it was because I realized the horn goes off without anyone actually IN the vehicle, all on its own. This isn't the first night it has gone off like this. I thought well since I am up perhaps I can see if there are any recalls on it. I went down and it was gone. She came back down herself and drove it around the block in an attempt to give people a break and sleep at least some. When she pulled into her parking spot and I looked at her, she knew I had heard it honk on eye contact. She got out and we talked about it. I told her about how there might be a recall on it. Perhaps it is a known issue. She invited me to her apartment, which was just one floor below mine over some but facing the parking lot as mine does, and she let me use her tablet. I found out there are actually 4 recalls, but none to do with honking. So I suggested she bring it to her dealership, so they can find the issue. She is a retired widow and can afford is to, that is no issue. She plans to go first thing in the morning. I told her she can use her tablet to see which places open up the earliest if she wants.
I just got back to my apartment now at 4:20 in the morning and jumped on my own computer. Much easier than using her tablet, but she had wanted my help and I could understand, so that is why I went over. We were both in our PJ's, and she is around my mom's age. Once I got in my apartment putting on the kettle for a tea, I typed up the search and found A LOT of results on the Dodge Forums on her exact issue
from June 2014 to July 11th 2023 yet no one in any dealerships seem to know of the issue.
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/dodge-journey/375847-2010-journey-with-honking-issue.htmlJessica's post: My 2010 journey is having an issue with the horn going off when ever it wants. I took it to the dealership two weeks ago they said it needed a system update and it was fixed. Now today it started all over again and it's not just beeps now. It's a constant beep. I can usually turn it off when it starts by turning car on. But it does it while I'm driving too. Anyone might be able to help? I had dealership take fuses out til they can get to it so I don't worry that it going off at night.
More threads from owners complaining and not getting results: https://dodgeforum.com/forum/dodge-journey/398040-horn-going-off-by-itself.htmlhttps://dodgeforum.com/forum/dodge-journey/406031-journey-horn-blows-on-it-s-own.htmlhttps://dodgeforum.com/forum/dodge-journey/414635-2010-journey-random-horn-honks.htmlhttps://dodgeforum.com/forum/dodge-journey/417511-horn-beeping-randomly.htmlSuggestions which none of them worked for ANY of the customers:1. Horn control shorted to ground-Repair the short as necessary
2. Pinched horn switch wire under driver airbag module-Replace the horn switch
3. Inoperative horn switch-Replace the horn switch under the airbag (part #05189428AC)
4. Could be bad horn actuator switch or clockspring assembly.
5. Pull fuse if nothing fixes it? Two 10 amp fuses, 22 and 23 in TIPM.
Solution dealerships and mechanics are NOT trying but worked for one guy who investigated himself:After lots of research and my own diagnosis, I was able to narrow it down. Most suggested it being the TIPM, I removed the TIPM and opened it to check the circuit board internally, nothing wrong with it. Checked for rubbed wiring under fuse box, nothing. Removed the air bag and horn switch. Found the ribbon cable rubbed on the mounting bracket for the horn switch causing it to create a ground contact as if the horn was being pressed. Added silicone to the rubbed area, reinstalled, no issues at all. It was a very intermittent issue and I ended up narrowing it down by using a scanner to see the live data stream for the horn switch and horn request, and when I was able to catch it happening I found the horn request would become true with horn switch off, as if the horn had been pressed for a long duration, and then would function along with the on/off of the switch after a short time. That small horn request with horn switch off is what will tell you if its the horn switch or another issue.
Posting a reply myself I realized that even last year there were complaints about this issue. How is it that Dodge dealerships don't know anything about this when people bring these vehicles in?
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/dodge-journey/406031-journey-horn-blows-on-it-s-own-2.htmlsomeone else posted another suggestion on this thread I posted in, but theirs might just seem like it fixes it. Tell me what you think. I replied to that one here:
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/dodge-journey/417511-horn-beeping-randomly-4.html 
