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Vans & Minivans Chrysler Town & Country/Dodge Grand Caravan 2008 Chrysler T&C & Dodge Caravan brake life expectancy!
83 messages, Last post on Nov 19, 2009 at 11:16 PM
You are in the Chrysler Town & Country/Dodge Grand Caravan Forum. Your Host is Karens
| Please share your stories about brake issues you have had with your van here, I have had issues with my 2008 town & country's brakes!!! | |
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Replying to: usavet (Nov 25, 2008 3:04 pm) malfunctioning and so the dealer is replacing it all at not cost to us! Still, having to replace rotors,brakes and pads (front and rear) for a year old van seems excessive. We've owned several T & C vans (most recent 2001 & 2002 AWD) and didn't have the bake problems at all when they were only a year old. I now know that rotors in new cars can't be 'turned' and so the van owner is going to have to put out more money for repairs earlier.No mass transit is available as we live in a rural area.The cost of operating a van in a area that has small mountains and curvy roads has increased dramatically! |
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....we purchased the van in December 07. Since our first oil change, we have questioned the brakes. They have ALWAYS squeeked. The service manager tells us it's because they are no longer permitted by the government to use asbestos in brakes any longer?? Is this true?? Well I think we've complained at every oil change and at the last one, when we had the tires rotated, to my surprise at 21,000 miles the service manager tells me I need all new front brakes. I laughed! Surely he was trying to get-over on me since I am a woman. Even the men in the waiting room laughed after he left the room and asked me how many miles were on the van. WELL! 2 weeks later, we were down to the warning level on the brakes. I went to Sears for replacment----after checking my car, the manager asked me, are you ready for this????? DID I HAVE A PAPER ROUTE?? Since he couldn't believe the breaks were like this on a new car with only 21K miles! Come on Chrysler! What the heck is going on here? Anyone else???
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Replying to: dendill (Dec 20, 2008 5:49 pm) 
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Replying to: ann58 (Dec 27, 2008 7:56 am)
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Replying to: jkl1972 (Jan 07, 2009 12:15 pm) Our '94 Dodge Caravan only needed front brake pads every 60,000 miles or so. But, my 2005 Dodge Dakota PU truck needed the front rotors replaced at the 10,000 mile mark because they were "warped". I replaced the pads at the same time, but the original pads were still good and had hardly been worn at all. So go figure. Brake pad/rotor life in recent Chrysler products seems to run all over the chart. I have no idea why 
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We just drove our 2008 Town & Country off the lot today. It had only 87 miles on it and we hear and feel a thumping below the driver's seat and a vibration in the pedal when braking at 40 MPH or greater. The steering wheel also tends to have a little vibration feedback as well. Anybody have any ideas what it might be or experience the same? |
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Getting my van back from the dealer tomorrow. The van has 15500 miles and needed new front brake pads and rotors. I cannot believe it. The dealer told me it is normal wear and tear and could be the way the vehicle is driven. My wife drives it most of the time. Her last vehicle was traded in with 45,000 miles on it with no brake problems, so I have a real hard time faulting her driving habits. I contacted Chrysler Quality hoping they would take care of me. They did nothing for me. They also told me it was just a wear item and couldn't be warranteed. I told them they were selling vans with insufficent brakes, but they didn't want to hear that. The worst part of it was that you can't buy parts at your local auto part stores to fix it yourself. The van is to new for the parts to be available aftermarket. This puts you right back at the dealer. What a monopoly!
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Replying to: gimmeabrake (Mar 10, 2009 7:14 pm) On the other hand, I had to replace the front rotors on my 2005 Dakota at the 12,000 mile mark. Pads were fine, but replaced them anyway. That was not acceptable! See my earlier post, #6. |
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Well, I don't know whether I should be glad or disappointed we're not the only ones experiencing brake issues with our '08 DGC. The dealer replaced all the pads and rotors less than a year ago due to excessive run-out (Warping), which they did under warranty right around 12k miles. They, too, tried to blame the problems on my wife's braking habits. She doesn't brake hard or late, doesn't drive through puddles, doesn't drive in hilly terrain where the brakes can overheat. Just your standard suburban driving. So now, 5k miles later (17k on the van), it's back at the dealership again to have them check the run-out. Yes, Chrysler only covers the *original* brakes for 12/12k, but if they replace the parts then the parts are covered by their own 12/12k warranty. Don't let the dealer try to pull a fast one on you if your brakes have already been replaced within the past year and within 12k miles! Also, don't let them screw you over by turning the rotors. That is not a fix and will contribute to more warping now that the material thickness isn't consistent, which means heating and cooling at different rates and this will cause warping. The only reason they turn the rotors is to prevent fixing them under warranty, get you out the door, and then get you to pay through the nose for repairs that should have been covered under warranty. Does this make sense? No. They get paid for warranty work, so you'd think they'd be happy to do the work. Problem is, they get paid warranty book time for repairs which is less than customer-pay and brake work is gravy. Anyway, this really is a problem that needs to be addressed. Some of you may be aware of the issues Nissan had with the Titan and Armada when they first came out, what a fiasco THAT was. Tons of vehicles bought back under the lemon law because they couldn't correct the brake issue for good until after the '05 models came out. Dodge could be in the same situation here if they don't correct the issue soon. The brakes are obviously insufficient for the vehicle and overheat way too easily under normal driving.
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