Chrysler T&C/Dodge Grand Caravan brakes

audiophile72 · April 2009

I have been reading these post hoping for an answer but I can't find anything like what mine is doing. About three months ago my father and I replaced the front brakes on my wife's '03 GC because the rubber sleeve on the caliper adapter on the passenger side had froze up. We turned the rotors replaced the pads w/Wagner premium, and all of the bushings and boots on the adapters. About a month later the driver side did the same thing. I replaced the sleeve on the slide pin again and this seemed to fix it. 2 weeks later same thing. Replaced sleeve again. A week later same thing except now the brakes are "jumping" (kinda like hitting a bump in the road) every time you slow down. Pulled adapter again to find slide pin jammed and bent inside adapter. So now we replace both calipers/adapters/pads - rotors still in good shape - problem fixed. Untill today. Same problem also noticing that the drivers side seems to get extremely hot and you can smell the brakes after driving. This is driving me nuts, has anyone heard of this? Any other ideas? :mad:

srs_49 · April 2009

Master cylinder maybe? I had one go bad on my wife's '02 Subaru and it caused the front pads on one side not to retract from the rotor which led to overheating and smoking.

Sounds like you replaced all the right stuff - more than I usually do unless the parts look bad when I remove them

One thing, what do you mean by the adapter? Is that the assembly that bolts to the spindle and to which the calipers bolt?

audiophile72 · April 2009

Yes the adapter is the bracket that the caliper bolts to. One of the sleeves that the float pins go into had pitted an was jamming up the pins. I thought that was the main problem - apparently not. Hoses and master cylinder were my next steps.

moons2you · June 2009

:lemon: Well, I can't even tell you how many times my pads and rotors have been changed! Has anyone been having warped rotors also? I have been bringing my van in for a oil change and braking problems EVERY 3,000 miles. THANK GOD IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY!!!!! At first I had been told it was my driving. Then it was, I must have hit a puddle when the rotors were hot. Asked of driving two footed and now just plan down to it, they can't understand WHY as no other van we know of is having this problem............. This is crazy my van now has 25,000 miles and we still are going threw this mess any help will be greatly appriciated so I can show them other people are having the same problems too! :sick:

madatbrakes · June 2009

madatbrakes · June 2009

We own a 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan. We bought it used at about 150k miles. It now has 200k. During the 50,000 miles we have owned it, we have replaced the brake pads about 8 times! I am serious! We only get around 6,000 miles before the brake pads are worn completely thin. The other weird thing is that there is no warning sign. Suddenly, I come to a stop and cannot stop fast enough and just as suddenly, start hearing a grinding, squealing noise. My husband replaces the brakes and has brought many different brands. He has accused me of stopping too quickly but this is not true. I am just a suburban mom that drives to school and back and runs errands. I am not speeding or coming up to stops too quickly. How can we go about getting Chrysler to take responsibility for this? How does a recall occur? This is time consuming and too expensive!

srs_49 · July 2009

Sounds like your pads are dragging on the rotor, for whatever reason. I posted my experience with brakes with our '94 DC and our '07 DGC in this forum, and it's nowhere as bad as what you describe.

If you think you have a safety issue, file a complaint with the NHTSA. You can fill out a complaint form on-line there.

marlboroughman · July 2009

I've been having problems with overheating front brakes for a year now and going through the same anguish. Finally I decided to replace parts one by one until I found it. It's the flex hoses (rubber hose going to calipers). Mechanics have a bad habit of putting ViseGrips on flex hoses when they work on them. Not a good idea since it collapses them. Anyways after I replaced flex hoses overheating front brakes problem is finally gone.

ehanlon · July 2009

What was the problem, how did you fix it?
EW

ehanlon · July 2009

1993 caravan, loose the power brakes,daSH LIGHT COMES ON, STOP BACKING UP, light goes out and they are ok for awhile, just had the brakes looked at two days ago for this problen and the grage said they were fine?
EW

woodyone · September 2009

Hope you got your answer already.
FYI.

My 2007 DGC has metric on the back. You might try something in metric on the front? Not every vehicle seems to be the same.

jwcollom · September 2009

jwcollom · September 2009

I ama mechanical engineer and at 36K miles the rear brakes where grinding and one side had worn pads. After removing both I ground down the guide slots of the cast iron the pad tabs go in ( with guide inserts) and found this to correct the problem. I feel this may be a factory defect on many of these vans. Just take off the cast iron assembly and use a dremel tool or hand file to grind some of the surface of both guides and this will correct the problem. Be sure to put your guide inserts back in with grease in the guide area. Hope this helps!

rockyndebby · October 2009

:confuse: I am the newly aquired owner of a well kept 1 owner DGC sport 03 ... i felt a little shake when I hit the brakes - so decided to take it in for service. I was told by everyone - no need to spend the extra $50 on ceramic brake pads with a lifetime warranty ... thats a joke. So I got the regular brake pads( whatever that meant) and they turned roters. Are ceramic pads better FOR REAL ???

NOW - after replaced they are making a rubbinng noise ????? Took them back - they said the rotors needed a little more - something- to make it all even. OK - great - now the noise is gone - but the drivers side smells HORRIBLE after driving it........ HAHA - go figure ! They said it points to maybe a caliper needing to be replaced ... but they couldn't guarantee that when I called back to have it done under warranty because there was no leak or other indications!

I LOVE MY VAN ... but I'm discouraged already with this little problem. HHHMM- then I get here and read all these brake & pad problems with other DGC owners.
ANY THOUGHTS- IDEAS- SOMETHING???????????????

:confuse:

srs_49 · October 2009

I would never put 100% ceramic pads on a vehicle unless it was going to be 1) tracked, or 2) hauling heavy loads on a regular basis.

Ceramic pads are harder than organic or semi-metallic pads, so they are more abrasive to the rotors. Also, ceramic pads being designed for track use, need to reach an operating temperature for them to work at their full effectiveness. Not what most people need or want in their day to day driving.

There are some ceramic composites out their (semi-ceramics?) that advertise to be the best of both worlds (better wear characteristics, low dusting, resistance to fade) without the downside of a pure ceramic pad, Those are probably what many people call ceramic pads nowadays.

chaswb · January 2010

I have owned 6 Chrysler mini-vans since 1986 with final mileages from 43000 to 91000. I have replaced brakes on 4 of these: '86 Caravan, front - 65K, rear - 79K; '90 Voyager, front - 78K, rear - 85K; 97 Voyarer, front - 51k; '01 T & C, none in 45K; '05 Grand Caravan, front - 35K; '09 Grand Caravan, pads very good at 6K. The first 3 were driven in upstate NY, the last 3 in Houston, TX. So for me the difference in the mileage I got on the pads was the driving location. I use the brakes a lot more in Houston than I did in NY.

audiophile72 · February 2010

Sorry this took awhile to post, but the problem ended up being a leaking rear wheel cylinder. The back brakes were not doing any work causing the front brakes to overheat. So now the entire brake system is brand new. :shades:

tsu670 · February 2010

Any idea as to whether Chrysler has found the cause of the premature brake wear issue on its minivans, and fixed the problem on current 2010 production models? Thanks.

madatbrakes · February 2010

I don't understand why this is not a recall...not dangerous enough? How about a class action lawsuit?

clubguy · March 2010

Been viewing this forum since purchasing our "08 T&C in August 0f 08.
The premature brake wear problem has been posted many times and I wanted to share my experience..At 21000 I had my service department,Kings CJD in Cincinnati, check the brakes before a trip of potentially 3000 miles...Although they had performed all the service, oil changes and tire rotation, since new, and everything was OK at the 18000 mile service, I wanted to be certain everything was OK for this trip...The rear brakes were OK but the fronts would most probably not made it another 3000 miles...They replaced the pads and rotors, even though the originals were not completely wornout...Total cost was $75.00...We do have the MaxCare extended warranty with $75.00 deductable BUT it is very clear that pads and rotors are NOT covered....At this point I feel this was very fair..

2009tc · March 2010

:sick: My rotors on my 2009 Chrysler Town and Country warped at 9200 miles. They turned all the rotors and I still have issues.

clubguy · March 2010

Seems to me that the rotors should have been replaced not resurfaced...Not certain if Chrysler even recommends that the rotors be resurfaced...????

umpblue · March 2010

Bought Car with 2798 miles on it first brake job performed with 3686 miles (replaced front brake pads) second brake job performed with 21000 miles (replaced front brake pads and resurfaced rotors) with 29711 miles on the car we took it in and stated the front brakes are still grinding dealer stated it wasn't the front brakes it's the rear so we replaced the rear brake pads and machined rear rotors. With 34500 mile now on the car dealer reccomends front brake pads and machine rotor. Three brake jobs with only 34500 miles on it seems excessive. Dodge definitely has issues with brakes. This is my third van and in the past I have not had any issues with brakes until now.

umpblue · March 2010

I have had the same issues bought van with 2798 miles and have had three brake jobs performed. Currently have 35000 mlles

fpeck · March 2010

I have posted on here before, and finally gave up the fight. I finally traded in the van after 3 brakes repairs, sliding door repairs, third row seat repairs, electrical repairs. I lost 8,000.00 in trade value and had to put in 5,000 cash to get rid of it. I wrote President Obama a letter and asked him to review Chrysler's customer service record on this website. It is a shame that he assisted them with a bailout, and now they turn they backs on customers. Sounds like the Evil servant of Matthew 18 in the Bible. So I guess that was my last step. I dont have the van, I dont have my money back, and I feel disappointed in the USA's level of "customer service"...It's not just Chrysler though, seems like it is all manufacturers and retailers alike. Good luck to all. I hope some issues are resolved in my lifetime.

dan14120 · October 2010

I have a 2010 Grand Caravan with 18,000 miles. The rear breaks are squealing like a pig. I had the dealer check them and they told me they are not worn, but need a $100 break service performed. I plan on pulling them apart today myself to look at.
To answer your question... Apparently not... Had I known this and done better research ahead of time, I never would have purchased this vehicle. My last car also had 4 wheel disc breaks, and the rears didn't need to be touched until around 70,000 miles.

misty2010 · October 2010

Ok I am a little shocked by the crazyness and the non sense talk about the minivans that YOU people own NOT Chrysler. At what point do you say this is MY vehicle and I AM responsible for the repairs that need to be completed on my vehicle? I own a 2009 T&C and I did have to replace front breaks at about 27,000 miles. As you can see I drive alot and that was not anything out of the ordinary to me and I went and had them changed at a dealer no big deal..... Later got the warranty letter and great a little extra cash back in my pocket. I think if you can not afford to do repairs or maintenance on YOUR car maybe you should look into the option of a bus pass, that maybe more in your price range.

glen · November 2010

I just replaced the front brake pads on my 07 work van at 23,000 miles. Brakes have given me service for over 100k miles on other vehicles so I thought this was odd on the T&C.

I think the problem stems from a few things;

1) When you take your foot off the gas pedal, the engine does not respond instantly to use the braking action from the engine to help slow you down. Instead, It continues to provide forward momentum to the van for a brief moment which if you are slowing down causes you to apply the brakes more. I think it's a smog thing -burning off excess gases on deceleration.

2) The transmission along with the gearing is very aggresive on keeping the van moving forward which requires the driver to apply the brake with more force.

3) The engine (mine is a 3.3) provides quite a bit of torque at very low RPM's which agravates the above conditions

I also think Chrysler did some of these things to increase fuel mileage on the van.

When the van was purchased, I noticed right away that I would have to change my driving habits from the other vehicles by taking my foot off the gas sooner than I normally would when slowing down and allowing extra distance between the car in front of me as a buffer zone. If I didn't do these things the pads woould probably last half as long.

ricsch · November 2010

Anyone else notice excessive brake dust build-up on their 2010 Grand Caravan rear wheels?

We have one with the alloy wheels and the rear wheels get quite dirty with brake dust, where as the fronts stay very clean in the same time period.

Braking operation feels fine so far, with 10k on the vehicle, but the signs of the brake dust would suggest something isn't right.

Will definitely have the dealer check it out on it's next service.

chaswb · November 2010

Have you received a letter from Chrysler concerning premature pad wear? Depending upon the mileage and age, they will pay for pads and rotors, if needed, after varying deductibles. I have a 2009 Grand Caravan and received the letter about 3 months ago. My braking action is not as smooth as my wife's Malibu, but pad wear after 10,000 miles looks normal to me. However if I really have to stand on them, I get almost a grinding sound. I don't think it's the anti-locks working because I don't feel any pumping action in the pedal. The pads are thick enough to keep the low pad indicators from hitting the rotors. As long as they continue to stop me, I'll just keep a close eye on the thickness and bring it into a dealer if I begin to have a problem.
In answer to you question, my front wheels get dustier than the rears.

ricsch · November 2010

We haven't received any notice from Dodge/Chrysler about the premature wear but I will inquire with the dealer. Thank you for the reply.

snowman89 · November 2010

I have a 2010 Touring with the 4.0 V6 that is just over 2 months old and has 2200 miles on it. I completely agree with your analysis that the vehicle coasts well and seems to have little to no "rolling resistance". In fact I commented to my wife not long after we got it that I've never driven a vehicle that coasts/rolls with so little effort and to me that could be what is cause of excessive break wear (which I hope I don't experience!). I have also "re-learned" how to drive with this van since it requires very little gas pedal effort and lots of planning ahead for stop lights/signs for in town driving. I like it, but while I assume this easy rolling would help gas mileage I have yet to reach stated EPA numbers despite a solid mix of city and highway driving. Our van has the 16" wheels with the junk Yoko tires, too...can't wait to get rid of them but don't look forward to the cost.

kope49 · November 2010

My 2008 has 36,000 miles on the "junk Yoko" tires and I am about to trade them on Michelin's even though I could probably get 6 more months.The best quote I found for the Michelin's (Costco) is $698 - OUCH! I fully expect to see an improvement in gas mileage - right now with the 3.8 I am getting 18 in mixed city and highway. My first cold weather fillup this weekend after mostly city driving I only got 14.5.

bevans · November 2010

Try the Cooper CS4 I like mine

marlboroughman · November 2010

After a year the problem came back. Now I am told to replace proportioning valve. I'll let you know.....

stankovicv · March 2012

I bought a 2010 Grand Voyager in Australia (same as Town & Country in US). At my 2nd service at 24,000kms/9months I was told I needed to replace pads AND rotors as there are under "minimum thickness" and therefore unroadworthy.

After being told its a wear and tear item and therefore not covered by warranty I jumped on Google only to find this happens on 300Cs as well and its common for all Chryslers built around 2008 onwards. It seems to be common on Nissans too.

Most people know pads shouldn't wear that quickly let alone rotors that really should last over 100,000kms. However, I also can't believe how many accept Chrysler's story that its not covered and simply keep paying to replace them almost every service. Has this world gone mad?

Here in Australia we are protected by Consumer Laws which state products MUST last and work properly for a reasonable time. But instead of taking Chrysler to court (again) I believe this is a safety risk. Somewhere between my first and second service my car became unroadworthy. With many 300Cs it happens between EVERY service. I'm awaiting the Department of Infrastructure's decision on this who are also waiting for Chrysler's reasons with why they shouldn't recall all Chryslers. In the meantime, I had Chrysler call me to have my brake rotors AND pads replaced under warranty :-) Do I detact FEAR in their voice???

Seriously, this could have been managed with good customer service but yet again they chose to treat me like I was unreasonable in my expectations.

Chrysler don't have much of a market share in Australia so you Americans need to be screaming at Top Care. Check the law in the US and see if you have any vehicle safety standards. Chrysler make a good car but they'll shoot themselves in the foot if they don't pay attention to the quality of their parts. Go teach them a lesson in Customer Care!!!

qbrozen · April 2012

Just crosslinking this post for anyone who comes here first.

mcg7 · May 2012

yes.we have a 2009 grand caravan and have had nohing but problems with the brakes among other things.we have had pads/rotors replaced 3 times.ridiculous. we need to file class action lawsuit.this is not normal.safety issue!!!!

mcg7 · May 2012

you are an idiot!!!!so only the rich need get a van???? sounds like someone who has always had everything handed to them. some people actually have been affected by the recession you damn idiot!!!

moparnik · June 2012

Yeah, I have. We just bought a 2010 Touring (4.0 Liter) with ~23k miles on it as a dealer certified pre-owned. I've had it for a month and the brakes make a serious grinding feel when braking hard like when expressway traffic suddenly slows in front of you. I took it in today and they said I had 65% of the pads left but would be replacing the pads and rotors due to a "service bulletin". I have a bad feeling about this and after reading all the other reports (not just on Edmunds) about the T&C brakes.

Like you I noticed a great deal of brake dust on the rear alloys which is pretty unusual since the fronts are always dirtier than the rear on almost any car--as you would expect. By the way, as my handle suggests I've been a lifelong Mopar guy and even though this is my third Dodge/Chrysler minivan, I keep looking at other brands so this may be my last.

lindalang2011 · June 2012

We just bought a 2012 Chrysler T&C on May 27th. I noticed about a week after buying it, that I feel a light vibration when coming to a stop. What happens is if I brake very lightly, then lift my foot gently up off the brakes a bit, I feel a shuddering towards the back. It seems to be getting worse, and I have been very easy on the brakes and driving, in general. What could be wrong? The van is less than a month old, with only around 700 miles on it. When we first got it, my husband noticed a defect in the black trim surrounding the driver's side window. It was wrinkled up pretty bad, so he had to bring it in and have that replaced, which the dealer called it a factory defect. Now I'm having to take it back again soon, because the rear hatch safety device is broken. It keeps closing down even if something is in the way. And with the rear brakes shuddering, on top of all this, I'm really regretting purchasing this minivan. When you buy brand new, you never expect to see problems this soon. Now I'm reading about faulty brakes on the new T&C's. Anyone else have vibrating rear brakes? What was the problem, and solution? I really hope this does not pose a recurring problem, but I'm reading so much about wheel bearings overheating on this make and model. Please share your insight, stories, and advice. Thanks!

lindalang2011 · June 2012

comountainman · July 2012

I put Michelins on my 2009 T&C 3.8. I don't think you are going to get more than 18mpg overall. I get around 16 in town and 23 max on interstate driving.
But what about the brakes, my wife thinks we need the 4th brake job in 80k miles!! Is there a hidden warranty on this problem from Chrysler that anyone has found?
PCA

qbrozen · July 2012

It is still early to judge, but so far so good with our aftermarket set.

As posted above, here is my original post on the subject.

mcg7 · July 2012

there is no special warranty on the brakes. they are wear and tear item and i'd say you are lucky that in 80k miles you've only had 4 brake jobs. we have to replace them every 5-7k miles. buyer beware. if you feel there is serious problem do some research and call the manufacturer for help. don't give up. i now understand why people buy foreign cars.they are made here in u.s. and their service is much better.

mcg7 · July 2012

never say never. you may certainly have recourse against chrysler or any other car maker if there is serious [problem with safety of vehicle. do some research and call the right people for help.

alissasarate · July 2012

We bought our car in December 2011....within days we had trouble with the brakes....AWESOME! They replaced the front rooters, some caliber piece and the front pads....now my car acting up...took the car in and sure enough, front brakes and rooters! Thank God covered under warranty! But seriously, we just but this 2008 a few months ago....is this going to keep happening?!

chaswb · July 2012

I purchased a 2011 T & C last June and have had no brake problems at all. They are better than the brakes on my 2009 Grand Caravan. Granted I only have 6500 miles on the car, mostly Houston area driving (plenty of stopping), but so far so good. I'll re-post if I have any problems in the future.

jwreich · August 2012

I just purchased a used 2009 T&C with 32k miles. The previous owner had all the service records from the same dealer. I found the original letter that was sent out but wanted to know from those who have had so many services performed, why do you keep Chrysler parts for something labeled a wear item with no warranty?

After market can get you vented rotors with ceramic pads. This would only cost $275 in parts and an afternoon to install. I would think the problems would go away after that. Seems the dealership charges $540+ for this service and requires it every 7-12k miles.

Just asking as I don't see a need to stay with something that won't work. If it is the ABS system reports should e filed with safercar.gov

Anyone used aftermarket care to share the brand they've chosen?

qbrozen · August 2012

see my post about 4 above yours.

Chrysler T&C/Dodge Grand Caravan brakes

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