grand caravan brake problem
#1
08-03-2006, 07:45 PM
grand caravan brake problem
My 2003 Grand Caravan was just at the dealership for the 3rd time in 2 years for brakes. The van has only 22,000 miles. The 1st time was 11 months after it was purchased new. The rotors were out of round and needed to be resurfaced. The 2nd time at only 14000 miles, 9 months after the 1st, the rotors needed to be resurfaced again and there was a frozen caliper that was replaced. Now the 3rd time the rotors needed to be completely replaced and the brake pads needed to be replaced, of course now not under warranty. Is this supposed to happen when purchasing a brand new vehicle or does it sound like somethings wrong? The dealer charged us over $500.00 to do the work and Dodge refused to cover it under warranty. They say this is common and everyone I speak to says this is absurd. Has anyone else had similar problems with their Dodge Caravans?
#2
08-05-2006, 10:56 PM
RE: grand caravan brake problem
Obviously this is not normal, but we don't know how or where you drive. Do you left foot brake? Many left foot brakers ride the brakes and don't realize it. Just a touch on the pedal will do it. Or if you have a lot of stop and go driving, brake rotors may warp. Warping comes from overheating, or heating up and cooling down quickly, like hitting a puddle of water.
I'm always leery of what dealer mechanics say. I've yet to ever have a good one. Something sounds funny if they turned the rotors twice. I've yet to see a rotor that can be turned twice and still maintain a proper thickness. Also, once a rotor warps, turning it down only lasts for a very short time, because it is still warped. If you think about it how could just the surface of the rotor warp? Obviously the whole rotor warps. Therefore when they turn down a warped rotor, only the surface is flat. All the rest of the rotor is still warped. Warped metal will not retain that same warp. It will warp more or less even without the heat that the brake shoes create on it. If the rotors were really warped the first time, they should have replaced them, not turned them down.
What they meant by a frozen caliper is needed. Was the piston froze or did the shoes not slide properly on the metal surface they sit on? A frozen caliper also can be caused by overheating the brakes.
I understand why you went to the dealer the first 2 times but you should've asked the last time if it would be warrantied this time.
Here's my rules:
1. If it's not under warranty, don't ever go to a new car dealer for any repair. It'll always cost you at least twice what an independent mechanic charges and you'll likely make several trips back to the dealer, and they'll always throw more parts at it and charge you again.
2. Don't ever go to one of those muffler/brake places for brakes. Usually their warranties are parts only and they all use sub-par parts.
Lastly, look in your manual and locate the address for the regional service manager and write him with your case. They are more concerned with their brand as they are employed by Daimler/Chrysler. The dealership really doesn't care because not only do they make out like a bandit on non-warranty repairs, they make money on warranty repairs as well. They have no incentive to do warranty repairs well.
My brother-in-law worked as a service manager for many years at several different dealerships. His conscience finally got to him and he had to quit the business altogether because he was just so tired of the "screw-the-customer" mentality of every dealer he worked for. When I was young and he was the service manager at a Ford dealership, I took my 79 Capri to them for service figuring that since he was my brother, he wouldn't allow them to screw me. The repair was expensive but was fixed to my satisfaction. But the service order the mechanic filled out said I needed a new clutch and the Capri only had 40 k miles on it. It still had the same clutch on it when I sold it with 140 k miles on it showing that the mechanic either was an idiot, or was trying to screw me.
I had a friend that always had his work done at a local Chrysler dealership because the owner went to his church so I guess he assumed she was not like other dealer owners and wouldn't screw the customer. Their own pastor ended up taking their almost new but out of warranty Caravan to an independent mechanic because her dealership just kept throwing parts at it and charging them. Then the dealership's mechanics unionized and she fired them all.
Back in 91 I had to fight a Ford dealership because a steering part went out of my brand new Escort at 1200 miles. They said I didn't buy the extended warranty so it wasn't covered. Furthermore they claimed that my curved curb probably caused the problem when I pulled in and out of it. I said it had to be a manufacturing error as I used the previously talked about Capri to drive the same curb and it had 120 k miles on it and it never had steering problems. I finally got them to cover it after writing the regional service manager, and then the actual owner of the dealership called me and took care of it. He told me if he had known about it he would have covered it. I told him his service manager should have come to him rather than just screw a good customer. I have since bought 2 more vehicles from that dealership but have never had any warranty work needed, nor have I taken my vehicles to their service dept. for non-warranty work.
I'm always leery of what dealer mechanics say. I've yet to ever have a good one. Something sounds funny if they turned the rotors twice. I've yet to see a rotor that can be turned twice and still maintain a proper thickness. Also, once a rotor warps, turning it down only lasts for a very short time, because it is still warped. If you think about it how could just the surface of the rotor warp? Obviously the whole rotor warps. Therefore when they turn down a warped rotor, only the surface is flat. All the rest of the rotor is still warped. Warped metal will not retain that same warp. It will warp more or less even without the heat that the brake shoes create on it. If the rotors were really warped the first time, they should have replaced them, not turned them down.
What they meant by a frozen caliper is needed. Was the piston froze or did the shoes not slide properly on the metal surface they sit on? A frozen caliper also can be caused by overheating the brakes.
I understand why you went to the dealer the first 2 times but you should've asked the last time if it would be warrantied this time.
Here's my rules:
1. If it's not under warranty, don't ever go to a new car dealer for any repair. It'll always cost you at least twice what an independent mechanic charges and you'll likely make several trips back to the dealer, and they'll always throw more parts at it and charge you again.
2. Don't ever go to one of those muffler/brake places for brakes. Usually their warranties are parts only and they all use sub-par parts.
Lastly, look in your manual and locate the address for the regional service manager and write him with your case. They are more concerned with their brand as they are employed by Daimler/Chrysler. The dealership really doesn't care because not only do they make out like a bandit on non-warranty repairs, they make money on warranty repairs as well. They have no incentive to do warranty repairs well.
My brother-in-law worked as a service manager for many years at several different dealerships. His conscience finally got to him and he had to quit the business altogether because he was just so tired of the "screw-the-customer" mentality of every dealer he worked for. When I was young and he was the service manager at a Ford dealership, I took my 79 Capri to them for service figuring that since he was my brother, he wouldn't allow them to screw me. The repair was expensive but was fixed to my satisfaction. But the service order the mechanic filled out said I needed a new clutch and the Capri only had 40 k miles on it. It still had the same clutch on it when I sold it with 140 k miles on it showing that the mechanic either was an idiot, or was trying to screw me.
I had a friend that always had his work done at a local Chrysler dealership because the owner went to his church so I guess he assumed she was not like other dealer owners and wouldn't screw the customer. Their own pastor ended up taking their almost new but out of warranty Caravan to an independent mechanic because her dealership just kept throwing parts at it and charging them. Then the dealership's mechanics unionized and she fired them all.
Back in 91 I had to fight a Ford dealership because a steering part went out of my brand new Escort at 1200 miles. They said I didn't buy the extended warranty so it wasn't covered. Furthermore they claimed that my curved curb probably caused the problem when I pulled in and out of it. I said it had to be a manufacturing error as I used the previously talked about Capri to drive the same curb and it had 120 k miles on it and it never had steering problems. I finally got them to cover it after writing the regional service manager, and then the actual owner of the dealership called me and took care of it. He told me if he had known about it he would have covered it. I told him his service manager should have come to him rather than just screw a good customer. I have since bought 2 more vehicles from that dealership but have never had any warranty work needed, nor have I taken my vehicles to their service dept. for non-warranty work.
#3
08-07-2006, 11:13 PM
RE: grand caravan brake problem
Get used to it. Both my vans went thru brakes almost yearly. We had 3 sets on the front in under 40k The van ate tires as well. This is the usual for these. I have a car parts supply house as a tennant at work. They told me the same. I know it wasn't the dealer lying too because i did the brakes myself. My 02 was a real pain. A/C went at 40k and dealer tried to charge me over 1k but i found out there is a "Secret Warranty" on the a/c system for 7/70. Then the trans went a month later. It was coming up for inspection again and i knew it was going to need brakes...Again so i unloaded it and bought another car.
#4
08-09-2006, 02:32 PM
RE: grand caravan brake problem
Some driving habits are just hard on brakes.I carpool and some of the guys I ride to work with are simply poor drivers.They will maintain their speed right up to a stoplight or sign and then slam on the brakes at the last millisecond.When you ask them about the lifespan of their brakes you get a reply of about a year or so.The parts they buy are always at fault also.I get thousands of miles out of pads and rotors on my wife's Caravan and just as many with my Mustang GT.
My suggestion would be to get GOOD rotors and pads and to break them in according to the manufacturers specs.The cheaper Chinese rotors and pads don't last nearly as long as the better quality American parts.As far as the original rotors being inferior,we wore the rotors out,not by having them turned past their service minimums,but by just driving and not abusing the brakes.
No we are not a couple of elders that never get above twenty five either.
My suggestion would be to get GOOD rotors and pads and to break them in according to the manufacturers specs.The cheaper Chinese rotors and pads don't last nearly as long as the better quality American parts.As far as the original rotors being inferior,we wore the rotors out,not by having them turned past their service minimums,but by just driving and not abusing the brakes.
No we are not a couple of elders that never get above twenty five either.
#5
08-09-2006, 02:36 PM
