Hey everyone, I haven't been around to lend a hand in here for quite some time and more importantly I am not a mechanic. Any advice I give is limited to (my back yard tinkering) and years of befriending mechanics. I have owned three or four Dodge vans and currently own a 2007 caravan and a 2011 Journey. The caravan runs perfectly with only 70,000 kms, the only thing I have done is front breaks. The Journey is fun to drive up until now at 42,000 kms, it has sprouted a few gremlins. It was relatively worry free except for the day the back breaks seized up while being driven on the highway. This is our first car with rear disc breaks and I had no idea how they tied in the emergency break. Since then I have read up about rear calipers and that they may have been under engineered. When they seized up while driving I asked the dealer to replace the break pads and rotors. Two years later and the rear rotors are chewed up again and the front rotors and pads are still like new. I am beginning to think the front breaks aren't doing very much work. I also received a letter from Dodge a couple of years ago saying they are extending the engine warranty by five years. I haven't had any problems with the engine but after forty thousand kms. the transmission is starting to do a dangerous downshift which can make the car jump forward at low speeds. I haven't taken it into a dealer yet because I don't like going in blind. Besides the transmission problem the whole front end is rattling like crazy. The car is driven by a very unforgiving owner that doesn't know the value of avoiding pot holes etc. and those big nineteen inch rims pounding all those bumps have taken a toll. So my whole front end is noisy, if I jiggle the steering wheel just an inch both ways it make a clicking sound. If I drive over a small dip the wheels make a rattle. What I am trying to find out is, can I buy an upgraded rear caliper/rotor? If not how do I find the good replacement parts and know they are the real deal? What exactly am I supposed to do about this rear caliber problem? If its a bad design am I stuck with it? The dealer had nothing to say about the breaks seizing up except to say they just needed to be lubricated. The day I walk into the dealer with (tranny,rear break,front suspension issues, all at once) they are going to think they won the lottery. I don't mind spending the money to fix the car but I want it to be fixed right with good parts, is that too much to ask? For now I am sitting tight until I can figure the next best move. Hopefully with a bit of advice from some of you good people out there (which I appreciate) I will be able to get my Journey back to good health. cheers everyone

 

I also have an 2011 SXT and have just replaced pads and rotors all around, having said that they have lasted 50,000km/4yrs.
I too noticed the rear brakes seemed to carry most of the load with the amount of brake dust present.
I believe the brake distribution loading is the culprit and if it was adjustable it would help resolve the concerns of a number of owners.
The new parts seem to be wearing in so much better than the OEM ones did maybe they have upgraded the quality.

 

I made a mistake in the title and have no idea how to fix it. I meant to list the Journey as an R/T AWD.
I am hoping someone will give me some advice on the best replacement parts for the rear breaks.

 

Fixed the title. Any good quality aftermarket stuff will do much better than OEM. Even the house brands at auto parts stores, like Brakebest, Duralast, etc. is better than stock. Plus usually you get lifetime warranties when you buy from an auto parts store.

 

OK ty for the help, I will start with replacing the rear breaks now that I know which parts to buy.

 

Hey everyone,
I have a progress report regarding the brakes on my Journey. I had the rotors and brake pads replaced with the best parts my mechanic could find. After he did the brakes he asked to keep the car overnight because the pedal was still squishy (something about air bubbles). When I picked up the car the next day it seemed OK and because the rotors and pads were new I gave it time to break in. However five days latter I was sitting in a fast food line when I realized my break pedal was slowly heading to the floor. I pressed a bit harder and the pedal just kept going down. I took it back to the shop and we agreed it needed a new master cylinder. He ordered a new part and not a rebuilt. My mechanic called to say the new master break cylinder he installed was not working after three hours trying. (????) So then he ordered another one installed it and told me everything was fine. I picked up the car drove it off the lot and it still had a squishy pedal. It definitely felt better but I could (without much pressure) still press the pedal to the floor. (????) I am about sixteen hundred dollars into the breaks and I still have to pump them up to get a good stop. What am I missing here? is it air in the lines? is it air in the anti-lock break sys.? I trust my mechanic and I can walk around my car in the shop if I choose to. I don't think he is ripping me off but how do you explain a new master break cylinder not working? Now the second new one is installed and it is not tight at all. I don't know what to do with this one. I definitely would appreciate some advice on this.
Cheers all and have a happy Thanksgiving

 

Well your decision but I would try another mechanic , possibly
a brake specialty shop if they resolve it bring him the bill.

 

I agree it looks fishy but this is a reputable garage (thirty years plus in business). Still stuff happens so now I have to double back and start again.
I neglected to mention that even though I can push the break pedal almost to the floor,I have never had a warning light of any kind on the dash board, seems a bit strange?