I've had a few problems with my '06 (AWD R/T) Magnum (original mileage 21,500):

I recently paid to have the leaking transmission connector o-ring replaced.

The Takata driver's airbag recall.

When the o-ring was replaced, they told me that one of the rear half-shaft seals coming out of the differential was leaking. When I reminded them of the car's low mileage, they said something to the effect of, "If a car sits (e.g. six months), the seals may begin to leak."

I thought, okay, maybe that makes sense.

I also complained to the CEO in a letter about the fact that all four rotors warped badly in (much less than) 5,000 miles (this was years ago, I had another car and the Magnum was driven occasionally).

So "Dave" calls me from Chrysler headquarters and tells me that rotors can warp while not being driven, from "moisture."

I have never heard of this. The car was garaged and driven periodically. The rotors were not rusted.

Does this make sense to anyone?

(By the way, I also own an '87 GN with 34,000 miles, all original brake parts. The rotors are fine, no vibration, the brakes work fine. At one point, the car was stored for six years; still no problem).

 

Sounds like a line to me.
I will say my 06 Strat used to eat through rotors under normal driving. After replacing warped rotors 3 times in 6 months, I upgraded to some Drilled/slotted rotors. Never warped another rotor in 2yrs of ownership after that.

 

Thank you for the response.

Maybe, if the rotors were heavily rusted? But these weren't; they were shiny as CDs when they came off the car.

I'm a goddamned mechanical engineer, for God's sake, and it didn't make any sense to me.

(I had a service guy at the original dealer I bought the car tell me the the engine oil needed changing every year even though it was only being driven about 1,000 miles per year, since "the oil will form sludge over time."

We all know that sludge is caused by oil breakdown owing to engine heat. When was the last time you saw a can of oil go bad on the shelf?).

 

LOL...dam. They will surface rust from sitting long periods, but it scrapes off when you brake a few times. Warping from sitting is total BS. They warp from being cheap garbage, like most factory brake rotors.


The Chinese infiltration into the auto parts market is highly disturbing to me. I recently saw a label on a factory airbag wiring harness stamped "Assembled in China". It pisses me off, but at least I know I'll have job security if this trend continues.

 

I do agree that metallurgy in cheap rotors do impact rusting greatly.


do you live in the rust belt. I worked there for 10 years its a different world for brake life than areas outside of the rust belt.


If you live in these areas, you need to service (clean/lube) the brakes at least once a year. I'm not referring to surface rust that clean up when you apply the brakes...but rather the corrosion that occurs from the pads not sliding properly from being seized in the brackets. if left for to long, the rotor surfaces are toast.

The rear brakes get all the throw off from the front wheels. Drum brakes have a much longer service life due to this.


Did you see the inner rotor surface? Was it rust free?

 

I don't understand what you mean by "the inner rotor surface." Do you mean the side facing the center of the car?

I kept the rotors for a while in case the factory wished to examine them. The bearing surface of both inner and outer pads was smooth and shiny. They LOOKED perfect, but vibrated like crazy with significant brake application (not when just tooling around town, but out on the highway). Both the steering wheel and the brake pedal. The new rotors cleared everything up.

(There never was heavy rusting on any portion of the rotors. The car was garaged and only driven occasionally, to keep the battery charged and lubricants moving around. And it only had a couple thousand miles on it (I was driving another vehicle on a day-to-day basis at the time)).

 

...where the inner pad contacts the rotor.

with the surfaces being as you described; what I explained is not the issue.


oem rotors or aftermarket?


Cheap aftermarket crap can have lateral runnout rght out of the box


Not sure what the SM was trying to describe. I was trying to make some sense of it but I can't. Keep in mind most service managers are not mechanics. They talk to customers, deal with warranty claims and count beans.

 

I can understand why Chrysler wouldn't want to reimburse me; I should have complained much earlier.

But like I say, just tooling around town in the early years, it wasn't even noticeable.

I'm going to write the CEO again and tell him that his man "Dave" is full of crap: either woefully misinformed or, more likely, a lying piece of crap.

At least the Hemi is still humming along, but it's only at 21,500 miles.

Has the service record on these engines been good?