Hi all,
Does anyone know of any service bulletins or TSBs or "secret" warranties about broken rear brake calipers on a 2009 Grand Caravan? the dealer is charging $320 to replace them not counting new pads and disc machining. I looked at them, only one side was loose (right). It loked to me like the bolt had loosened and the hole had become enlarged. Thanks for any help

Broke (in oh so many ways) in Florida

 

As of yesterday, the only TSB/recall for the rear brakes had to do with improper rotor finish from the factory that caused a whirring sound. Nothing in the pattern failure database either. So it's not a common problem.

 

The issue with a loose bolt would have been caused by the person who previously serviced the brakes and forgot to properly tighten it or was too lazy to use a torque wrench or check service manual for proper torque values. The brakes place tremendous strain on the mounting bolts so if they are improperly torqued the threaded hole will soon become hogged out.

The brackets are much cheaper through a local parts store or roackautodotcom

 

believe it or not I had same issue with the ford ranger. ford wanted here I believe like something crazy 150-175 each. had a contact in my wifes company she used to owork and the part cost me 10. each wtf with that.

 

Well for 2008 thru 2012 Grand Caravan, rear caliper brackets sell in the aftermarket for $28 each. If one bolt came loose you surely don't need new brackets for both sides at a whopping $56 total!!

You can change both in about 1/2 hour. Just jack up the car and do it. You need a ratchet wrench, socket and allen wrench. This will give you the opportunity to check the pads for wear and lubricate the sliding pins and verify the pads aren't jambed or sticking. The improved gas mileage from less brake drag will quickly pay for the parts.

 

Thanks all for the comebacks.
I too believe I am being flim flammed by the dealer.In the old days I would have done it myself However, the wife is involved, I'm older than dirt, my equipment and work area are gone, am facing an emminent road trip, and I am being forced to "pay the two dollars". Doesn't mean I'm happy about it though.

Don't get old

Where the heck did I park the SuperBee ?

 

Hi Gang,
I was just looking at a thread calles "2010 caravan rear brakes" and saw a slew of rear brake problems from 2008 to 2012. Some of which mentioned the so called " redesigned"
rear caliper bracket. Incidents like these are what is causing american car manufacturers to loose customers. I would rather they stop putting the electronic foo foo junk in the vehicles that really shouldn't be there anyway (tv, "sync your tunes" orange tooth etc).
and spend the money where it counts. Engines, running gear, brakes. It's a vehicle after all, not an entertainment center. A lot of people say it's not rocket science, but then they never had to drive their wife and kids to the moon every week for 6 years did they.

 

Most people want blue tooth integration and USB connectors. This costs about $25 on most electronic devices, so it should not break Chrysler's bank. Families are also tired of hanging portable bag TV's on the back of their seats or buying a smart phone for each kid to watch movies. When a 12" TV screen costs about $75, you can be sure Dodge is going to integrate it for folks willing to pay $1K for the option. Otherwise they will lose even more affluent customers with deep pockets to their asian competitors.

The main problem Chrysler is dealing with here is they have acquired all the bottom feeders from a pricing standpoint and they are trying too hard to keep the cost low. Folks paying $40K have moved to Toyota and Honda while Dodge is selling their 2013 GC for *******ly the same price as Grand Caravan sold for 15 years ago. Considering inflation, this is a bit difficult to imagine. An SXT with a primitive pushrod V6 and 4spd sold for $25K in 2003. In 2013, you get a 24V DOHC and 6spd for the same price. The profit margin is approaching zero so they must cut too many corners to break even. This results in occasional mfg hiccups like brake brackets milled out-of-spec. Since they make no money on the sale of a new GC, it's a bit hard for them to recall the whole fleet to install free brackets.

 

If you have not yet wasted $320 to replace the out-of-spec brackets, I would suggest you considering purchasing the aftermarket brackets for $30 each and then just visit an independent brake shop like Midas or some independent (Indy) shop to get them installed. The labor to get brackets swapped out should be far less than a typical $80 brake job because there would be no material cost. This would put the job at about $60 + $80 = $140 to update both sides. If you wish to replace rotors, rockautodotcom has premium bendix for $20 each.