8.0
pretty badTypical Repair Cost:
$500.00
Average Mileage:
17,087 miles
Total Complaints:
3 complaints
Most common solutions:
- replace with new parts (3 reports)
brakes problem
Helpful Websites About 2008 Dodge Caravan brake failure pads and rotors
2009Aug 20
Caravan LX V6
- Automatic transmission
- 23,300 miles
Here is what I'm going to send Dodge on their webpage. Wish me luck!!!
Last year we purchased a new 2008 Dodge Caravan (van) from Frank Kent Motor Company, a Dodge Dealer. This was in mid-August. Our van has run pretty well and other than a few minor items that needed repair - interior - we've been pleased with it.
Until last week. At 23,000 miles, BOTH front rotors had to be replaced and one of them had a small shallow groove in it, from the brake pad wearing against it - the metal backing of the brakepad. To have this done, it cost us a little over $550 total at Moritz Chrysler - Frank Kent is no longer a Chrysler-Dodge dealer.
My wife and I have owned many vehicles since 1974 and I did a lot of the work on them myself, before I became disabled. I never owned or worked on any vehicle - including US Army ones - that needed any type of brake repair or replacement before the vehicle had reached 50,000 miles on the Odometer. Many vehicles reached 75,000 miles before needing brake work done on them. I have owned several Chrysler vehicles - from Dodge Dart, to Cherokee Jeep, to Dodge Colt and I've never seen anything like this at all! As a matter of fact, since my Marriage (8 years ago), my wife and I have owned 4 Chrysler vehicles. My wife is the sole driver and she treats our vehicle(s) very carefully.
After some extensive research online, as well as talking with several different mechanics and car repair shops, I learned that this is an ONGOING thing with the 2008 Dodge Caravan. I guess maybe I consider myself 'fortunate' (if you could call it that) that our van made it to 23,000 miles before burning out the front brakes. Every single shop I talked with - the owners - said that this is CONSISTENT with the 2008 models that Dodge sold that year. Some van owners had front brake replacements after only 7,000 miles. The shop mechanic told me that the Master Brake Cylinder is designed to make the vehicle use the front brakes much more than the rear ones and it is NON-adjustable.
This is UNSAT. It is also a FACTORY DEFECT and should be corrected with a recall. It is ridiculous to market a product with such SHODDY workmanship. I would personally be embarrassed that my name would be on such a product.
Chrysler is supposed to be 'a vibrant new company emerging out of bankruptcy with a new and improved product', as we've been hearing on the news and in the advertisements. This is wrong.
If you don't believe me, then visit: www.carcomplaints.com and search for "2008 Dodge Van Brake Repair" and you will see what I mean. Or use Google Search Engine for the same results.
I am surprised that a Recall or Class Action Lawsuit has not been filed before now. However - and this is no threat, it is a promise - I am going to investigate possible class action regarding this matter unless I receive some kind of response from Chrysler to this letter. I wrote a letter to Chrysler last year about some other Customer Service problem and it was totally IGNORED.
At this point in time, I am NOT impressed with either Customer Service, nor the product(s) that Chrysler sells. I'm not even going to discuss the 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee we owned that kept cutting off and no other Chrysler Dealer in this area would touch it. The one that did, gave up after 3 trips to his shop in less than 3 months and told us "You're chasing a ghost and we're unable to figure out what's wrong with your vehicle. Don't bring it back to us because we CAN'T fix it." Up until this point, we had decided that we were going to stick with Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge vehicles 'for life', as we had been very satisfied with the vehicles we'd owned before the 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Regardless, this will be the very LAST Chrysler product we will ever buy - unless something positive comes as a result of this letter to your corporation. I've already let family and friends know what has happened with both the 2004 Jeep Cherokee as well as this latest mess with the 2008 Dodge Caravan and they have decided they will not be visiting a Chrysler dealership anytime soon, either.
Sincerely,
2009Jul 15
Caravan 3.2L
- Automatic transmission
- 15,534 miles
The actual car is owned by my son-in law. Purchased new august 08. Same problem as discussed by other complaints. No assistance from Chrysler on repair bill. Also said back brakes only have 15% left on them. I am 60 years old and drove American made cars for years but never again. This van ia a piece of crap and just shows that this company should not have been given any bailout funds which they got recently. The brakes will be repaired and then the vehicle sold and of course the replacement vechile will not be a Chrysler.
We have partnered with JustAnswer to offer online auto repair help and advice from expert professional automotive technicians. You describe your brakes problem or ask your question and they try to help you figure it out. The fee is typically $9 to $15, but you can offer to pay more for really tough questions. You will usually receive an answer in 10 minutes or less, and you do not have to pay anything unless you accept the answer.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2008Nov 28
Caravan
Under lease at less than 20,000 km...not covered by warranty....no squealer noise....had to replace the front rotors and breaks just before Christmas! Single mom with 6 kids and I decided to lease so that I could not have to worry about this type of thing.....$450.00 later...I was devastated! Then 3 months later the back brakes and rotors went.....another $450.00....but wait theres more....power steering fluid pump blows...can't get to work...they didn't have a loaner vehicle available....thank goodness it was a recall...so they covered the parts and labour....but they didn't cover my day lost at work. Took them a week to fix it! Thank goodness they eventually came up with a loaner....But wait theres more....the accelerator is sticking to the floor....I moved the mat....happened 4 times for me and 3 times for my friend....took it in...they took it on a test drive....said the problem didn't duplicate for them....so its fine....I asked, "that's it...well are you going to be responsible if something happens to me or one of my 6 kids...." They stated...."Not our problem...we are not legally responsible...we didn't make the car!"....that was the dealerships statement!!!!!! Ask me how safe I feel driving a Dodge Caravan....let alone letting one of my kids....NOT AT ALL!!!!!!!!
kbassett
London, ON, Canada
SEND A COMMENT »