This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Dodge dealer.
8.0
pretty badTypical Repair Cost:
$416.00
Average Mileage:
26,716 miles
Total Complaints:
62 complaints
Most common solutions:
- replace brake pads (29 reports)
- replace calipers, rotors & pads (12 reports)
- not sure (9 reports)
- Dodge refused to cover the cost & lost customer forever (6 reports)
- Dodge fixed without charge!! (4 reports)
- replace (2 reports)
brakes problem
Search for Problems, Recalls & Defects
Find a good Dodge mechanic
A free service from MechanicAdvisor.comHelpful websites
- No one has added a helpful site for this 2008 Grand Caravan problem yet. Be the first!
« Read the previous 50 complaints
2009Aug 12
Grand Caravan SE 3.3L
- Automatic transmission
- 14,913 miles
Our van needed front brakes after less than 25,000Kms and my ex-wife, not thinking, brought it to a local garage who charged her $540.00 to replace both sets of front pads and both front rotors. Then the rear brakes went and she brought it to a Dodge dealer and they soaked her for another $500.00 or so. This is on a vehicle with LESS THAN 25,000kms!! Then I called a friend of mine who is a Dodge mechanic, and he informed me that Dodge knew about the issue, and issued two TSB's, one for the front brakes and one for the rear, specific to premature brake wear. In fact, for the rear, at first the dealers were told to rebuild the calipers because they were binding, then they were told in an update to replace the rear calipers with a newly designed caliper. Both the Ex and I have contacted Chrysler over 10 times, and they refunded her about $300.00 and closed the issue. I tried to have the issue reopened but the "Customer Service Manager", also known as front line message taker, REFUSED to open another issue. Can you believe that??!! This is from an auto maker who is trying to re-establish themselves?? I for one will never purchase another Dodge/Chrysler again and I hope this email serves to notify other owners of 2008 and newer Grand Caravans, that they should not have to pay for any repairs related to premature brake wear.
Update from Nov 22, 2009: As of two weeks ago, Dodge finally refunded the balance of what the ex paid to have the brakes done. This after numerous compliants from me and persistance on her part. She enlisted the assistance of CAMVAP, Canadian Motor Vehicle Arbitration Plan. Link below.
http://www.aiamc.com/policies/submissions/camvap.html
It's a free service and one I would recommend to ALL Canadians who have issues with their vehicles.
2009Oct 10
Grand Caravan Sxt Wagon 6
- Automatic transmission
- 28,000 miles
Purchased used Caravan with 17,000 miles. At 28,000 miles had to replace pads, rotors on front and rear. This was told to me to be a common problem, apparently not conveyed to the car sales person. Also, I was told by my mechanic this probably will continue to be a problem!. Whats with that? This appears to be a manufacture problem with this vehicle, why will no one give me any help???? Not a happy new Dodge owner! Has anyone else tried to get Dodge to comment or help defray costs?
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2009Sep 29
Grand Caravan
- Automatic transmission
- 25,000 miles
25,000 miles, 18 months old and the brakes and rotors are shot. On top of that the dealer says sorry your sh*t out of luck. I am seeing numerous reports of excessive brake wear because of an undersized rotor. This is a design flaw and should be rectified by Chrysler. I have never purchased a foreign vehicle and hopefully never have to but I am really pissed off at this situation. This is not the fault of the workers. This is the fault of cheap shoddy design. I am not pissed at the guy who assembled the van, he did his job. I am pissed at the cheap ass who thought it would be a great idea to use undersized rotors to save a nickel.
2009Sep 12
Grand Caravan SXT 3.8L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 24,500 miles
click to see larger images
24,000 miles. Front and rear pads worn and front rotors need replacement. Dealer not interested to discuss warranty (car 20 months old) but wanted over $500 to replace the defective parts.
Autozone has replacements. Rear Pads ($39.99), Front Pads($54.99), Front Rotors ($57.99ea). With a brake caliper reset tool for the rear parking brake mechanism this is a straightforward replacement.
24000 miles seems real low to me for pads, especially that a lot of mileage is highway. What was clear to me was that the drivers side front had worn way more than the other three. All four calipers seem to move freely and no evidence of uneven braking observed.
My suspicion is that the front rotor had a defect in the heat treatment, its worn beyond the machining limit. I replaced both front rotors for balance.
I really can't be bothered to try and argue this one with Customer Service 800 folks so I'm venting here...
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
2009Apr 18
Grand Caravan CE 3.3L
- Automatic transmission
- 18,000 miles
As a proud Dodge owner of Grand Caravan 2000, I didn’t consider any other maker, but Dodge. Surprisingly, at the first turn out from the dealership, the blinker leaver did not return back, and kept on blinking. They fixed it. As I tried to adjust the mirrors – no adjustment from the inside! And this is not the lower package!
After less then 20,000 Km, I had to replace the brakes pads!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2009Aug 22
Grand Caravan SE 3.3L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 10,400 miles
We've had this Piece for 14 months with only 10,400 miles on it and the front brakes went out. Called the dealer and warranty only covers parts for 12,000 miles or one year. We're Two months over the end of the warranty. This really burns!!!! There is no way we should have to pay almost $300 to fix the brakes on a car with 10,000 miles!!!
I will NEVER buy another Chrysler product as long as they're around! Cause at the rate this company is going they will go out of business before I go! Which is really sad to say because this is our 3rd Chrysler vehicle in 6 years.
2009Aug 24
Grand Caravan SXT 3.8L
- Automatic transmission
- 28,000 miles
I bought my first and last Chrysler product last year.. A 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan.
We bought it used as a Certified Pre Owned from a Dodge dealer with 18,000 miles on it for what we thought was a fair price.
One year and 10,000 miles later the trouble begins....My wife was driving the van and all of the power accessories stopped working.. A trip to the dealer and they replaced a Totally Integrated Power module (sounds like an expensive part) under warranty.
2 weeks later the rear A/C stopped working and the brakes are making a sqealing noise..We took it to the dealer once again and they found a broken wire going to the fan motor( how did that happen?) and I also need all new brakes on the rear including pads and rotors for a cost of almost $500. I have had literally 50 cars in my life and have never had to replace rear brakes at 28,000 miles , in fact I have gone over 100,000 miles on rear brakes...they insist that this is not covered under warranty as brakes are a maintenance item.Seems totally unreasonable to me..
I had them repair the A/C under warranty and told them to leave the brakes.
I have been working on my own cars for over 30 years and I have better than average mechanical ability.( I have completly restored my 68 Camaro by myself in my garage from the frame up) I decided to replace the brakes myself as pads were only $38 at the local Pep Boys, and rotors if needed are about $50 each. I took apart the brakes and discovered that the pads were only just down to the wear indicator and were not down to the metal. The rotors were very lightly grooved (normal wear) and well within tolerance to be machined at the local Machine shop for $15 each.
The bottom line is the dealer lied to me, telling me that the brake pads were into the metal and wore a very deep groove into the rotors...Totally untrue!!
The total cost to replace pads and machine the rotors was under $100..
2009Jun 09
Grand Caravan SXT 3.6L
- Automatic transmission
- 26,000 miles
I have 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan. I have had to replace front pads and rotors turned at 23000 miles not covered by warranty. Then the rear caliper guide pin gets sticks and ruins my pads and a rotor. Dodge told me not covered under the warranty that was with 27000 miles.
2009Jul 01
Grand Caravan Limited
- Automatic transmission
- 15,000 miles
This van SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Original plan was to purchase at end of lease or purchase another dodge van- NOT going to happen... Brakes completely gone at 15k miles, sliding door broken 2X's already, air conditioning has NEVER worked (last summer when the vehicle was brand new it "just needed a charge"- then only slightly cool air come out, this summer it has not worked at all.
Van is a TOTAL PIECE OF CRAP!!!!!
2008Oct 15
Grand Caravan SXT
- Automatic transmission
- 18,000 miles
I also had/have problems with my brakes. I had no warning I could not believe when the service station showed me my brakes on my new van not even scratch or a spill yet and yes they are all highway miles. I went to the customer service and picked up the brakes and had a friend change them. My car is currently at Dodge Service for the A/C and check-up so lets see what they find. Really disappointed with the Van I love it I just wish the parts and a/c and electronics would not break so quickly.
2009Jun 03
Grand Caravan SXT V6
- Automatic transmission
- 25,000 miles
Took the van into the dealer last week for an oil change. They told me I needed new front break pads and that the left front rotor was metal on metal, ruined and needed to be replaced. I thought this was a little strange given the low mileage. I then started having flashbacks to when I purchased my new 2000 Ford Focus years ago and was in the shop getting rotors replaced every 30,000 miles, for which there was eventually a class action suit and recall. However, now the problem has been compounded by the fact that Chrysler is bankrupt and they can't even get the break pads. They're on "national back-order" and were supposedly shipped last week (according to the computer screen) but nothing has shown up and they can't find anyone locally that has them. And of course, the pads and rotors are "wear items" and not under warranty. Went through the same thing with Ford. Maybe Fiat will be a little more understanding. I guess I'm just a fool for trying to support an American brand... which is kind of silly since 95% of the car was probably manufactured out of the country. So I guess all I'm really supporting are the fat cat execs who probably drive Beamers and Porsche's...
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2009Nov 03
Grand Caravan SLX 3.8L
I have a degree in diesel mechanics and have been around auto mechanics my whole life. I have a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan that I purchased new in December of 2007. I have had the to replace the front brakes and rotors twice in 33,000. miles, totally unacceptable!! What is going on at Dodge?? I have a 2000 GMC pick up, just turned a hundred thousand miles (88,000 I put on myself) and have never had to replace the brakes. I know this is absolutely the exception but... I can buy (understand) front brake pads maybe every 25-30 thousand but two sets of front rotors and pads is insane! I am telling everybody steer clear of Dodge. Dodge,step up and fix this.
Joe B.
Albuquerque, NM, USA
SEND A COMMENT »