| Issue ID | 749185 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 10293665 |
| Manufacurer | CHRYSLER LLC |
| Brand | DODGE |
| Model | GRAND CARAVAN |
| Model Year | 2008 |
| File date | 26/11/09 |
| Component | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | I have a 2008 dodge grand caravan that has had repeated brake issues. The brakes wear out constantly, warping the rotors. Today, on the freeway, the brakes binded and it smelled like we were having an electrical fire until we realized it was our brakes smoking. The vehicle has 26k miles on it and the brakes have been replaced 3 times. We replaced the brake pads ourselves at about 12k miles after hearing a loud grinding sound and the van shuddering enough to shake your hand back and forth on the steering wheel when stopping at low speeds. It seemed to work for a week or two but the problems quickly returned. We then decided to have the rotors turned to see if this would fix the problem. It seemed to fix the problem again for a very short while. We then purchased and installed brand new rotors which again fixed the problem for a short while. Seeing as we had failed to fix the problem, we decided to take it to the dealership and have them fix our brakes. They of course said that the brakes were no longer under warranty but as a goodwill gesture they would repair the brakes for $50. They turned our front rotors again, stating that the shuddering was because the rotors were warped, again. As i drove away that day the van did the same shuddering. I immediately called the dealership and they stated that the back rotors were also warped and would need to be replaced. They did that and everything seemed fairly okay for a couple of weeks and then the grinding noise slowly came back and the shuddering has returned. It has only been 3 months since the whole brake system had been repaired! I hear a tsb has already been issued on the brake problems on this model with numerous consumer complaints. I will be taking the van to the dealer tomorrow to see what they say. |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 12000 |
| Number of Occurences | 1 |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | LA QUINTA, CA |
| VIN pattern | XXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | N |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | N |
| Was incedent reported to police? | N |
| Was medical attention required? | |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | |
| No. of fatalities | |
| Date of purchase | 07/08/26 |
| Was original owner? | N |
| Anti-lock brakes | N |
| Cruise control | N |
| Number of cylinders | |
| Drive train type | |
| Transmission type | |
| Vehicle speed | 70 |
| DoT tire identifier | |
| Tire size | |
| Location of tire code | |
| Type of tire failure code | |
| Was defective tire repaired? | |
| Date of manufacture | |
| Type of child seat code | |
| Type of restraint | |
| Dealer's name | |
| Dealer's telephone number | |
| Dealer's city | |
| Dealer's state code | |
| Dealer's ZIP code |