2015 Dodge Grand Caravan Brake System Sucks - Repeat Failure / Seizure.

[Fordiesel69]

I think it was 2020 or thereabouts. Did front and rear rotors and pads, used silver antiseize on the hardware and the special grease on the caliper pins. The factory brakes and rotors disintegrated in the 25k - 30k range. Fast forward to last night, and 4k miles of town driving later, the rear rotors were completely rotted and left pads were seized and down to the metal backing, passenger pads were at 40% and seized in the caliper bracket.

The issue is the powdered metal caliper hangers / brackets that accept the brake pads themselves are made out of such poor quality metal that it rots UNDER the stainless shims. Therefore tightens up the pads so much that they seize in place. New pads will not fit, even after wire brushing and fileing down. I had to file the pads down too.

Is there any long term solutions or other brands of caliper hangers that would prevent this?

My ford fusion, taurus, f-150, and all crown vics do not do this until at least 5 yrs without maint and if not exposure to road salt they would never sieze up.

 

[JohnnyG]

Gotta love that SALT!
Or worse, liquid urea.

 

[skyactiv]

Just Googled Erie, PA annual snowfall average. 101.2 inches

 

[supton]

Every spring I take apart my brakes and clean them, filing off the rust and applying new lube. Otherwise they have a tendency to stick in place here too.

If I'm ambitious I do this also in the fall, but usually just every spring seems sufficient.

 

[JTK]

I have a file that is specifically designed to clear the corrosion that forms under the abutment clips. I file them the best I can, then apply a brake grease on the bare metal between the clips and the iron bracket. This helps with the rust jacking, but only lasts so long.

Minivans are tough on brakes. I've had many of them.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Get new aftermarket Raybestos E3 calipers and coated rotors.

Maybe they thought the transmission would go before the brakes

 

[emmett442]

Very common here, too. All of my daily drivers. Crown Vic, too.

I also lube the caliper bracket before installing the hardware. Seems to gain me about a year.

About every other year I disassemble and reapply while rotating tires. Otherwise, can't make a brake job last a set of pads.

 

[The_Eric]

I have a file that is specifically designed to clear the corrosion that forms under the abutment clips. I file them the best I can, then apply a brake grease on the bare metal between the clips and the iron bracket. This helps with the rust jacking, but only lasts so long.

Minivans are tough on brakes. I've had many of them.

I do similar on my customer's brakes - except I put them in the blast cabinet and blast them down to clean bare metal, then use silicon grease. It generally lasts long enough to get the goody out of the brakes. Also flush the brake oil with every job

 

[Andrew1972]

There is a reason why Dodge Caravans were cheapest to acquire of bunch. They require more attention and earlier in the lifespan. This is observation of relatives and friends who own them.

 

[Chris142]

I do similar on my customer's brakes - except I put them in the blast cabinet and blast them down to clean bare metal, then use silicon grease. It generally lasts long enough to get the goody out of the brakes. Also flush the brake oil with every job

Brake oil? Is that brake fluid? These stories from the rust belt are terrifying.

 

[The_Eric]

Brake oil? Is that brake fluid? These stories from the rust belt are terrifying.

Sorry, yes - brake fluid. And yes, the rust belt sucks bad!

 

[svtrit]

These vans are funny, as some people love them and others think they are total junk.

Mine has no brake issues and is still on the new pads that were installed when I bought it, just over 31,000 miles ago. I checked them before our big trip and wondered if they would ever wear out, as they have a lot of life yet.

Mine is a 2014. I’m pretty sure they all got the HD brakes in 2014 and later. Any chance it’s the driving style of the driver contributing to this? I say this knowing my wife is one to accelerate to a red light and brake later than she should. In theory, I should be changing brakes every 25k like I had been when we had our 02. This 14 is not that way.

 

[supton]

These stories from the rust belt are terrifying.

Some of the stories you've had about various things (politics and gas prices) aren't exactly exciting here either.

One gets used to the things they grew up with.

 

[Chris142]

Some of the stories you've had about various things (politics and gas prices) aren't exactly exciting here either.

One gets used to the things they grew up with.

I never get used to the stupidity here!

 

[nicholas]

There is a reason why Dodge Caravans were cheapest to acquire of bunch. They require more attention and earlier in the lifespan. This is observation of relatives and friends who own them.

As an Odyssey owner.......its the same thing over here Honda land.

So money really has nothing to do with it.
Pacifica forums will also echo the brake sentiment.

They are trying to save weight for eco crap....the brakes an all minivans need to be larger and thicker.

25k-30k you would be lucky to get that in any year odyssey from oem, most aftermarket brakes

 

[Fordiesel69]

Update 9-3-25:

Again 5k miles of town driving later, from october of 2022 all (4) brakes and rotors are shot. Vehicle has only 39K now and has had 4 complete sets of brakes and rotors.

The brakes seize up in their caliper hangers, in addition to the caliper slides freezing in place.

This vehicle is not driven hard, its just very infrequently driven. My other cars do not have this problem.

Cannot wait for this vehicle to be gone.

For 39K miles I think these failures are a bit redicululous:
-Radio quit outputting any type of sound just after the years portion of the warranty expired. Had like 7k miles when it failed. $1200 to fix.
-4 sets of brakes and rotors.
-One alternator
-Front sway bar links twice.
-Shocks and struts will be due soon.

 

[emmett442]

2015 with only 39k. Assuming sitting outside in the heart of the Northeast.

Par for the course. Especially with "open" style wheels that leave the brakes exposed to rain/snow even when sitting.

 

[IndyIan]

I guess you need to service these every year and buy some rotors that don't rust? Probably white box stuff is better than Dodge OEM it seems...
This maybe terrible advice, but I oil the whole brake system with fluid film at every tire swap, kind of trying to keep it off the rotors and pads, but I'm not worried if it I do. It seems dragging the brakes a couple times with the gas on seems to evaporate the oil off the braking surfaces? I do mostly hwy but I really only service the brakes for pad replacements, like 5-6 years and 100k+ miles.

 

[Fordiesel69]

I guess you need to service these every year and buy some rotors that don't rust? Probably white box stuff is better than Dodge OEM it seems...
This maybe terrible advice, but I oil the whole brake system with fluid film at every tire swap, kind of trying to keep it off the rotors and pads, but I'm not worried if it I do. It seems dragging the brakes a couple times with the gas on seems to evaporate the oil off the braking surfaces? I do mostly hwy but I really only service the brakes for pad replacements, like 5-6 years and 100k+ miles.

I dont care if that is bad advice, I may actually do this. Slather every inch with woolwax except the rotor surface.

 

[Number_35]

A few weeks ago I did the rear brakes on my friend's 2016 DGC. The fronts are still good at c. 75,000 km (around 45,000 miles), but the rears were shot, down to metal-on-metal on one side.

We had a heck of a time pulling the rotors - they were rusted-on very badly. We finally resorted to putting bolts through the caliper-mounting holes on the knuckle, and cranking them down to act as a press.

This was weird as the van has only been driven one winter. It's parked for the winter most years.