Brake Shuddering

2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT 4.0L 47K miles. I am having a bad issue with the brakes.

I have had to replace the front brake pads and rotors 3 times and going on the 4th time IN LESS THAN 47K MILES. The brakes seem to work fine in city driving where the streets are flat. The problem is when driving on any kind of a downhill grade. If you try to brake on a downhill slope the brakes shudder so bad that you cannot only feel the steering wheel shake, you can SEE it shake.

The Dealerships say the problem is warped rotors and everything is fine after installing a new set or turning the old set. After the 2nd set of "OEM" rotors supplied by the dealerships (two different Dealerships to be exact), I got fed up and installed top of the line NAPA Ceramic pads and Rotors, which do the exact same thing after less than a year/7k miles. This van is not a commercial vehicle, and is not overloaded or used for towing.

Anyone have any insight or similar experiences? Am I missing something? HELP!

[quote=Rick Norwood;7047971]2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT 4.0L 47K miles. I am having a bad issue with the brakes.

I have had to replace the front brake pads and rotors 3 times and going on the 4th time IN LESS THAN 47K MILES. The brakes seem to work fine in city driving where the streets are flat. The problem is when driving on any kind of a downhill grade. If you try to brake on a downhill slope the brakes shudder so bad that you cannot only feel the steering wheel shake, you can SEE it shake.

The Dealerships say the problem is warped rotors and everything is fine after installing a new set or turning the old set. After the 2nd set of "OEM" rotors supplied by the dealerships (two different Dealerships to be exact), I got fed up and installed top of the line NAPA Ceramic pads and Rotors, which do the exact same thing after less than a year/7k miles. This van is not a commercial vehicle, and is not overloaded or used for towing.

Anyone have any insight or similar experiences? Am I missing something? HELP!


I don't know your driving habits, lots of stop and go city driving is hard on rotors. Late braking instead of gradual braking is tough also. The most important thing on warping rotors is proper wheel nut torque. If you wheel nuts are being over tightened, that will cause your repeat brake pulsation also.

As a general statement 90% of the driving in this van is stop and go city driving. We do practice gradual braking, and in addtion, when traveling on down hill grades, we also down shift. I just picked up the van from the dealership where they turned all 4 rotors, claiming "heat spots and high spots" on all 4 rotors. We'll see how they work tomorrow. Stay tuned.

I never new about the wheel nut torque affecting or warping the rotors. Thanks for the insight.

Yeah, I have had the same experience with Toyota rotors. I have since bought rotors and pads from Ebay, bought slotted rotors with ceramic pads from BrakeLabs, based out of Cali. Seriously high quality stuff, great price. You can buy performance rotors (slotted I would recommend) and pads for the same price as oem rotors only. Also, there has been some discussion that if youa re going to use blanks, you must break the pads and rotors in by going from 60 to 5 10 times, while not coming to a complete stop or holding the brakes. Some special thinkers seem to think it leaves residue on the rotors(cemetite to be exact).

I dont know, regardless, Ive had the same experience, and since went with slotted rotors and ceramic pads and never had the same problem. I know your frustration.

BY THE WAY, everytime they (the dealership) turns those rotors, it ENSURES they will warp easier next time. Why? There is less material, and with less material, the rotors heat more quickly, and warp faster. Its a vicious cycle.

Thanks Sleepyhead, I will look into slotted rotors.

I have also been told that the nickel content of the rotors plays a big part in how well the rotors react to heat. Simply put, the higher the nickel content the better the rotor.

Ever since rotors started finding their way onto our cars and trucks from a host of third world countries, the less nickel in them. That is why you can buy good, better and best at your local parts store.

I have a theory pertaining to this Brake issue. In my humble opinion, Chrysler put a Braking System on my 2008 Grand Caravan that is at the Top End of its Weight Rating, or in other words the Rotors, Calipers, Pads etc. are barely big enough or adequate to work properly without WARPING the rotors due to the high heat. My Caravan now has 60K miles, which is less than 10K per year, (Which is pretty low in my book) and I have been through 3 or 4 sets of Rotors. Even the Top of the line NAPA Ceramic Rotors and Pads are warped and need to be replaced after just a few years. Not a happy Camper!