Brake Wear?

[Clark]

17,000 had to replace pads and turn rotors. They tried to blame it on our driving, and I wasn't too happy with it. I called the local shops and there were no pads listed for Dodge Journeys. I am gonna run by there and see what I can find.

There is obviously a problem, but ChryCo is not going to do anything about it.

[Paladin62]

I just got an oil change and tire rotation at the dealer. They told me that I have about 3,000 miles before the pads are worn and want me back before then to replace the pads before they damage the rotors. My Journel has 17,800 miles on it and this seems to be a bit early for brake wear, especially considering my last 2 vehicles went over 45K before getting close to needing new pads.

The dealer said that I'm probably one of the 1st local journey owners to have this high mileage, so they don't know if this is premature or not. So, How long are pads lasting for everybody else?

I have you all beat! My P.O.S journey has had to have the rotors replaced every 4,000 miles! The shaking steering wheel got so bad I had no choice. I have 12,302 on it now in just over a year and do mostly freeway driving with very little stop and go and NO hill driving and have to replace both the rotors and pads now. They will not cover these as they are designed to wear. 4k and they need to be replaced but that is NORMAL???!!!

I called Chrysler and talked to "James" (clearly I got a guy in India) and after checking with his supervisor numerous times, I was told I was S.O.L and that they wouldn't cover them. I have been a lifelong Chrysler man and have owned over 20 Chrysler vehicles and now will never own another.

I am taking it down on Saturday and trading it in. I now understand why they went bankrupt and I truly hope they go belly up with this kind of customer "loyalty".

I am filing a consumer complaint on them also and will now bad mouth them to everyone I know.

I can't believe they are willing to throw customers away when they are in such dire straits.

The crummy part is I don't like any other vehicles but will have to choose the best of the worst.

[Lostinparadise]

Add another one to the premature brake wear count. 4mm @ 18,138 mi. Rotors are grooved already, and need to be replaced.

I'm on hold with Chrysler Customer Assistance right now, will let you know how that turns out.

There was a rapid response with a caster issue too in the front suspension. I will post about that in TSB section.

2009 Dodge Journey R/T

[Mopar1]

Just had to have Front pads & Rotors replaced @ 14,000 miles! What the F! Rear pads are not that far behind.

[jeh_62]

I have just a little over 20,000 miles on my Journey. I checked the front pads about a month ago, and they looked to have about 1/4" left. I figured that would be enough to get me through our family vacation....... Not!

We went to VA for a week. On the way, I stopped for fuel, and nearly blew through the station! I nursed the car to our vacation cabin, about 200 more miles along the interstate, unpacked, and tried to unwind for the night. The next morning, I started calling dealers in the area. Five use to exist and only one was left, thanks to the bankruptcy. To add insult to injury, that last dealer didn't even have the brake pads in stock!! So, I started calling auto-parts stores, only to find one with after-market pads. The last set too! I nursed the car another 50 miles to this store, and thankfully they were very helpful in assisting me with a workplace and tools to change the front pads. They were worn to nearly nothing, but the rotor only had scoring where the "squeaker tab" rubbed the edge. The new pads burned for the remainder of the trip, smelled terrible. I've not noticed it since we've returned home. I still need to get the rotors turned.

That shocker on vacation has me wondering if I should stock-pile maintenance parts so that I have something to work with!! Man! it wasn't like the family and I were out in the boon-docks either! We were less than 100 miles west of Washington, DC!

Other than that, We love our Journey!

-John H.

Dayton, OH.

[miller7428]

If the brake system is anything like the Jeep Grand Cherokee 2005 model and above then they warp very quickly since the rims are too close to the rotors and they get too hot...i talked to our Les Schwab dealer here and they thought there would be a recall on it but nothing yet and i noticed on my journey that its the same issue...

[RickC]

This is pretty amazing to me... but I'm in the same boat as everyone else. 15,000 on my wifes 2009 Journey and it needs new brake pads. I called the dealer, and they said the warranty is 12 months, 12,000 miles... so I guess Dodge has it timed just perfectly. Still, it bothers me because I've got over 80,000 miles on the original pads in my 2005 Mustang GT.

The only saving grace is that I'm a car guy and I'll do the brakes myself. So I'm only out the cost of new pads and about 1/2 hour of my day.

[brwengel]

This is pretty amazing to me... but I'm in the same boat as everyone else. 15,000 on my wifes 2009 Journey and it needs new brake pads. I called the dealer, and they said the warranty is 12 months, 12,000 miles... so I guess Dodge has it timed just perfectly. Still, it bothers me because I've got over 80,000 miles on the original pads in my 2005 Mustang GT.

The only saving grace is that I'm a car guy and I'll do the brakes myself. So I'm only out the cost of new pads and about 1/2 hour of my day.

I'm not sure where you are located but here in the USA the warranty is 3 year 36,000 miles, but I'm not sure how that applies to brakes.

Just my two cents worth.

[vx255]

I have an SXT with the 2.7 V6, just a touch over 10,000km on the clock, brakes are embarrassingly loud as the squeak when they're warm, I also noticed today, the lip created around the edge of the front disc is huge, about the same as my Commodore (think G8 Pontiac) with 65,000km, I doubt the Journeys brakes will last 20,000km, pretty poor considering there's no way any aftermarket store will stock any parts for them due to rarity, plenty of Nitros though. (I've seen 3 journeys in 3 months, and I drive for a living).

[psueric]

17,500mi on my 2009 RT, and the brakes are grinding and not stopping.

There was no squeeking to indicate that pads are getting low, just lots of brake dust to clean off the wheels.

Definitely considering ceramic pads, does anyone know the difference in cost?

[Sam]

Here in Canada, my ceramic pads, first quality, were less expensive than the OEM pads from Chrysler!

[shotgunner]

I just got an oil change and tire rotation at the dealer. They told me that I have about 3,000 miles before the pads are worn and want me back before then to replace the pads before they damage the rotors. My Journel has 17,800 miles on it and this seems to be a bit early for brake wear, especially considering my last 2 vehicles went over 45K before getting close to needing new pads.

The dealer said that I'm probably one of the 1st local journey owners to have this high mileage, so they don't know if this is premature or not. So, How long are pads lasting for everybody else?

My Journey is at the dealer now for replacement of all four rotors and pads at 6150 miles.

[ckl]

Finally got the time to bring the car into the dealership to get the brakes done. They replaced the front rotors and pads and turned the rear ones. All under warranty and pretty good service overall.

[waynerb66]

First time on the forum. I have 22,000 kms. on my Journey. There was a loud screeching coming from my rear brakes. I brought it in and they changed both back rotors, brakes, and one of the calipers. They told me the caliper was defective. They did not charge me for anything. I don't know if that helps anyone out.

[ckl]

Based on the number of posts in this thread, I think it's pretty safe to say that the stock rotors and pads are crap. I think in the long term, when our warranties expire, it would be great if people who replaced their rotors and pads with aftermarket ones give their experiences with them... such as whether or not they cause rotor warpage, whether the pads wear prematurely, brake dust, etc.

[husakma]

From what I hear, the car companies are cutting costs and are using cheaper materials. I'm sure that includes brake pads as well. I googled this subject and it appears to be an industry-wide problem, even on higher end cars. I've read about complaints with Honda and Nissan as well. Besides, the Journey curb weight can be as much as 4239 lbs. whereas a Toyota Prius only weighs 2932 lbs. It's going to take more to stop the Journey, thus wearing out the brake pads faster.

Ok - Journey SXT I purchased has 13500 miles. Took it on vaca and front brakes wore out on the trip. This has been a problem with all Chrysler SUVs that we have driven so sometimes wonder why I continue to buy/lease these vehicles. I believe at least one rotor is shot too because there was some obvious screaching as well. My warranty says 12000 miles for coverage or 12 months whatever comes first. Obviously these folks knew the quality of the brakes when the were built into the manufacturing and design of the vehicle. I guess the idea with these vehicles is that you have to make sure you change them every year- what a crock. I swear that if they could fix this problem, certainly they wouldn't have needed to be bailed out...we need Lee Iacocca back.

P.S. - here are the other problems I have had 1. DVD system crashed (and i barely used it!!) at 8000 miles, so had to replace the whole NAV panel - covered by warranty. 2. Sunglasses compartment broke with about 1 pound of pressure - covered under warranty and they were on backorder for 700 of these - what does that tell you ? 3. rear parking bulb needed replaced at 10000 miles (WTF ?) 4. brake light has been coming on when I'm on a hill - have to get that checked out when I'm into the dealer paying a fortune to get faulty brakes fixed...hopefully this has something to do with the brakes that are now shot..wish the light would have come on earlier when it probably should to warn you.

[husakma]

Based on the number of posts in this thread, I think it's pretty safe to say that the stock rotors and pads are crap. I think in the long term, when our warranties expire, it would be great if people who replaced their rotors and pads with aftermarket ones give their experiences with them... such as whether or not they cause rotor warpage, whether the pads wear prematurely, brake dust, etc.

one other nit I'd like to point out is the chrome clad "aluminum" wheels. they look great, but I still think this was a little sleazy thing since once you really look and touch them they are just cheap plastic - so if you're car dealer/salesguy pointed out the difference to you, there's one honest car salesman that seems to be hard to find & you should stick with him/her

[fjpod]

As an owner of several cars, and now a new Journey, I find it interesting how most mechanics will tell you that "your rotors are warped, so I had to replace everything". I suspect nobody wants to take the time or has the equipment to turn rotors anymore.

[OhareFred]

For those of you with warped rotors and a shimmy, I had a 2000 Durango that constantly had the same problems UNTILL I started doing my own brake jobs and tire rotations. I put cermanic pads and new rotors (from Murrays Auto Parts, now O'Riellys) and used a torque wrench to tighten the front lugnuts. Once I did that I went 3 years before the brakes needed to be worked on and the rotors stayed true the entire time (granted only about 36000 miles)! I was told Dodge/Chrysler use really thin crappy rotors and using a airgun to install the nuts wraps the rotors. Can't say thats the absolute facts but it seemed to be that way with the Durango. I was changing rotors every 10-12 months before I started using the torque wrench. Also, most of the time the rotors are so warped that by the time you cut them, they are too thin to use. I guess I'll be doing the same with my Journey! Hope this info helps someone! Stay safe.

[ckl]

For those of you with warped rotors and a shimmy, I had a 2000 Durango that constantly had the same problems UNTILL I started doing my own brake jobs and tire rotations. I put cermanic pads and new rotors (from Murrays Auto Parts, now O'Riellys) and used a torque wrench to tighten the front lugnuts. Once I did that I went 3 years before the brakes needed to be worked on and the rotors stayed true the entire time (granted only about 36000 miles)! I was told Dodge/Chrysler use really thin crappy rotors and using a airgun to install the nuts wraps the rotors. Can't say thats the absolute facts but it seemed to be that way with the Durango. I was changing rotors every 10-12 months before I started using the torque wrench. Also, most of the time the rotors are so warped that by the time you cut them, they are too thin to use. I guess I'll be doing the same with my Journey! Hope this info helps someone! Stay safe.

Yes, I read online that the the improper torquing of lug nuts can cause rotor warpage. I have a torque wrench in my garage but I don't know how much to torque the lug nuts to. Does anyone know?

[brwengel]

From the owners manual pg. 406:

Wheel Nuts

Tighten all wheel nuts occasionally to eliminate the

possibility of wheel studs being sheared or the bolt holes

in the wheels becoming elongated. This is especially

important during the first few hundred miles (kilometers)

of operation and after changing a tire. This allows

the wheel nuts to seat properly. All wheel nuts should

first be firmly seated against the wheel. The wheel nuts

should then be tightened to recommended torque.

Tighten the wheel nuts to the final torque in increments.

Progress around the bolt circle, tightening the nut opposite

of the one you previously tightened until the final

torque is achieved. Recommended torque is 95 ft lbs (130

N·m).

[ckl]

From the owners manual pg. 406:

Wheel Nuts

Tighten all wheel nuts occasionally to eliminate the

possibility of wheel studs being sheared or the bolt holes

in the wheels becoming elongated. This is especially

important during the first few hundred miles (kilometers)

of operation and after changing a tire. This allows

the wheel nuts to seat properly. All wheel nuts should

first be firmly seated against the wheel. The wheel nuts

should then be tightened to recommended torque.

Tighten the wheel nuts to the final torque in increments.

Progress around the bolt circle, tightening the nut opposite

of the one you previously tightened until the final

torque is achieved. Recommended torque is 95 ft lbs (130

N·m).

Thanks for the info! I'll go and torque the lug nuts right now.

[TheStewie]

We had our front pads and rotors done a couple months ago at about 22000km. the dealer would not cover them after 20000km. So we went outside and had ceramic pads put on at less cost than the standard dealer pads.

We found out that there was a run on the brake pads and rotors and that the rear rotors were back ordered for at least 2 weeks. There is obviously something major wrong with them and next week we are getting the rears done by the same people with the better pads etc.

I am not going to pay the dealer for something that should have been covered and get crap again...

The Stewie

[RedRT]

As a result of the information posted here I took my Journey RT with 10,500 miles into the dealer to have the brakes checked. They replaced the front and rear rotors under warrenty but said the pads were fine. I don't understand brakes well so could someone tell me why the rotors and pads would be bad in some cases and just the rotors in others? How long can I expect the replacement rotors to last?

[Journeyluv]

I told one dealer there was something wrong with the brakes (they were squeaking)@ 26,000 miles. They said nothing was wrong. I just had to have my pads and rotors changed (front and back) at 29,000 miles. After I drove the Journey home I noticed I was getting 25 miles per gallon. Normally I get 19-20 mpg. I think the Journey brakes were sticking. I have owned sports cars and never had to have the pads or rotors changed until over 120,000 miles and some beyond that. Dodge needs to check into this faulty system.