I brought my Dodge Grand Caravan in over a month ago to have my squeaky, yet functioning brakes fixed. They replaced pads, rotors and calipers. The next day my brakes failed (went to the floor with very little stopping power). They told me it was my master cylinder, so replaced that and returned my van to me. Again the brakes failed. They bled the lines and returned the van a third time. Again the brakes failed (each time, getting very soft and going to the floor). They put in a new master cylinder. Failed again. They put on new calipers yesterday and again, the brakes are getting mushy and not stopping the van appropriately and it smells like they’re hot/burning. It’s been over a month. What to do now?
Demand a full refund and find someone who can actually work on brakes.
I would replace the flexlines at each caliper.
Agree, brake work is not rocket science; they guys are “parts hangers” rather than mechanics. Get your money back and go somewhere else.
Make mine another vote to have the van towed (do not drive it) to a new (reputable independently owned and operated) shop immediately. The shop that did this work does not know or care what they’re doing. The results show they don’t know what they’re doing, their having released the van to you three times with brake not properly functioning shows they don’t care.
My bet is that the system is loaded with air. I’ll also bet that (a) you never needed a new master cylinder, and (b) they never bench bled the one they installed. A good shop whould be able to get this working properly with reasonable cost. It may just need a complete bleeding of the system by someone who knows how to do so properly…and cares.
Have the new shop document everything in detail on the shopp order. Then use that to go after a refund from the bogus shop.
These people who are milking your brakes at the risk of your life should also be reported to the bureau of automotive fraud.
Where might one find the “Bureau of Automotive Fraud”?
;-))
I dont know about your state, but Ca. has one, and many local city police departments have one too. Look in the phone book under
govt. offices.
That happened to my 2002 Grand Caravan, replaced cylinders, calipers, gravity-bled them and I still found myself pushing the pedal to the floor. Finally replaced the ABS pump and that fixed it.