Brake Disc Caliper problems of the 2009 Dodge Journey

Multiple electrical systems malfunction from interior lights air conditioner blend door headlight indicator switch and window switch. Car has had several calipers fail within owning the used car in less then 2 years. Loss of power while driving. Fuel indicator malfunctions. All electrical issues started at the same time. Radio and interior screen malfunction. I am scared to drive this car. The key for will set off alarm when hitting unlock.

Over the last 3 years I have had an excessive amount of work done on my brakes. On the front wheels, both have had 3 new sets of rotors, 2 of which had to be resurfaced, 3 sets of brake pads, 2 new calipers for the left and 1 for the right, 1 brake hose and 1 hub bearing for the left. The rear tires have had a new set of rotors, which were resurfaced today, and a new hub bearing on the rear left. The vehicle has never been wrecked, and I can confidently say my driving is not the cause of this issue. When the brakes have gone bad, I hear a squeal, there is vibration in the wheel and the brake pedal, and the car would pull to the left or the right, depending on which caliper needed to be replaced. This is a serious safety hazard that needs to be addressed on a much higher level than on the consumer's dime.

For a while now, randomly my Journey will get stuck in 2nd or 3rd gear after taking off. I will have to stop, put it in park, shut off the engine and restart it for it to reset itself. The steering wheel shakes when applying the breaks, but I've have a complete new set of brakes put on it, rotors and new calipers in the front. The brakes also make a knocking sound. I also got a complete set of tires and they seem to be wearing quicker than normal. I have had 3 different shops look at the breaks for a diagnoses and all of them say that the right parts on it and they don't see and reason for the noises.

Upon doing routine brake inspection found both rear calipers to be not working and seized up.

Have had the rack and pinion fixed 1 1/2 years ago and it is leaking again. Have had to put 3 sets of brake pads on in 3 years. Also had to put new rotor and brake caliper on right front due to brake locking up! this car only has 53,600 miles on it and has been one thing after another breaking down on it. Been told by two Dodge machanics this should not be happening. Would like for the dealer to do something about it. Been told there were recalls on this car and we have never gotten one in the mail. Help!!.

After 45 minutes of combined in-town and highway driving (approx. 16 miles total) during rush hour car began to smell hot. When stopped visible smoke from right front wheel well. Car pulling to the right and slight vibration in steering wheel. After inspection it was discovered the caliper was locked-up. Replaced front right brake pad and caliper. All 4 rotors were turned 01/2013.

Vehicle failed state inspection third year in a row all for same reason and it gets worse. In Feb 2011 which is first year I owned the vehicle and got the inspection myself, it failed for rear brake rotors and they were not able to be resurfaced. In Feb 2012 the vehicle again failed for rear rotors and again they were to bad o be resurfaced. In Feb 2013 I checked my brakes before going in cause I had heard noises and screaching from them for about a couple months leading up to inspection time. Rear rotors were indeed bad again. The right rear rotor wore a 7 mm groove into it and the pad incidently had a mirroring groove where it had not worn. Next both rear calipers I found were seized (I do know these are screw type calipers instead of compression calipers). 3 years in a row I have changed rear rotors and pads. Front brakes are fine and have had normal wear. I have only changed front pads once and had the rotors resurfaced once. Calipers are fine.

On 2 separate instances the brake calipers locked up and caused the brakes to smoke badly. The first time was in heavy traffic going slow and it was the right rear brake. A week later, also in heavy traffic, the left front locked up and started to smoke. In the second incident, the wheel was too hot to touch which I feel could cause the tire pressure to build up causing the possibility of a blow out at speed.

I brought car used Feb 2012 with around 78500. Shortly after I got the car I started noticing the vibration when I applied the brakes. So I took it and had the brake pads and rotors replaced on the front. Well it still was vibrating when I would apply the brakes. So I was told that maybe the calipers was bad. So a couple weeks later they put on new pads, rotors and calipers. Well the vibration stopped. Well at least for about 3 months and the vibration when I apply my brakes came back. So I took it back and was told that they are going to put ome dealer pads and rotors on and that should take care of the problem. So im waiting to get those put on and see if it will make a difference like they say.

I purchased the car in January and had to put front brakes and rotors on it. In October the rear brakes and rotors had to be replaced. Now it's November and the front brakes are going out again. I have checked the calipers for proper operation and they appear to be fine. The brakes just keep wearing out. I owned my last vehicle for much longer and never had to replace the brakes on it. The brakes on my Journey were new when I bought it. I see no reason for a vehicle to need at least 3 sets of front brakes before it even hits 60,000 miles.

Complete break down of brake components for 2009 Dodge Journey. Brakes, rotors, and calipers all replaced at 14,600 miles due to defects. Not covered by full warranty.

Rotors turned and pads replaced at 19,200 miles. Rotors started warping after first trip of over 200 miles. Rotors replaced at 26,000 miles. Started shaking after first long trip and then consistently after 2000 miles. Rotors replaced at 52,000 (using "best quality" wagner rotors) same results. Shaking, during braking, at highway speeds. This is a known issue at Chrysler. I called Chrysler customer service and was told that because I didn't use Chrysler parts, and wasn't the first owner of the vehicle, there would be no assistance. This is a critical safety issue. When the brakes are applied, at highway speeds, the steering wheel shakes uncontrollably. My wife had to hit the brakes on a two lane exit, due to a car swerving into our lane and the combination of turning, with the steering wheel convulsing erratically, caused us to run off the road and almost have a very serious accident. But is it an accident when the manufacturer knows that the calipers are inadequate to safely stop the vehicle. Through research, I have found that the "sweep area" of the Journey front calipers is one fifth the sweep area of other cars of this class/ weight. Please investigate. This is a definite safety concern.

Heard rear brakes squealing and took Journey to mechanic. Mechaniis said the brakes were more worn on the inner pads than the outer pads. Mechanic said brake pads are suppose to wear evenly and this was a brake failure problem. He also stated the calipers need to be replaced and that was also unheard of with a vehicle that only has 40000 miles on it. He recommended taking the vehicle back to the dealer to have them fix since this was a brake failure problem and not just normal wear and tear.

Friday, February 4, 2011 at approximately 4:00 call was placed at 3:58 I was driving down the interstate in my 2009 Dodge Journey. I noticed that my car was bouncing and vibrating everything in the car. I pulled over and I rolled down my window. It smelled like my car was on fire. I immediately called the automotive department where I bought the car. I explained to them the situation and they said that they would see my vehicle immediately. I pulled the vehicle in and they said that my back brakes on one side had become very hot and the other brake was warm. They stated that my caliper broke and they were looking into it, but I would not be able to drive my vehicle home because the brakes locked down and the car failed. A man in the automotive department stated, you are very lucky that you pulled over and brought it in. This type of thing is very dangerous. ¿ the car should not have failed and they are unsure why it did and they have no explanation as to why it failed. When I went to pick the car up, the mechanic said it was the front left caliper that broke and this caused the car to fail and my brakes locked down.

At 19,100 miles I took the 2009 Dodge Journey to a missouri required safety inspection station. The inspector called me and reported that the front disc brakes where near failure. In particular the rotor on the front drivers side is worn very thin. The estimated repairs are approx $800. The mechanic's optinion is that the rotors were defective or insufficient, and that the uneven wear could be caused by defective calipers.

Purchased vehicle in 2010, test drove vehicle asked dealer to check the following components engine, brakes, transmission. Dealer took car to a repair place stated everything was fine, went on with purchase. Had a oil change not long after purchase facility mentioned front and rear brakes, rotors and calipers were bad. . Which I had noticed pedal to brakes were not engaging properly, severe safety issue. Took to a second brake repair same problem. (s) on occasion engine stalls while driving, sometimes will not start at all. Some electrical components do not work in the vehicle. Then driving vehicle home from store transmission dies, car will not go over 20 miles, almost hit from behind by another vehicle due to sudden loss of speed luckily about two minutes from home. Parked vehicle for a few hours car would not go in park or reverse. Took vehicle to transmission repair, transmission tech examines transmission, transmission is defective and needs to be replaced. Called manufacturer Dodge/Chrysler stated there was nothing that they were willing to do, same statement they have said to many consumers, without concern for buyers safety or inconvenience that their vehicles cause. Please I need help this is the only vehicle that my family has, and I am concerned about all of our safety.

I had no signs of problems with the brakes on my 2009 Dodge Journey. During routine maintenance (oil change, tire rotation), the dealer informed me that my calipers were "sticky" and that I should soon have the brakes done. Then I started to hear a squealing noise a week or so ago. Two nights ago I stopped at the mailbox and got out to get the mail and my rear brakes were glowing red, sparking and spitting. I took it to the dealer the very next day to get the brakes changed. Turns out I need a complete overhaul of the entire brake system. New pads, rotors, calipers in the rear, and only 10% remaining in the front, for which I imminently need pads and rotors. Dodge has got issues with their brakes that make them very unsafe -- and I have no choice but to replace the old shoddy parts with the same quality product. The same thing is going to happen again and again. I have never had to replace complete braking systems in the first year, in all my 30 plus years of owning a vehicle.

Calipers stuck wearing out brake pads and warping rotors.

I purchased my Journey in March 08. I have 17,000 miles on it and I had to have the rear brake pads replaced. I had been noticing a hot smell coming from my car from time to time, but until I walked by may rear tire I did not know where the smell was coming from. When I bet down to investigate the smell my rear wheels were so hot I could not touch the wheels. The smell was not a hot break smell but a different one. I contact my dealership and they had me bring it right in. After evaluating the problem they told me it is a design issue with the Journey and a couple other models. What was happening was the breaks were oxidizing and the calipers would release, but the brake pads would not. So the brake pads were constantly rubbing the rotors. They said they have seen this issue many times before but Chrysler was not addressing the issue. My dealership treated me well, but this issue should be remedy. I called the recall department and they stated there were no recalls for this matter, but advised me to go to NHTSA. Gov and state my complaint. They will not start an investigation into this matter until they receive a larger consensus of complaints. The dealership said this would be an ongoing issue for the life of the car.

Front left brake pads and rotor excessive wear. Back left brake pad and rotor very little wear (to the point pitted rust was on rotor). Original front pads and rotors changed out at approximately 36,000 miles due left to right uneven wear. Back pads and rotors changed out at 49,000 miles, due again to uneven left to right wear. After having the braking system looked at for this issue by the dealership tech where I bought the car from, I have been informed that it was due to "excessive rust". I had an ase certified mechanic change the back pads and rotors and was informed that there was no issues with brake slides, pads calipers, or rust. Now dealership has informed me "that due to all evidence of the issue being destroyed, I will have to wait for it to reappear or complete failure to happen in order to resolve issue".

I bought my car may 2008. The first time it went into the shop was in Jan 2009 and my car had about 11,700 miles with squealing noise. (my husband is military and we had to move across country, that's why we have that many miles on it by Jan). At that time we didn't have any money to look closer into it. We took into a dealership and was told $600 would fix it. April 2009 my husband changed out the brakes of the car and took it to the base hobby shop to get it rotated. September 2009 squealing noises started again. Dec 2010 we took to a firestone and they told us our brakes needed to have the brake pads changed out again. We were shocked. Waiting for income tax to come back. Feb 2010 we had the whole front brakes and rotors replaced. Cost $400. April 2010 squealing noses came back. April the rotors were resurfaced! June we stared having squealing noises again. Took it into firestone since we could the brakes done there. The manager was so shocked at how our brakes were already he called my husband in to the shop to look at the back brakes!!! the back brakes now!!! he told us the caliper was torn and that the brakes needed to be replaced. At this time he told us that he thought we really needed to take it into the dealership. Took the car into the dealership that same day and told the service adviser everything. The side, the brake and ect. By 10am he called us telling us that all the brakes were 90%!!! I don;t think so. , I told him to call my husband at that time because my husband saw what they say isn't there! so my husband got out of work early went into the dealership and the service adviser wanted to hand back the car and my husband said no I want to show you. Adviser said it will be a minute as we are busy. 1 hour later he calls my husband. Okay my husband showed him!!! pointed at it and showed him! the adviser was shocked and didn't know what to say but I'll come see you in a minute in the waiting room. (can't fit all of it).

The contact owns a 2009 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that the front passenger side caliper locked while driving 30 mph. When the calipers lock the vehicle began to vibrate and became difficult to steer. The vehicle was in the dealers possession for a month. The dealer stated that the reason the repair took so long was due to the lack of parts in the u. S. The contact does not know why the manufacturer does not have parts. The failure mileage was 35,800.

The contact owns a 2009 Dodge Journey. While driving at various speeds, the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard when it was depressed. The accelerator pedal stiffened and prevented the vehicle from accelerating. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the brakes, rotors, and calipers needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Brakes making a scraping noise, multiple repair attempts. Told not to drive car until caliper and bracket fixed. Have already had to replace hub and bearings, caliper and bracket in front, front brakes and rotors and back brakes and rotors. Was told by the service representative at dealership that I would probably have to replace brakes every year.

At 15,200 miles, my 2009 Dodge Journey began to make a grinding/crunching noise when brakes were applied, making driving the vehicle dangerous(did not know if the brakes would fail!). Service department told me that the rotors, brake pads and calipers needed to be replaced. Only the calipers were covered under the warranty. When questioned on how the brakes could go so quickly, staff told me that the vehicles come out of the factory with "softer" pads and the traction control wears them out quickly. Just a nice way to describe inferior equipment. I do not have the parts that were replaced, was told they had gotten rid of them prior to my picking up the vehicle after repair.

2009 Dodge Journey sxt 6 cyl. 3. 5 l engine. 2wd. Front brakes started to squeal and gouge the rotor on the front left (driver side) after only 20k miles. Replaced pads and could not afford to turn rotor also. 58 complaints on autobeef. Com and carcomplaints. Com about the same problem, same vehicle, same year, same results from Dodge and dealers. 'it's normal" and over 12k or 12 months not covered under warranty. All complaints about this to Chrysler/Dodge and NHTSA have happened between 7k miles and 24k miles. . . No recall or acknowledgment of this problem by Dodge. They refuse to recall and state that they have not heard of this problem from anyone else. Read the complaints on autobeef and see how many people have called Dodge about this. In most cases, the pads were replaced and new rotors were replaced at owner's expense. In alot of cases, the dealers told the owners that if they turned the rotors, they would be too thin and had to get new rotors. Keep in mind that these are cars under 25k miles. The caliper has not been addressed as part of the problem but the pads and rotors have to be replaced again after only another 10k miles. I think it may be the calipers. Dodge needs to recall based on this problem. As a result of the premature brake wear the front tires have wear on the outside treads. It is the brakes and tires!!! safety issue!!!!!.

Front brake calipers heat up so much that they've warped 3 sets of rotors. Rotors turned at 19,000. Replaced at 30,000. Start pulsing after first long trip. Replaced at 52,000, again, start pulsing after first long trip. This caliper design or material is defective. Dealer says it's driving style. Very wrong. I have 35 years as a driver/ mechanic. Can make front brake pads last over 50,000 miles on most vehicles. This issue causes extreme wheel shake at highway speeds. Can be especially dangerous when turning and braking. This is an issue with all Dodge Journeys equipped with optional 19" wheels. The calipers are too small,or of poor design, to dissipate the heat. I want to request these be recalled to fix this dangerous situation.

Needed new brake pads and rotors at this low mileage(13,687). Front brakes and rotors replaced again as well as rear rotors and brakes at 19,765 miles. Front brakes and rotors replaced again and rear brakes and rotors resurfaced at 34,745 miles. Rear brakes and rotors replaced again at 59,951 miles. Front brakes and rotors replaced again at 67500 miles. Front brake pads, rotors and calipers, and hoses all replaced at 72,773 miles. Feel this is a definite safety concern.

Rotors, brake pads, and calipers. I have had my car in the shop 3 times within the last month to try to fix this problem. My tires/brakes vibrate and make a loud humming sound on the freeway at speeds above 50 mph and when I apply the brakes. The problem started in October, I was told they couldn't find anything wrong with the vehicle. I took it back in January and have been back 3 times since then.

We have had the brakes repaired three times on our 2009 Dodge Journey. The calipers never seem to disengage after braking causing constant wear on the brakes. We have discussed this with the dealership and have been told that it is not their responsibility. The first repair had to be done shortly after the vehicle was out of warranty. The brake check location that we are using states that the issue is due to poor design and possibly an issue with the parts. I see numerous complaints on blogs regarding early brake repair needed on Dodge Journeys.