2008 Chrysler Town & Country Brakes Problems

I have an ABS module for my 2008 Chrysler Town and Country van that has gone bad. All of the warning lights came on for the brake system (ABS, Brake, ESP/BAS, traction). I took it to my local garage and they said that it was a bad ABS module and only the dealer could replace it because it needed to be re-programed. I took it to the dealer who also did a diagnostic and said that it was bad and needed to be replaced. BUT the part has been discontinued and they cannot find the part any where else. No other dealer has them. This sounds like a safety concern to me. The car does not have ABS and cannot be fixed. Can you do anything to force Chrysler to start making this part. It is not safe to drive on slippery roads and will lead to accidents and possibly deaths. Please help. Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

AFTER CHANGING BRAKE COMPONENTS AND BLEEDING SYSTEM. THE BRAKE PEDAL CONTINUES TO GO TO THE FLOOR. OCCASIONALLY WORKING AS IF NOTHING IS WRONG . ALL THIS AFTER BLEEDING SYSTEM AND OBTAINING A SOLID PEDAL. DIY VIDEOS HAVE SHOWN OTHERS WITH THE SAME ISSUES AND NO REAL ANSWER AS TO WHAT PART TO REPLACE OR IF ITS AVAILABLE. THE MASTER CYLINDER BEING CHANGED HAS NOT RESOLVED THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO BE DRIVEN IN TOWN AND HIGHWAY. STOPPING THE VAN TAKES MORE TIME AND IS SCARY BECAUSE SOMETIME IT TAKES SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT PRESSING AND OR PUMPING BEFORE SLOWING AND STOPPING. ALSO WHEN AT A STOP LIGHT THE PEDAL WILL SOMETIMES GO ALL THE WAY TO FLOOR YET STILL HOLDS VEHICLE IN THE STOPPED POSITION

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL RATTLING NOISE WHEN DECELERATING THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE CALIPERS SEIZED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE ABS INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE BRAKE PEDAL FELT HARDER TO DEPRESS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ABS MODULE WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000.

MY BRAKES SEEM TO LAST FROM 20,000 TO 30,000 MILES. REPLACEMENT PADS ARE UNDER A ONE YEAR WARRANTY AND THOSE ARE FREE WHEN THEY NEED REPLACED. HOWEVER, AFTER SOME RESEARCH, IT IS THE CALIPER DESIGN THAT IS CAUSING THIS ISSUE. GUIDE RODS NEED TO BE CONSTANTLY GREASED TO AVOID STICKING. I HAVE SEEN THE BRAKES SMOKING A BIT A FEW TIMES AND RIMS FEEL REALLY HOT TO THE TOUCH DUE TO BRAKES DRAGGING. CALIPER UPGRADE TO THE HD 2 PISTON DESIGN SEEMS TO FIX THE ISSUE IN NEWER MODELS. TIRED OF PUTTING ON BRAKES ONCE A YEAR AND THIS ALSO CAUSES POOR GAS MILEAGE. VAN HAS 127,000 MILES ON IT CURRENTLY.

BRAKE PEDAL IS SPONGY. BRAKING NOT EFFECTIVE. MASTER CYLINDER IS LEAKING. BRAKE PADS WORE OUT AT 20,000 MILES.

DRIVER REAR BRAKE INTERMITTENTLY HANGS AND HEATS UP. ON SOME DRIVES AFTER I EXIT MY VEHICLE MY PASSENGER REAR WHEEL WILL BE NOTICEABLY HOT WITH SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER. IT DOES NOT DO THIS ALL THE TIME JUST SEEMS RANDOM

PREMATURE BRAKE WEAR - I HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR 2.5 YEARS ($45,000 MILES) AND HAVE HAD TO REPLACE ALL 4 BRAKES AND PADS 3 TIMES. THIS IS UNSAFE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO APPLY THE BRAKES, THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE AND THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ROTORS AND BRAKES WERE BEGINNING TO FAIL AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

BREAKS KEEPS ACTING UP, CLICKING ALL THE TIME REALLY LOUD, PUT ABOUT 2 NEW BREAK JOBS ON IT A YEAR, NEVER GET FIXED, HAVE TRIED DIFFERENT PADS AND ROTORS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKES EXPERIENCED A MALFUNCTION WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ROLL AWAY. THE VEHICLE INJURED THE CONTACT AND DAMAGED NEARBY MAILBOXES. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT REQUIRED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V373000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,312.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V373000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) AND STATED THAT THE PART NEEDED WAS UNAVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

FRONT BRAKES GRINDING . IT NEEDS NEW FRONT PADS AND ROTORS AT ONLY 16,000 MILES.

BRAKES HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM SENSE PURCHASED NEW. THEY SOMETIMES GET HOT ENOUGH TO CATCH FIRE. WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND WE WERE TOLD THIS NORMAL. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID IT WAS THE WAY IT WAS BEING DRIVEN. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO GET THE DEALERSHIP TO REPLACE THE BRAKES WE TOOK THE CAR TO INDEPENDENT SHOP. THE PADS,ROTORS,CALIPERS AND BRAKE LINES WERE REPLACED WITH AFTER MARKET PARTS. THESE ALSO GOT HOT CAUGHT FIRE. WE THEN TOOK THE CAR TO A DIFFERENT CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD WE SHOULD HAVE USED OEM PARTS. WE THEN HAD THIS DEALERSHIP REPLACE THE AFTERMARKET PARTS WITH OEM PARTS. THE BRAKES AGAIN CONTINUED TO RUN HOT. 3,000 MILES LATER THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND SMOKE CAME INTO THE VEHICLE. DURING THE 99,000 MILES WE HAVE USED THIS MINIVAN THE BRAKES ALWAYS RAN HOT AND HAVE CAUGHT FIRE THREE TIMES. LOOKING ON THE INTERNET I SEE THOUSANDS HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THE AVERAGE BRAKE LIFE ON THIS VAN IS ABOUT 20,000 MILES. OUR PREVIOUS DODGE VAN RAN 120,000 MILES BEFORE ANY BRAKE WORK. THE CHRYSLER MINIVAN HAS A PROBLEM WITH HYDRAULIC PRESSURE NOT BEING COMPLETELY RELEASED WHEN THE BRAKES ARE RELEASED. THIS CREATES EXCESSIVE OVERHEATING AND SOMETIMES FIRE. *TR

A ACCIDENT HAS NOT BEEN CAUSED AS OF YET. WE HAD THE BACK BRAKES COMPLETELY OVERHAULED LAST YEAR BECAUSE THEY WERE CEASED CAUSING LOSS OF PRESSURE IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM. BRAKES HAD TO BE PUMPED BEFORE YOU COULD COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. CALIPER, PADS, ROTORS AND BRAKE ADAPTER WERE ALL REPLACE. WE PICKED UP THE VAN 10/1/14 AFTER HAVING THIS DONE. HERE IT IS 9/15 AND THE BACK CALIPERS HAVE ALREADY CEASED, CAUSING THE ROTORS TO WARP AGAIN. THE WHOLE SYSTEM WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY CAUSED BY A DESIGN FLAW IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM! *TR

TOOK VEHICLE IN TO MY SHOP TO SERVICE REAR BRAKES, THEY WERE GRINDING. I EXPECTED TO HAVE TO REPLACE PADS AND ROTORS. WE HADN'T DONE IT IN THE 40K MILES WE'VE OWNED IT AND DIDN'T HAVE IT'S SERVICE HISTORY PRIOR TO THAT. THE MECHANIC FOUND THE REAR BRAKES HAD BEEN FROZEN CLOSED FOR "A LONG TIME." DUE TO THIS, HE SAID TEMPS HAD GOTTEN SO HOT BACK THERE THAT THE BRAKE HOSES WERE EXTREMELY WARPED AND THE BRAKE FLUID HAD TURNED TO SLUDGE. I HAD TO REPLACE THE HOSES, CALIPERS, PADS, AND ROTORS AND FLUSH THE BRAKE SYSTEM FLUID. I'M WORRIED HAD THIS CONTINUED WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE WE COULDN'T STOP OR WE COULD HAVE HAD A FIRE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD TO BE APPLIED WITH EXTREME PRESSURE TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,303.

I NOTICED AT APPROXIMATELY 48,000 MILES THAT MY 2008 TOWN & COUNTRY WAS BURNING OIL DURING USE WITH NO VISIBLE OIL LEAKS AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS 3 QUARTS OF OIL LOW WHEN CHECKED BEFORE DRAINING THE OIL. I HAVE BEEN CHECKING THE OIL ONCE PER MONTH SINCE. THE VEHICLE NOW HAS ABOUT 73,000 MILES ON IT AND IS BURNING APPROXIMATELY 1 QUART OF OIL EACH 1500 MILES DRIVEN. I HAVE NEVER OWNED A VEHICLE WITH THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE READ OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE OF THIS SAME ISSUE. I AM LUCKY THAT I CAUGHT THE ISSUE BEFORE SERIOUS ENGINE DAMAGE AND REPAIRS WERE REQUIRED LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER RESPONDENTS. THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR RECALL OR EXTENDED COVERAGE IN THE EVENT THAT SERIOUS ISSUES OCCUR. OTHER ISSUES I HAVE EXPERIENCED DURING MY OWNERSHIP OF THIS VEHICLE I PURCHASED NEW ARE THE PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE FRONT HUBS AND PREMATURE WEAR OF THE BRAKE COMPONENTS. THE FRONT HUBS HAVE FAILED ON EACH SIDE 3 TIMES ALREADY IN THE 73,000 MILES AND NOW THE DRIVERS SIDE HUB IS MAKING A LOUD NOISE AGAIN SIGNALING THAT IT WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED SOON. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS ISSUE WITH ANY VEHICLE THAT I HAVE OWNED. TO HAVE IT HAPPEN FOR THE 4TH TIME PRIOR TO 100,000 MILES WOULD SEEM TO BE A DEFECT. THE BRAKE COMPONENTS SEEM TO WEAR OUT EVERY 15,000 MILES AND THE ROTORS REQUIRE REPLACEMENT EACH TIME THE PADS WEAR OUT. THIS SEEMS TO BE A QUALITY ISSUE WITH THE PARTS BOTH NEW AND REPLACEMENT. *TR

THE AUTOMATIC BRAKE SYSTEM TAKES OVER WHILE DRIVING (NOT BRAKING) IN ONE TIRE? THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST THREE TIMES CAUSING ME TO GO INTO ON-COMING TRAFFIC ONCE AND ONTO A LAWN OF A BUSINESS. THERE IS NO ICE ON THE ROAD, I'M NOT BRAKING, NO SNOW. THIS IS GOING TO KILL SOMEBODY; IF IT ALREADY HASN'T. MY PERSONAL MECHANIC SAYS TO REMOVE ALL BRAKES & BRAKE PARTS, REPLACE THE ABS SYSTEM AND OTHER ITEMS WILL BE OVER $5000.00 IM STILL PAYING ON THE BLOODY VEHICLE, I CANT AFFORD TO DRIVE IT ( KILL MYSELF , FAMILY AND SOMEBODY ELSE ) AND I CANT AFFORD TO FIX IT. 2008 T & C *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE ABS SYSTEM ENGAGED INDEPENDENTLY. THE CONTACT SHUT OFF, RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND IT OPERATED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ABS SYSTEM HAD FAILED. THE MECHANIC REPLACED A SERIOUS OF UNKNOWN SENSORS BUT THE REPAIR DID NOT REMEDY THE DEFECT. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR A SYSTEM DOWNLOAD. THE CONTACT DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.