I have a 2013 Dodge Charger RT with 28k miles, I bought new in 12/2012. Brought in to dealer for shimmy and vibration in steering wheel when braking mostly at low speeds. Diagnosis was front brake pads need to be replaced and front rotors had hairline cracks and also need replacing. I was surprised that none of this work was covered by my warranty and I had to pay for everything. They claimed I braked the car too hard causing the issue. My argument is why put all that HP in a car if they don't expect people to use it. Brembo's are placed in SRT's but an RT with 5.7 liter has same brakes as a 6 cylinder. The current Dodge commercial has the Dodge Brothers racing each other in different Dodge vehicles, they give the aura of High Performance but don't expect people to stop their car. I wrote a letter to Chrysler about two weeks ago but have not heard back, must have feel on deaf ears. I understand the pads would be my responsibility but does anyone know if the rotors could be covered under the 3 year 36k mile warranty? Thanks.
Cracked Rotor X2 Help Please
1 - 6 of 6 Posts
Joined
·
1,409 Posts
I don't think rotors are covered either as it's a wear/tear part as well.
Coverage is 1 year from what I remember.
Joined
·
13,184 Posts
Yeah, I don't think rotors are covered.
That aside, how "hard" are you driving your car? When you do a "hard" stop, do you park the car immediately, or drive around some more at a sedate pace with light braking. That would allow your rotors to cool properly and minimize any heat-stress damage.
I ran track days in my Charger, and never fried any rotors! I was not going quite as hard as a few other people though, because I could always drive my car home.
That aside, how "hard" are you driving your car? When you do a "hard" stop, do you park the car immediately, or drive around some more at a sedate pace with light braking. That would allow your rotors to cool properly and minimize any heat-stress damage.
I ran track days in my Charger, and never fried any rotors! I was not going quite as hard as a few other people though, because I could always drive my car home.
Thanks for the replies. I wont lie about it, I do drive my car utilizing the horsepower that is available. That is probably 90% why I bought a Charger and not a Toyota Camry. The rest has to do with wanting to buy an American car. Some might say driving fast is driving reckless but I enjoy my car and never endanger myself or others. With that being said I believe Dodge should equip the 5.7 liter Charger with adequate brakes. Someone thought to put upgraded brakes on the SRT.
Joined
·
13,184 Posts
I know a few of the guys who run track days with these beasts, and they treat the rotors as a "consumable" just like the pads. Many of them get the inexpensive, stock rotors, because their size and weight make them a good heat-sink. Then they replace them as-needed and don't worry about it.
Joined
·
23,154 Posts
if you are cracking the rotors, there may be a few subtle things you are doing in you driving that are causing it to happen.
When you are breaking hard, be sure to feather the pedal at the end of the run to avoid hot spots and let the rotors cool evenly. Otherwise, warping or cracking can occur.
Similarly, when you come to a complete stop after hard braking, be sure to let the car roll forward a couple of feet every few seconds after the stop to avoid holding a hot spot on the rotor and let the heat dissipate. Otherwise, warping or cracking can occur.
Lastly (and most important), be sure to properly bed your brakes when they are new to get everything mated up and tuned correctly. Failure to do that can lead to inconsistent brake performance, squealing, and warped or cracked rotors.
If you are aggressive with how you use the brakes, you need to first tune them properly to handle it. After that, you need to be sure to let them cool evenly after hot runs.
When you are breaking hard, be sure to feather the pedal at the end of the run to avoid hot spots and let the rotors cool evenly. Otherwise, warping or cracking can occur.
Similarly, when you come to a complete stop after hard braking, be sure to let the car roll forward a couple of feet every few seconds after the stop to avoid holding a hot spot on the rotor and let the heat dissipate. Otherwise, warping or cracking can occur.
Lastly (and most important), be sure to properly bed your brakes when they are new to get everything mated up and tuned correctly. Failure to do that can lead to inconsistent brake performance, squealing, and warped or cracked rotors.
If you are aggressive with how you use the brakes, you need to first tune them properly to handle it. After that, you need to be sure to let them cool evenly after hot runs.
1 - 6 of 6 Posts
