Question on Mini Vans

In response to another answer: actually with an anti-lock braking system you AREN'T supposed to pump them (at least this is what I've been told), the ABS does the pumping for you.

Slamming on the brakes shouldn't happen often, but EVERYONE has had to do it at least once. Knowing they will work properly is a good thing to know.

Speed, weight and road conditions all determine how much room you need to stop. Larger, heavier vehicles need more room, as well as faster speeds.

No car will come to an immediate stop when brakes are applied at 30 mph. There is a formula that will tell you how many feet it will take your car to stop at a specific speed. http://www.csgnetwork.com/stopdistinfo.html The chart is down after the write up. Going 30 mph it will take the van traveling 42 more feet before it will actually stop. Three feet to a yard makes it 14 yds until you stop. A definite noticeable distance.

Also, do not slam on your brakes. Push firmly so that the anti-locking mechanism will kick in. If your brakes lock you will go into a skid and may lose control of the van.

Later: I, too, recommend that you have a professional check out the brakes.

First if you van stopped on a dime your kids would have chronic whiplash. Second I am assuming this is not an old as dirt minivan so it has an antilock breaking system? ABS increases the breaking distance slightly but in return you still have control of your vehicle so instead of hitting the car in front of you you have the option or steering around them.

So yes, this is normal.

Take your van back to the shop and ask them to check everything again because the brakes "just don't feel right". If the shop is reputable and acting in good faith, then your personal safety should take top priority. It's always possible that a mistake was made during the "flush and bleed" process.

did you also have the rotors replaced or have them resurfaced? If they were resurfaced I would suggest having them replaced. No vehicale is going to come to an immediate stop: if you slam on the brakes one of 2 things are going to happen: Your tires will lock up, or your ABS will kick in If you have drum brakes in the back, they may need to be adjusted. Hope this helps
Just seen your what happend next: Air in the brake line will cause stopping issues, however having a typical brake job preformed should not require a brake line to be opened, hence no air should be in the system. If you had more than pads and rotors done then It's possible
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Wife of a mechanic who just happend to be sitting next to me :)

I drove Dodge Caravans for about six years (three vans) as company vehicles. They were pretty bad and the brakes were done many times. If I suspected a problem though, I would let Firestone or the dealer test them...I'm not looking into being a projectile.

My daughter's boyfriend has a Chevy truck and he felt the brakes were not working that great but didn't get them checked. On Christmas Eve at 2 pm they went out and he had to run the red light in a large intersection going down hill while honking to alert drivers. He came so close to wiping out two families on Christmas Eve. He has learned his lesson.

I recommend professionals testing them out from now on, you knew there was a problem. I have never appreciated being hit by drivers that didn't stop in time.

I have a 2008 dodge caravan and I hate my brakes. I, too, feel like a projectile waiting to happen. I have had them changed and then the next summer the rotors worpped. Inbetween there they did a recall on them. They gave me money on the ones I had replaced but they are not the real ones they replaced everybody else's with because of the recall. That was after I was in the dealer's service manager's office asking in a polite, calm mannor, "Why don't I feel safe in my van?". It's public sites like that can make them resolve the issue because they don't like bad publicity.
Keep fussing sister and don't back down or get overly emotional, just keep it real! Ask them if you have the right brakes.

I don't think they understood you were testing, but the answers are good and you proposed the question to get feedback. I have tested my brakes before as you stated because they didn't feel right and I needed new pads/rotors. The person that rear ended you shouldn't be called an idiot. There is a such thing as accidents and cars don't stop immediately. And, no I've never caused an accident.

Absolutely not normal. Yikes. I would never take my vehicle to a shop that didn't bleed the lines before you drove away. Make them fix it and find a new shop.