2002 Dodge Dakota

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 35 MPH WHEN THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT THE BRAKES SEIZED. LATER, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE HUB OF THE BRAKE HAD BURNED AND WAS AN ABNORMAL COLOR. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED IN REGARDS TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000. UPDATED 09/21/11*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED HE REPLACED THE CALIPER, BRAKES, HOSES, BRAKE PADS AND TURNED THE ROTORS. UPDATED 10/05/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, HE NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES WERE GETTING HOT AND SEIZING. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE BRAKE PADS, SHOES, AND CALIPERS WERE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 54,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A KNOCKING SOUND COULD BE HEARD COMING FROM THE BRAKES WHENEVER THEY WERE APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO JERK DURING THE FAILURES AND SMOKE WOULD BE SEEN COMING FROM THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000. UPDATED 08/31/11 *BF THE CALIPER GUIDE WAS RUBBING CAUSING THE BRAKES TO SOUND LIKE METAL ON METAL. THE BRAKES SMOKED AND BECAME HOT THREE TO FOUR TIMES IN A PERIOD OF A YEAR. UPDATED 09/01/11

BROUGHT 2002 DODGE DAKOTA INTO DEALERSHIP A TOTAL OF 6 TIMES SINCE MAY 2010 BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT BRAKES. THE FIRST TIME THE BRAKES WERE SHUDDERING SO BAD WHEN BRAKING ON A HILL, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO HOLD THE STEERING WHEEL STRAIGHT. THE DEALERSHIP RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT OF THE ROTORS AND PADS TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THEY SUPPOSEDLY VISUALLY PASSED INSPECTION, AND HAD PLENTY OF PAD SURFACE REMAINING. THE DAY FOLLOWING REPLACEMENT, I TOOK THE VEHICLE OUT AND NOTICED A DISTINCT CLICKING BELOW THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN BRAKING. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER, WHERE THEY KEPT IT FOR A DAY, TOLD ME THEY THOUGHT THEY FIXED IT, AND RETURNED IT TO ME. AS SOON AS I DROVE INTO MY DRIVEWAY, THE PASSENGER FRONT WAS SEIZING AND SMOKING. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CAME TO PICK IT UP. IT REMAINED AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR A FEW DAYS UNTIL THEY DISASSEMBLED THE SLIDE ON THE CALIPER, CLEANED AND REGREASED IT, AND RESURFACED THE NEW ROTOR. THE PROBLEM REOCCURRED AGAIN WITHIN TWO WEEKS, WHEN I HAD TO RETURN IT AGAIN. THIS TIME I BROUGHT IT IN WHILE THE BRAKE WAS POURING OUT SMOKE. THEY KEPT IT FOR A WEEK, AND THEN DECIDED THE BRAKE LINE REQUIRED A REPLACEMENT. LESS THAN 3500 MILES LATER, I WAS OUT OF STATE VISITING FAMILY. AS SOON AS I ARRIVED IN THAT TOWN, I COULD SMELL THE BRAKE BURNING AGAIN. TOOK IT TO THE DODGE DEALERSHIP THERE WHERE THEY SAID IT WAS APPARENT THAT BOTH FRONT CALIPERS HAD BEEN STICKING FOR SOME TIME AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT AND WELL AS THE ROTORS RESURFACING DUE TO THE HEAT. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY SOME PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM OR MATERIALS DODGE USES NOW FOR THEIR VEHICLES... TOO MANY FAILURES AMONGST TOO MANY PEOPLE. WHILE BRAKES SEIZING IS PREFERABLE TO THEM NOT WORKING AT ALL, THIS IS JUST NOT ACCEPTABLE. THESE ARE BRAKES, NOT BRAIN SURGERY... *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE CALIPER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CALIPER WAS REPLACED ONCE IN THE PAST BECAUSE IT WOULD FAIL TO RELEASE COMPLETELY AFTER THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED, ALLOWING THE BRAKES TO OVERHEAT. THE CALIPER WOULD NOT RELEASE UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS ALLOWED TO COOL OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AFTER THE SECOND OCCURENCE WHERE IT WAS NOT REPAIRED BECAUSE THE FAILURE WAS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 32,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT BRAKES INTERMITTENTLY LOCKED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE BRAKES WOULD LOCK UNEXPECTEDLY, UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND REMAINED OFF FOR AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF TIME. OCCASIONALLY WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED THE BRAKES WOULD SMOKE DURING THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 27,000. UPDATED 07/28/11*LJ UPDATED 08/01/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED A LOUD DRAGGING NOISE. HE THEN DISCOVERED THAT ONE OF THE STRAPS THAT HELD THE FUEL TANK WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE ONE FUEL STRAP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS THEN CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THEY WERE UNAWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000. UPDATED 06/07/11*LJ

REAR BRAKE LINE FAILED (LEAKED) DUE TO RUST AND CORROSION. THE RUSTED PART OF LINE RUNS BETWEEN FUEL TANK AND INSIDE FRAME. LUCKILY THE LINE FAILED IN MY DRIVEWAY. MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER WERE IN THE VEHICLE EARLIER AND IT COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS! I HAVE BEEN READING ONLINE OF CASE AFTER CASE OF SIMILAR EXPERIENCES BY OTHER DODGE OWNERS. THE LINE SHOULD BE STAINLESS STEEL OR CHANGE THE ROUTING SO THAT IT CAN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO CORRODE AS QUICKLY. THERE SHOULD ALSO BE SWITCH/STOP VALVE IN-LINE TO AVOID TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING (CONTROL). SHOULD DEFINITELY BE A RECALL ITEM.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 40-50 MPH, THE BRAKES BEGAN TO LOCK WITHOUT WARNING WHEN PRESSURE WAS APPLIED. THE CONTACT DROVE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE FOR A FEW MINUTES AND WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING IN SPITE OF THE BRAKE MALFUNCTION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON THREE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TWICE. THE FRONT BRAKES, BRAKE PADS AND BRAKE HOSE WERE REPLACED AT DIFFERENT TIMES. THE FAILURE PERSISTED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE RECENT VEHICLE FAILURE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 84,200.