Problems with 2001 Dodge Dakota SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

During normal driving at 30 mph, the faces of both rotors broke off into pieces, which caused an uncontrollable vibration in the front of the vehicle. *ak *jb

Front disc barkes - rotors warped at 38,000 miles. the vehicle began shaking badly when braking and stopping time was greatly affected due to this condition. the dealer said that the only way to remove the shaking was to turn the rotors at a cost of $170. dealer also indicated that pads only had 45% wear and advisied that this condition would not cause any problems and to just wait until pads are worn enough to warrant a brake job. i replaced pads and rotors immediately as this condition is dangerous and common to this vehicle. i feel a recall of the front rotors is in order. this condition affects stopping time!!

Front rotor warping.ak

Warped front rotors at 13,900 miles. rotors replaced $400. rear brakes checked cleaned adjusted $85. chrysler toll free "assistance" refused any help. said nothing could be done and none else i could speak to. clearly a design/engineering problem with the dakota brakes. *ak

2001 dodge dakota warped brake rotors @ 22,000 miles & 35,000 miles. *ak

Fed up with warped rotors on my 2001 dodge dakota quad cab. i have had my rotors turned twice and they are warped again. my dakota has only 44k miles on it. this is unacceptable and unsafe!*ak

Consumer states that while driving at any speed and with no warning the brake rotors wore out, which caused extended stopping distance. dealer notified. *ak the rotors were severely warped and caused the vehicle to shake like driving on a washboard when the brakes were applied. the dealer did not fix the problem under warranty. *scc *jb

I have a 2001 dodge dakota 4x4. front rotors keep warping. shakes violently when stopping. i know several people with dakotas that have the same problem. *ak

Warped rotors after 18,000 miles...had vehicle in three times to inspect brakes...each time they turned the rotors...*ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 dodge dakota. while driving approximately 35 mph with his foot on the accelerator pedal, the vehicle started to slow down and hesitate. the contact stopped the vehicle to allow the front disc brakes to cool off since they were dragging. the brake lines and calipers were replaced at 50,000 miles. the current mileage is 64000 and the failure mileage was 30000. the contact will add the vin, engine size and purchase date.

I have a 2001 dodge dakota 4x4 the brakes vibrate so bad they shake me in the seat, this started about 20,000 miles. dodge says it only covers brakes to 12,000 miles. after looking at all the complaints all over the net with the same problem , it seams dodge has a problem. we need this fixed as a recall. *nlm

Brake rotors warped and were resurfaced at 15400 miles. during braking the truck bounced and the steering gyrated left and right severely. truck now has 29000 (appx) miles and the rotors have warped again. same vibration and steering wheel gyrations. dangerous to stop quickly. *jb

Consumer states that when trying to apply anti lock brakes. brakes will lock up,causing the vehicle to have extended stopping distance. dealer notified. *ak

Consumer states brake rotors are wearing, when applying the brakes,vehicle will have heavy vibration and extended stopping distance. dealer notified.*ak

Front brakes have already been turned once and are in need again at 39000 miles. the ability to stop within a reasonable distance has diminished and is cause for great concern. no modifications to the stock vehicle have been made. *nlm

The front rotors were worn which caused the vehicle to experience extended stopping distance. *jb.....*ak

Front brake rotors have been replaced 3 times on my vehicle with mopar parts. i have owned the vehicle for 2 years and have put 40,000 miles on it. the rotors are only lasting in the area of 10 - 15000 miles. i spoke with my local mechanic and he has told me this is a known issue with the dodge dakota and i better get use to replacing them or get use to driving with warped rotors. *nm

Warped rotors. *ak

Brakes shake when braking. *nlm

When the brakes were applied, the pedal traveled to the floor, which caused extended stopping distance. *ts. the consumer discovered the brake pad had delaminated from the backing plate and fallen out. *jb

factory rotors are defective. rotors warp at low mileage causing partial brake failure. daimler chrysler is aware of defect and chooses not to address. *nm

The consumer stated the brake rotors were wearing and when the brakes were applied, there was heavy vibration and extended stopping distance. the dealer was notified. *ak the power steering unit had broken and the rotors and drums were badly warped. *scc *jb

Front brakes have severe vibration after only 8000 mile, probably defective rotor. saw numerous complaint of the same listed. recall should be done. *jb

My 2001 dodge dakota 4x4 4w antilock brakes don't provide adequate braking. vehicle does not brake adequately during "panic" stopping. the antilock feature releases the brakes long before it should. abs engages but allows too much "free-wheeling" which allows vehicle too much travel. i have several close calls. the last time this has caused a rear end crash in my truck and both air bags deployed and cost 11,000.00. replacing the air bags cost 8,500.00. i have taken the truck to 3 local dealers and they said the abs is working as designed. the last dealer i took it to i talked to the tech. he said it is a bad design. he also said the master cylinder vacuum chamber is to small. this is very dangerous and all 2001 and newer trucks should be recalled. i have had antilock brakes on several of my previous vehicles but this truck has the worst brakes ever. we need a class action law suit to force dodge to fix defect!! *la

Vehicle will start to move to the right when the consumer applies the brakes while driving. problem gets worse when driving at higher speeds. vehicle has been to the dealer three times, but the repairs do not work . contacted dealer. *ak consumer states the caiplers have been replaced on several occasions, also the vehicle was realigned, also there was an oil and transmissin leak.*jb

Metal on front brake pads is deteriorating. as a result there is a shimmy in the front end while driving. *ak

While driving, consumer applied brakes and without warning was involved in a head on collision.*ak when consumer applied the brakes, pedal went to the floor and truck crashed into the consumers house. *yh

When consumer applied brakes with some force, the front of the truck suddenly veered sharply to the right. when consumer attempted to correct, the truck then veered dangerously in the other direction. the driving conditions were dry pavement and consumer was able to bring the truck under control. the rotors had to be replaced due to rust and deterioration. *tt

Around 16,000 miles, i noticed the pulling and pulsating of the brakes when i applied pressure to them even at low speeds. took the truck into the dealer and they found the front rotors were warped and the rear brake drums were cracked. they charged us for machining the front rotors but replaced the rear drums under warranty. after receiving the vehicle back, noticed that they still acted warped. returned the vehicle to the dealer within a week and they replaced the drums again because they found they were also warped. returned the vehicle to the dealer again because of same symptoms within a week and they turned the drums again because the 2nd replacement ones were also warped. at that time the front brakes were also squeaking, so they attempted to clean and lube calipers. did not fix the noise in the front rotors and the rear drums are still feeling warped. will attempt to return to the dealer again for further repairs but fear will be charged as we were the first time for a problem that is obviously defective braking systems in the dodge dakota's.*ak

Front brake grinding when hot and continual rear brake drum warpage. dealer has turned the drums once and i have had it done independantly twice. warpage continues within 5-7000 miles.

Front brakes began to shudder at approximately 18k miles. brought vehicle to westminster dodge in boston, ma. and was quoted $400 for replacement of front rotors and pads. after doing research i realized brake rotors should not warp at only 18k miles. i driver 50/50 highway/city and do not brake unless in emergency situations. at approximately 20,000 miles the right front brake pad began to rattle in the caliper. i contacted dodge and they refuse to cover any of these repairs under warranty. dodge needs to realize they have an engineering problem with their brake rotors and replace them. scc ***dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis****770861

Front brakes lock up or drag on 2001 dodge dakota. extensive research in the internet reveals numerous identical problems 2000-2005 dodge dakota and durango. problem baffles all. no reliable fix found. brakes drag and overheat, smoke, burst into flames, may cause severe damage to vehicle. *tr

Front brake rotors are not designed properly to meet the normal demands of everyday driving. rotors require turning every 5,000 miles. no factory improvement available. only choice is to replace with after-market parts. dealers only offer excuses, blame driving style. (i am very easy on brakes. many others with same problem). *ak

Severe braking problems associated with warped rotors. rotors will warp every 10-20 ,000 miles due to rear brake failure. this problem is a very dangerous one. especially on wet pavement.*ak

When applying brakes vehicle will jerk/pulsate and surge. dealership is aware of problem. *ak

I purchased my 2001 dodge dakota club cab back in feb. 2002 as a demo vehicle with 5000 miles on it. since then i have had the brake pads replaced twice and have had the drums and rotors replaced 4 times due to warping. about every three thousand miles my drums and rotors need to be turned or replaced.my truck has 70,000 miles on it and it is used primarily on the highway.*ak

When applying the brakes on wet pavement abs brakes system failed to activate which caused extended stopping distance. please give any further details.*ak

Front rotors started warping under normal driving conditions but was not apparent until after the warranty expired. from other complaints on the www it is apparent that dodge will not admit the default in heat dissipation and i will purchase after market rotors and brake pads. the braking with such a rapid degradation in the rotors is a hazard and should be looked into before someone does get hurt. *ak

I would like to know why dodge has not recalled the dodge dakotas for defective ball joints and disc rotors. i have scanned the internet and found a large number of people who have had the same problem as i. my 2001 dakota was purchased in december. of 01 and has 44,000 miles . i am 54 years old and this was my first new vehicle. unfortunately it was a dodge. i will never own another dodge product,and if asked my opinion will not recommend dodge to anyone !!!!!!!!! please send this to the dodge corp.*ak

Front brakes clunk when applied,dealer replaced rotors. transmission won't shift properly,dealer ordered and replaced new valve body. lower engine needed to be replaced,because of valve tapping. a/c has bad odor when on. front end squeaked around boots front end has bad knocking sound. 2 goodyear tires slow leak. problems started at 1,254 miles, and keep going at 26,000 miles. *ak

Front rotors "warped" at 13k. rotors turned. problem persisted and had to be turned again at 31k. 61k had front rotors and brake pads replaced. brake assembly fell apart in mechanics hands. 72k problem still persists and dealer suggest having rotors turned every 3k miles. huh?? *ak

Please visit web site: www.dodgedakotas.com and go to "forums" and search under "brake problems" for supporting cases of rotor failure. i noticed my front brakes pulsating at approximately 16,000 miles. i drive 90% hiway with very little city traffic. i drive very conservatively. (no hard braking) recently while exiting the hiway i applied my brakes at 45mph and had tremendous pulsating instantly which caused my vehicle to lose it's braking ability. i was able to keep control of the vehicle but it prompted me to get the problem resolved. i brought it to the dealer expecting them to find a reason as to why the rotors are warped after very little use. they told me that "they don't make brakes the way they used to". after viewing the web site noted above; it's obvious that there is a underdesigned rotor used on dodge dakotas as they are not able to disipate the heat generated during normal driving. this has almost caused me an accident. i do not want to be driving a vehicle that has inferior brake design or materials. the dealer told me that i can get better rotors and pads from after market manufacturer's. why doesn't dodge use those? as a volunteer fireman i go to many accident scenes. i just don't want to be on the other side because of a choice by the manufacturer, dodge, to use less expensive braking components. by the way the dodge durango is almost identicle to the dakota yet hardly has any brake issues. sounds like that vehicle is equiped with the proper components. i have my warped rotors and break pads taken off my dakota if you'd like to use in your investigation. i am sure that the rotor is not properly designed for the normal stopping requirements of the doage dakota. thank you for your attention to this matter. james buckley. *ak

Front rotors have been replaced twice due to vibration in steering wheel and shaking of ehicle. rotors were warped, at this time rotors need replacement again. *ak

At 10,500 miles, trucks began jittering and shaking really bad. upon inspecting front rotors, major scarring had occurred. brought to dealership, replaced under warranty at 11,106 miles. warranty likely will not cover replacements when these fail, as all research has shown they will. dodge needs to replace these faulty rotors, as they are a hazard to not only myself, but also whoever may be near me while i'm driving. dealer stated that they knew of no other dakota's with this problem.*ak (tiresize: 16)

I own a dodge dakota quad cab 2001 5.9 v8 the brakes have always sucked. the front rotors warped over and over again i'm forced in buying a bigger kit that will cost me $3,000. the rear end leaks and the dealer says its natural. these two problems have been with me for 6 months after purchase. i will not buy another dodge again. i think the transmission is going now and the steering pump is going too. the truck has 66,000 miles now. it looks nice but hp , brakes and over all performance sucks. if i was in the creative end working for dodge i could improve their vehicles greatly. *jb

The left front disc brake was either locked or the caliper was compressed enough that it was holding the pad on the disc. the vehicle pulled to the left slightly. i started to notice an odd odor. after several miles, i saw smoke coming from the left front wheel well. i pulled off and noticed the left front wheel was smoking a lot. the wheel was very hot. i had the vehicle towed to fair oaks dodge. they inspected the vehicle and test drove it but, they did not find anything wrong. they also stated that they did not see any signs of over heating on the brake (no discoloration of the rotor or cracking on the pad). i am relatively certain that the brake caliper was locked up and not retracting from the disc properly.*ak

My dodge dakota has had the original rotors warp at 14000 miles, they were turned once and again at 23k they warpped. i have now installed new napa premium lifetime warranty rotors and they lasted 600 bafore warpage. i have replaced the calipers in the event they were not releasing all the way yet still the same problem. perhaps dodge has a lack of ventilation on the dakota rotors. seems like a recall problem!*ak

Pulsating brakes,hops enough to feel vibration in driver seat. felt like vechicle was not going to stop when brakes applied.*ak

The brakes began pulsating and shaking truck when stoping around 10000 miles. i took the truck to the dealer and they replaced the rotors and drums while under warranty. at 22000 miles the brakes again began pulsating when stopping. the brakes were not under warrenty and had after market rotors and pads placed on the front. now at 32000 miles the same problem is occuring again and a front passenger side caliper siezed and had to be replaced under warranty.*ak

I feel that the problem with the front brakes has to do with the new all wheel drive system. the transmission problem is very scary because sometimes it takes a few seconds to down shift and that may lead me into haveing an accident. the seat is a big comfort issue seeing that is where you sit to drive. the engine idle makes me feel like the truck is going to stall out and i will have to restart it not good if you are sitting in a line of moveing cars