Problems with 2002 Dodge Dakota SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

My 2002 dodge dakota 4x4 at 20,000 miles began experiencing a pulsation in the brake pedal when the brakes were applied. i took my vehicle to the dealership who told me that my rotors were warped and pitted and that my calipers were grooved. dodge told me that this was not a warranty item and that this was normal wear. i spoke to two shops specializing in brakes and they stated this is not a normal wear problem.*ak

Major vibration and pulsating while braking, vehicle only has 22000 miles. warped rotors. *jb

2002 dakota pk front brake rotors poor quality castings , pittted causing shimmy on braking . vehicle still in warranty . company advises vehicle not in warranty. *ak

Oh where to start? first the brakes and rotors seem to be a common problem. mine are also bad. 20,000 miles shredded and had to replace rotors at my expense. they cannot support the wait of a 5.9 l v8 quad cab. dodge needs to rectify this problem swiftly. customer service has not been exactly friendly on this matter. like all the testimonies i have read they seem to get the same attitude " oh well, its your problem." also the transmission shifting from 1st t0 2nd is rough. dealer has checked this several times, but they same everything is normal. also when servicing front brakes i found the caliper pin was strip. so much for hardened steel. also i had some bad tread wear on the goodyear wrangler rts tires. dealer told the were ok. said it was called second tread wear. second tread from outboard of tire was bald all other were ok. it would be nice for dodge to address these problems when i bring my car to them, but i do like the way the dealer cleans my car everytime. *ak

Brake problems which i believe are related to abs system on 2002 dodge dakota quad cab with factory installed towing package. i am running the third set of disc brake rotors on the front and second set of drums on the rear with just over 97,000 original miles on this truck. i bought the vehicle new and there have been no accidents or damage to this vehicle. *tr

The rotors and brakes needed to be replaced when the vehicle was taken for checkup. this defect made it difficult for the vehicle to stop.*ak

Vehicle = 2002 dodge dakota quad cab - v6 (currently @ 49,000 miles) took vehicle to independent mechanic for annual inspection and was told that both the upper and lower ball joints were worn excessively and would totally fail in approximately 1000 miles. after further investigation on numerous websites i have found this problem to be quite common and is what was causing the feeling of loss of control when hitting bumps in the road at speed, strange noises when turning slowly, and it also seems this is what could have led to my premature brake failures (which i had to have my rotors ground at approx 25k miles). i will be speaking to my dealer tomorrow directly - my girlfriend had called them for me because i was out of town for work and it sounds as though they are claiming they have never heard of the problem. this appears to be quite a common problem and had my mechanic not caught the problem doing the annual inspection it would have definitely caused an extreme safety hazard. hopefully something is being done to remedy this problem. thanks. *ak

For a vehicle supposedly with an abs brake system, this dakota's wheels lock up at the slightest presence of water. this caused me to slide into the rear of another vehicle during a rainstorm at something less than 20 mph. i sustained $5,000 damage to my truck, and the airbags did not deploy. this is the only accident i have ever had in over 40 yrs of driving. testing stopping distances on wet pavement are at best, scary. this thing locks wheels too easily in my opinion, causing uncontrollable skids that i have never experienced in my 1990 dodge caravan, or any other car i have ever owned. *la

I have had to turn my front rotors on my 2002 dodge dakota 4.7l, 4wd quad cab 4 times in 40,000 miles. the dealership blames it on rain cooling the rotors too fast. i do strictly highway driving, and the vibration that occurs is nerve racking. i have seen many complaints on consumer sites regarding this. please consider this for a recall. *la

At 35,500 i was told that my front brakes and rotors had to be replaced because the rotors were pitted and brakes were worn. i could understand brakes pads need replacing (although i do most driving on a highway therefore not using brakes much) but rotors need replacing because of pitting; something is wrong here. in addition, ever since i've had this truck (rear anti-lock brakes) i notice that when the anti-lock kicks in it seems as though i've lost alot of braking power. i've found myself in the middle of an intersection at times because the truck wouldn't stop and i was not going that fast. i had a truck cut in front of me one day on the highway (someone in front of him had stopped) and the only way i advoided hitting him was to drive off on the shoulder of the road; the brakes quit working. i have a '92 dakota with rear anti-lock brakes and it stops with out problems. *ak

Brake rotors are warped. started at approximately 20,000 miles. way to early to be warped. have read of many others with same problem. also heard noise from front suspension, thought it might be ball joint or suspension problem, but dealer stated that it is ok. read quite a bit about ball joint problems on same vehicle. *jb

Vehicle does not brake adequately during "panic" stopping. rear wheel abs does not appear to be working properly. have had three occurrences when i needed to "panic" stop and in all cases had to swerve to avoid collision because brakes were not stopping vehicle. rear wheel abs engages but allows too much "free-wheeling" which allows vehicle too much travel. regular braking (even "hard" braking without abs involvement) seems to work correctly. have had vehicle to dealer twice and first time rear drums were turned and second time abs module was replaced, but has not fixed problem. service advisor and mechanic say that the abs system is working as designed for a rear wheel only abs. i have not had any resolution to problem but now dealer won't look at it because they say they have done everything they can. *la

When driving brakes locked up, and vehicle was involved in a rear end collision. then, vehicle caught on fire. *ak

Front brakes and rotors need replaced at 16,000 miles. this truck is not driven hard or a lot. dealer refuses to replace under warranty, claims no knowledge of reported problems. *la

Experiencing pulsation and pull to the side under braking. problem originated at approximately 25,000 miles and currently at 33,000 miles it now feels unsafe. dealer states front rotors are warped and need machined to specifications and that rotors are a "wear" item and not covered under the 3 yrs./36,000 miles "bumper to bumper" warranty. i see that there are numerous complaints already on file regarding this issue, so being that i am no expert in braking systems or theory i will leave that debate to others, however i will say that my experience with other vehicles and manufacturers would lead me to believe that rotors should last at least 70,000 to 80,000 miles before needing to be machined. the other three vehicles my family has recently owned were all driven beyond 70,000 miles, all without ever needing the rotors turned. *la

Premature failure of the upper ball joints on my 2002 dodge dakota club cab pick-up with 26,465 miles. took the vehicle to dealer to diagnose a clanking noise in the front end when turning they did not find any problem on the first visit, i returned for a second visit and i identified the upper ball joints as the problem, they checked them and agreed. they were replaced under the warranty. after reading a large number of complaints on different web sites this seems to be a common problem with the dakotas and durangos. how about a recall! (premature front disc brake rotor failures is another common problem on both of these vehicles. mine had to be replaced at 26,120 miles and was not covered under the warranty.) *la

Premature failure of the front disc brake rotors. had a severe pulsation when braking at approximately. 26,000 miles. dealer stated that the brakes were not covered on the 3year/36,000 bumper to bumper warranty, brakes were only covered for 1year/12,000. i took the vehicle to a meineke shop at 26,120 miles and they told me the rotors were too deeply pitted to be resurfaced and needed to be replaced. the pads still had plenty of life, almost like new. i had them replace the pads and rotors which cost me $275.35. i believe these rotors failed prematurely and caused extended braking distances and some loss of vehicle control. *la

Bought truck new. rotors worn beyond repair at 25000 miles. brakes pads were less then half worn. seems to be a very common problem. *cb

When applying brakes unexpectedly brakes do not grab, causing extended stopping distance.*ak

My 2002 dodge dakota 4x4 had a defect in the brakes/rotors which had to be replaced at 30000 miles. from checking chat sites this is apparently a very common problem with this truck. dodge told me that they were not going to do anything for me that the truck was not under warranty.*ak

While driving 35 mph consumer was approaching a red light while applying the brakes and brake pedal felt like a wet sponge. the vehicle never slowed down. consumer applied the emergency brake, but a collision occurred. consumer's vehicle collided with the rear end of the vehicle in front. the consumer was wearing a seat belt, but the drivers side air bag did not deploy. the manufacturer and the dealer were informed of the crash. *ak

Regardless of how fast the vehicle is traveling, the abs brake system does not stop the vehicle in a reasonable distance in an emergency. the vehicle has been to the dealer four times for the same problem. the manufacturer has been notified of the problem. *ph

Have had my 2002 dodge dakota quad cab for less than three years and already have had to replace my rotors twice! and it only has $44,000 miles on it. i am sure that after another 10-15 thousand miles that the vehicle will again begin to shake and vibrate when i put on the brake and sure enough i will have to go and have them replaced yet again. from everything that i read here there are tons of people out there having the same exact problem and it doesn't seem like anyone out there want to do anything about it so i will do my part and post my problems here hoping someone gets off their butt to do something about it and from now on, no more chrysler vehicles for me. *jb

When the brakes were applied, the vehicle pulled to the right. while the consumer was getting the tires rotated, the mechanic determined that the tie rods were loose. midstate dodge replaced the tie rods with new ones. *ak midstate dodge would not replaced the brakes. the vehicle was still under warranty. *sc *jb

2002 dakota 4x4 4.7l continuosly warping bake rotors, normal driving conditions. *ak

While driving and applying the brakes steering wheel shook, had some pulsation either to the right or left. dealer has inspected vehicle several times, and could not duplicate or correct the problem.*ak

Truck has 24000 miles and brakes are completely shot on vehicle, started having problems after 8500 miles on brand new truck

I own a 2002 dodge dakota with 25000 miles just had to have front rotors and brake pads replaced.*ak

Brake rotors warped at 20,000 miles. pads ok. terible pulsing when stopping. local dealer wanted to charge a fee just to look at it. i believe the anti lock brakes are affected by this. brakes horrible in wet condition.*ak

Transmission not shifting properly for several blocks brakes are pulsating when makeing normal start, has 13500 miles. *ak

With no advance warning my 2002 dodge dakota began experiencing severe steering wheel vibration whenever the brakes were activated. i immediately brought the vechicle into the dealership and was charged $148 dollars to machine the front rotors of my truck. the truck (used as transportation to my desk job) has 24,000 miles on it, is a manual transmission, and is highway driven so the brakes do not see alot of activity. a check of the dakota.com site indicates many rotor problems with low mileage dakota series trucks. i believe either the brake rotors are not designed properly or are being made of material that cannot support safe performance within a 25,000 mile lifecycle. i have never had to have any brake maintenance performed on any of my other vehicles (other than inspection) before 75,000 miles and i am concerned that the problem will reoccur without warning.

Abs system causing steering wheel oscillation; brake rotors and pads replaced, no change. rear abs pulsating causing rear axle to vibrate enough to momentarily lift rear tires off pavement. neither problem extant during rain conditions. problem intermittent: approx 30% of the time for front only; approx 60% for rear only; both conditions simultaneously, mixed. *nm

Right front brake locked up. dealer said brake fluid is comtamanated. i am doing my own repair with master mechanc. iam going to have the brake fluid checked dakotas have been having front brake problems for a few years. there is nothing wrong with brake fluid. they said the lines are swelled up they said all rubber lines and seals would have to be replaced at my cost, they will not warranty work

Consumer states front brakes are warped. dealer notified.*ak

Both front brake rotors needed to be replaced with approximately 30,000 miles on truck. the brakes had been checked regularly during the recommended maintenance and no indication of trouble had been made prior to the failure.*ak

Front brake rotors had to be turned/replaced at approx. 17000 miles. dealership said they would not replace as brakes only have 1yr/12000 mile warranty. repair facility only replaces with oem parts, so they will probably have to be replaced again in another 15-20000 miles. this is unacceptable.*ak also appears i will now have to replace ball joints at approx. 18500 miles. these parts should last much longer than this. vehicle is 2002 dodge dakota cc 4x4 4.7l engine.

My 2002 dodge dakota sport 4x4 antilock brakes don't provide adequate braking. on several occasions, i have had to stop quickly and even at slow speeds the antilock feature releases the brakes long before it should. i took the truck to the local dealer and they said the proportioning valve in the master cylinder was defective and they replaced it. the problem still exists. i don't think the rear brakes are engaging as they should. i've seen similar complaints on your site and feel dodge needs to take a look at these problems because there are too many to ignore. i have had three near misses where the antilock feature of the brakes caused the brakes to release prematurely when i have had plenty of time and distance to stop safely. i have had antilock brakes on several of my previous vehicles but this truck has the weakest brakes i've ever experienced on any car or truck i've owned.*ak

Bad vibrations in front brakes. rotors were visibly worn and had pits in them. this was only after 16,000 mi. all highway driving, no towing or off road driving. was out of warrenty and had to have the rotors turned. i have since found out many have this issue. could prove to be a serious issue if not taken care of.*ak

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge dakota. the contact stated that the front rotors and brakes overheated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer numerous times for the failure. where the dealer replaced the front brake pads, rotors, hoses and the brake lines, but the failure was not corrected. the vehicle continued to overheat and the vehicle was not further repaired. the failure mileage was 10,000 and the current mileage was 45,000. updated 11/16/11 *bf updated 03/08/12

Only 27689 miles safety front end components failed power steering rack seal leaking fluid.sway bar bushings were replaced.seat right rear coming apart pass side plastic recliner handle broke my 2002 dodge dakota quad cab 4x4 sport has had suspension problems, and brake problems. the upper and lower control arms and ball joints make a popping sound when step on brakes or make a sharp left turn. i now have 29900 miles and the pounding and noise have not stopped. vehicle feels like you will loose control when going over bumps in the highway. *ak

At just around 17,000 miles, the brakes started to vibrate when applied. dealer says rotors are already worn and need to be cut/replaced, although brake pads are still good. rotors should last a lot longer, early wear is most likely due to improper design, venting, material and will recur once replaced. dodge will do nothing, as they claim they cover only 12k miles on defects. i don't believe it's a defect, but rather a design issue, which the consumer cannot be responsible for, or avoid even with extra-easy driving. there is no alternate rotor available at this time through dodge. *jb

Warped rotors. *nlm

The brakes of my dodge dakota started to pulse. i took it to the dealer at 24,000 miles and the rotors were worn to below minimum standards. the rear drums had to be cut. i drive highway with no towing and minimal stop go driving. i have never had a vehicle do this to me before so it is not my driving. *nlm

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 dodge dakota. the contact stated that the front calipers locked up when the brakes were applied; as a result, the calipers began to smoke and the brake pad cracked. there were no warning lights prior to the failure. the vehicle was taken to a local repair shop several times where brake pads, calipers and rotors were replaced three times. on october 11, 2010, while in reverse driving less than 50 mph, the brake pedal extended to the floorboard when depressed and the contact had to engage the brakes several times in order to stop the vehicle. the contact called the manufacturer (details of what was discussed was unavailable). the failure mileage was 300 and the current mileage was approximately 111,000.

Rotors and drums worn to below oem replacement specifications in only 20,000 mi. with no towing involved. at issue for safety is whether or not the design of the rotors and drums are acceptable for the additional weight of the quad-cab line. the wear on my vehicle is unusually fast as i have owned the vehicle for only 7 months and drive mostly highway miles. the brake pads (linings) are still in good shape so, in my opinion, the composition and design of the rotors and drums on my vehicle are not safe. if this issue is not addressed there will be the possibility for numerous brake failures on this model in the next few years. the parts should be recalled and the rotors and drums should be redesigned. *nlm

My 2002 dodge dakota quad cab 4x4 sport has had suspension problems, and brake problems. the upper and lower control arms and ball joints have been bad from day one. i now have 35,000 miles and the pounding and noise have not stopped. this seems to be a very common problem. why not a recall? *nlm

Consumer purchased the vehicle at 11,000. 2,000 miles later consumer noticed a pulsation in the brake pedal. the rotors were worn out. consumer stated the rotors had to be replaced at about every 8,000 miles. *ak

Our 2002 dodge dakota 5-speed got stuck in a snow drift during our blizzard last week. after shoveling it out, i forgot to release the emergency brake before putting it into gear, now they are telling me the entire rear brake system is blown and it will cost $1200.00 to fix. cherry creek dodge has the truck, they tell me this is normal for this vehicle and they have several others in the shop with this problem now. it seems like a manufacturer defect for something little like this to cause so much damage to an expensive vehicle. i want an investigation into this problem, it sounds like i am not the only one the repair shops are milking lots of money from. *jb

Front brake rotors warped for second time. first occurence was at 10,000 miles, second was quite noticeable by 20,000 miles. i had a 2000 dakota which chrysler re-purchased for the same reason (had 5 repairs in 30,000 miles on my 2000). chrysler offering a non-warrantied solution.

the second wreck i can attribute to the anti-skid braking system. (two separate vehicles). ph