Problems with 2002 Dodge Dakota SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

2002 dodge dakota, 4 wheel drive,81,180 miles, front brakes seized. had all brakes replaced on aug 31, 2005. on november 10, 2005 left front rotor and pads seized, alert driving prevented possible vehicle. march 10, 2006, right front rotor seized and once again my alertness prevented another possible vehicle fire. this will be the fourth time the rotors and/or pads have been replaced on this vehicle. *nm

While driving at various speeds up to 55 mph the truck began pulling to the left and deceleration was much greater than normal. at this time i decided to pull off the road to investigate. noticed lots of heat coming from drivers side disk break. when restarting and moving forward the truck stopped very quickly. the failure was, the caliper did not retract, causing the disc brake to overheat and it seized up. this failure could cause the truck to pull left into on coming traffic. a tragedy could come of this if this failure is not corrected. the truck dealer had no explanation but noticed other worn parts that should be replaced unrelated to the brake failure.*ak

Making a right hand turn when a sudden grinding noise occurred. upon straightening the wheels, it stopped. was approx 3 miles from my mechanic so i went there and had him look at it. he found the left side hub bearing assembly had completely failed (bearing exposed and badly damaged). he was unable to separate the brake rotor disk from the hub as it was so badly corroded that it had become one. upon checking the right side hub assy, it was found to have failed as well with the brake rotor disk in the same condition. both sides were replaced and a complete brake job done to make the vehicle safe to operate. the vehicle has less than 92000 miles and i am the original owner. i was told that i was lucky that i did not loose the left wheel because of the failure as i had just returned from work (50 miles one way) which is all highway driving. *jb

I have had a warped rotor on the right front side 3 times now. it was turned twice, replaced once, and now it's warped again. i'm facing replacing the calipers and rotors upfront. i have heard several other dodge dakota owners complain about this, so obviously, they have a supplier that is not up to par. this shaking is dangerous - with abs, a wet road, and some clown pulling in front of you, the warpage does very strange things with the abs - and you really have to stomp on the brakes to override the abs feature. i've owned mopar products exclusively since 1981; i doubt seriously that i'll ever buy another one. *nm

The brake rotor on my 2002 dodge dakota continuously warp. i had them turned at 30,000 by the dealer and now i going to replace them at 42,000. i do not tow anything with my truck or use hard braking. i've read multiple message board with hundreds of people having the same problem. dodge says it's not an equipment problem, but obviously it is. i would hope the nhtsa would investigate this problem and have dodge correct it. dodge has put the wrong material on these truck and thousands of people are affected, but dodge does not want to take the responsibility.*jb

Dt: while applying the brakes at no particular speed there was abnormal operation of the windshield wipers, horn, and lighting system. all of them came on and off all by themselves. the consumer has not taken vehicle to a dealer but planned to do so. the consumer was referred to an independent mechanic, and he could not determine the cause of the problem. no corrections or repairs have been made. no explanation as to why this occurred. this only happened when brake pressure was applied. nhtsa recall 03v389000 was issued but it was for the manual transmission vehicles only-the consumer has an automatic transmission.*ak

2002 dodge dakota brake calipers lock up, the date below is not the first time this happened to me. the first time was on april 20th 2005, the left caliper locked up. i had that caliper replaced. the second time the right caliper locked up on the right side on june 3rd 2005. now the third time around and i have information that i am not the only one. on august 12th i paid for a tow charge and came close to a fire. one of the other people that informed me of the same problem had there caliper catch fire. i hope this information helps. i had no luck with the manufacturer. i will try and have them hold this caliper for you to look at. thanks. *nm

I love this vehicle, however will join the masses reporting a failed upper ball joint at 55,000 miles, 3 sets of warped front brake discs and lack of proper braking for the abs system.

The front left brake caliper on my 2002 dodge dakota siezed up causing the left front wheel to overheat to the point of smoking.the brake fluid was ruined, the pads destroyed,the rotor damaged, and the wheel bearing grease broken down. fair oaks dodge of fairfax va had no explanation for this incident. they repaired the damage at my expense with only the calipers covered under warrenty. this is not the only instance of daimler chrysler brakes failing in this manner. please look into this matter. thank you, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Dt: while driving consumer saw smoke and the vehicle began to pull to the left and was shaking. the brakes locked up and it was difficult for the consumer to get the vehicle to move. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic but he couldn't get the vehicle's wheels to move. the mechanic told the consumer that the problem was that the calipers froze and the brake pads were so hot they appeared to be ready to catch on fire. the consumr had the problem repaired. the dealer claimed to know nothing about the failure and told the consumer to call nhtsa. the manufacturer has not been contacted yet.*ak *nm

This is my second posting. my 2002 dodge dakota quad cab is still dangerous to drive because the four wheel abs system will not stop the vehicle in a panic situation. when the brakes are applied hard, the abs kicks in and releases the wheels but if i let off when that happens and reapply the brakes, there is almost no braking. the pedal seems to hit a block and the truck continues to roll almost freely. the problem is really exacerbated over rough surfaces or on wet pavement. i've learned to give myself about five times the normal safe following distance but that just results in people pulling in front of me to take advantage of the gap and thereby taking away the safety margin i need with this vehicle. there are many posts and complaints about this exact problem. is anyone there listening? the dealers can duplicate the problem but are told by chrysler that the system is functioning normally. please do something. does someone have to die in a accident before you investigate and provide some answers?

2002 dodge dakota right front wheel bearings and the hub needed to be replaced.*mr the consumer experienced intermittent problems with the air conditioner. hot spot on the front rotors caused pulsation when braking. the vehicle's transmission made noise and intermittent delayed shifting. the right front hub and bearing were replaced. the right front outer tie rod end was replaced. the left front upper ball joint was replaced. *nm

Abs system does not work properly. rear wheels lock up at low speeds when road is wet then release brakes causing the vehicle to accelerate. does same if rear wheel hit a bump or pot hole during braking. brakes release during mild stops. this condition has caused several close accidents. took to dealer and they replaced the ignition switch. this did not resolve the problem.

thought i would "buy american" and get the dodge dakota 4 dr crew. love its style, comforts, more power than i need (4.7l v8) 2wd has no traction in snow or ice. very easy to drive and comfortable 6ft.2 220lbs.(2 trips nj to calif.) gas mileage stinks...13-18mpg, no loads. brake rotors replaced 28k, left top ball joint worn (no recall yet)a/c needed charging, right front hub and bearings replaced 49k, rear leaf spring noisy, transmission hesitation occasionally. great truck to drive and haul but reliability really in question with only 49k. probably back to nissan or toyota.

With around 15,000 miles on 02 dodge dakota was told front rotors had to be replaced and subsequently were at 20,000 miles. less then year later with 30,000 miles rotors must be replaced again at cost of $390. new truck twice in a year, with known problem dealer sticks head in sand and ignores.

2002 dodge dakota front brake calipers failed and the brake discs were warped. *mr the left brake caliper failed as well. in both cases the brakes grabbed and smoke was produced. the consumer requested reimbursement. *sc *jb

Abs brakes continue not work properly under wet road conditions and at 40 mph, during emergency stop, wheels initially lock up and then release all together. reoccurrance of similar event documented in odi #10049545. avoided rear end collision by driving off road into ditch. these brakes have a serious problem and need to be investigated. dealer continues to state that they are working as designed for a two wheel abs system.*ak

2002 dodge dakota 2wd 6 cylinder. occasionally the brakes see to release at low speeds when approaching a stop, causing close calls, near accidents.*ak

I too have just had to replace the front rotors on my 02 dakota. i have never owned any vehicle where the rotors had to be replaced, with far more mileage than this truck(44k). the dealer says "they rotors are overheating" well if the truck is used mostly for freeway use, isnt hauling loads or towing, and its only weight is on the brakes, it would seem to the most ignorant that there is definately defective materials in the brake system.*ak

Rusting and pitted brake rotors on 2002 dodge dakota. vehicle has less than 40k miles and is garaged in winter months. inspection showed brake pads were not worn out but rotors were pitted and had to be replaced. manufacture defect. i paid $406 to have brake pads and rotors replaced. could have had a brake failure. chysler took my complaint and said it was past the warrenty mileage.

Upon applying the brakes, the front of the vehicle dips with the rear of the vehicle lifting. as a result, the rear wheels lock up very easily, causing the abs system to kick in. when the abs system kicks in, the vehicle feels like the accelerator was pressed. i have driven many other types of trucks and never encountered a truck with such poor braking. the truck should be designed to limit the rear from lifting while braking. *jb

While braking at any speed vehicle shimmied. dealership informed the consumer of the front brake rotor wear. the problem was not resolved. *ak

Regarding the daimler chrysler recall of my 2002 dodge dakota 4 wheel drive truck. one of the reasons they may be having problems with the upper ball joints has to do with the lousy metal used on the front brake rotors. i have had the truck for 3 years and under normal braking there is shuttering, and much worse during heavy braking. this has been a problem developed in the first few months and has only worsened. the local dealer inspected the brakes and said the pads are fine but the rotors are warped. *ak

When applying the anti- brakes from a low speed brakes locked. as a result, vehicle rear ended another vehicle. *ak

Front brake rotors are warping extremely early. *nm

December 6, 2004 i own a 2002 dodge dakota quad cabu and noticed a shaking feeling when applying my brakes when going down hill on 11/25/04. this problem has continued to happen. i have also noticed that when going over bumps that there is a loud creaking noise. i brought my vehicle in for any oil change and asked to have a road test done to see what might be causing the problems. i was informed by the mechanic that my front brake rotors were completly rusted, rotted out, and had grooves all over them. i was also informed that my ball joints were "shot" and needed to be replaced. i have 22,000 miles on my dakota and do not believe that this is exceptable to have my front brakes completely replaced! i spoke to the service manager at the dealership i purchased the dakota from and was told that dodge's warranty only covers brakes for 12 months or 12,000 miles! after reading the nhtsa's complaints for a similiar problem, i see that this problem seems to happen when the vehicle's mileage is approximately between 20,000-25,000 miles. not very happy with dodge about this problem! dealership did not seem to be very understanding. *ak

1. after driving vehicle several miles, audible "groan" comes from front suspension of vehicle during turns. no problem with steering, no excessive play, but makes that moaning sound. suspect ball joints. this is an ongoing problem.*ak 2. at 46,000 (approx) had to replace 1 rotor, 1 drum on brakes for excessive vibration during stops. problem cleared for about 18,000 miles, now doing same thing again. suspect dodge's supplier of rotor and drums is not very good.

Two months ago consumer started to notice brake failure. when applying the brakes the car jerked sporadically. the problem steadily got worse. three weeks later this vehicle started to work properly when applying the brakes. two days ago, the same problem recurred. *ak

While driving home after having transmission rebuilt my brakes started to sound as if there was dirt on the pads. as the vehicle only had 19000 miles at the time that's what i believed. the noise over the next week got louder and the truck harder to stop saftly. contacted dealer brought in and discovered that the rotors were scared and the pads were gone on the passenger side. the rotor was pitted on the driver side. dealer refuses to fix except as a maintence issue. they did however replace upper ball joints . i believe the loose front end caused the vibration in wheels which led to brake failure. i have read many compaints of brakes on the web. dodge needs to recal this veicle -- someone is going to get hurt.*ak

The front brakes on my truck was diagnosed with defective rotors. i do mostly highway driving so i expected 40,000 to 50,000 miles on the front brakes. i had 15,000 miles on the truck for its 1st brake inspection and was told at that time that i still had approximately 80% of pads left. i brought the truck in at 31,000 and requested to have the brakes inspected again. i was taken by surprise when they told me that the rotors were shot and asked to see them before i would authorize a repair. the mechanic told me that there was over 50% of the brake pads left but somehow the brake rotors were scored so badly that they could not be cut down to repair them, they must be replaced, and i could also see that the rotors were that bad. considering that there was a lot of brake pad left i opted not to spend the $565.00 at this time and get more life out of the brakes. they still stop the vehicle with no problems. i feel that this should be looked into.. defective metal in the rotors, ( not hard enough ) , defective pads, ( hard steel embedded in them ) etc. *ak

Front brake disc were cast in layers, and they came apart. manufacturer recommended that consumer call this office.*ak

Front disc brakes would not release while driving. dealer could not find a problem. occurred again on dec 10, with front rotors turning bright red and smoking. dealer found abs system was not releasing hydraulic fluid, replaced abs component, front rotors and brake pads. occurred again on dec 30 while driving, will return to dealer for resolution.

Front brake rotors warped. *ak

Traveling approx 25 mph on wet roads. applied brakes nothing happened. truck didn't slow down with brake to floor. collision occurred (rear-ended another vehicle) and front airbags did not deploy. wearing seat belt. *jb

Brake rotors warp early due to normal wear. ith 19,000 miles i have to replace the rotors before replacing my first set of pads.ther people report the me:http://www.carsurvey.org/review_30410.html http://www.dodgedakotas.com/boards/v6/924.html. *ak

My rotors were trashed at 20,000 miles on the 2002 dodge dakato. i do basic driving and found out from a forum website on dakatos that there are so many people with this problem. a mechanic from the dealership told me that he fixes double the rotors on dakatos that he does on any other vehicle.*ak

Brake caliper got stuck open while driving. the vehicle was impossible to control. no one was injured. also there was no warning and we have done regular maintenance as suggested in the owners manual. *ak

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge dakota. the contact stated that the driver side front brake locked up and began smoking. the vehicle pulled over until it cooled off and then it released itself. he was able to continue driving. he changed the front brake pads and rotors himself. the failure continued intermittently. at 50,000 miles, he changed the front brake pads, rotors and calipers. the failure occurred again so he changed the front brake pads, rotors and calipers again. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified. the current mileage was approximately 60,000. the failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

At around 15000 miles i noticed the brakes starting to pulse or drag during normal stopping. at 18000 miles i was told by midas that rotor failure in this vehicle was a big problem, and that i would have to replace them many times during the life of my truck. *jb

Had to have the front rotors on my 2002 dodge dakota replaced after 25,000 miles and turned after 30,000 miles, most of the mileage is hughway miles.*ak

Felt pulsing in front brakes due to rotor overheating and warping. brake failure, no accident or injuries.*ak

While driving at any speed and when brake were depressed pedal pulsated. vehicle was serviced, and technician turned the rotors at 34, 000 miles. *ak vehicle has a problem with the ball joint in the past, which concerned the consumer. *la

Warped disc rotors on 2002 dakota with 16000 miles. dodge refuses to cover under warranty. it appears that there are excessive early rotor failures on dakota's as identified by nhtsa complaints. this is a serious safety issue and may be related to defective calipers causing the problem. *la

Front rotors on my 2002 dodge dakota are habitually warping under normal driving conditions. upon replacement of the rotors with raybestos severe duty rotors, they warped again. the dealership won't touch the issue upon requests. *ak

Driving my 2002 dodge dakota (slt 4x4) in a 55 mph speed limit. was traveling at 49 mph. applied brakes with abnormally slow response, jerking and vibration, resulting in rear-ending the car ahead. resulted in $5050 damage to my truck and $4781 in damage to the other vehicle. have had brakes checked twice by the dealership since accident with explaination that the front brakes are disc and the back are drum and that front disc brakes will apply before the rear, and this is the normal operation of these brakes. this truck continues to have a long stopping distance compared to other trucks i have owned. i am now seeing multiple other braking complaints related to this truck. i am in the process of looking for a different vehicle because this one does not feel safe while stopping.*ak

Problems with front suspension and brakes on 2002 dodge dakota. *mr the front suspension squeaked and was unable to be duplicated, the brakes were noisy upon application and was also unable to be duplicated, noise would come from the shock absorber when stopping and when going over bumps, noise was coming from the left front upper ball joints on left turns and when going over bumps, the left caliper made a sticking sound and the wheel bearing was replaced, the drive belt made sounds, and the brakes pulsated. *sc *jb

Shaking in front end when brakes are applied, also rattle in front end. dodge dealer found front brake rotors to be severely rusted and pitted and that brake pad clips were completely rusted off front pads causing rattle. rotors and pads were replaced and old parts are available. dodge refused to pay for repairs.*ak

When the brake pedal was depressed to slow down the vehicle when approaching an intersection at 20 - 25 mph it failed to do so. as a result, consumer applied more force to the brake pedal. then, tabs locked up and the vehicle skidded. vehicle stopped when it smashed into another vehicle. upon impact, none of the frontal air bags deployed. this incident occurred while driving on a wet road. prior to the accident, brake pedal vibrated when depressed. *ak

Intermittently the brakes failed to release fully after being depressed. the brake pedal came back up when released, but the brakes dragged. when this occurred, the front rotors overheated. the dealership turned the front rotors, but the failure recurred a month later. this time the rear brake drums overheated. *ak *sc *jb

Update to complaint 10028872. after having the rotors turned (recut to safe specifications) at 24,000 the same severe vibrations and shaking came back at 27,000. even light braking pressure caused the vehicle to swerve to the left and across lane markers. i noticed that when the truck was driven after sitting overnight all braking functions were normal. after driving approximately thirty miles the shaking and pulling to the side came back without warning. i had the rotors, calipers, and pads all replaced with high performance parts (slotted & cross drilled rotors, ceramic pads). now at 37,000 with no further issues (as of this writing) on the brakes. i am deeply concerned that a less experienced driver could lose control of their vehicle resulting from this brake system defect.*ak