2002 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

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

FRONT BRAKES SEIZED UP CAUSING THE PADS TO SMOLDER AND SMOKE. THIS IS THE LATEST INSTANCE. THE FIRST TIME, THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED. *TR

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.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS IN HOT WEATHER, HE NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES WOULD SMOKE WHEN THEY WERE NOT APPLIED. THE CONTACT HAD TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WAIT FOR THE BRAKES TO COOL DOWN IN ORDER FOR THE SMOKE TO GO DISAPPEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER NOR HAD IT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THEM THAT THEY HAD NOT HEARD OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 72,000. UPDATED 07/21/11 *BF UPDATED 08/05/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE BRAKE ABNORMALLY LOCKED WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SMOKE AND WAS LEFT PARKED FOR SEVERAL HOURS. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER INSPECTED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 98,000.

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.