1994 Dodge Dakota Brakes Problems

FRONT LEFT DOOR SNAPPED OFF. I CAN'T OPEN THE DRIVERS DOOR FROM THE INSIDE. ALSO, BOTH SEAT BELTS SNAPPED, THE AIR AND HEAT DOESN'T WORK, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP, WHICH AFFECTED THE STEERING. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED THREE TIMED, THE VEHICLE WOULD LOOSE POWER AND THE ENGINE WOULD DIE. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER RATTLED. THERE WAS A ROUGH IDLE AND THEN THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS INOPERATIVE, THE TIRES WORE OUT PREMATURELY. ALSO, I HAD DIFFICULTY GETTING THE VEHICLE OUT OF PARK. THE IDLER ARM IS IN THE PROCESS OF BREAKING, THE IGNITION BROKE AFTER THE KEYS BECAME STUCK, THE FUEL PUMP FAILED AND THE BEARING AND BUSHING NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.

NHTSA ID

10512159

Incident

Jan 1, 2007

SUDDEN NEAR-COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE DUE TO DEFECTIVE BOLT HOLDING MASTER CYLINDER IN PLACE TO HYDRAULIC BRAKE BOOSTER PRESSURE ACCUMULATOR. ON 05-14-2005, MY 18 YEAR OLD SON COMPLETED HIS SHIFT AT WORK. HE WENT OUT TO OUR 1994 DODGE DAKOTA PICKUP AND STARTED THE ENGINE. AS HE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL HE HEARD A METALLIC NOISE AS IF SOMETHING HAD BROKEN. HE DROVE TO OUR NEARBY RESIDENCE AT VERY LOW SPEED. THERE WAS NO COLLISION, BUT HE REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED BRAKE PERFORMANCE. AT OUR RESIDENCE, MY MECHANIC AND I INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. I AM A 21-YEAR EXPERIENCED POLICE COLLISION INVESTIGATOR. WE FOUND THAT THE LEFT (DRIVER SIDE) BOLT HOLDING THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER TO THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE BOOSTER PRESSURE ACCUMULATOR (AKA: HYDROBOOST) HAD BROKEN OFF. THE BOLT APPEARS TO BE A LOW GRADE STUD THAT IS PRESSED INTO THE FORWARD COVER OF THE HYDROBOOST UNIT. THE BOLT / STUD IS OF SMALL DIAMETER FOR SUCH A CRITICAL COMPONENT. IT APPEARED TO BE OVER-TIGHTENED AT THE FACTORY (MOST LIKELY), OR WORE OUT DUE TO METAL FATIGUE (LESS LIKELY AS THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS APPROXIMATELY 51,000 MILES ON IT). THERE IS A SECOND BOLT HOLDING THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE HYDROBOOST. THE SECOND BOLT HELD IN PLACE, ALLOWING REDUCED BRAKING ABILITY. THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS FALLING DOWN AND TO THE RIGHT AT ABOUT A 35 DEGREE ANGLE. HAD THIS DEFECT OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, OR WHEN PULLING A LOAD, A CATASTROPHIC COLLISION WOULD HAVE LIKELY OCCURRED. THE TWO BOLTS APPEAR TO BE TOO SMALL IN DIAMETER FOR ANY VEHICLE, PARTICULARLY A LIGHT PICKUP TRUCK. ALTHOUGH THIS VEHICLE IS A 1994 MODEL YEAR, IT IS STILL IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. I LIVE IN A SEMI-ARID AREA, SO THERE IS NO RUST. THE VEHICLE HAS ALSO NEVER BEEN IN A COLLISION AND IS PARKED IN A GARAGE WHEN NOT IN USE. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW AND HAVE BEEN THE ONLY OWNER. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN OTHERWISE EXTREMELY RELIABLE.

NHTSA ID

10120936

Incident

May 14, 2005

Mileage

51,000 mi

CONSUMERS VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 20MPH COMING OFF A RAMP INTO SURFACE STREET, ANOTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT OF CONSUMERS VEHICLE HAD TO STOP, BUT CONSUMERS VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP, AND HIT THE OTHER VEHICLE FROM BEHIND. *AK *SLC

NHTSA ID

898871

Incident

Nov 5, 2001

BOTH FRONT DISC BRAKE ROTORS ARE PITTED, APPEARS TO BE CORROSION, SUCH AS FROM ROAD SALTS, ETC. PREVIOUSLY OWNED FORD TAURUS WHICH WAS RECALLED. ALSO LEARNED THE CHRYSLER RECALLED OTHER MODELS (NHTSA RECALL NO 98V005/CHRYSLER RECALL #747. NOT CERTAIN OF EXACT DATE WHEN CORROSION WOULD HAVE FIRST BEEN EVIDENT. HAVE OBSERVED A PULSING BRAKING SENSATION (NOT ABS PROBLEM).

NHTSA ID

732833

FRONT DISC BRAKE CALIPERS DON'T RELEASE PROPERLY CAUSING BRAKE OVERHEATING, REDUCED BRAKING CAPABILITY, VIOLENT SHAKING UPON BRAKE APPLICATION AND A NEAR FIRE. BRAKE SERVICE HAS BEEN NEEDED EVERY 20,000 TO 25,000 MILES.

NHTSA ID

714126

Incident

Oct 30, 1999

PROPORTIONAL VALVE IS DEFECTIVE. UNABLE TO GET PARTS ON A TIMELY BASIS, DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ID

829284

Incident

Oct 21, 1998

TRUCK PULLED TO RIGHT WHEN BRAKING AND GRADUALLY BECAME A GRINDING NOISE. ALSO, FRONT CALIPER LOCKED UP, CAUSING PADS/ROTORS TO WEAR OUT.

NHTSA ID

535038

Incident

Jun 4, 1996

PREMATURE WEAR OF FRONT BRAKE PADS/ROTORS.

NHTSA ID

534709

Incident

Apr 14, 1998

ANTI-LOCK BRAKES FAILED.

NHTSA ID

524713

Incident

Oct 7, 1997

ABS BRAKE/BRAKE WARNING LIGHT REMAINS ON WHEN IGNITION IS ON. *SD

NHTSA ID

504358

Incident

May 9, 1996

OUT OF ROUND ROTORS, CAUSING PULSATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

500903

Incident

Jan 24, 1996

FAILURE ON THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. TT

NHTSA ID

977163

Incident

Dec 22, 1995

208-772-1261: ABS: FRONT BRAKES SEEM TO BE STOPPING VEHICLE; BACK BRAKES NOT BEING USED; PULSATES; TIRES WORN ON FRONT;FRONT WHEEL LOCK UP;BRAKES WORN HEAVILY.

NHTSA ID

976962

Incident

Jul 15, 1995

W/ABS BRAKES, REAR BRAKES DON'T APPEAR TO ACTIVATE RESULTING IN SKIDDING. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT

NHTSA ID

976640

ABS: NOTICED NOISE IN BRAKE SYSTEM, FOLLOWING DAY, APPLIED BRAKES; BRAKE CALIPER STUCK RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT; DISC WORN DOWN TO METAL, DAMAGED INSIDE ROTOR.

NHTSA ID

973925

Incident

Jul 15, 1995

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND THE ABS ANTI-LOCK BRAKE LOCKED UP AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT . TT

NHTSA ID

973036

Incident

Mar 28, 1995

REAR BRAKE LIGHT FUSE BLEW 4 TIMES, CAUSING ACCIDENT. *SD

NHTSA ID

488830

Incident

Jun 8, 1994

ABS BRAKES; WHEN APPLYING, SYSTEM FAILS TO STOP. BRAKES REPLACED TWICE. TT CONSUMER STATES BRAKES HAVE ALWAYS FELT SPONGY, IN JUNE THE SHOES AND PADS WERE REPLACED, ONE MONTH LATER A ROTOR WAS FOUND CRAKCED AND WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE PADS, IN SEPTEMBER THE SHOES AND MASTER CYLINDER WERE REPLACED, IN OCTOBER BRAKES DID NOT WORK AT ALL WHEN TRYING TO STOP, THE VERY NEXT THE SAME THING OCCURRED. IDLER ARM FELL OFF, BOTH TIE ARMS WERE REPLACED DUE TO EXCESSIVE WEAR, THE FRONT END FELL OUT AGAIN WHILE DRIVING CAUSING VEHICLE TO A DITCH, EVEN AFTER REPAIRS THERE IS A POPPING NOISE. VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO IN FORWARD WHEN PUT IN DRIVE, A SINGLE WIRE IN THE WIRING ASSEMBLY HAD BEEN BURNT BY RUBBING AGAINST THE ENGINE, DEALER REPLACED THE WHOLE WIRING HARNESS. *SLC

NHTSA ID

972488

Incident

Jun 22, 1995

VEHICLES FRONT DISC BRAKES GET HOT TOO QUICKLY AND WHEN BRAKING THE CAR DRIVES TO THE RIGHT.ROTORS WARPED AND CHANGED 2 TIMES. TT

NHTSA ID

970777

ABS, BRAKE FAILURE, ABS LIGHT STAYS ON AND CONTINUES BRAKE FAILURE LOSS OF EFFECTIVENESS. TT

NHTSA ID

970580

Incident

Aug 1, 1995

FRONT BRAKES FAILURE, EXCESSIVE WEAR OF ROTORS AND PADS IN THE FRONT. TT

NHTSA ID

966127

Incident

Dec 1, 1994

STEERING WHEEL LOCKUP WHILE DRIVING NO RESPONSE FROM THE ANTI LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM. TT

NHTSA ID

963683

Incident

Mar 28, 1995

WHEN VEHICLE IS AT IDLE SPEED AND AT COMPLETE STOP, IT EXPERIENCES VIBRATION/POOR ACCELERATION WHEN TAKING OFF. TT

NHTSA ID

959923

Incident

Feb 1, 1995

THE FRONT BRAKES LOCKED UP, CAUSING FRONT BRAKES TO FAIL, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK

NHTSA ID

959127

Incident

Sep 7, 1994