While driving a combine was approaching in on coming lane taking up part of my lane, applied brakes and pedal hit the floor (no brakes). I had to go off road to avoid accident. Upon inspection found brake lines rusted through. Repaired and while bleeding lines had another rusted area rupture due to rust ( 4 areas so far). Fearful to drive until all lines replaced......but too costly!
1998 Dodge Dakota: brake failure
17 of the 544 complaints about the 1998 Dodge Dakota describe brake failure.
- owner complaints
- 17
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- typical mileage
- 95,000
- recalls
- 3
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls and 1 service bulletin for this area of the car. See below
Brake failure by model year
What owners say
Brakes failed due to complete rust through of lines. Have had to subsequently replace other lines and hoses due to their defective quality.
Approaching stop light when hydraulic brake lines suddenly and completely ruptured causing a condition of no brakes and impact with vehicle in front of me.
1998 dakota brake line (steel) rusted through and ruptured resulting in catastrophic brake failure (right front). The dealer blames the failure on road conditions in western virginia (salt). The truck has only 80000 miles.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 dodge dakota. The contact stated that the driver was traveling 32 MPH when he attempted to stop but the brakes failed; as a result, the vehicle rear ended the vehicle in front. The contact experienced the brake failure several times. The local repair shop replaced the calipers and brake pads five times. The vehicle was taken back to the repair shop and the mechanic stated that the ABS could be the cause of the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired again. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000 and the current mileage was 58,882.
The master cylinder brake line on my 1998 dodge dakota truck failed completely and suddenly under normal driving conditions (light braking). Upon inspection, all front brake lines from the master cylinder to the distribution junction and from the distribution junction to the front brakes (left and right) were heavily corroded. Last winter, the brake line leading from the distribution junction to the rear brakes failed under similar circumstances, however; some braking ability remained. These two failures over a relatively short time-frame lead me to believe it may be a manufacturing defect with all metal brake lines.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 dodge dakota. While decelerating at 3 MPH the brakes failed. The brake line was completely covered with rust and corroded. The dealer stated that the rust was a natural phenomenon and they are not responsible for the repairs. The current and failure mileages were 107,000. Updated 12/12/2007 *bf updated 12/12/07
Recall 00v193000 for the power steering pressure hose has been issued and repaired, however the problem recurred. *ak the brakes failed resulting in an accident.
While driving anti lock brakes failed. Brake pedal was hard to depress, resulting in extended stopping distance.
While performing a brake inspection on this vehicle I found that the disc brake pads that are used on this vehicle include what they are calling a "shim" that gets glued onto both the inboard and outboard shoes which as near as I can tell acts as some sort of cushion between the phenolic (plastic) brake caliper piston and the brake pad in order to keep the brake pad rivet heads from coming in contact with the phenolic (plastic) caliper piston and causing the caliper piston to wear prematurely or even crack. This "shim" is made of ferrous metal and is only about a 32nd of an inch thick. With the combination of heat,stress and salt that is used on michigan roadways this ferrous metal "shim" is entirely inadequate for the intended purpose and has completely rusted away in less than four years causing the caliper piston to crack. A cracked caliper piston is a very dangerous situation and can lead to complete brake failure. If this part were made of stainless steel rather than ferrous metal it would greatly reduce the corrosion of this part and insure the safety of all concerned. This is a problem that needs to be addressed by the federal safety agency in the very near future as even the aftermarket brake pads include the same type of shim.
A few months ago consumer was having problems with brakes. Consumer took vehicle into dealership, and dealer serviced brakes on 23rd of february, 2001. Consumer had an accident, and brakes did not work as good as they should have worked. *ak consumer states there were 3 fatalaties and 1 injury.
The vehicle experienced failure of the recall (00v‑193) component prior to recall notification, resulting in vehicle collision due to loss of braking ability.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: pickup trucks built with 2.5l engines. Some vehicles may have been built with inadequate clearance between the left front brake tube and the power steering hose.
- Risk
- A puncture of the left front brake tube can result in a loss of braking force at the front wheels, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the brake tube and power steering hose for wear. If wear is evident, the brake tube and/or power steering hose will be replaced. A power steering standoff bracket will be installed on all vehicles to ensure that adequate clearance between the brake tube and power steering hose is maintained.
Recall number 00V193000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: pickup trucks. Some vehicles may have been built with inadequate clearance between the rear axle vent hose and the brake hose.
- Risk
- A puncture in the rear brake hose will result in a loss of braking force at the rear wheels.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the rear brake hose for evidence of wear. Worn brake hoses will be replaced. The rear vent hose will be shortened by 3 inches and a clip will be installed to assure clearance between the axle vent line and brake hose is maintained.
Recall number 00V198000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks (2 wheel drive only). The front brake hoses or anti-lock brake system (ABS) sensor wire may be abraded at the front wheels by contact with a front wheelhouse splash shield.
- Risk
- Prolonged brake hose contact can cause a partial loss of the braking system. Prolonged ABS sensor wire contact can cause a loss of ABS function.
- Remedy
- Dealers will trim the front wheelhouse splash shields and the brake hoses and ABS sensor wires will be inspected. If evidence of abrasion is found on any hose or ABS wire, they will be replaced.
Recall number 97V170000 · Recall details
Questions about the 1998 Dodge Dakota brake failure
Is brake failure a common problem on the 1998 Dodge Dakota?
17 of 544 owner complaints about the 1998 Dodge Dakota (3%) mention brake failure. The model year with the most reports is 2002.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1998 Dodge Dakota?
There are 3 recalls and 1 service bulletin for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1998 Dodge Dakota
Ball joint 189Grinding brakes 17No deployment 16Premature wear 16Steering noise 11Knocking 10Harsh shifting 10Headlights 9Pulling 9ABS 7Seat belt 7Stalling 7Transmission failure 6Engine failure 5
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