2002 Dodge Dakota: rotors or pads wearing out early

Filed Dec 2, 2005 · Brakes · 88,500 miles · FL

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.

Filed Mar 29, 2005 · Brakes · 41,000 miles · NJ

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

Filed Dec 13, 2004 · Brakes · MD

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.

Filed Sep 28, 2004 · Suspension · 56,298 miles · TX

2002 dodge dakota pickup truck exhibits premature wear on upper ball joints resulting in loud popping noise during turns and front in rattle on uneven pavement.

Filed Aug 30, 2004 · Brakes · 30,000 miles · NY

Front brake rotors warped.

Filed Aug 6, 2004 · Brakes · NY

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.

Filed May 31, 2004 · Suspension · 36,800 miles · NC

My husband and I own a 2002 dodge dakota. We purchased it in march 2002 and moved to puerto rico in september 2002, where we took our dakota to an authorized dodge dealership when problems arose. In april 2003, we began to hear unusual noises coming from the front left tire area. The service techs reported premature wearing of the ball joint and replaced it, plus the upper and lower control arms, as well as the sway arm and all related bushings (they showed premature wear, too). The following january (1/23/04), less than 12 months later, we began to hear similar noises from the front right tire area. The service techs at the same dealership as before replaced the same items for the same reasons that affected the driver's side front tire. All new parts, correct? We thought so, but as my husband was making a u-turn one sunday afternoon in early april 2004, the front passenger tire disconnected from the vehicle (due to defective parts--the very ones that they replaced in january 2004. We video-taped the damages to our vehicle (ball joint, cv joint, control arms, tire, rim, brake lines, front bumper and fog light) and had the truck towed back to the dealership with whom we previously dealt. The dealer eventually agreed that the parts were indeed defective and the cause of our accident. They replaced all damaged parts. Now that we have 37000 miles on the truck, relatively low for that year model, we are concerned that this problem will occur again when we are not driving at such a low speed.

Filed Apr 5, 2004 · Brakes, Suspension · 5,000 miles · CT

Vehicle had excessive brake pad wear. The front pads has been replaced 4 times and the rear twice within a short period of time. Also at 4,000 when turning there was clucking noise in the front end of the truck. The front tires had a quarter inch cup in them. The upper ball joints were bad. The dealership replaced the ball joint but the problem recurred. The upper ball joint had to be replace again.

Filed Mar 25, 2004 · Brakes · 21,800 miles · MA

Major vibration and pulsating while braking, vehicle only has 22000 miles. Warped rotors.

Filed Jan 20, 2004 · Suspension · 35,000 miles · LA

Premature wear of ball joints on 2002 dodge dakota pickup. This wear could result in an accident if not repaired.

Filed Jan 17, 2004 · Brakes · 25,500 miles · CT

Bought truck new. Rotors worn beyond repair at 25000 miles. Brakes pads were less then half worn. Seems to be a very common problem.

Filed Jan 15, 2004 · Brakes · 27,000 miles · MO

Warped rotors. A known issue among many, many dodge truck owners. Front rotors seem to warp every 20,000 miles or so. I've read many complaints on websites for dodge truck owners experiencing the same problems. It seems the only fix is to purchase high performance "drilled or vented" rotors at a very high cost. This is a manufacturer issue as the problem has carried over the years anywhere from 1995 through 2002. I've read where people have had the dodge dealerships replace with dodge rotors only to experience the same problem. This is a big issue!! I am now going through this for the second time around and am looking at having to spend anywhere from $500 to $1,000 to resolve this issue. Dodge needs to address this and be held accountable for this problem.