Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge dakota. While driving 50 MPH on the highway, the steering wheel seized and the vehicle stalled without warning. There were no warning indicators illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle was taken to galeana's van dyke dodge (28400 van dyke ave, warren, mi 48093, (586) 573-4000) where the contact was informed that the vehicle was under recall for the gear shifter, and that the gear shifter and the ignition needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 96,000.
2002 Dodge Dakota: engine failure
17 of the 678 complaints about the 2002 Dodge Dakota describe engine failure.
- owner complaints
- 17
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- typical mileage
- 81,180
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 3 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Engine failure by model year
What owners say
Recall was driving and all of my breaks and calibers seized up..had to stop and spray them down
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge dakota. While driving various speeds, the front passenger side brakes seized without the brake pedal being depressed. In addition, the contact noticed smoke coming from the front passenger side where the brake was located. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the calipers or the brake lines needed to be replaced. The contact independently replaced the brake lines, brake calipers, and brake pads; however, the failure recurred and the contact noticed smoke and fire coming from the front passenger side where the brake was located. The contact was able to extinguish the fire. A police report was not filed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 165,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge dakota. While driving approximately 20 MPH, the calipers seized on the passenger side rotors. The failure occurred several times and the contact replaced the calipers himself. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 44,000. Updated 9/4/14
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge dakota. The contact stated that while driving various speeds, the contact attempted to decelerate but the brakes seized. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the rotors, pads, hoses and the calipers were replaced. The contact also mentioned that the failure recurred multiple times. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 12,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge dakota. The contact stated that the front brake overheated and seized while driving. The contact replaced the front rotors and the brake pads however, the failure was not corrected. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 88,000. Updated 10/17/13
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge dakota. The contact stated that while traveling 45 MPH, the front brakes seized and smoke was seen from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection or repairs. The failure and the current mileages were 105,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge dakota. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the front driver's side brake seized unintendedly and the vehicle began to pull toward the same direction. The contact maneuvered to the side of the road, where the engine was turned off. The vehicle resumed normally after waiting thirty minutes. The failure occurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer five three times for the identical failure. The repairs performed on the vehicle consisted of replacing the entire front braking system, such as; both rotors, calipers, and brake lines. Also included in the repair was the replacement of both front brake pads and master cylinder. The failure recurred two weeks after the repair was performed. The vehicle had not been repaired for the most recent failure. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge dakota. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the contact applied pressure to the brake pedal while approaching a stop sign. The brakes seized and the vehicle skidded and swerved. The contact was able to control the vehicle as the brakes returned to normal and the accelerator pedal was depressed. The failure recurred intermittently when driving at different speeds. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostics but the mechanic was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 76,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge dakota. The contact was driving 35 MPH when the contact applied the brakes, but the brakes seized. Later, the contact discovered that the hub of the brake had burned and was an abnormal color. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was contacted in regards to the failure. The failure mileage was 45,000. Updated 09/21/11*lj the consumer stated he replaced the caliper, brakes, hoses, brake pads and turned the rotors. Updated 10/05/11
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.
Bought truck new in 2002. Since then, the driver's side front caliper has seized up and locked that brake 4 times. The caliper squeezes the pad against the rotor causing the steering wheel to pull hard left, then the rotor overheats and smokes. I pull over before a fire starts. Have replaced calipers, pads, hoses, but symptoms still persist. I have to stop and wait until the brakes cool down (about an hour) before they function normally. Once I get to a repair shop, the brakes function normally and they tell me everything is fine. I looked online and found that I am not the only one this is happening to. On one site alone (http://www.carcomplaints.com/dodge/dakota/2002/brakes/brake_cylinder_lock-up.shtml) there are 15 others who are dealing with brake failure.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2002 Dodge Dakota engine failure
Is engine failure a common problem on the 2002 Dodge Dakota?
17 of 678 owner complaints about the 2002 Dodge Dakota (3%) mention engine failure. The model year with the most reports is 2002.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2002 Dodge Dakota?
There are 0 recalls and 3 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2002 Dodge Dakota
Ball joint 197Headlights 23ABS 22Stalling 22Brake failure 21Harsh shifting 21Premature wear 20Fire or smoke 18No deployment 16Overheating 15Won't shift 15Wipers 15Grinding brakes 12Knocking 12Pulling 11Check engine light 9Door locks 6Steering noise 6Jerking 5Loss of power 5Misfire 5Tire blowout 5Transmission failure 5
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