Problems · by component

2001 Dodge Dakota service brakes, hydraulic problems

118 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2001 Dodge Dakota cite service brakes, hydraulic, 17% of all 678 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
118
17% of all complaints
Crashes
6
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
7
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the service brakes, hydraulic

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE BRAKES FAILED TO ENGAGE. THE ABS AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE MODULE WAS DEFECTIVED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 139,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 10, 2014Service brakes, hydraulic, Service brakesODI 10597400
“APPLIED SERVICE BRAKE TO AVOID ANIMAL ON HIGHWAY AND REAR BRAKE LINE FAILED. AFTER AN INSPECTION OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM, IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT ALL OF THE HYDRAULIC LINE IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM SHOULD BE REPLACED DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION. VEHICLE HAS HAD THE BRAKE FLUID REPLACED EVERY 2 YEARS FOR THE PAST TEN YEARS. THE CORROSION IS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BRAKE LINES AND IS EXTREMELY EXCESSIVE FOR THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND THE CURRENT STATE OF THE SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM IS THAT OF A 20 YEAR OLD VEHICLE. THE CERTIFICATE OF COMPLACENCY FOR THE MATERIAL USED TO FABRICATE THE LINES SHOULD BE PRESENTED TO THE NHTSA. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 2, 2012Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10442132
“DRIVING WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF FORT COLLINS COLORADO AND STOPPING FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT THE FRONT BRAKES ON MY 2001 DODGE DAKOTA PICKUP TRUCK LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT RELEASE UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS ALLOWED TO SIT FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A REPAIR FACILITY, WHERE I WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL BEARING, BOTH ROTORS AND PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT AND WEAR. AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES WHEN THE BRAKES AGAIN LOCKED UP AFTER COMING TO A STOP AT A STOP SIGN AND BEGAN TO SMOKE FROM EXCESSIVE HEAT BUILD UP ON THE LEFT FRONT ROTOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE REPAIR FACILITY WHERE LEFT FRONT CALIPER WAS REPLACED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TEST DRIVEN, AT WHICH TIME THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE LOCKED UP IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE LEFT FRONT HAD. THE REPAIR FACILITY RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM FURTHER AND DISCOVERED VIA IDENTAFIX.COM THAT THE HYDRAULIC LINES AND CALIPERS ON BOTH THE RIGHT AND LEFT FRONT BRAKES HAD TO BE REPLACED IN ORDER TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS WAS NOT THE ONLY OCCURRENCE OF THIS PROBLEM AND IT APPEARS TO BE HAPPENING AT AROUND 70 TO 80,000 MILES. HAD…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 13, 2011Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10425273
“2001 DODGE DAKOTA HAS HAD FRONT BRAKES DRAG/LOCK UP. HAS HAPPENED TWICE, BOTH TIMES THE CALIPERS/ROTORS GOT EXTREMELY HOT AND SMOKED. AFTER FIRST TIME, TRUCK WAS TAKEN TO DEALER, THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG BUT COULD SEE THAT ROTORS HAD GOTTEN EXTREMELY HOT. AFTER ALLOWING CAR TO SIT FOR SEVERAL HOURS, THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO GO AWAY. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 30, 2011Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10422632
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE DAKOTA. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO TRAVEL INTO A DIFFERENT LANE WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE FRONT CALIPERS AND BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED. ALSO, THE FRONT ROTORS WERE RESURFACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS FOR THE IDENTICAL FAILURE AND THE SAME REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR THE THIRD TIME FOR THE IDENTICAL FAILURE OCCURRENCE. THE CONTACT WAS WAITING ON A RESPONSE FROM THE TECHNICIAN REGARDING THE EXTENT OF THE REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 23, 2010Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10357229
“FRONT BRAKES LOCK UP OR DRAG ON 2001 DODGE DAKOTA. EXTENSIVE RESEARCH IN THE INTERNET REVEALS NUMEROUS IDENTICAL PROBLEMS 2000-2005 DODGE DAKOTA AND DURANGO. PROBLEM BAFFLES ALL. NO RELIABLE FIX FOUND. BRAKES DRAG AND OVERHEAT, SMOKE, BURST INTO FLAMES, MAY CAUSE SEVERE DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 10, 2010Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10348458

Showing 6 of 118 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 14, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.