NHTSA Complaint #11156922 — 2012 DODGE DART

THE EMERGENCY BRAKE FUNCTION ON THE REAR BRAKE CALIPERS ON THE MANUAL VERSION OF THE 2013 DODGE DART 1.4L MULTIAIR TURBO SEIZE OVER TIME. IT HAPPENED FIRST WITH MY BACK RIGHT REAR CALIPER. I WAS DRIVING AFTER HAVING PARKED USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE CAR WAS PULLING HARD TO THE RIGHT AND WAS RESISTING ACCELERATION. I PULLED OVER TO FIND MY BACK RIGHT WHEEL SMOKING AND THE ROTOR RED HOT. THE EVENT WAS DANGEROUS. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY LOCAL AUTOSHOP AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS GALVANIC CORROSION ON A SPRING THAT WAS INTENDED TO RELEASE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WHEN DISENGAGED. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THIS WASNT THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY HAD SEEN THIS ON THIS MODEL OF CAR, AND THAT I SHOULD EXPECT FOR IT TO HAPPEN ON THE OPPOSITE ASSEMBLY AS WELL. I DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO REPLACE BOTH AT THE TIME, SO I ONLY REPLACED THE DAMAGED CALIPER, ROTOR, AND PADS. SLIGHTLY OVER ONE YEAR LATER, THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED TO THE OTHER ASSEMBLY. I ATTEMPTED TO FIX IT MYSELF. TO MY SURPRISE, UPON GETTING UNDERNEATH THE CAR AND COMPARING THE TWO BRAKE ASSEMBLIES, THE ASSEMBLY THAT HAD BEEN REPLACED WAS VISIBLY DIFFERENT. THERE APPEARS TO BE A COATING ON THE RELEASE SPRING. TO ME, THIS SIGNIFIES THAT DODGE IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND HAS MADE A REVISION, HOWEVER THERE IS NOT A RECALL IN PLACE. CONSIDERING THE IMPORTANCE OF BRAKES AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EMERGENCY BRAKES TO MANUAL VEHICLES, I CONSIDER THIS UNACCEPTABLE. I HAVE SEARCHED FOR RECALLS AND NOT FOUND ANY, AND I HAVE REACHED OUT TO MY LOCAL DODGE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT WITHOUT A RECALL, THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO.