NHTSA Complaint #762367 — 1998 DODGE RAM

THE BRAKE CYLINDERS HAD BEEN LEAKING AND WERE REPLACED BY THE DEALER IN 2000. THEN AGAIN IN DECEMBER OF 2001 WE HAD BRAKE3 TROUBLE AND THE CALIPERS AND CYLINDERS HAS BRAKES BEGAN TO SQUEAK. WE HAD JUST HAD EVERYTHING DONE LESS THAN 6 MONTHS AGO. WE ASSUMED THAT AT THE WORST THE PADS NEEDED CHANGING. WE TOOK IT IN THE NEXT DAY. WE WERE INFORMED THAT IT WAS NOT THE WARNING SYSTEM BUT THAT THE CALIPERS WERE FROZEN AND HAD WORN OUT SO QUICKLY THAT THE BACK CYLIDERS WERE SHOT TOO. WE WERE TOLD THAT OUR BRAKES COULD HAVE GONE OUT COMPLETELY AT ANY MOMENT THERE WASN'T ANY WARNING. THANKFULL THAT WE DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT WE SPENT THE $800.00 TO FIX EVERYTHING. THE CALIPERS, ROTERS, CYLINDERS, PADS, EVERYTHING. THIS IS THE KICKER THAT NEXT WEEKEND FIVE DAYS LATER WE WERE COMMING HOME FROM OUT OF TOWN AND GOING DOWN A LARGE HILL THEY BEGAN TO SMOKE. AND WE TRIED TO PULL OVER. WE HAD NO BRAKES!!! THANK GOODNESS THERE WAS NO ONE IN FONT OF US. WE SHIFTED INTO A LOWER GEAR AND GRADUALLY CAME TO A STOP AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL. I AM STLL WAITING TO SEE WHAT THE PROB. IS NOW. I HAD CALLED DODGE TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY SORT OF PROB. OR RECALL WITH THE BREAK SYSTEM BEFORE AND THEY SAID NO. THEY WOULD FIX IT BUT CHARGE US TO DO SO. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND HAVE FOUND THAT THERE IS SO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEMS. OUR LIVES HAVE BEEN IN JEPORDY TWICE AND WE HAVE BEEN LUCKY. IT IS OBVIOUS THERE IS A PROB. LOOKING AT THE COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME NATURE WHY ARE THEY NOT DOING ANYTHING. DO PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE FIRST. WE HAVE TRIED IN VAIN TO FIX OUR TRUCK TO WORK PROPERLY WITH NO LUCK. I ONLY WISH WE COULD AFFORD TO BY ANOTHER TRUCK. I AM AFRAID THAT MINE AND MY FAMILY'S LIVES ARE IN JEPORDY. WHEN WILL DODGE STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND FIX THIS PROBLEM?*AK