NHTSA Complaint #766274 — 2000 DODGE DAKOTA

AFTER ABOUT 13000 MILES, APPLICATION OF BRAKES CAUSED INCREASINGLY SEVERE SHUDDERING OF FRONT OF TRUCK ACCOMPANIED BY SIGNIFICANT EXTENSION OF BRAKING DISTANCE (AT LEAST 30%). NARROWLY AVOIDED WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR COLLISION. SUSPECTED FAILURE OF ABS, TOOK CAR TO DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED IT AS WARPED ROTORS IN THE FRONT. DEALER TURNED ROTORS AND REPORTED ESSENTIALLY ZERO WEAR ON THE BRAKEPADS. DEALER ALSO REPLACED BRAKE PADS. DEALER SURMISED THAT THERE WAS A CHRONIC MATERIAL PROBLEM WITH THE DAKOTA DISK BRAKE SYSTEM. THIS PROBLEM APPEARS TO MANIFEST ITSELF AGAIN NOW, SOME 8000 MILES LATER. WHEN I RECENTLY CONTACTED CHRYSLER BY E-MAIL AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM, THEIR RESPONSE WAS MERELY THAT THERE WAS CURRENTLY NO OPEN PROBLEM (HENCE NO ACTION). WHAT IS HARD TO FATHOM IS THAT NHTSA WITH SOME 100 USER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE VERY SAME SAFETY-RELATED PROBLEM DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE PURSUING THIS ISSUE. CORRECTIVE ACTION BY DODGE IN THE FORM OF A RECALL AND REPLACEMENT OF THE FAILURE-PRONE DISK SYSTEM IS CLEARLY WARRANTED IN THIS SITUATION. PLEASE ADVISE WHAT, IF ANY, ACTION NHTSA IS TAKING, OR PLANS TO TAKE, TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. THIS TRULY IS A MATTER OF "PEOPLE SAVING PEOPLE."*AK