Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Dodge Dakota owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 1998 N/A Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that while at the DMV to renew the tags, the contact was unable to register the vehicle because the vehicle was under recall. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 00V193000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 163,159.
No specific crashes that I am personally aware of, but there have surely been many, possibly attributed to other causes. The failure-severely rusted brake fluid lines which have caused loss of braking. It occurs very frequently in the 'rust belt states', ie massachusetts for example. Repair involves replacing rusted lines and related parts, usually at substantial cost to vehicle owner. The reason for reporting this problem is that I am a repair shop owner with over 40 years in business, and I am seeing more of this problem every day. It constitutes a substantial percentage of my shop's business.
Rotors turned and then warped/wore set of pads down to bare metal in less than 20,000 miles. Rotors were warped at 32,000 (at time of purchase), 50,000, 63,000, and 80,000. Rear brakes replaced at same interval as front brakes, but hardly any wear was present at time of malfunction of front brakes. All other brake components inspected, no other failures noted. Failure caused an accident due to the brakes giving out. Rwal does not function. No system indication to malfunction. Pulled fuse, and system faults as normal. Extremely poor brake performance/endurance.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated while driving various speeds with the brake pedal engaged, the front brakes locked without warning and a strong burning odor and smoke emitted. The failure was experienced several times. The rotors, calipers and master cylinder were replaced twice. The failure was not corrected. The vehicle continued to smoke when the brakes were applied. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 40,000 and the current mileage was 48,000.
Tl*- the contact stated that while driving her 2000 Dodge Dakota (139000 failure mileage) at 50 MPH in the light rain, she attempted to go around a slightly sharp curve, but the curve turned out to be sharper than expected. When the contacts applied the brakes heavily the wheels locked, and the contact skidded, hitting the embankment. After the crash, in the process of exiting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the seat belt belt did not tighten to secure the occupant in the seat. As a result, she hit her head on the windshield.
Consumer complains about brake problems. The rotors warped at 10309 and 15,000 miles the consumer eventually replaced the brake system with an aftermarket system. On one occasion the front brakes started smoking. It was later determined that the caliper had stuck and overheated. Brakes lock up/ smoke, and have even caught on fire. No one seems able to repair them. While driving and wanting to stop, cannot stop. This is a serious problem. Consumer has not been able to drive vehicle for a while.
While driving at 25 MPH consumer was following another vehicle, and upon stepping on the brakes consumer's vehicle did not slow down and collided with the other vehicle. Consumer was wearing seat belts, but the air bags did not deploy. When driving at any speed the brakes usually locked up, causing the vehicle to slide to the right through intersections.
Power steering fails. Lose control of steering at highway speeds after about 1.25 hours. First occurance in August 2002, then October, 2002. Did not drive on highway for extended period until August 2003 - failed again and again on mountain roads, exits, straightaways while passing, gentle curves. November 2002 dealer replaces rack and pinion and bushings at 23,997 miles. August 18, 2003, 31424 miles, dealer replaces column, intermediate shaft and bolt per starline. Sep 3, 2003, 31904 miles, dealer replaces all four control arms - cannot replicate problem as they will not drive the required miles, I'm their test dummy. The knobs for air conditioning also broke at this time - charged to fix this. Manufacturer says to contact dealer, dealer won't drive necessary miles - I still have to check the sep 3 repair to see if it really fixed the problem. …
I own a 2000 Dodge Dakota 2wd. There are defective ball joints on the front end. There was a recall on 4wd dakotas, however, there has been no recall for the ball joints on the 2wd models. There was an "extended warranty" that was silently (as in I never knew there was an issue) on the ball joints on the 2wd models. I have had 6 years of continuous trouble with the front end of the vehicle (I bought it brand new 07/2000). As in I have replaced the rotors on the front end at least every 3 months for the first 18 months of owning it. I have had it aligned (front and rear alignments) over a half dozen times. All work done in the first 18 months was done at the dealer, who should have been, and probably was made aware of the issue. …
At approx. 8K miles, pulsing and shimmy started in front end. Had to resurface rotors. Had to do again later at about 35K. Not normal. At 15K reported front end creaks/groans dealer found no problem. At 35K more of the same, dealer replaced front stabilizer/sway bushing. At 38K miles, replaced lower steering column. Helped some but still creaking when steering at low speed. At 53K asked again about steering groan. Dealer says he could fix for about $1000 (of course out of warranty now! And I've been asking about this since 15K miles). Also at 53K, replaced lower ball joints left side and fuel pump. At 59K back in the shop today to replace right ball joints which cause vehicle steering to "wander" and have badly worn inside right tire. Quality of vehicle is lousy and they won't admit it or stand behind it. …
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Vehicle description: pickup trucks built with 2.5l engines. Some vehicles May have been built with inadequate clearance between the left front brake tube and the power steering hose.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the brake tube and power steering hose for wear. If wear is evident, the brake tube and/or power steering hose will be replaced.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Vehicle description: pickup trucks. Some vehicles May have been built with inadequate clearance between the rear axle vent hose and the brake hose.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear brake hose for evidence of wear. Worn brake hoses will be replaced. The rear vent hose will be shortened by 3 inches and a clip will be installed to assure clearance between the axle vent…
Brake complaints in other Dakota years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2000 Dodge Dakota?
NHTSA has 263 complaints about the brakes of the 2000 Dodge Dakota, 33% of the model year's 806 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › disc › rotor (137 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Dodge Dakota brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 00V-193 (hoses, lines/piping, and fittings, Jul 17, 2000); NHTSA recall 00V-198 (hoses, lines/piping, and fittings, Jul 17, 2000). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2000 Dodge Dakota brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 30,000 miles, and 49% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 16 crashes, 3 fires and 6 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.