To the Doctor:
I have a Dodge Dakota. I understand these vehicles are notorious for having brake problems, which is why I’ve had to change pads twice already and rotors once. It seems to be at it again. It seems the caliper is not working properly. It pushes the pad against the rotor but doesn’t seem to release. Is this a problem with the caliper itself or the spindle that it mounts to, in your professional opinion?

The Doc Says:
You’re right in that your Dodge Dakota is notorious for having brake problems. In fact, we’ve found at least one recall for brake problems on the Dakota (06V038000). It was for 2006 models and involved the control module that balanced front and rear braking forces, so if you’re driving that model that could be the culprit.

Though, it’s impossible to know with any certainty what might be causing these persistent problems, a design flaw cannot be ruled out. I realize it’s expensive, but you might consider having the caliper replaced to see if that rectifies the problem. We have run across anecdotes from other Dakota owners who say that replacing the calipers rectified the braking problems.

Hope this helps.

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