2009 Dodge Challenger Brakes Problems

On several occasions while driving the vehicle would would appear to lose power and the front wheels would shake. After turning off the engine and restarting the car the problem resolved itself. It was taken to the dealership and they said they could not replicate the problem. Two days ago it did the same thing along with the passenger side front wheel heating and smoking. It was towed to the dealership again. The technician called to say that when he got into the car the brake pedal went to the floor and wanted to know if happened the day before. He was advised the pedal was fine and the brakes were stopping the vehicle. He said the brakes were worn down and the entire brake system needed replacement. There was no issue reported with the brakes on the previous inspection at the dealership in December 2022.

THIS CAR IS NOT FREQUENTLY DRIVEN AND SERVES AS A SPORTS CAR ONLY, NOT A COMMUTER, IT ONLY HAS 025,379 MILES ON IT. IT'S A SIX SPEED MANUAL TRANS WITH CLUTCH PEDAL. WHILE DRIVING THE CAR NOTICED WHAT FELT LIKE BRAKES (ALL OF THEM) DRAGGING, INCREASING THE LOAD AGAINST THE CLUTCH AND THROTTLE. NOT EXTREMELY BUT ENOUGH TO NOTICE. THIS SEEMED TO BE GETTING WORSE AND I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT A MALFUNCTION WITH COMPUTER OVERRIDE FEATURES LIKE "HILL-ASSIST" AND "STABILITY CONTROL", BOTH I GENERALLY SWITCH OFF. AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES OF DRIVING SLOW SURFACE STREET SPEEDS, STOP & GO, I CAME TO A STOP SIGN AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE CAR DID SLOWLY STOP. I WAS "ON ALERT" AND WAS USING THE GEARS TO SLOW ANTICIPATING A POSSIBLE FAILURE. WE WERE GOING TO DINNER AND AFTER ABOUT 4 MORE PEDAL TO FLOOR STOPS, IT WAS PARKED FOR JUST OVER AN HOUR AND REGAINED IT'S BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE AFTER SITTING. I CAUTIOUSLY DROVE STRAIGHT HOME. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH OF ANY TYPE AT ANYTIME. I THINK THIS INDICATES SOME COMPUTER OR OTHER SYSTEM FAILURE CONNECTED WITH THIS. CONDITIONS WERE A 90 PLUS DEGREE DAY WITH THE A/C-ON. THINGS SEEMED HOT UNDER THE HOOD AND AROUND THE MASTER CYLINDER AND RESERVOIR WHEN I FIRST PARKED FOR THAT HOUR. OTHER THAN "NO WARNINGS", THE OTHER SIGNIFICANT FACT IS, NEITHER OF US SMELLED OVERHEATED BRAKE MATERIALS AS YOU TYPICALLY WOULD. THIS I FIND REALLY ODD BECAUSE IF IT WASN'T THE BRAKES DRAGGING ON THE CAR, WHY DID THEY FAIL AND GO TO THE FLOOR "WHILE HOT" ? AS IT IS MY HABIT AT ALL TIMES, I PULLED THE PARKING BRAKE RELEASE A LOT, ASSURING IT WAS OFF THROUGH THIS. IT'S IN WORKING ORDER AND HOLDS THE CAR WHEN I PRESSED IT'S PEDAL DOWN, CLICKING AND LOCKING IT TO DO SO. I KNOW OF OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD WEIRD BRAKE FAILURES WITH OTHER YEAR MODEL CHALLENGERS. PLEASE CHECK ON THIS ! THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

STEEL BRAKE LINES RUSTED THROUGH AND DUMPED ALL BRAKE FLUID RESULTING IN TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE.... WAS PARKING THE VEHICLE WHEN LINE FAILED THANK GOD...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DODGE CHALLENGER. THE CONTACT WAS ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE FROM 30 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO AVOID A PRECEDING VEHICLE BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE, WENT OFF THE ROADWAY, AND STUCK A TRAFFIC SIGN. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO HIS WRIST. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE AND DETERMINED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH WAS NOT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THE MANUFACTURER DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIR TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 31,000. UPDATED 04/10/12*LJ

BRAKES THAT CONTINUE TO FADE AND SHUTTER UNDER EMERGENCY BRAKING. *TR