1996 Dodge RAM 1500

I WAS TRAVELING TO TOWN AND AS I ENTERED THE TOWN AS I STARTED TO BRAKE I COULD FEEL THAT MY BRAKE PEDAL WAS FEELING SPONGY AND THE PEDAL SEEMED TO BE GOING TO THE FLOOR. I FELT AS THOUGH 90% OF MY BRAKING WAS GONE. I WAS ABLE TO STOP SAFELY THOUGH I HAD VERY LITTLE BRAKING. I FELT THAT I COULD NOT STOP SAFELY IN AN EMERGENCY. I RETURNED HOME VERY CAREFULLY AT SLOW SPEEDS. AFTER LOOKING MY VEHICLE OVER I SAW THAT ALL THE BRAKE FLUID WAS GONE FROM BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR COMPARTMENTS OF THE MASTER CYLINDER. UNDER MY VEHICLE IT SEEMED TO BE WET FROM BRAKE FLUID BETWEEN THE FUEL TANK AND FRAME RAIL WHERE THE BRAKE LINES RUN. THE BRAKE LINES HAD RUSTED THROUGH AND LEAKED OUT ALL FLUID. I FEEL THERE MAY BE 2 DANGEROUS ISSUES. 1 THAT IF THE FRONT OR REAR LINE LEAKS, THE REMAINING CHAMBER OF THE 2 CHAMBERS IN THE MASTER CYLINDER SHOULD NOT LOOSE ITS FLUID. THIS ALLOWS LIMITED BRAKING WITH THE BRAKE SECTION THAT HAS NOT LOST ITS FLUID. THE 2ND ISSUE IS THAT THE REAR BRAKES LINE RUNS IN THE FRAME RAIL BETWEEN THE FUEL TANK. THE FUEL TANK IS CONSTANTLY SWEATING ON HUMID DAYS WHICH SUBJECTS THE BRAKE LINES TO CONSTANT RUSTING. UNTIL THEY RUST THROUGH. I MAY TAKE SEVERAL YEARS. WITH THE BRAKE LINE RUNNING IN THE VEHICLE FRAME RAILS VERY CLOSE TO THE FUEL TANK YOU CAN NOT EASILY SEE IF ANY RUSTING HAS OCCURRED UNTIL ITS TOO LATE. I HAVE ALSO HAD ANOTHER VEHICLE OF ANOTHER MANUFACTURER ALSO RUST COMPLETELY THROUGH LOOSING ALL BRAKES. I FEEL ANY VEHICLE THAT HAS A FUEL LINE IN THE FRAME NEXT TO A FUEL TANK WILL ALSO RUST THROUGH. BECAUSE OF THE FUEL TANK SWEATING. *TR

1996 DODGE 1500 BRAKES FAILED. *TS WHILE BRAKING AT A TOLL BOOTH THE VEHICLE BRAKES FAILED AND RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE HITTING THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO IT'S FRONT GRILL, FRONT BUMPER, THE HOOD WAS PUSHED BACK, THE RADIATOR WAS DAMAGED AND POSSIBLE ENGINE DAMAGE. THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT HIS BACK AND NECK FELT TIGHT AFTER THE CRASH. THE OTHER VEHICLE SUSTAINED HEAVY REAR END DAMAGE. THAT VEHICLES OCCUPANT STATED THAT HIS HEAD AND LEGS HURT. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATES THAT BRAKE LINES THAT CARRY THE FLUID FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE WHEELS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE IS FROM WISCONSIN, AND THIS COULD HAVE BEEN BECAUSE OF THE SALT ON THE ROADS. ONE BRAKE LINE HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY BEEN REPAIRED, AND THE CONTACT IS WORRIED ABOUT THE BRAKE LINE RUSTING ON THE OTHER SIDE. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE RAN INTO A DITCH BECAUSE THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK. ; HE HAD TO BE PULLED OUT OF THE DITCH. THE LINE RUSTED TO THE POINT WHERE IT FORMED A HOLE IN THE LINE. THE VEHICLE IS IN FLORIDA NOW. AND THE CONTACT DOES NOT FEEL HE WILL HAVE THE RUST PROBLEM AGAIN BECAUSE HE IS NOT LIVING IN A SALT STATE . THE ABS BRAKES HAVE NOT WORK SINCE THE BRAKE LINE WAS TEMPORARILY FIXED. *AK

DT: WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE BRAKE LINE FAILED AND THE CONSUMER HAD NO BRAKES. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO STOP WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE AGAIN. THE BRAKE LINE WAS REPAIRED, AND THE CONSUMER WAS ADVISED TO HAVE ALL OF THE OTHER LINES INSPECTED AND REPLACED. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, BRAKE FLUID LEAKED ONTO THE MUFFLER AND PRODUCED A CLOUD OF SMOKE. *JB THE BRAKE LINES, REAR BRAKE ON THE AXLE AND THE BRAKE LINE FROM THE BOTTOM WERE REPLACED. *SC *JB

WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE DEALER KEPT THE VEHICLE FOR OVER A MONTH AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK THE CONSUMER CONTACTED CHRYSLER WHO SENT AN INVESTIGATOR TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE. THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD WERE NO LONGER ILLUMINATED, THEY JUST FLASHED. *PH *JB