Dodge Dakota Parking brake won't engage Inspection at your home or office.

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Parking brake won't engage Inspection Service

How much does a Parking brake won't engage Inspection cost?

On average, the cost for a Dodge Dakota Parking brake won't engage Inspection is $95 with $0 for parts and $95 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

CarServiceEstimateShop/Dealer Price
1993 Dodge DakotaV6-3.9LService typeParking brake won't engage InspectionEstimate$114.99Shop/Dealer Price$124.99 - $132.49
2010 Dodge DakotaV8-4.7LService typeParking brake won't engage InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$105.01 - $112.52
1992 Dodge DakotaV8-5.2LService typeParking brake won't engage InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$105.01 - $112.52
1995 Dodge DakotaL4-2.5LService typeParking brake won't engage InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$104.99 - $112.48
2000 Dodge DakotaV8-5.9LService typeParking brake won't engage InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$105.02 - $112.55
1994 Dodge DakotaV6-3.9LService typeParking brake won't engage InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$105.01 - $112.52
1996 Dodge DakotaV8-5.2LService typeParking brake won't engage InspectionEstimate$99.99Shop/Dealer Price$109.87 - $117.28
1989 Dodge DakotaV6-3.9LService typeParking brake won't engage InspectionEstimate$99.99Shop/Dealer Price$110.24 - $117.94
Show example Dodge Dakota Parking brake won't engage Inspection prices

Engaging your parking brake ensures that your car doesn’t roll when you park on a hill. This is important in a wide variety of situations, whether you’re parking at home and your driveway is angled, or you’re backing down a boat ramp to unload in the lake. If your parking brake won’t engage, then you’re relying solely on the transmission’s park setting to hold the vehicle in place, which is never a good thing. It could slip, and it could also cause damage to the transmission.

How this system works:

Most parking brakes are relatively simple affairs – really nothing more than a cable that attaches to the handle that sits between your front seats (or the parking brake pedal under the dash in some cars). Pulling the handle pulls the cable, which engages the parking brake assembly and pushes a pair of brake shoes into contact with the inside of the drum.

However, despite that simplicity, there are several things that could go wrong with your parking brake. The most common issue is simply that you need to adjust your brake shoes. However, there could be a problem with the cable (corrosion or wear, for instance), or there could be a problem with the handle itself, although this is rare.

Common reasons for this to happen:

  • Need to Adjust Brake Shoes: The single most common reason your parking brake won’t engage is a need to adjust the brake shoes. This requires removing the rear wheels, removing the drum, and then adjusting the wheel to spread the shoes apart. Both sides should be adjusted.

  • Cable Is Detached: Another potential reason here is that the cable may have come loose from one or both sides. The cable must attach to both rear brakes for your parking brake to work (if it attaches to just one side, the brake will engage but feel loose, and the car will roll on a hill).

  • Cable Is Loose at the Handle: A much less common problem is that the nut where the cable attaches under the handle is loose. If this happens, there will be slack in the cable, and pulling the handle will not engage the parking brake. This is most common after inexpert parking brake repairs.

  • Rusted Bell Crank: The bell crank is really nothing more than a lever that sits near the front of the parking brake assembly. These are prone to rusting, particularly if you don’t use your parking brake very often. If this is the case, your parking brake will not engage.

What to expect:

One of our experienced mobile mechanics will come to your home or office and inspect the entire parking brake system, from the handle to the bell crank, the cabling and the attachment points at the rear. The mechanic will also provide you with a full report that details the scope and cost of any necessary parts and repairs.

How it's done:

The mechanic will inspect all aspects of your parking brake, beginning with the handle or pedal in the cabin. The mechanic will also inspect the cables, the shoe condition and adjustment and other aspects of your parking brake system. It may be necessary to remove one or both rear wheels, as well as the brake drums (if your car has drum brakes). If your car has disc brakes, the caliper and rotor may need to be removed to inspect the parking brake shoes, which are located inside the built-in drum on the rotor itself.

How important is this service?

If your parking brake will not engage, it will not prevent you from driving, but it does make parking on an incline risky. It’s possible that the transmission will slip out of park, and the vehicle will roll down the slope. One of our mechanics can fully assess your parking brake and advise you on what is needed to repair it.

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Real customer reviews from Dodge owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(496)

Rating Summary
459
23
4
3
7
459
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4
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7

John

27 years of experience
1019 reviews
John
27 years of experience
Dodge Dakota V6-3.7L - Brakes, Steering and Suspension Inspection - Seabrook, Texas
Hard to find an honest mechanic, but I feel John is definitely one of them. Was honest enough to tell me what I had initially booked for wasn’t need and diagnosed the problem staving me 300 bucks! Definitely recommend and will use again.

Dellano

18 years of experience
509 reviews
Dellano
18 years of experience
Dodge Dakota V8-4.7L - Car is not starting - Silver Spring, Maryland
very good

Chuck

10 years of experience
347 reviews
Chuck
10 years of experience
Dodge Dakota V8-4.7L - Parking / Emergency Brake does not work - Allen, Texas
On time, no BS, answers questions. I'll always book Chuck

Jose

17 years of experience
433 reviews
Jose
17 years of experience
Dodge Dakota V6-3.9L - Power Steering Pump - Gresham, Oregon
Jose is a superb mechanic. Very knowledgeable and adept, he knows his job and the vehicles he works on..he is hard working and has excellent economy of motion. Because he is so up on his job he is able to review the diagnosis he has been given and make appropriate decisions regarding what is truly needed. He has a great deal of integrity and is honest to a fault..I will be using your business in the future and will always request Jose to be MY mechanic.

Excellent Rating

(496)

Rating Summary
459
23
4
3
7
459
23
4
3
7
Number of Dodge Dakota services completed
5456+
services done by our mechanics
TOTAL NUMBER OF EXPERT Dodge MECHANICS
1400+
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