Dodge Stratus Complaints

2,721 consumer complaints on file.

#543592January 23, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
HEAD GASKET FAILED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#833969January 22, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
OIL IS LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE HEAD GASKET. THE VEHICLE IS BEING SERVICED AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE KIT FOR THE ENGINE HEAD GAKSET IS ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#702468January 22, 1999
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
I HAVE HAD THE BRAKES FAIL ON MY STRATUS 5 TIMES SO FAR (AND COUNTING) TO THE POINT WHERE I HAD NO BREAKING POWER AND WAS FORCED TO USE THE PARKING BRAKE ON ALL OCCASIONS TO STOP THE VEHICLE IN TIME BEFORE CRASHING INTO OTHER VEHICLES. ON ALL OCCASIONS I HAVE BEEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, ON DRY ROADS, FOR GENERALLY ONLY 15 -30 MINUTES AFTER GETTING INTO THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER HAS LOOKED AT IT AND FOUND NO DIAGNOSABLE PROBLEM. I AM HAVING THEM LOOK AT IT ONE MORE TIME NEXT WEEK AND THEN IF IT IS NOT FIXED, I WILL HAVE THE NH MOTOR VEHICLE ARBITRATION BOARD ARBIRTRATE TO GET ME A NEW VEHCILE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#833839January 21, 1999
SUSPENSION
WHEN COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP AT A STOP SIGN OR LIGHT AND WHEN APPLYING THE GAS TO PULL OFF AGAIN, THE VEHICLE JERKS VERY HARD LIKE SOME ONE HIT THE VEHICLE IN THE BACK. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#833765January 20, 1999
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT, STEERING:COLUMN
FLOOR SHIFT INDICATOR DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY. INDICATOR IS LOCATED ON DASHBOARD & NOT SHOWING WHAT GEAR VEHICLE IS LOCATED IN. ALSO, STEERING WHEEL TILTS WHERE IT OBSTRUCTS THE VIEW OF THE INDICATOR. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#833789January 20, 1999
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STARTED MAKING NOISE, AND WOULD NOT MOVE FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. DEALER SAID VEHICLE NEEDS NEW TRANSMISSION. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#702407January 20, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
OIL LEAK, DEALER CONFIRMED HEAD GASKET, SAID CHRYSLER KNOWS OF PROBLEM AND OFFERING TO COVER WITH A $100 DEDUCTIBLE, PLUS I HAVE TO PAY THEM FOR A RENTAL CAR. THEN THE CAM SENSOR GOES OUT, ANOTHER $185.00 TO DEALER. I FEEL THE FAILURE OF THE HEAD GASKET AND OIL LEAK COULD HAVE CAUSED THE CAM SENSOR TO GO OUT. 3 WEEKS PRIOR THEY HAD PERFORMED A RECAL ON THE PCM MODULE, WHICH IS CONNECTED TO THE CAM SENSOR. THEY ARE SAYING TOTALLY UNRELATED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#833658January 19, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED AN OIL LEAK WHICH MAY CAUSE A FIRE IF A SOURCE OF IGNITION. CAUSE UNKNOWN. HAS NOT BEEN TO DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#833670January 19, 1999
SUSPENSION:FRONT
THE FRONT RIGHT END OF THE VEHICLE COLLAPSED WHILE ON THE EXPRESSWAY. DEALER HAS THE VEHICLE NOW. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#702282January 16, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
SEVERAL OWNERS OF THE NEON AND STRATUS CARS HAVE BEEN SHOWING UP WITH HEAD GASKET FAILURES WHICH ARE NOT AN INEXPENSIVE REPAIR. BETWEEN THE OIL LEAKS, OVERHEATING AND WORRIES, I AM WONDERING WHO TO CONTACT TO SEE IF CHRYSLER FAILED TO BUILD THE MOTOR WITH THE CONSUMER IN MIND.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#833646January 15, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE HEAD GASKET LEAKING OIL. CHRYSLER SAID THAT THEY WOULD PAY FOR HALF OF THE REPAIR COSTS, BUT CONSUMER FEELS THEY SHOULD COVER ALL OF IT. DEALER SAID NEW GASKET WAS BEING DESIGNED BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. *AK *ML
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#833362January 11, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THERE IS A LEAKAGE WITHIN THE ENGINE HEAD GASKET FROM WHICH THE OIL IS GETTING ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD, WHICH COULD CATCH ON FIRE. CONSUMER CAN SMELL OIL BURNING.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#702126January 11, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
OIL LEAKING FROM ENGINE. DISCOVERED AT 33K MILES ON CAR. LEAK ISOLATED DOWN TO HEAD GASKET. HEAD GASKET REPLACED AT NO CHARGE( UNDER WARRANTY). NOTED OTHER INDIVIDUALS WITH SIMILAR FAILURES IN THE SAME PRODUCT LINE. DEALER MENTIONED TO ME THAT THERE IS A KNOW DEFICIENCY IN THE HEAD GASKETS THAT WERE INSTALLED IN THESE VEHICLES. RECOMMEND CHRYSLER INVESTIGATE AND DETERMINE NEED FOR RECALL. NOT SURE WHETHER THIS IS A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD OR NOT , BUT LEAKING OIL IS A SAFETY HAZARD TO THE ENVIRONMENT.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#702004January 8, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
INCREASING ENGINE OIL LEAKAGE EVIDENT FROM BETWEEN THE ENGINE TO TRANSMISSION JUNCTION BUT DOES NOT APPEAR TO ORIGINATE FROM THE HEAD ASSEMBLY (I.E. VALVE COVER), POSSIBLY THE MAIN BEARING OR ?OIL GALLEY PLUG?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#701980January 7, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING OIL ALL OVER THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE AT A RATE OF 1 QUART EVERY 10-14 DAYS, CAUSING NAUSEATING ODORS INSIDE VEHICLE. TWO DEALERS ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND SAY THAT THERE ISN'T A RECALL ON THE HEAD GASKET, AND THAT'S IT'S NOT THEIR PROBLEM, RATHER IT'S MINE, AND I HAVE TO PAY THE $600 TO FIX IT. THIS IS NOT RIGHT!. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#701992January 7, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
SEVERE OIL LEAK ON BACKSIDE OF ENGINE NEAR EXHAUST MANIFOLD. WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT THE RECALLED OIL GALLEY PLUG IN THE HEAD BUT THE HEAD GASKET WAS BAD. HAD TO HAVE HEAD GASKET REPLACED, CAM SEALS, CAM SENSOR AND VARIOUS OTHER GASKETS. WAS TOLD BY ANOTHER CHRYSLER DEALER THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT THESE ENGINES DUMP OIL, BUT CHRYSLER DOES NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. ONE DEALER SAID THEY HAVE REPLACED 7 IN THE PAST 2 WEEKS, A GOODYEAR SHOP TOLD US THAT THEY SAW 5 IN ONE WEEK THAT HAD COME IN FOR OTHER REASONS AND THEY HAD TO SEND THEM TO THE DEALER. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS. WE HAD TO PAY TO HAVE THIS REPLACED AND CHRYSLER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE. HEAD GASKETS DO NOT JUST GO BAD ON NEW CARS. TO PUT THE FINAL NAIL IN OUR COFFIN. THE DEALER (JACK CARUSO REGENCY DODGE IN JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA) THAT REPLACED THIS GASKET, PUT OUR ENGINE BACK TOGETHER WRONG. WE WERE DRIVING AND THE CAR LOST POWER AND WE SMELLED FUEL. THE FUEL LINE TO THE ENGINE WAS LOOSE AND SPRAYING OIL EVERYWHERE, THE GROUNDSTRAP WAS ARCHING WITH THE SPARK PLUG WIRE AT THE DISTRIBUTOR. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A DIFFERENT DODGE DEALER AS WE WERE ON VACATION. THE DEALER SAID WE CAME VERY CLOSE TO LOSING OUR LIVES, ANOTHER FEW SECONDS AND THE CAR WOULD HAVE EXPLODED. THEY SAID "WHOEVER PUT THIS ENGINE BACK TOGETHER DID A ?!@#$% JOB AND DID NOT KNOW WHAT THEY WERE DOING" THE FUEL LINE WAS BENT AND THE SEAL CRACKED, THE VACUUM LINES WERE NOT ROUTED CORRECTLY, BRACKETS WERE LOOSE ON HOSES AND PARTS LOOSE ON THE BACK OF THE ENGINE. AFTER WE PAID AGAIN TO HAVE THIS FIXED, WE BROUGHT THE CAR TO OUR DEALER WHO SCREWED UP AND THEY DENY EVERYTHING AND ARE NOT OF ANY HELP. WE ARE OUT A LOT OF MONEY, BUT AT LEAST IT IS ONLY MONEY, WE CAME VERY CLOSE TO LOSING THE LIVES OF 4 PEOPLE. THIS IS UNCALLED FOR! *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#833093January 6, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING OIL ONTO THE ENGINE MANIFOLD WHICH COULD CAUSE A FIRE. GASKET IS ON BACKORDER FOR OVER A MONTH. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#833120January 6, 1999
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:POWER STEERING FLUID
THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS CONTAMINATED WHICH CAUSED LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND MAY HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#781794January 6, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
OIL LEAKS FROM LEFT REAR ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD. PREVIOUSLY REPLACED LEAKING CAMSHAFT.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#833034January 5, 1999
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
VEHICLE HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAIN MODULATOR THAT RUNS THE COMPUTER. IT IS CAUSING THE GAS NOT TO FLOW FROM THE TANK TO THE FUEL INJECTOR. CONSUMER SAYS TO GET THE VEHICLE STARTED, CONSUMER HAS TO PRESS THE GAS ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR, AND HOLD THE KEY HOWEVER LONG IT TAKES TO CATCH. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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