2002 DODGE STRATUS Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35MPH ON A WINDING ROAD, CURVING RIGHT, THE STEERING WHEEL JERKED AND THE VEHICLE TURNED LEFT. THE BRAKES SEEMED STIFF WHEN APPLIED. THE VEHICLE HIT A FENCE AND THE DRIVER SUSTAINED SEVERE INJURIES. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, ALTHOUGH SEAT BELTS WERE WORN. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE AGENCY, BUT NO DETERMINATION WAS MADE AS TO WHY THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. HOWEVER, THE INSURANCE AGENCY DID DETERMINE THE ACCIDENT MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSE BY A STEERING OR BRAKE PROBLEM.

MY CAR NEEDS A NEW ENGINE. IT HAS ~42000 MILES. THE MECHANICS ONE FROM KNOXVILLE,TN WHERE THE ENGINE DIED AND THE ONE IN KENOSHA,WI WHERE I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR BROUGHT HOME, SAID THE OIL HOLES ARE TO SMALL TO LET SUFFICIENT OIL THRU THE ENGINE. THE CAR IS STILL SITTING AT THE MECHANICS SHOP BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE $3000.00 TO HAVE IT FIXED. *NM

LEFT FRONT AXLE CAME APART WHILE DRIVING. THE PREVIOUS MONTH THE RIGHT FRONT AXLE CAME OFF WHILE DRIVING. LOWER CONTROL ARM ON BOTH SIDES WERE REPLACED. *NM

DODGE STRATUS 2002 2.7 MOTOR FAILURE AT 80,000 DUE TO SLUDGE BUILD UP CAUSED BY WATER LEAKING INTO MOTOR, POOR ENGINE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURER SHOULD OF ADVISED THAT THIS CAR NEEDED AGGRESSIVE OIL CHANGES WITH SYNTHETIC OIL NOT FOSSIL FUEL BASED OIL. STRANDED WIFE ON HIGHWAY ON CHRISTMAS EVE. DEALERSHIP WILL NOT REPAIR DUE TO POOR MAINTENANCE. CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. SAID THAT I DID NOT DO ENOUGH OIL CHANGES. CAR WAS MAINTAIN TO COMPANY SPECS. *NM

02/2005 - DURING NORMAL COMMUTE HOURS, I NOTICED MY TRANSMISSION SLIPPING DURING ACCELERATION. TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP (63,067 ODOMETER), THEY SAID THAT THE TRANSMISSION COOLER LINES WERE LEAKING AND BOTH HOSES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.( I PARK MY CAR IN THE SAME SPOT AT WORK AND AT HOME, AND HADN'T NOTICED ANY LEAKAGE) I WAS ASSURED THAT ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO SPOTS, THAT SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM ALONG WITH A FLUSH, CLEAN, AND CONDITIONER. UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE PARTS WEREN'T COVERED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY.($406.62 IN REPAIRS) NOTHING WAS LISTED OR MENTIONED ABOUT ANY OTHER PARTS THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. 11/2005 - ON MY WAY TO WORK, THE TRANSMISSION STARTS SLIPPING AGAIN AND WENT OUT ON ME. THIS TIME I'M BEING TOLD I NEED A FRONT PUMP, VALVE BODY, AND TORQUE CONVERTER ($2,900 IN REPAIRS). WITH 81,000+ MILES ON THE CAR, AND NOW OUT OF WARRANTY, I'M BEING TOLD THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT. *NM

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 59,000 MILES ON MY 2002 DODGE STRATUS. THE VEHICLE STARTED TO MAKE A POPPING SOUND UNDER THE HOOD ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. THE SOUND WAS INTERMITTENT FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS. ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2005, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO MAKE A LOUD WHISTLING SOUND AND STARTED TO SHIFT HARD AND/OR DELAY SHIFT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A HARD PART TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE TOTAL COST OF REPAIR WAS $2100.00 AND THE VEHICLE WENT OUT OF WARRANTY AT 50,000 MILES. *JB

WATER OUTLET ERUPTED AND CAUSED VEHICLE TO RUN HOT. ALSO, THE ERUPTION KNOCKED A SLIGHT DENT IN THE HOOD. THE PART WAS ORDERED FROM THE MFR AND REPLACED THE NEXT DAY. *NM

DT: 2002 DODGE STRATUS. THE PROBLEM WAS A BROKEN UPPER REAR RIGHT BALL JOINT. WHILE DRIVING IN A PARKING LOT AT 5 MPH HEARD A NOISE , AND THE BACK END OF THE CAR SETTLED DOWN, UPON INSPECTION THE REAR RIGHT WHEEL WAS LEANING TOWARDS THE CAR. THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVABLE, AND HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED. IT HAS BEEN FIXED AT THE COST OF $200. THERE WERE NO RECALLS. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IF DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. NO ACCIDENTS. *AK *JB

MY 2002 DODGE STRATUS COUPE HAS FAULTY STARTS. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES, I HAVE HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERS TWICE BEFORE. THERE WAS ONE OCCASION WHEN IT DIDN'T START, THEN HOURS LATER ALL OF A SUDDEN IT DID. THE FIRST TIME I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERS, THEY SAID IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH A LARGE EVAPORATION LEAK. THE SECOND TIME, THE DEALERSHIP COULDN'T FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM , KEPT THE CAR FOR 4 DAYS, THEN TOLD ME THE CAR STARTED ON ITS OWN. THIS LAST TIME THE CAR DIED WHEN I WAS REVERSING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE. I TRIED TO RESTART IT MANY TIMES WITH NO LUCK, I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN, WHICH AT FIRST THEY COULDN'T FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM, NOW THEY ARE TELLING ME ITS A PROBLEM WITH THE PSM CONNECTION TO THE FUEL PUMP. BUT SOMETHING HAPPENED WHILE THEY TRIED TO FIX IT WHICH CAUSED A SHORTAGE , THEN THEY REALIZED IT WAS "DEFECTIVE WIRING". THE MECHANICS AT THE DEALERSHIP ARE NOW TAKING MY CAR APART AND TRYING TO REPLACE ALL THE FAULTY WIRING. BUT THERE IS ANOTHER ISSUE, I HAVE SERVICE RECEIPTS SHOWING "WON'T START, DRIVABILITY CONCERN" DATING BACK FROM 6/13/02 , 14 MONTHS PRIOR TO MY PURCHASING THE NEW VEHICLE. *JB

WHILE USING THE AIR CONDITIONING, THE BLOWER MOTOR WILL ONLY WORK ON HIGH. HAD THE CAR SERVICED AT THE DEALERSHIP IN CLARKSTON, MI AND IT WAS FOUND THAT THE RESISTER ON THE BLOWER MOTOR WAS DEFECTIVE. PART WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY IN 2004. ISSUE OCCURRED AGAIN IN JULY OF 2005. WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED AND MY HUSBAND REPLACED THE RESISTOR IN JULY OF 2005. IS THIS A HIGH FAILURE UNIT ON THE 2002 DODGE STRATUS? *NM