1998 DODGE STRATUS Complaints

CAR BEGAN LEAKING OIL, BUT HAS GOTTEN REALLY BAD IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND IT HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AS HAVING A FAULTY HEAD GASKET. APPARENTLY A COMMON AND WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE YEAR CAR. DT

HEAD GASKET FAILURE INTERNET REVEALS WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED PROBLEM. CALLED CHRYSLER THEY SAID INDIVIDUAL DEALERS WOULD HANDLE PROBLEM ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. REPUTABLE DEALER ALSO AAA OFFERED TO REPAIR AS GOOD WILL FOR $378. I HOPE SOMEONE ELSE BENEFITS FROM MY EXPERIENCE. WHAT IS THE CORRECT THING FOR A MANUFACTURER TO DO WHEN IT APPEARS EVERY SINGLE ENGINE WILL EVENTUALLY FAIL BEFORE THE EXPECTED LIFE OF THE PART? CAN THE GOV'T HELP US? DT

STARTED WITH AN OIL LEAK THAT REQUIRED ABOUT A QUART OF OIL PER TANK OF GAS. THIS SUDDENLY GOT MUCH WORSE, ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO. CAR BEGAN TO OVERHEAT AND ALSO HAD NO HEAT INSIDE. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS A THERMOSTAT AND I PURCHASED ONE AND WENT TO REPLACE IT, ONLY TO FIND THE COOLANT LOOKING LIKE CHOCOLATE MILK. SEEMS TO BE A CLEAR INDICATION OF A RUPTURED HEAD GASKET. ENGINE WILL STILL RUN AND THERE SEEMS TO BE NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE, ONLY THAT THE OILS IS BLOWING INTO THE WATER. WITH NO HEAT ON THE INSIDE, I WOULD HOPE THAT A HEATING/COOLANT SYSTEM FLUSH WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT. DT

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITH NO WARNING STEERING BOLTS ARE LOOSE, AND IT IS CAUSING STEERING WHEEL TO JUMP AROUND, MAKING IT HARD FOR CONSUMER TO STEER VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING NOTICED A BURNING SMELL AND OIL STAINS UNDER VEHICLE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, AND INDICATED THAT HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AKCONSUMER SPOKE TO A DODGE REPRESENTATIVE WHO INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES. *JG

HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING OIL. THE DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AND GAVE ME A QUOTE OF $800 TO REPLACE HEAD GASKET. I TOLD THE DEALER THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS SURROUNDING THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. I DID NOT FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY ALL OF THE EXPENSE.*AK

HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED ORIGINALLY IN NOV 00 AND WAS REPLACED 3 ADDITIONAL TIMES WITHIN THE NEXT 6-8 MONTH PERIOD. I NOTICED THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN EARLIERS THIS YEAR AND AM PREPARING TO TAKE IT IN FOR THE 5TH TIME.*AK

MY HEAD GASKET HASN'T TOTALLY BLOWN YET BUT MY CAR IS GOING THROUGH A QUART OF OIL A WEEK. I'VE HAD THE GASKET COVER REPLACED AND NEW SPARK PLUG WIRES INSTALLED. OIL STILL COMING OUT . I TAKE CARE OF MY CAR BUT NOT THROUGH THE DEALER. I HAD TO REPLACE THE ROTORS AT 16000 MILES. ALBANY DODGE SAID THAT THEY COULD RESURFACE THEM FOR $90 A PIECE. I BELIEVE THE ROTORS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MESSED UP AT THAT TIME.*AK

I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT ON FEB. 16 1998/1999??. AND MY CAR WAS ALMOST TOTALLED. THE COLLISION REPAIR SHOP WAS SUPPOSED TO REPLACE ALL OF THE BAD PARTS TOTALLING SOMEWHERE A LITTLE OVER 9,000$ . EVERY TIME I WOULD GO TO PICK UP MY CAR THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH IT. FINALLY AFTER LIKE 5 TRIPS TO THE REPAIR SHOP I TOOK IT HOME. A WHILE LATER I HAD TAKEN IT IN TO BE WORKED ON THE SIDE THE DAMAGE WAS DONE TO IT. THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THEY WOULD NOT TOUCH IT BECAUSE IT WAS A HAZARDOUS SITUATION AND THE CAR SHOULDN'T EVEN BE ON THE ROAD. WELL COME TO FIND OUT THE DAMAGE WAS NEVER REPLACED BUT BUFFED AND COATED WITH BONDO. THE COLLISION SHOP ENDED UP PAYING FOR IT TO GET FIXED BUT STATE FARM SAID HE WAS GUILTY OF INSURANCE FRAUD AND I WOULD LIKE THIS INVESTIGATED. IF HE HAS DONE IT TO ME HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAS HE DONE IT TO. NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT EVERYONE INCLUDING MY 7 YEAR OLD NEPHEW, WAS IN DANGER EVERY TIME WE WOULD GET IN MY CAR. THEY SAID THAT IT WOULD BUCKLE UNDER THE LIGHTEST OF HITS. PLEASE GET BACK TO ME REGARDING THIS MATTER. THE COLLISION SHOP IS CALLED EXPERT COLLISION ON 14 MILE & DEQUINDRE/ JOHN R.*AK

MARCH 2002 NOTICED OIL LEAKAGE. HAD IT CHECKED AND FOUND THAT THE HEAD GASKET NEEDED REPLACED. THE CAR DIDN'T HAVE EVEN 60000 MILES ON IT. SECONDLY, THE CAR STARTING JUST THIS SUMMER HAS STALLED ON NUMEROUS OCCASION. THE TEMPERATURE HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOVE 90 DEGREES AND THE AIR CONDITIONING HAS BEEN RUNNING ON HIGH. IT STALLS ONLY WHEN I'M AT A STOP OR IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC TRYING TO SHIFT FROM FIRST. I HAVE A STANDARD, THE CLUTCH DOESN'T FEEL LIKE IT IS SLIPPING, AND I'M SURE IT'S NOT USER ERROR. THIS JUST STARTED STALLING THIS SUMMER. I'VE HAD IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, BUT THEY DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. BUT IT STALLS CONSISTENTLY WHEN THE TEMP. REACHES ABOVE 90 DEGREES.*AK