2001 DODGE STRATUS Complaints

DT: CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH VEHICLE HIT BLACK ICE AND SHE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THIS RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. UPON IMPACT, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THAT TIME. THEN, SHE WAS DRIVING AT A LATER DATE AND HIT A DEER. THIS WAS A FRONTAL IMPACT. UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AFTER THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS ONCE AGAIN IN CRASH WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS HIT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE, AND UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE REPAIRS WERE BEING MADE AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. *AK

SUBSEQUENT TO HAVING A RECENT OIL CHANGE AND ENGINE FLUSH MY ENGINE STARTED MAKING A LOUD CLICKING SOUND, WHILE I WAS DRIVING TO WORK. I PULLED OVER AT THE NEAREST GAS STATION AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF SO I COULD CHECK UNDER THE HOOD. UPON VISUALLY INSPECTING THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, THERE WAS NOT OBVIOUS SIGN OF ANYTHING WRONG, NO LEAKS ETC, I THEN CHECKED THE OIL AND IT WAS FULL AND CLEAN. I THEN TRIED RESTARTING MY VEHICLE AND IT WOULD NOT START, JUST CLICK ONCE THEN NOTHING. SUBSEQUENTLY I CALLED A TOWING COMPANY AND HAD MY VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST DODGE DEALERSHIP IN MY TOWN. I WAITED FOUR DAYS TO HEAR FROM THEM AND THEY NEVER CALLED SO FINALLY I HAD MY WIFE CALL THE DEALERSHIP AND SHE WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN BUT BEFORE THEY COULD DO ANYTHING I HAD TO AUTHORIZE THEM TO LET SOMEONE FROM CHRYSLER WARRANTY INSPECT MY VEHICLE AND THIS WOULD BE A $400.00 FEE, WHICH I HAD TO PAY. AFTER THE ALLEGED INSPECTION THE DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED THAT THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN DUE TO SLUDGE AND THAT CHRYSLER WARRANTY WOULD NOT REPAIR MY CAR,EVEN THOUGH I HAD A 7YR-100,000 MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE MILEAGE ON MY VEHICLE AT THE TIME THE ENGINE WAS 50,000 MILES AND ANY AND ALL ATTEMPTS TO GET COPIES OF THE ALLEGED INSPECTION WERE DENIED NOT ONLY FROM THE DEALERSHIP BUT ALSO FROM CHRYSLER WARRANTY. NUMEROUS TIMES I CALLED CHRYSLER WARRANTY IN HOPES OF GETTING SOME RESULTS BUT THE REPS WERE RUDE AND HAD THE ATTITUDE THAT ( OH WELL ) IT'S YOUR PROBLEM. NOW IT HAS BEEN SIX MONTHS MY CAR STILL IS NOT FIXED, I STILL HAVE TO MAKE PAYMENTS ON IT IN ADDITION TO EXTENDED MEDICAL BILLS FOR MY WIFE AS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE ACTIONS OR LACK THERE OF BY DODGE/CHRYSLER. IN REGARD TO THE MEDICAL MY WIFE WAS DIAGNOSED IN EXTREME DEPRESSION AND ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAK DOWN AND OUR FAMILY"S EMOTIONAL LIFE HAS BEEN IN DISARRAY AND A FINANCIAL STRAIN BY PAYING FOR A VEHICLE THAT CAN'T BE DRIVEN. *NM

ENGINE STARTING KNOCKING. TOOK TO REPAIR SHOP. WAS TOLD THAT THE TIMING GEAR HAD GONE CAUSING METAL TO BE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH ENGINE. THIS WAS DUE TO ENGINE SLUDGE A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE 2.7L ENGINE. NO WARNING LIGHTS JUST FAILURE. *JB

RIGHT REAR AXEL BROKEN, BOTH REAR BALL JOINTS BROKEN AND REAR UPPER CONTROL ARMS BROKEN ON DODGE STRATUS, 2001, WITH ONLY 26,000 MILES. FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING SLOWLY. BOTH REAR BALL JOINTS AND UPPER CONTROL ARMS SHOWED EXCESSIVE PLAY. *NM

1. THE CAR BATTERY OF MY 2001 DODGE STRATUS RT WENT DEAD ON SUNDAY MORNING. I PURCHASED A CORRECT REPLACEMENT BATTERY AND INSTALLED IT ON THE VEHICLE. 2. UPON STARTING THE CAR AFTER INSTALLING THE NEW BATTERY, THE CAR WOULD NOT IDLE BUT WOULD ONLY SHUT DOWN. I TRIED THIS SEVERAL TIMES AND I COULD ONLY KEEP THE CAR RUNNING WHILE GIVING IT GAS. I TRIED DRIVING THE CAR AND IT DROVE OK UNTIL I RELEASED THE GAS PEDAL IN ORDER TO SLOW DOWN, STOP, OR MAKE A TURN AND EACH TIME THE CAR ENGINE SHUT DOWN. 3. I MANAGED TO DRIVE THE CAR TO THE DODGE DEALER, STALLING OUT AT STOP SIGNS, STOP LIGHTS, INTERSECTIONS, AND TURNS. THE CAR WOULD ALWAYS RESTART AND BY GIVING IT GAS AND THROWING IT BACK INTO DRIVE, I COULD CONTINUE. AFTER A DAY, THE DODGE DEALER ANALYSIS WAS THAT BECAUSE I HAD CHANGED THE CAR BATTERY, THE ENGINE COMPUTER LOST ALL OF ITS "LEARNING" PARAMETERS AND THE CAR WOULD HAVE TO BE DRIVEN FOR 2 WEEKS TO LEARN THE PARAMETERS. I WAS TOLD THAT CHRYSLER HAD NO "QUICKSTART" SOFTWARE THAT COULD BE LOADED ONTO THE AUTOMOBILE'S COMPUTER TO ALLOW IT TO RUN PROPERLY. SO THE DODGE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO OPERATE MY CAR IN TRAFFIC WHEN IT STALLED EVERY TIME MY FOOT CAME OFF THE GAS PEDAL, AND THAT WAS THEIR SOLUTION TO FIX THIS PROBLEM....TO OPERATE MY CAR IN AN UNSAFE MANNER BECAUSE THEY HAD NO MEANS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THERE IS NO WARNING IN THE VEHICLE OPERATORS MANUAL ABOUT THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CONDITION WHERE YOUR CAR STALLS IN TRAFFIC IF YOU CHANGE THE BATTERY AND I FIND THIS "SOLUTION" UNSAFE AND TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. *JB

REAR TOP MOUNTS ON BOTH THE REAR STRUTS CORRODED INTO SEVERAL PIECES. VERY POOR MANUFACTURING USING CHEAP POT METAL AS THEY WERE COMPLETELY CORRODED FROM SALT,ETC. COULDN'T FIND REPLACEMENT STRUTS IN STOCK ANYWHERE(OUT OF STOCK AND ON BACK ORDER CROSS COUNTRY) AND IT WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE VEHICLE IN THIS CONDITION. BOTH STRUTS WENT WITHIN A TWO WEEK PERIOD AND I ENDED UP GETTING TWO USED STRUTS FROM A JUNK YARD OFF OF A 2004 STRATUS WHICH HAD BEEN TOTALLED WITH 2000 MILES ON IT.

DODGE STRATUS 2001, 46000 MILES. CAR WAS PURCHASED USED FROM THE US GOVERNMENT ON PUBLIC SALE. AIR BAG LIGHT ON, HORN DOES NOT WORK, CRUISE CONTROL ALSO AFFECTED. THIS IS CAUSED BY FAULTY CLOCKSPRING PART LOCATED IN STEERING WHEEL. I CALLED DODGE AFTER DISCOVERING ON YOUR WEB SITE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR 1,500,000 GRAND CARAVANS THAT HAD A SAME PROBLEM CAUSED BY THEIR FAULTY CLOCKSPRING. GRAND CARAVANS ALSO HAD AIR BAG LIGHT ON, HORN WAS NOT WORKING AND CRUISE CONTROL WAS OFF. I EXPRESS MY CONCERN TO DODGE SINCE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I WAS HOPING THEY WILL CONSIDER FIXING THIS. I BEEN TOLD TO TAKE THE CAR TO DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND AFTER THEY RECEIVE RESULTS THEY WILL CONSIDER FIXING THIS. DIAGNOSTICS WERE PERFORMED AND RESULT WAS THAT THE CLOCKSPRING WAS BROKEN. DODGE DECLINED MY REQUEST FOR FIXING THE PROBLEM. I END UP PAYING FOR DIAGNOSTICS TO FIND OUT WHAT I ALREADY KNEW. I BELIEVE THAT CLOCKSPRING MECHANISM FOR DODGE STRATUS IS SOMETHING WHAT SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR THIS MODEL SINCE IT IS SAFETY ISSUE, THAT APPEARED ON OTHER RECALLED MODELS.

MY CAR IS A 2001 DOGDE STRATUS 4 DOOR ES. THE CAR HAS 57,000 MILES ON IT. AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE I ALSO PURCHASE AN EXTENDED WARRENTY FROM THE DEALER. THE WAS FROM FIRST EXTENDED SERVICE CORP. GANLEY EAST INC. AT 28840 EUCLID AVE. WICKLIFFE, OHIO 44092. I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON THURSDAY 6-16-05, STARTING OUT ON SIDE ROADS TO THEN THE FREEWAY AND THEN TO A MAIN ROUTE TO MY WORK. AFTER GETTING OFF THE FREEWAY I HAVE ABOUT A 15 MIN RIDE. AS I WAS PULLING INTO MY PARKING LOT I HEARD A LOUD BANG. THE CAR AT THIS POINT HAD A HARD TIME MOVING. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY PLACE TO SEE IF THE BROKEN (FRONT, PASSENGER SIDE) CONTROL ARM / BALL JOINT WAS COVERED AND THEY SAID YES. AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER WHICH COSTED ME $100.00. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE CAR AND TOLD THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT THE REASON THE CONTROL ARM SNAPPED WAS BECAUSE OF RUST OR CORROSION. BEING A MAJOR PART ON THE CAR AND THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS IF THE PART WOULD OF SNAP AS I WAS DOING 65 ON THE FREEWAY, I MIGHT NOT OF BEEN HERE TYPING THIS COMPLAINT. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS OUT OF THERE HANDS UPON PAYMENT AND BEFORE THIS THE EXTENDED WARRENTY COMPANY SAID IT WAS OUT OF THEIR HANDS AS WELL BECAUSE THE DEALER SAID THAT IT FAILED BECAUSE OF RUST. AT THE DEALER I WAS NEVER ASKED IF I WANTED THE BAD PARTS BACK OR TO SEE THEM, THEY NEVER WASHED MY VEHICLE AFTER THE SERVICE AND AFTER LEAVING THE DEALER AND DRIVING 2 MILES AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AND SUPPOSEDLY INSPECTED THE HUB CAP FLEW OFF THE CAR AND ALMOST CAUSED ME TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT ON THE WAY HOME. I WAS ABLE TO RETRIEVE THE HUB CAP AND GO BACK TO THE DEALER, WERE THEY DETERMINED THAT IT WAS BROKEN UP EITHER PUTTING IN ON OR TAKING IT OFF. THEY WERE SOOOO NICE TO ORDER ME ANOTHER ONE AT THEIR COST. I WAS CHARGED $680.43 FOR THE REPAIRS PLUS ANOTHER $100.00 FOR THE TOW TO ANOTHER COMPANY. AFTER RESEARCHING YOUR WEB SITE I HAVE FOUND AT LEAST 5 OTHER SIMILIAR COMPLAINTS WITH THE SAME MAKE, MODEL, YEAR AND PARTS.

DRIVER WOULD HEAR A RATTLING NOISE CONTINUOUSLY WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL IN EITHER DIRECTION,LEFT/RIGHT. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING AT 10 MPH, THE RATTLING NOISE MADE A LOUD SNAP AS IF SOMETHING INSIDE THE COLUMN WAS BROKEN. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE PERFORMANCE HAS NOT BEEN EFFECTED. ALSO, THE AIR BAG LIGHT HAS COME ON AND THE HORN AND THE CRUISE CONTROL IS ALSO INOPERATIVE. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *NM

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT BROKE, CAUSING MY RIGHT REAR WHEEL TO COLLAPSE WITHIN THE WHEEL WELL OF MY 2001 DODGE STRATUS ES. THE CONSEQUENCE OF THIS IS THAT CONTROL COULD HAVE BEEN LOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT HARMING MYSELF OR OTHERS ON THE ROAD. I MAINTAINED CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED OFF THE HIGHWAY. I THEN HAD TO AGAIN PAID FOR THE VEHICLE TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR.