2000 DODGE STRATUS Complaints

MY DODGE STRATUS 2000, 65,071 MILEAGE, CAUGHT FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. EVERYTHING UNDER THE HOOD "MELTED." THE FIRE DID NOT REACH THE INSIDE COMPARTMENT OF THE CAR. THE FIREFIGHTERS WERE SPEEDY AT PUTTING OUT THE FIRE. THERE WAS SMOKE COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD AFTER ABOUT 10 MIN. OF DRIVING. AND A BURNING SMELL WHICH I THOUGHT WAS ENGINE OIL. I TOOK IT TO A DODGE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION PAN, THE VALVE COVER GASKET, SPARK PLUGS AND BELTS. THE CAR CONTINUED TO SMOKE AND, AS I TOLD MY HUSBAND, I THOUGHT THERE WAS LIKE SOOTY ASHES BEING DEPOSITED ON TOP OF THE HOOD. I ASSUMED IT WAS BURNING OFF THE OLD OIL THAT HAD SPILLED ON THE ENGINE. AFTER TWO DAYS OF DRIVING I CALLED THE DODGE DEALER IN THE MORNING WHEN I CONFIRMED THAT THE CAR WAS STILL LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID AND OIL AND STILL SMOKING. THEY SAID TO BRING IT BACK ON MONDAY. I WENT HOME THAT EVENING, PICKED UP ONE CHILD FROM DAY CARE AND THEN WE BOTH WENT TO PICK UP ANOTHER CHILD FROM HER AFTER-SCHOOL PLACE. WE WALKED OUT ABOUT 12 MINUTES LATER AND HALF THE STREET WAS ENGULFED IN THICK SMOKE. I COULD SEE FIRE UNDER THE FRONT OF THE CAR. WE RAN BACK IN AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPT. MY INSURANCE INVESTIGATORS COULD NOT DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS MELTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THEY TOTALED THE CAR. THE DEALER SAID LEAKING OIL DOES NOT CAUSE FIRES. THEY BELIEVED IT WAS ELECTRICAL. *NM

I OWN A 2000 DODGE STRATUS AND HAVE THAT HAS A HIGH PRESSURE HOSE ON THE POWER STEEERING THAT IS LEAKING. IT IS DRIPPING ONTO THE ENGINE AND CAUSING SMOKE TO COME OUT FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I HAVE CONTACTED DODGE BUT EVEN THOUGH OTHER 2000 DODGE STRATUS WITH A 2.4 ENGINE HAVE BEEN RECALLED, BUT MINE WAS NOT INCLUDED PER DODGE. I FEEL DODGE NEEDS TO REEVALUATE THIS RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE ELSE IS HARMED FROM THERE NEGLECT. THIS CAR IS SMOKING AND COULD CATCH ON FIRE.*AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE EXITING THE INTERSTATE WHITE SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT. ALTHOUGH THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE REMAINED AT A NORMAL LEVEL THE SMOKE PERSISTED AND THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DRIVE HOME. ONCE PULLED OVER THE HOOD WAS OPENED AND FLAMES SHOT OUT OF THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT CLOSED THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME, BUT THE CLOSED HOOD ALREADY EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS TAKEN, BUT DID NOT IDENTIFY A SOURCE OF IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE DEALER DID NOT REPLACE THE ENGINE, BUT REPAIRED THE PARTS OF THE ENGINE THAT WERE DAMAGED BY THE FIRE. OVER A YEAR LATER, UNDER THE SAME DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE CONTACT NOTICED WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE SEAM OF THE HOOD AND FENDER. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED AND A REPORT WAS FILED, BUT AGAIN THEY WERE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER DID NOT REPLACE THE ENGINE, BUT REPAIRED THE PARTS OF THE ENGINE THAT WERE DAMAGED BY THE FIRE. AFTERWARDS, THE ENGINE STARTED BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT ACCELERATE AT A NORMAL SPEED, AND DISTRIBUTED A LOUD NOISE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *AK

WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE TWICE WITHIN ONE YEAR. FIRST IN 3/13/2003 THEN IN 4/2004 BOTH TIMES FIRE DEPT WAS DISPATCHED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND REPORTED TO CHRYSLER. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED BOTH REAR SIDE SEAT BELT ADJUSTORS BROKE. THIS OCCURRED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ADJUST THE SEAT BELTS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SEEN BY A DEALER. *AK UPDATED 02/07/06. *JB

OK MY CAR MAKES A HUMMING NOISE WHEN I HIT THE BRAKES HARD. ITS A LOUD HUMMING SOUNDS. I THOUGHT IT JUST MIGHT BE SOMETHING WRONG (EVERYDAY THING) BUT WHEN I GOT ANOTHER CAR THAT DID THE SAME THING IT MADE ME WONDER. . .SOMETHING MUST BE DEFECTED. MY LAST CAR WAS TOTALED. SOMEONE PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME. . AND I SOMETIMES THINK THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM HAD A DEFECT. IT SEEMED LIKE FOR EVER FOR MY CAR TO STOP AT LOW SPEED EVEN. AND THE HUMMING NOISE BOTHERS ME, ITS SCARY. I THINK ITS DANGEROUS AND IT MUST BE ON MORE CARS IF THIS IS MY 2ND CAR WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. 2000 DODGE STRATUS. PLEASE CONTACT ME AND LET ME KNOW. . . PS. . .I RECENTLY GOT THIS CAR (AFTER I FOUND OUT MY OTHER ONE GOT TOTALED) AND I DON'T KNOW OF ANY PAST RECALLS THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN DONE. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME! -ROBERT MCFADDEN PS. . .PLEASE LET ME KNOW SOMETHING!. *NM

DRIVING AT 35 MPH AND STOPPING AT A LIGHT A LOUD NOISE (CLUNK) WAS HEARD FROM THE TRANSMISSION AREA. "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT ELIMINATED. RETURNED TO RESIDENCE AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER INFORMED ME THAT ONE OF THE SPEED SENSORS HAD FAILED. DEALER RECOMMENDED THAT BOTH INPUT AND OUTPUT SPEED SENSORS BE REPLACED, DROP TRANSMISSION PAN FOR INSPECTION, AND PERFORM TRANSMISSION FLUSH. AUTHORIZED THE REPAIR. CONTACTED CHRYSLER CORP TO INQUIRE ABOUT POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. WAS ADVISED THAT THE SPEED SENSOR WAS NOT PART OF THE POWER TRAIN AND THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD A 3YR/36,000 WARRANTY ON THE POWER TRAIN. BELIEVE THIS IS INCORRECT DUE TO WARRANTY BOOK RECEIVED WITH VEHICLE INDICATES THAT THE POWER TRAIN MODULE IS 7YR/70,000. INVESTIGATING FURTHER. BELIEVE THAT THIS SENSOR SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE POWER TRAIN SINCE IT PROVIDES CONTROL TO THAT COMPONENT. *NM

AFTER DRIVING MY VEHICLE A SHORT DISTANCE TO THE LOCAL STORE, I PARKED MY VEHICLE AND ENTERED THE STORE. APPROXIMATELY. 15 MINUTES LATER THE TAG NUMBER OF VEHICLE WAS ANNOUNCED OVER THE INTERCOM SYSTEM, STATING THAT THE OWNER NEED TO REPORT TO THE PARKING LOT IMMEDIATELY. I WENT TO THE PARKING LOT TO FIND THAT MY VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND WAS EXTINGUISHING THE FLAMES BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO GET TO MY CAR. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD BROKEN THE DRIVER'S DOOR WINDOW TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE HOOD RELEASE. THE ENTIRE ENGINE HAD APPEARED TO BE BURNED. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO RALLYE DODGE IN OCALA FLORIDA WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED BY OUR INSURANCE COMPANY THAT IT WAS A TOTAL LOSS. DOMINICK, ONE OF THE MECHANICS AT RALLYE DODGE SAID THAT THERE WAS NO WAY OF DETERMINING THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE AND THE CAR COULD BE REPAIRED AT A COST OF APPROX. $5000. BACK ON MARCH 16, 2005, I HAD TO REPLACE THE PCM AT THE SAME DEALER AT A COST OF $999.91. NOW 7 MONTHS LATER I AM OUT A $1000 COMPUTER AND A $5000 CAR. WHAT HAPPENS NOW? HOW AND WHEN WILL CHRYSLER BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE POOR ENGINEERING OF THEIR VEHICLES? *JB

DT: CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE STRATUS. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2005. FRONT END TIE ROD ENDS CAME APART FROM THE WHEEL. HAD NO WARNINGS SIGNS THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. CONTACT'S 171/2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WENT TO PICK UP A FRIEND, WHILE PULLING OUT FROM DRIVEWAY THE TIE ROD ENDS BROKE . AS SHE WAS PULLING OUT A FRIEND'S FATHER HEARD THE NOISE OF THE TIE ROD END BREAKING . HE CHECKED THE VEHICLE, AND TOLD HER WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO CONTACT'S HOME. IN THE MEANTIME CONTACT FOUND PART AVAILABLE AT ADVANCE AUTOMOBILE, AND CONTACT'S HUSBAND FIXED THE TIE ROD ENDS. NO CRASHES. NO POLICE REPORTS. NO FIRES.*AK

DT: WHERE THE HOOD FASTENED THERE WAS A LEVER IN THE OUTER SKIN OF THE HOOD WHERE IT WAS NOT MOLDED PROPERLY. THEY DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH METAL TO MOLD IT PROPERLY. THE PAINT RUSTED THROUGH WHERE IT COULD CAUSE THE LATCH TO COME UNDONE AND THE HOOD FILE UP. NOTICED THIS ON ALL 2000 MODELS, AND ON CONSUMER'S VEHICLE ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2005. *AK