1998 DODGE STRATUS Complaints

A SIGNIFICANT OIL LEAK DEVELOPED BECAUSE OF A FAILED HEAD GASKET IN 10/2000. MILEAGE AT TIME OF FAILURE AROUND 42,000. REPLACEMENT GASKET (DODGE REPLACEMENT AS PER SERVICE BULLETIN # 09-08-99 INSTALLED BY DODGE DEALERSHIP MECHANICS) FAILED IN 3/2002 AFTER 21,000 MILES. *AK

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, CONSUMER HAD PROBLEMS WITH SHUTTING THE DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE DOOR, CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE DOOR LATCHES WERE COMING UNDONE, DEALER REPLACED AT OWNERS EXPENSE. *TT

MY DODGE STRATUS/98 HAS RECENTLY BEGAN GIVING ME A LOAD OF PROBLEMS.IT ALL BEGAN SUMMER 2001 WITH THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR NOT BEING ABLE TOO CLOSE.I DID NOT THINK ANYTHING WAS WRONG UNTILL I ATTEMPTED TO CONTINUOUSLY CLOSE MY DOOR AND IT WOULD NOT SHUT.SO I LOOKED CAREFULLY AND THE LATCH THAT LOCKS THE DOOR IN PLACE WAS COMMING UNDONE.I THAN TRIED TO MAKE THE DOOR SHUT BUT THE PROBLEM WAS GREATER THAN THAT.THE SCREW WAS GONE AND THE SECOND WAS ALMOST OUT OF TACT.THE LABOR AND SCREW REPLACEMENT ALONG WITH THE TOWE COST ME AROUND $60.00.THAN LUCK WOULD HAVE IT THE SAME INCIDENT OCCURED AGAIN ON THE LEFT-HAND FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WITH LABOR AND PARTS COSTING $30.00.THE PROBLEM WITH MY ENGINE BEGAN IN NOVEMBER, I HAD NOTICED THAT MY CAR OIL AND ENGINE WARNING HAD APPEARED SO I TOOK MY CAR TO A MECHANIC HAD OIL-FILTERS,AIR-CONDITION FLUID,WATER,& ENGINE ALL CHECKED AND REPAIRED.THE MECHANIC TOLD ME ALL I NEEDED AND $360.00 WAS WELL INVESTED.I THOUGHT ALL WAS FINE BUT THE SERVICE SIGNAL FOR OIL AND SOMETIMES ENGINE WERE CONSTANTLY APPEARING. I TOOK MY CAR BACK AND THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED MORE OIL AND WHEN DID I LAST HAVE MY CAR CHECKED,I ADVISED HIM THAT IT WAS NOT LONG AGO HE THAN EMPHASIZED THAT I WAS LUCKY MY CAR HAD NOT LOCKED.THE NEXT WEEK THE SAME THING BUT ANOTHER MECHANIC.HE TOLD ME MY OIL WAS LEAKING HE COULD NOT DETERMINE FROM WHERE SO HE RECOMMENDED I CHANGE MY OIL-FILTERS,OIL BRAND AND PUT CAR ON MACHINE DIALIYSIS.HE DID ALL THIS TOTALING $73.00.YET A WEEK LATER I'M HAVING TO PLACE UP TO THREE QUARTS OF OIL EVERY WEEK.I CONTACTED A LOCAL DODGE DEALER HERE IN EASTMAN GA 31023 AND HE TOLD ME OF DAIMLER LUCK WOULD HAVE IT YOU ALL HAD JUST SENT ME NOTIFICATION OF BRAKE CHANGE. I MADE THE COMPLAINT AND NO ONE CONTACTED ME SO NOW TODAY I HAD A BAD ACCIDENT MY CAR COMPLETLY STOPPED LEAVING ME STRANDED AND WHEN MY CAR STOPPED IT JERKED ME LEAVING ME STUNNED BUT CONCIOUS AND MY CAR IS NOW OUT OF SERVICE. *AK

THE BRAKES FAIL EVERY 6~11 MONTHS / 6000~11000 MILES, HAVE REPLACED CALIPERS, PADS, ROTORS, DRUMS, SHOES, WHEEL CYLINDERS MULTIPLE TIMES. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING STEPPED ON BRAKES AND PEDAL GOT STIFF, RESULTING IN VEHICLE COASTING AND NOT SLOWING DOWN OR COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES. DEALER HAS CHECKED VEHICLE, AND FOUND NO PROBLEM WITH CONSUMER'S CONCERN.*AKCONSUMER TOOK CAR TO DEALER FOR THE INSPECTION OF BRAKES BECAUSE OF HARD BRAKE PEDAL, LIMITED BRAKE USE AND PEDAL MOVEMENT. THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, THE DEALER REPLACED THE BRAKE BOOSTER, BUT WAS NOT SURE IF THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. *JG

I HAVE CONTACT CHRYSLER AND TOLD THEM AND THEY ARE UNRESPONSIVE. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK

OIL WAS LEAKING FROM HEAD GASKETS, CAUSE UNKNOWN. CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD EVENTUALLY CAUSE A FIRE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

MY CAR HAS BEEN LEAKING OIL, I AM NOT SURE HOW LONG. AFTER CALLING SEVERAL PLACES TO GET ESTIMATES I FOUND THAT EVERY MACHANIC WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. I RESEARCHED THE INTERNET TO FIND OUT IF ANYONE ELSE HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT THE HEAD GASKET AND FOUND THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS. MY CAR IS IN THE SHOP NOW AND THE COST TO REPAIR IS MORE THAN I CAN AFFFORD. ALSO, SINCE I DO NOT KNOW HOW LONG THIS HAS BEEN LEAKING I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM.*AK

VEHICLE IS LEAKING OIL, LEAK IS EXTREMELY BAD. VEHICLE HAS TO BE REFILLED WITH TWO QUARTS OF OIL EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK

WHEEL HUB/BEARING ASSEMBLY FAILED AROUND 62,000 MILES ONLY ON ONE SIDE (PASSANGER). I BELIEVE PART WAS FAULTY AS THEIR IS A TSB 02-07-97 ON THIS PART. THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE (BOTH THE DEALER AND THE COMPANY WAS CONTACTED). THEY CLAIM "OUT OF WARRANTY". THE WARRANTY CLAUSE SHOULD NOT MATTER IN THIS CASE AS THIS A KNOWN PROBLEM - IT SHOULD BE A RECALL!!*AK