2004 DODGE STRATUS Complaints

WHEN VEHICLE IS PARKED AND THE OWNER INSERTS THE KEY IN THE IGNITION THE SWITCH WILL NOT MOVE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE NOT TO START. CONSUMER IS NOT ABLE TO USE THE VEHICLE. OWNER IS AWARE OF OTHER SIMILAR MODELS THAT WERE RECALLED BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT RECALLED DUE TO MODEL YEAR. *AK

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN HEAD ON COLLISION, WHEREBY THE SEAT BELT DID NOT SECURE THE CONSUMER, CAUSING HIM TO STRIKE HIS HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL, THEN, THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED ONLY BECAUSE HIS HEAD HIT THE STEERING. CONSUMER BROKE HIS NOSE, AND HAD OTHER MULTIPLE INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.*AK

JACKING 2004 DODGE STRATUS. I USED THE JACK THAT WAS SUPPLIED BY THE MANUFACTURER TO JACK MY CAR TO ROTATE MY TIRES. THE REAR JACK POINTS (AS OUTLINED BY THE OWNER'S MANUAL) WERE USED. THE JACK POINTS ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THE CAR. THE CAR WILL SLIDE (CAR WAS ON LEVEL SURFACE). I BROUGHT MY CAR TO HENDRICKS DODGE IN CARY NC AND WE LOOKED AT FIVE OTHER DODGE STRATUS. EACH ONE WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. THE CONCLUSION WAS THAT THE DODGE REP NEEDED TO BE CONTACTED. TODAY, DODGE IS STATING THAT THE JACK AND JACK POINTS ON THE 2004 DODGE STRATUS ARE TO BE USED ONLY FOR EMERGENCY USE. THE JACK AND JACK POINTS ARE NOT TO BE USED FOR JACKING THE CAR FOR TIRE ROTATIONS. I FEEL THAT THERE IS A DANGER THAT SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET HURT, ESPECIALLY IF THEY JACK THEIR CAR ON THE SIDE OF A ROAD TO CHANGE A FLAT TIRE. *JB

AT AROUND 32,000 MILES THE BRAKE SHOE BOLTS BROKE, AND THE SHOE GOT CAUGHT IN THE RIM CAUSING 1: THE RIM (INSIDE) TO GRIND AGINST THE SHOE AND FOREVER CHANGING THE SHAPE OF THE RIM. 2: BENDING THE CALLIPER. AND 3: HAVING THE BREAKS GRIND THE ROTOR IN AN UNUSUAL MANNER IN WHICH THEY NEEDED TO BE GRINDED DOWN. I WAS SLOWING DOWN FOR THE STOP LIGHT (SPEED LIMIT WAS 25, I WAS GOING MAYBE 20), AND STARTED TO BREAK, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP, AND WAS PULLING TO THE LEFT. IT WAS A VERY VIOLENT STOP. FOR A SECOND, I THOUGHT THAT I MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN A FLAT TIRE, BUT I GOT OUT SIDE OF THE CAR AFTER PUTTING IT IN PARK, AND TURNING ON MY HAZZARDS. LOOKING AT THE FRONT LEFT TIRE, I SAW THAT IT WAS FINE, LOOKED AT ALL OF THE OTHER TIRES, AND THEY ARE ALL FINE AS WELL. GOT BACK INTO THE CAR, AND PUT IT IN DRIVE. CAR DIDNT MOVE. PUT IT IN REVERSE...CAR DIDNT MOVE EITHER. WONDERING WHAT WAS HAPPENING, I PUT THE CAR AGAIN, IN PARK, AND LOOKED AT THE TIRES AGAIN. I NOTICED AT THIS TIME THAT SOMETHING LOOKED DIFFERENT WITH THE RIM. I GOT IN FOR A CLOSER LOOK, AND NOTICED IT WAS PRETTY BADLY DAMAGED. I PROCEEDED TO LIFT THE CAR, TAKE THE TIRE OFF, AND AS SOON AS I TOOK THE TIRE OFF, THE SHOE WAS HANGING AND WASNT BOLTED IN WHERE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. HOLY CRAP, WAS I MAD. THEN WENT INTO ADVANCE AUTO, TO GET REPLACEMENT BOLTS, AND FOUND SOME, ABOUT 3 HOURS LATER BECAUSE THEY DIDNT HAVE ANY IN STOCK, AND THEY HAD TO CALL AROUND. AFTER PUTTING THE BOLTS ON, I DROVE HOME AT ABOUT 20 MPH, USING ABOUT HALF AND HALF (BRAKES AND E-BRAKE). I DID NOT WANT THAT TO EVER HAPPEN AGAIN. A DAY AFTER THAT HAPPEND I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER TO HAVE THEM FIX THE PROBLEM. I ASKED THEM TO FIX IT ANYWAYS. TOTAL BILL WAS AROUND $130. $112 BEING LABOR, AND $18 FOR THE BOLTS AND OTHER PARTS. WHAT REALLY BURNS ME UP, IS THAT THIS SHOULDNT HAVE HAPPEND FOR ONE, AND I'M SOL FOR MY RIM AND CALLIPER. IT STILL MAKES A SCRAPING SOUND WHEN I MAKE TURNS AS WELL.*AK

A CLANKING NOISE STARTED COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. RIGHT FRONT SIDE COLLAPSED ONTO THE GROUND. VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO MOVE, AND IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE STEERING KNUCKLE SHEARED OFF AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

PRESSURE BUILD-UP IN THE GAS TANK CAUSED THE FUEL PUMP ASS'Y SEAL TO BLOW OUT AND GAS TO POUR OUT ON THE GROUND AS WELL AS FUMES IN THE VEHICLE. I HAD ALSO SMELLED GAS ON THE 23RD WHEN I FIRST HAD FILLED IT UP ON THE DAY OF PURCHASE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR WHICH SOUNDED LIKE GRINDING IN THE WHEELS OR IN THE WHEEL WELLS. *BF THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW MADE A LOUD CLICKING NOISE WHEN IT WAS STOPPED. THE SOUND IN THE REAR WAS ESPECIALLY NOTICED WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS, SPEED BUMPS AND WHEN MAKING TURNS. *SC *JB

DRIVER FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL AND CRASHED INTO SCHOOL BUS HEAD ON. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, BUT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR BRACKET BROKE. THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RESTRAIN THE DRIVER, CAUSING EYE AND BACK INJURIES, AND DRIVER WAS TRANSPORTED BY HELICOPTER TO THE HOSPITAL. VEHICLE WAS TOWED, AND TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. *AK

THE CAR WILL IDLE ROUGHLY AT SLOW SPEEDS AND STALL IN PARKING LOTS AND INTERSECTIONS, WITH JUST 6,000 MILES THE BRAKES ARE NOW GOING BAD AS WELL. IT ALSO WILL LUNGE FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING AT STOP LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS, MY WIFE WAS ALMOST IN AN ACCIDENT YESTERDAY AND REFUSES TO DRIVE THE CAR. IT IS AT THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM TODAY. LAST TIME THEY TOLD ME I DID NO KNOW WHAT IT MEANS WHEN A CAR STALLS BECAUSE THE COMPUTER SAYS IT DID NOT AND THEY DROVE IT A FEW MILES AND DID NOT HAVE TROUBLE. I WISH I COULD GET RID OF IT TODAY. *NM

WHILE AT A STOP ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. VEHICLE THEN STARTED TO JERK FORWARD. CONSUMER PRECEDED TO DRIVE HOME. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK