1998 DODGE STRATUS Complaints

GEARS CAN BE CHANGED WITOUT DEPRESSING BRAKE PEDAL. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

VEHICLE WILL TAKE OFF ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS. CONSUMER MUST HOLD DOWN BRAKE PEDAL AND SHUT ENGINE OFF. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. *AK

THE VEHICLE DEVELOPED AN EXTENSIVE OIL LEAK DUE TO A FAULTY HEAD GASKET DESIGN. NLM

WARRANTY EXPIRED ON10/27/01.WAS TOLD ON 1/31/01 THAT HEAD GASKET LEAKING NEEDS REPLACEMENT.TWO MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY,35,571 MILES YET NEEDS NEW GASKET?CHECKING YOUR DATABASE,SERVICE BULLENTIN 090598,SEQ. 291,NHTSA # SB602898,STATES THAT CHRYSLER DEVELOPE NEW MLS GASKET TO BE IMPLEMENTED ON 1999 MODELS TO CORRECT SUCH A PROBLEM.INCOMPLAINT DATABASE,ODI # 714001, STATES CHRYSLER AWARE OF GASKET FAILURES.A HEAD GASKET IS A COSTLY/TIME CONSUMING JOB ESPECIALLY WHEN NOT UNDER WARRANTY.IF THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM,AND A NEW GASKET HAS BEEN INTRODUCED,SHOULD THERE NOT BE A RECALL OR A UPDATE NADE TO THE 1998 MODELS.? COULD YOU PLEASE HELP OUT THIS SITUATION? *AK

I TOOK MY CAR IN BECAUSE I NEEDED TO HAVE THE BRAKES REPAIRED AS A REGULAR ITEM OF REPAIR, SECONDARY TO WEAR AND TEAR. THIS WAS EARLY IN DECEMBER 2000. THE MECHANIC ALSO CHECKED OVER THE CAR AND REPORTED THAT AS WITH MANY 1998 DODGE STRATUS' I WILL NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET. THE MECHANIC ALSO INFORMED ME THAT I SHOULD CHECK WITH THE DEALER AND SEE IF THIS ITEM HAS YET BEEN RECALLED. I THEN HAD NO PROBLEMS FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS WHEN I WAS TURNING AROUND A CORNER SLOWLY AND AN AWFUL NOISE OCCURRED. I THEN PARKED THE CAR AND WHEN I RETURNED I HAD A LARGE OIL LEAK ON THE GROUND. I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY TRUSTED MECHANIC AND THEY CHECKED IT OVER WHEN THEY NOTICED THAT THE HEAD GASKET NEEDED REPLACING, THE ENTIRE PULLEY SYSTEM WAS SEIZING UP AND NEEDED REPLACING AND MY MANIFOLD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE COST OF THIS WAS $1,000 AND THAT WAS WITHOUT REPLACING THE MANIFOLD, AS I COULD NOT AFFORD IT AT THAT TIME. I HAVE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPORTED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO LOOK AT THE CAR, SUBMIT A CLAIM TO THE REGIONAL MANAGER OF DAIMLER CHRYSLER AND THEY HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO HELP OUT WITH APPROX. $200. OF THE REPAIRS. WELL SINCE I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF MOVING TO GA FROM CA AND HAD TO STAY ON SCHEDULE I WAS UNABLE TO STAY BACK FOR THE APPOINTMENT WHICH WASN'T UNTIL A WEEK LATER. UPONE MY REQUEST FOR THE NAME AND NUMBER OF THE REGIONAL MANAGER OF DAIMLER CHRYSLER, THEY SAID , I CANNOT GIVE THAT INFORMATION TO YOU. WE ARE THE ONLY ONES WITH THIS INFORMATION AND YOU MUST BRING TO CAR IN FOR US TO INSPECT. WHEN I ASKED THEM IF THIS INPECTION WOULD COST, THEY REPORTED, DEPENDING UPON THE TESTS NEEDED. I KNEW THAT FINANCIALLY, EVEN IF I WAS APPROVED FOR $200 ASSISTANCE I WAS BETTER OFF GETTING THIS FIXED BY A TRUSTED LESS EXPENSIVE MECHANIC AND FIGHT THE BATTLE LATER. CLEARLY A VEHICLE WITH 70,000 HWY MILES, WITH OIL CHANGES EVERY 3,500 MILES SHOULD NOT NEED A NEW MANIFOLD, A NEW PULLEY SYSTEM AND ALL NEW GASKETS

DRIVERSIDE SEATBELT WONT FULLY RETRACT AUTOMATICALLY. THE CLIP HAS BEEN SLAMMED IN THE DOOR SEVERAL TIMES NOW. *AK

BOLTS TO BRAKES CAME COMPLETELY OFF IN MIDDLE OF STREET. DEALER HAD A TOW COMPANY TO COME PICK UP VEHICLE. TOW COMPANY FOR WHATEVER REASON STILL HAS CAR. A LOANER WAS SUPPOSE TO BE GIVEN CONSUMER UNTIL VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED.*AK

CONSUMER NOTICED LARGE AMOUNT OF OIL ON DRIVEWAY. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. TECHNICIAN STATED THAT HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE HEAD GASKET FAILURE RESULTS IN LEAKING OIL ON TO THE ENGINE WHICH WOULD BE FIRE HAZARD A S WELL. *YH

MY VEHICLE DEVELOPED AN OIL LEAK AT THE HEAD GASKET, THE DEALER SAYS AN ENTIRE HEAD ASSEMBLY IS NECESSARY, MY RESEARCH AT YOUR SITE SHOWS SERVICE BULLETINS & OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS LEAK. IS THERE ANY RECOURSE TO THE MANUFACTURER, SINCE I AM LOOKING AT A $750 REPAIR BILL ON A VEHICLE THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM THIS SOON.*AK

CHECK OIL LIGHT ALERTED ME TO A PROBLEM WHICH WAS CONFIRMED BY A LICENSED MECHANIC. THE PROBLEM IS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. WHILE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP, MECHANICS SUGGESTED I LOOK FOR A RECALL. NONE AT THE PRESENT TIME. TALKED TO DODGE DEALER. WAS TOLD THAT SINCE I HAD OVER 75000 MILES AND A NON-DODGE MECHANIC WAS REPAIRING THE PROBLEM, THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. IT HAS BECOME OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS A GROWING PROBLEM. THIS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AS A RECALL. I CAUGHT IT EARLY. DODGE SHOULD STEP UP AND FIX THE PROBLEM, REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF MILES ON THE VEHICLE. SOME POEPLE PROPERLY MAINTAIN THEIR VEHICLES. *AK