1998 DODGE STRATUS Complaints

BRAKING SYSTEM LOSES PRESSURE WHEN PEDAL IS ENGAGED. ONGOING PROBLEM THAT HAS GOTTEN WORSE. NEW ROTORS AND PADS INSTALLED @ 50K MILES, BUT PROBLEM NOT RESOLVED. PEDAL LOSES PRESSURE WHEN TRANSMISSION CHANGES TO LOWER GEAR AND VEHICLE HAS NO BRAKING POWER AND "GLIDES" UNTIL BRAKES "CATCH" AGAIN. DOES THIS OVER AND OVER DURING SINGLE BRAKING/STOPPING INCIDENT. PEDAL EVENTUALLY PRESSED TO FLOOR WITH LITTLE EFFECT. *AK

BRAKES ARE OPERATING POORLY, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP CAR. ALSO, BRAKES MAKE A SQUEALING NOISE AND PULSATE. DEALER SAYS THAT NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *AK *ML

I REQUESTED RECALL INSPECTION FOR TRANSMISSION POWER TRAIN ON 6-19-2000. WHILE LOOKING FOR INFO ON MY DODGE STRATUS 9 8 ON YOUR WEBSITE I ACCESSED RECALLS AND NOTICED THAT THEIR WERE TWO FOR THIS CAR. ONE WAS FOR BRAKE RECALL AND I WAS NOTIFIED BY HUNTSVILLE DODGE AND TOOK THE CAR IN FOR THE INSPECTION THE OTHER RECALL WAS FOR POWER TRAIN TRANSMISSION PROBLEM THE RECALL DATE WAS OWNER NOTIFICATION OCT 1998 I PURCHASED THIS CAR IN DEC 98 AND ACCORDING TO THE INFO AT THAT TIME THIS CAR WAS ON THERE LOT AT THE TIME OF RECALL NOTIFICATION. I TOOK THE RECALL INFO TO DEALER AND ASKED IF THAT RECALL INSPECTION WAS DONE WHILE THE CAR WAS IN THERE POSSESSION AND ON THERE LOT BEFORE IT WAS SOLD TO ME IN DEC 98. THEY LOOKED IT UP I GUESS BY VIN AND TOLD ME NO IT WAS NOT I ASKED THEM TO DO IT WHILE THEY HAD IT THERE. THEY SAID THEY WOULD AND DID. MY QUESTION AND POSSIBLE COMPLAINT TO YOU IS SHOULD NOT THEY HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO DO THE RECALL INSPECTION WHILE IN THERE POSSESSION AT THE CAR LOT BEFORE BEING ALLOWED TO SELL THE CAR. THANK YOU.*AK

ON SATURDAY JUNE 17, 2000 WHILE TRAVELING IN LEWISBURG TN , IT STARTED RAINING HEAVILY. HAD RAN THE AIR CONDITIONER EARLIER IN THE DAY BUT AFTER SOME SHOWERS IT HAD COOLED THINGS DOWN AND JUST HAD ON THE AIR VENTS. AFTER ENCOUNTERING HEAVY RAIN TURNED THE DEFROSTER ON TO CLEAR FOGGY WINDOWS AND HEARD A HOWLING GRINDING NOISE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF THE ROAD AFTER TURNING THE DEFROSTER OFF. TRIED IT AGAIN AND SAME NOISE AND ALSO TRIED TO TURN ON AIR CONDITIONER WITH SAME RESULTS AND CAR CHOKED OUT AND QUIT. SO I JUST TURNED OFF THE COMPRESSOR AND USED VENT ONLY TO TRY TO GET HOME. I ACCESSED YOUR WEBSIT FOR INFO REGARDING STRATUS. I F OUND INFO ON TECH SERV BULLETINS ABOUT COMPRESSOR FAILURE AT 90+ TEMPS WE HAVE HAD 90+ MORE THAN NOT SINCE MAY. CONTACTED THE DEALER MONDAY MORN ABOUT PROBLEM TALKED TO GEN MGR. MR. STEPHENS HE TOLD ME TO BRING INFO AND CAR IN WED FOR FREE INSPECTION OF PROBLEM. I TOOK THE CAR IN AND TRIED TO TALK TO HIM AND SERV DEPT ABOUT COMPRESSOR FAILURE PROBLEMS. THEY SAID THEY WOULD CHECK OUT COMPRESSOR AND CALL ME. THEY CONFIRMED COMPRESSOR LOCKED UP ON CAR AND OFFERED TO FIX THE CAR FOR 700.00 INSTEAD OF REG PRICE OF 940.00 SINCE THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AT 36,000 MILES THATS THE BEST THEY WOULD DO. I ARGUED ACCORDING TO INFO I HAD F OUND AND BROUGHT TO THERE ATTENTION I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS A DEFECTED COMPRESSOR AND THEY SHOUD FIX AT NO COST. THEY SAID NO. I WENT AND PICKED UP CAR AND F OUND CERTIFIED A/C TECH CAR REPAIR PLACE TO DO THE WORK FOR MUCH LESS. WHEN CHECKING AROUND FOR ESTIMATES ONE AUTO REPAIR SHOP TOLD ME I WAS THE 5 INQUIRY ABOUT FAILED A/C COMPRESSOR ON 98 STRATUS. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A MFG DEFECT AND POSES A SAFETY PROBLEM WHEN IT LOCKS UP GOING DOWN STREET OR HWY BECAUSE IT CHOKES OUT THE ENGINE AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND INJURY ESP CONSIDERING THE MILEAGE ON CAR I HAVE F OLLOWED ALL REASONABLE MAINT GUILDLINES AND IN MY OPINON THIS COMPRESSOR SHOULD HAVE LASTED LONGE

VECHICLE INVOLVED IN A CRASH WITH A DUMPTRUCK AT 70 MILES PER HOUR, WAS HIT ON ALL FOUR CORNERS WHEN COLLIDED WITH GUARDRAIL, IN ADDITION TO BEING HIT IN THE FRONT AND AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

WE HAVE CONCTACED SEVERAL CAR SEAT MANUFACTURERS (FISHER PRICE AND EVEN-FLO) AND THEY DO NOT RECOMMEND USING CONVERTIBLE CAR SEATS IN THE REAR POSITION WITH AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY LOCKING DEVICE SEAT BELTS WHICH IS IN MY DODGE STRATUS. WE CONTACTED CHRYSLER AND THEY TOLD US THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO INFORM THE PUBLIC THAT TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE IS NOT A SAFE CHILD SEAT MADE THAT WILL WORK IN THE REAR POSITION IN A CAR WITH A AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY LOCKING DEVICE. THIS I ASSUME INCLUDES ALL OR MOST CHRYSLER VEHICLES. WE INFORMED THEM THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS IF NOT MILLIONS OF PARENTS TRAVELING AROUND THE DAILY WITH CARS THAT ARE NOT CAPABLE OF BEING USED WITH REAR FACING CHILD SEATS. THEY NEED TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. IT IS DISAPPOINTING THAT A CAR MAKER COULD EVEN PRODUCE A PRODUCT WITH SURE DISREGARD FOR CHILD SAFETY.

I NOTICED MY CAR OIL LIGHT CAME ON - SO I CHECKED THE OIL AND MUCH TO MY AMAZEMENT I SHOWED NO OIL LEVEL ON THE DIP-STICK SO I ADDED OIL UNTIL IT SHOWED ON THE DIP-STICK WHICH ENDED UP BEING 2 QTS LOW. SINCE JANUARY I HAVE ADDED AT LEAST 3 QTS A DAY, COSTING ME A NUMEROUS AMOUNT OF MONEY. ALSO MY WINDSHIELD HAS BEEN CRACKING SINCE FEB, 99 THE CRACK HAS ALMOST REACHED THE DRIVERS SIDE. *AK

WHEN HEAT IS BEING USED WINDOWS AND WINDSHIELD FOG UP, CAUSING POOR DRIVER VISIBILITY. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER, PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER IN REFERENCE TO RECALL NUMBER 99V244000/MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 843 CONCERNING RIGHT REAR BRAKE TUBE. DEALER REFUSED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM WITHOUT CHARGING THE CONSUMER. *AK *ML

WHILE DRIVING INTO A PARKING LOT THE RUBBER BOOT IS TOO SMALL THAT IT WON'T SLIDE OVER THE COUPLING MECHANISM TO KEEP SOMETHING FROM GETTING INTO IT. THE FACTORY ISSUED FLOOR MAT GOT CAUGHT IN THE TURN COUPLING, AND DRIVER COULDN'T TURN THE WHEEL. AVOIDED A NEAR MISS. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK