2002 DODGE STRATUS Complaints

I PURCHASED A 2002 DODGE STRATUS R/T. THE MAIN PROBLEM THAT I AM EXPERIENCING IS: STRONG (DANGEROUS) GAS FUMES ARE ENTERING THE CABIN. IT'S BEEN GOING ON SINCE FEB 2009. I CAN SMELL THE FUMES ALMOST ALL OF THE TIME WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE SMELL IS STRONG OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE EVEN WHILE IT IS PARKED WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING. I CANNOT DRIVE MY VEHICLE WITH THE AIR CONDITIONING OR HEAT ON BECAUSE IT SUCKS THE GASOLINE FUMES FROM THE ENGINE INTO THE CABIN. I'VE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIME AND THEY CANNOT FIND THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK. ALSO I'VE HAD OTHER MECHANICS LOOK AT THIS VEHICLE AND THEY DON'T KNOW HOW FIX THE PROBLEMS. I CANNOT ALLOW PASSENGERS TO RIDE IN MY VEHICLE BECAUSE I HAVE CONCERNS FOR THEIR SAFETY. I BELIEVE THERE IS A SAFETY DEFECT (FIRE HAZARD/POISONOUS) AND THAT SOMEONE REALLY NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THIS. I'M GETTING FREQUENT HEADACHES, WEAKNESS AND DIZZINESS AND CANNOT AFFORD TO PURCHASE A NEW CAR RIGHT NOW. *TR

DODGE STRATUS 2.7 LITER TRANS REPLACED ON 5-1-06 OIL SLUDGE ENGINE FAILURE ON 1-2-10. *TR

I OWN A DODGE STRATUS (2002) THAT HAS AN OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM. I HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT IT THINKING IT WAS A HEAD GASKET AND WAS TOLD THAT ONLY THE GASKET WOULD BE LIKE A BAND AID ON THE PROBLEM. HE TOLD ME THAT THE CHRYSLER 2.7L ENGINE IS HAVING "OIL SLUDGE" PROBLEMS AND THAT THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR THIS. I CANNOT JUNK THIS VEHICLE AS I STILL OWE SEVERAL THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. ALSO, I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO USE THIS VEHICLE FOR THE PAST YEAR AND STILL HAVE TO PAY MY MONTHLY BILL. *TR

2002 DODGE STRATUS REAR STRUT MOUNTING PLATES. TURNING TO POWDER SEEMED TO BE MADE OF PRE-CAST ALUMINUM, UNPAINTED. HEARD CLANKING SOUND THOUGHT THE SPARE WAS LOOSE AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION DISCOVERED DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE MOUNTING BRACKETS WERE DISINTEGRATING THIS DEFINITELY SHOULD BE A RECALL . *TR

I HAVE A 2002 DODGE STRATUS SE AND WHEN I PUT THE KEY IN IT WILL NOT START. IT WILL NOT EVEN TURN OVER. ALL THE LIGHTS WORK, AND THE RADIO WORKS, THE LIGHTS DON'T DIM WHEN TRYING TO START IT, AND WHEN JUMP STARTED IT STILL DOES NOT WORK. THE SECURITY LIGHT IS STAYING ON WHILE KEY IS TURNED ON. A DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER WAS HOOKED UP TO IT AND IT SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. SUGGESTIONS SAY THE SECURITY SYSTEM HAS MY CAR LOCKED DOWN. HOW CAN YOU DISABLE THE SECURITY SYSTEM TO GET THE CAR STARTED. WE HAVE LOOKED AT FUSES AND WE HAVE DISCONNECTED AND RECONNECTED THE BATTERY CABLES. THIS IS RIDICULOUS AND I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THIS CAR AND THE DEALERSHIP THAT SOLD IT TO ME. A WHILE AGO I HAD A DIFFERENT DODGE STRATUS AND NEVER HAD PROBLEMS WITH IT... IS IT JUST THE 2002 EDITION OR ???? IT IS VERY DISAPPOINTING AND AGGRAVATING. ALSO I JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR 2 MONTHS AGO.... *TR

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON 4-30-2010 IN MY 2002 DODGE STRATUS ES SEDAN. I HEARD A STRANGE METALLIC CLUNK FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR. ONCE I GOT TO WORK I CHECKED AROUND THE REAR WHEELS AND FOUND THAT THE DRIVER/REAR SPRING MOUNT PLATE WAS TOTALLY CORRODED AND A CHUNK WAS MISSING WHICH CAUSED THE SPRING TO SLIP (NOISE I HEARD). THE OTHER PASS/REAR SIDE IS JUST AS BAD. THE ALUMINUM MOUNTS ARE TOTALLY CORRODED AND FLAKING APART. I LIVE IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS SO CORROSION IS A USUAL THING, BUT FOR PARTS TO JUST FLAKE AWAY IN CHUNKS? THIS SEEMS OVERTLY DANGEROUS AND AN ENGINEERING OVERSIGHT. I NEED TO GET THIS FIXED RIGHT AWAY OR WHO KNOWS HOW THE SPRINGS WILL FAIL AND CAUSE ME TO LOSE CONTROL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE STRATUS. THE CONTACT WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH WHEN HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE FRONT CONTROL ARM LOWER BALL JOINT HAD FALLEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP BUT THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALERSHIP BUT WAS INFORMED THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO BE PAY A DIAGNOSTIC FEE TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 77,000.

I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 DODGE STRATUS ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE ENGINE DIES. I COASTED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE EXIT RAMP AND ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR. ALL IT WOULD DO IS CLICK. A CALL TO AAA AND THE CAR WAS TOED TO THE DEALER. I CALL FROM THE DEALER LATER IN THE DAY REVEALED A SEIZED ENGINE. MY HUSBAND CONFRONTED THE DEALER AND ASKED TO HAVE THE ENGINE OPENED UP FOR INSPECTION. SURE ENOUGH LARGE DEPOSITS OF OIL SLUDGE. I ASKED THE DEAL WHERE WE GO FROM HERE AND HE SAID A REPLACEMENT ENGINE IS $4900.00 AFTER ALL THE YEARS OF TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS AND SCHEDULED OIL CHANGES I MUST KNOW REPLACE THE ENGINE. HOW CAN CHRYSLER NOT BE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM WITH ALL THE ATTENTION IT IS GETTING. *TR

ON 9/3/08 I HAD BROUGHT MY 2002 DODGE STRATUS 2.7L V6 IN FOR A COOLANT SYSTEM FLUSH. I WAS CHARGED $129.95. SOON AFTER, I SMELLED BURNING COOLANT, BUT THE DEALERSHIP HAD SAID IT WAS JUST EXCESS BURNING OFF. TWO WEEKS LATER ON 9/23/08, I WAS ON RT 1 TO OUT TO MY SISTER-IN-LAWS IN LANCASTER, PA, WHEN MY CAR OVERHEATED AND HAD TO SHUT IT DOWN ON AN OFF RAMP. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR, AND ALL THE COOLANT WAS LEAKING OUT. I HAD IT TOWED BACK TO MILLER DODGE, AND THEY HAD INFORMED ME MY WATER PUMP HAS FAILED AND HAS TO BE REPLACED, ALONG WITH THE TIMING TENSIONER CHAIN. IT COST ME $628.63. I HAD ARGUED WITH THE DODGE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THEY JUST DID MAINTENANCE INVOLVING THE WATER PUMP, AND NOW IT IS DEAD. THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO FIGHT WITH CHRYSLER ABOUT IT. I FOUND A BULLETIN ON MYCARSTATS.COM REGARDING MY ENGINE THAT THE WATER PUMP APPEARS TO FAIL AFTER A COOLANT FLUSH IS PERFORMED. THE BULLETIN ID # 0700202, MFG BULLETIN DATE: 20020204, AND THE NHTSA ITEM # 629131. I CALLED CHRYSLER ABOUT IT AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR IT. I AM STILL FIGHTING THAT FIGHT NOW, ALMOST A YEAR LATER. I FEEL THAT IF THE COOLANT FLUSH DAMAGES THE WATER PUMP, THAT IT IS A DEFECT, AND CHRYSLER SHOULD PAY FOR THE COST OF REPAIRS. I DO NOT FEEL I AM GETTING ANY WHERE WITH CHRYSLER, AND NOW I AM REPORTING IT, HOPEFULLY FOR SOME KIND OF SOLUTION. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ON A ROAD TRIP (ABOUT 2 HOURS) THE VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING. AFTER STOPPING THE VEHICLE AND OPENING THE HOOD, THE ENGINE BURST INTO FLAMES. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *TR