1995 DODGE STRATUS Complaints

WITH STEADY PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AT STOP LIGHT,THE PEDAL WILL SLOWLY SINK TO THE FLOORBOARD AND BRAKES WILL GO AWAY AND CAR WILL ROLL AS IF THERE WERE NO BRAKES APPLIED. I HAVE NOT CONTACTED DEALER SERVICE CENTER YET. *AK

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR IN TOWN AT APPROX. 30 MPH WHEN I STARTED LOSING POWER AND SAW WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT OF MY EXHAUST. I KNEW FROM AN EXPERIENCE MY FATHER HAD WITH HIS CAR, THAT IT WAS THE HEAD GASKET. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE CAR OVER AND HAD IT TOWED TO MY LOCAL DODGE DEALER. KEEP IN MIND THAT AT THIS POINT THE CAR WAS RUNNING WITH NO OTHER PROBLEMS OTHER THAN THE LOSS OF POWER AND THE SMOKE.UPON HEARING FROM THE DEALER, I WAS SHOCKED WHEN HE TOLD ME THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN AND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE MOTOR. I COULDNT POSSIBLY AFFORD THE $3000 OR $4000 ESTIMATE THEY GAVE ME, SO I TOLD THEM TO LEAVE IT ALONE AND WOULD HAVE IT TOWED OUT OF THEIR LOT. WHEN I MET THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WITH THE TOW TRUCK ON THEIR LOT, I NOTICED THAT MY CAR HAD BEEN DRIVEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THEIR LOT.WHEN I TOLD THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC ABOUT WHAT IT WAS DOING WHEN I GAVE CONTROL OF MY CAR TO THE DEALER, HE TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NO WAY THE MOTOR WAS BLOWN. THEY WERE JUST TRYING TO GET SOME MONEY OUT OF ME. HE THEN TOLD ME TO START THE CAR AND LET HIM SEE WHAT IT WAS DOING. WHEN IT STARTED IT WAS MAKING A LOT OF NOISE. NOISE IT WAS NOT MAKING WHEN I SHUT THE MOTOR OFF. WE COULD ONLY COME TO THE CONCLUSION AFTER SEEING WERE THE CAR WAS PARKED THAT THE DEALER MECHANICS HAD DRIVEN IT AGAINST MY INSTRUCTIONS AND CAUSED THE MOTOR TO BLOW. SO INSTEAD OF WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A REPLACED HEAD GASKET, TURNED INTO A MOTOR REPLACEMENT. AFTER CONTACTING CRYSTER CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY REFUSED TO MAKE ANY ATTEMPT TO PAY FOR ANY DAMAGES I HAD INCURRED. EVEN AFTER ADMITTING WHAT I HAD HEARD FROM MANY MECHANICS, THAT THE 95 2.0L MOTOR HAD THIS KNOWN PROBLEM. *AK

FIRST INCIDENT INVOLVED LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL ON A RIGHT TURN. STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND I HAD TO BRAKE HARD. SECOND INCIDENT WAS AGAIN A RIGHT HAND TURN IN AN INTERSECTION, THE WHEELS LOCKED AND THOUGH I WAS TURNING RIGHT THE CAR WENT STRAIGHT TOWARDS ONCOMING TRAFFIC. BRAKED HARD, LUCKY CAR BEHIND ME SWERVED. THERE IS STEERING RELATED SAFETY RECALL ON 95 STRATUS, BUT DEALER SAYS MY CAR IS NOT COVERED AND WANTS ME TO PAY OVER 600 $ FOR REPAIRS. CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE IS RUDE AND CALLOUS, REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE STEERING FAILURE AS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. *AK

THERE SEEMS TO BE A CONTINUING PROBLEM WITH THE HEAD GASKET AND OIL LEAKAGE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS VEHICLE WAS COVERED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID#96V006000 AND IF SO, WAS THE WORK EVER COMPLETED? WE HAVE ALREADY HAD TO REPLACE THE HEAD GASKET (JAN. OF 1999) AND HAVE BEEN TOLD IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN!*AK

THIS CAR HAS HAD 2 REPLACED COMPUTERS AND 2 OXYGEN SENSORSTHAT I KNOW OF, ALSO I HAVE BEEN TO SEVERAL SHOPS INCLUDING THE DOGE DEALER SHIPS TO SEE WHY THE CHECK INGINE LIGHT IS ON AND ACCORDING TO THEIR MACHINES THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. BUT THEIR IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS CAR, AFTER DRIVING IF ON A HOT DAY ONCE YOU TURN OFF THE CAR AND LET IT SET , WHEN YOU GO TO START IT AGIAN IT WILL NOT START IT ACTS LIKE IT HAS NO GAS, IT STARTS POPPING AND DIEING OUT, IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE IT IS VAPOR LOCKING. I WAS TOLD THESE CAR DO NOT VAPOOR LOCK , BUT THIS ONE SURE ACT LIKE IT . I HAVE BEEN BACK TO THE DEALER SHIP I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM AND THEY HAVE WORKED AND WORKED ON THIS CAR FOR THE SAME PROBLEMS AND NOBODY CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS ! I AM TRYING TO FIND OUT ANY INFORMATION ON THIS CAR THAT I CAN , MAYBE THERE WAS A RECALL BEFORE I BOUGHT THE CAR AND THE ORGINAL OWNER NEVER TOOK THE CAR IN .

WHILE BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY RIGHT TIE ROD BROKE. CONSUMER REPAIRED IT HIMSELF.*AK CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN THE TIE ROD BROKE, ALL STEERING CONTROL WAS LOST. TRANSMISSION FAILED. *SLC

THERE IS AN EXTREME OIL LEAK, AND A BURNING SMELL. CONSUMER THINKS IT MAY CATCH ON FIRE. A MECHANIC SAID IT WAS ENGINE OIL GALLEY PLUG. *AK

WHEN TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON HIGHWAY TRANSMISSION SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL AN VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN TO 35MPH. THEN VEHICLE JERKED AND WENT INTO SECOND GEAR. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. NOTED THAT TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED LAST YEAR. *AK

KRANE CHRYSLER HAS LOOKED AT CAR TWICE FOR THIS. REPLACING FUSES ABOUT 4 TIMES OR MORE A WEEK NOW. *AK

CONSUMER CHECKED RADIATOR FLUID AND NOTICED THAT OIL WAS PRESENT IN RADIATOR AND OVERFILL COMPARTMENT. A PRIVATE MECHANIC WAS CURRENTLY REPLACING HEAD GASKET. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ ATTACHMENTS. *AK