1998 DODGE STRATUS Complaints

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE OVERHEATED. CONSUMER HAD TO STOP TO CONSTANTLY ADD COOLANT. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE. DEALER FOUND THAT THE HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT. OIL HAD SPRAYED FROM THE FRONT END TO THE BACK END OF THE VEHICLE. *AK

VEHICLE ROLLED FORWARD WHILE PARKED AND STRUCK A HOUSE. THERE WAS NO KEY IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE MANUFACTURER DENIED THE CLAIM. RECALL O4V021000 WAS ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM. *AK A RECALL NOTICED WAS RECEIVED A WEEK LATER FOR THE PARK INTERLOCK . *NM

MY 1998 DODAGE STRATUS LEAKS OIL TO THE TUNE OF AT LEAST 1 QT EVERY OTHER DAY. I HAVE TO KEEP A CASE OF OIL IN MY TRUNK TO KEEP UP WITH THE LEAK. AND THEN IT STILL BARELY REGISTERS ON THE DIP STICK. I HAVE A LARGE OIL STAIN IN THE GRASS OF MY DRIVEWAY. I WAS TOLD THE LEAK WAS DUE TO A FAULTY HEAD GASKET. IT HASN'T BLOWN (YET) BUT IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE REST OF THE CAR FALLS TO PIECES. I EMAILED A COMPLAINT TO DAIMLERCHRYSLER AND I GOT A "WE ARE SORRY FOR YOUR DISSATISFACTION". THAT WAS IT. I HAVE READ ALL OF THESE COMPLAINTS AND I WAS JUST WONDERING WHERE THE RESPONSES TO THEM ARE? HAS ANYONE GOTTEN ANYWHERE WITH THIS ISSUE? *AK

THE KEY CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE WITHOUT VEHICLE BEING IN PARK. ALSO, SHIFTS GEARS WITHOUT THE KEY BEING IN THE IGNITION. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER ON THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK.*AK

HERBEE MOTORS 130 SUNRISE HIGHWAY WEST ISLIP N.Y. 11795 AUGUST 15, 2004. *JB ATTN. SERVICE MANGER, THE PREVENTATIVE RECALL WORK DONE ON MY 1998 DODGE STRATUS IS UNSAFE AND TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. PLEASE SEE SERVICE HISTORY FOR AUG. 12 AND AUG. 13, 2004 AND REFER TO YOUR INVOICE DOCS27685 DATED 8/13/04 VIN [XXX] FOR RECALL C45 FLOOR SHIFTER IGNITION PARK INTERLOCK. I PICKED UP MY CAR FRIDAY EVENING AUG 13. AFTER PARKING MY CAR (PLACING THE SHIFT IN THE PARK POSITION WITH THE HAND BRAKE ON) I WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. I DROVE BACK TO HERBEE MOTORS AND SAW YOUR MANAGER CHARLIE WHO ASSISTED ME. AT FIRST HE WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY WITH THE CAR SHIFT IN THE PARKED POSITION. THEN AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS HE WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY AND ADVISED ME TO BRING THE CAR BACK ON MONDAY FOR SERVICE. I STARTED MY CAR AND SHUT IT OFF AND WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY WITH NO EFFORT (LIKE NORMAL) BUT THE DASH PARKING LIGHT AND ODOMETER LIGHT WERE STILL ON. THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN ALL THE WAY TO THE PARKED POSITION BUT WAS ABLE TO BE REMOVED. I SAW CHARLIE WHO VERIFIED THAT THE KEY WAS EASILY REMOVED BUT NOT GOING INTO THE LOCKED PARK POSITION. THE PROBLEM OF KEY REMOVAL APPEARS TO BE INTERMITTENT. AFTER ATTEMPTS, AGAIN HE WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY IN THE PROPER POSITION. HE THOUGHT THE HAND BRAKE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE KEY REMOVAL AND ADVISED NOT TO USE THE HAND BRAKE. THIS AFTERNOON AFTER RETURNING FROM SHOPPING I PARKED MY CAR ON MY DRIVEWAY AND THOUGHT I HAD PLACED THE FLOOR SHIFT INTO THE PARKED POSITION AND REMOVED THE KEY EASILY. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR BUT THE SHIFT WAS IN THE REVERSE POSITION AND MY CAR ROLLED DOWN MY DRIVEWAY INTO THE STREET. THE CAR COULD HAVE KILLED SOMEONE OR CAUSE SERIOUS PROPERTY DAMAGE VERY EASILY. [XXX]. *JB INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY IT ROLLED BACKWARD AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER. THEN, CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL 04V021000 CONCERNING IGNITION INTERLOCK. CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE A COLLSION OCCURRED AND THE PROBLEM HAD NORT BEEN RESOLVED. *AK

MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED. AND COOLANT SPILLED INSIDE THE ENGINE AND THE OVERFLOW. *AK

THE IGNITION KEY WAS STUCK IN THE "ON POSITION" AND COULD NOT BE REMOVED. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. *AK *SC *JB

PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE'S HEAD GASKET. *MR THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THIS PART WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *SC

ENGINE HEADGASKET FAILURE. I HAVE A 1998 DODGE STRATUS WITH A 2.4L AND A YEAR AGO WHEN I NOTICED THAT MY ENGINE HAD A VERY SIGNIFICANT OIL LEAK COMING FROM THE HEAD GASKET. THE CAR HAS 75000 MILES. I CONTACTED DODGE RECALL CENTER AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE CALLED FOR REPAIR QUOTES AND IT CAN RANGE FROM 600 TO 800 DOLLARS TO REPAIR. *AK