1999 DODGE STRATUS Complaints

TL* - THE CONTACT IS EXPERIENCING A RECURRING INCIDENT, THE AIR AND THE HEAT OPERATES ONLY ON HIGH OR OFF, THERE IS NO WAY TO ADJUST THE TEMPERATURE. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED PREVIOUSLY FOR THIS INCIDENT; HOWEVER, IT RECURRED WITHIN ONE WEEK OF THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE REPAIR SHOP THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL COMPONENT AND IS NOW STATING THAT THE INCIDENT MAY BE ENGINE RELATED. THE CONTACT IS SCHEDULING ANOTHER REPAIR FOR THIS FAILURE. *NM

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE STRATUS. THE CONTACT OBSERVED SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD WHILE PARKING THE VEHICLE; WITHIN TEN MINUTES THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AT A REPAIR SHOP THE DAY PRIOR TO THE FIRE AND FOUND THE VEHICLE TO BE OPERATING NORMALLY. THE CONTACT RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE, NUMBER 06V001000) REGARDING THE STEERING: HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST: HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS, AND BELIEVES THAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE CONTACT WAS UNSURE OF THE CURRENT MILEAGE AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. *NM

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS 1999 DODGE STRATUS CAUGHT ON FIRE AND WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT DOES NOT KNOW MANY DETAILS REGARDING THE FIRE. HE LEARNED ABOUT THE FIRE APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH AFTER THE INCIDENT, WHICH OCCURRED IN AUGUST. THE VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 100,000 MILES AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE ONLY DETAILS THE CONTACT KNOWS IS THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN, WHEN THE DRIVER SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE DRIVER THEN PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED RECALL LETTER E23 & C45 AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *NM

REGARDING RECALL NOTICE ON A 1999 DODGE STRATUS HIGH PRESSURE POWER STEERING HOSE**CC THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE BEFORE THE RECALL NOTICE WAS RECEIVED. *JB

ON DECEMBER 30, 2006 AT 6:10 A.M. (PST) OUR VEHICLE (1999 DODGE STRATUS, CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED SIGNIFICANTLY. MY WIFE LEFT HOME FOR WORK AROUND 5:18 A.M. AND ARRIVED AROUND 6:00 A.M. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS A CO-WORKER CAME IN AND SAID THERE WAS A VEHICLE ON FIRE IN THE PARKING LOT. AFTER DESCRIBING THE VEHICLE AND ITS LOCATION MY WIFE REALIZED THAT IT WAS HER VEHICLE HER CO-WORKER WAS TALKING ABOUT. SHE WENT DOWNSTAIRS TO FIND THE SANTA BARBARA FIRE DEPARTMENT ON SCENE ATTEMPTING TO EXTINGUISH THE BLAZE. SHE NOTIFIED ME OF THE EVENTS AND I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO HER JOB. UPON MY ARRIVAL I SPOKE WITH THE FIRE CAPTAIN (NAME UNKNOWN) AND HE INFORMED ME THAT IT TOOK THEM CLOSE TO 40 MINUTES TO EXTINGUISH THE BLAZE FIRST USING WATER, THEN UTILIZING FOAM. HE WAS NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. WE FILED A CLAIM WITH OUR AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE PROVIDER, INTERINSURANCE EXCHANGE OF THE AUTOMOBILE CLUB, AND THEY SENT AN INVESTIGATOR OUT TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THIS INDIVIDUAL REPORTS THE VEHICLE AS A TOTAL LOSS. I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT WHEN I CONTACTED OUR INSURANCE PROVIDER TO FILE A CLAIM I WAS ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY OUTSTANDING RECALLS ON OUR VEHICLE AND I INFORMED THEM THAT THERE WERE NONE. HOWEVER, ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 2007 WE RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE (E23 - HIGH PRESSURE POWER STEERING HOSE) WHICH READS "THE HIGH PRESSURE POWER STEERING HOSE ON YOUR VEHICLE MAY CRACK AND DEVELOP A POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK. POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE CAN RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE." I HAVE CALLED DAIMLERCHRYSLER (888-327-4236) AND LEFT A VOICE MESSAGE INFORMING THEM OF THIS INCIDENT AND OUR RECEIPT OF THEIR SAFETY RECALL NOTICE AND THEM TO RETURN MY CALL. I HAVE ALSO NOTIFIED MY INSURANCE PROVIDER OF THIS SAFETY RECALL NOTICE. PLEASE CONTACT ME TO DISCUSS THIS ISSUE FURTHER. *JB

ON TWO SEPARATE CRASHES CAR CAME OUT OF PARK AND INTO REVERSE. FIRST TIME BROKE MIRROR OFF OF DRIVERS DOOR, THOUGHT MAYBE DIDN'T HAVE IT ALL THE WAY IN PARK UNTIL ONE WEEK LATER CAR WAS IN PARK GOT OUT WHILE CAR WAS RUNNING WITH TWO PASSENGERS INSIDE AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES WITH ME STANDING IN THE DOOR CAR KICKED OUT OF PARK AND INTO REVERSE RUNNING ME DOWN. DOOR GOT STUCK IN DIRT AND BEND BACKWARDS CRUSHING THE FENDER. CALLED ONE DODGE DEALER AND THEY DENIED THERE BEING A RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSION AND WAS TOLD IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR CAR TO KICK OUT OF PARK AND INTO REVERSE. CALLED A SECOND DEALER AND WAS TOLD YES THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL AND HE LOOKED UP MY VIN # AND SAID MY CAR HAD BEEN REPAIRED. MY HUSBAND SAID THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE TO TAKE CAR OUT OF PARK AND INTO REVERSE WITHOUT THE KEY BEING IN AND UNLOCKED. CAR CAN ALSO BE BUMPED INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. *JB

TL* -THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE TOOK THE 1999 DODGE STRATUS TO THE DEALER FOR A RECALL REPAIRS AND WAS CHARGED FOR THE SERVICE. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS CHARGED FOR THE LABOR. UPDATED 01/29/07. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE 1999 DODGE STRATUS WAS SITTING IN A PARKING LOT IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT PRIOR TO THE VEHICLE CATCHING FIRE NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH HER VEHICLE. THE WEATHER WAS FINE, AND THE CAR WAS IMMOBILE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BROKE INTO THE HOOD OF THE CAR TO FIND THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE 06V001000. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HAS PICTURES ,AND COULD GET A REPORT FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE CONTACT HAS BEEN OFFERED NO RESOLUTION FROM THE DEALERSHIP CONCERNING THIS MATTER. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING, AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS PUSHED TO A NEARBY INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, WHO DETERMINED THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTERWARDS, A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE WAS PRESENT INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 06E088000, REGARDING THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. ADDITIONALLY, WHILE APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THERE WAS AN INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, WHO DETERMINED THE MASTER CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, BUT AFTER THE REPLACEMENT, THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 99V244000, REGARDING THE SERVICE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. ALSO, WHILE TURNING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, A SQUEAKING NOISE CAME FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. ALTHOUGH THE STEERING NOISE PERSISTED, THE DEALER WAS NOT ALERTED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 06V001000, REGARDING THE STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED A NHTSA RECALL LETTER # 06V001000 REGARDING THE STEERING: HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST: HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS WAS RECEIVED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL. SOON AFTER, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND WAS TOWED BACK TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE WERE IT WAS LATER EXAMINED BY AN INSPECTOR SENT BY THE INSURANCE AGENCY. UPON EXAMINATION THE INSPECTOR DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSE BY A DIRECT RESULT OF A MALFUNCTION IN THE POWER STEERING HOSE THAT ALLOWED STEERING FLUID 2 BE SPRAYED ONTO THE HOT EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE CONTACT SPOKE TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. UPDATED 12/15/2006 - *NM