2003 DODGE STRATUS Complaints

I PURCHASED A 2003 DODGE STRATUS AND SINCE THEN IT HAS BEEN IN THE REPAIR SHOP 5 TIMES THERE IS A POPPING AND CREAKING NOISE IN THE FRONT END THE DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED TIE RODS,SWAY BARS,RIVETS ON THE STRUT PLATES, AND STRUTS AND THE PROBLEM IS STILL NOT FIXED I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT CHRYSLER MAKES A CAR THAT IS NOT REPAIRABLE I CALLED CHRYSLER AND THEY LOGGED THE COMPLAINT BUT WOULD DO NOTHING MORE AND OF COURSE I AM STUCK WITH A CAR THAT THEY CANNOT REPAIR . *AK

DRIVER'S SEAT MOVES WITHIN THE SEAT TRACK. THE SEAT IS SO LOOSE THAT IT WILL NOT LOCK WITHIN THE TRACK. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHO WILL NOT REPAIR IT. *AK

2003 STRATUS SXT. NUMEROUS WATER LEAKS. I BOUGHT THIS CAR BRAND NEW IN MARCH 2003. BY APRIL IT HAD A REALLY STRONG MILDEW SMELL. IT WAS FOUND TO HAVE A WATER LEAK IN THE TRUNK(AFTER THEY TORE APART THE FRONT OF MY CAR LOOKING FOR THE LEAK). THEY WANTED TO SHAMPOO THE CARPET, I MADE THEM REPLACE THE CARPET. SINCE THEN THE CAR HAS BEEN BACK TO IN THE SHOP 3 OTHER TIMES AND THEY HAVE FOUND 7 OTHER WATER LEAKS. I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS CAR HELP!!!!!! I'VE TRIED TO TALK TO THE MANAGER AT HENDRICK DODGE WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR, BUT HE WAS A COMPLETE JERK. I'VE TRIED CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURER, BUT THEY SAY THAT SINCE THE LEAK WAS REPAIRED THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. I CAN UNDERSTAND MAYBE 1 LEAK BUT 8? GIVE ME A BREAK, WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO CUSTOMER SERVICE? I HAVE BEEN A LONG TIME DODGE PERSON, BUT I THINK AFTER THIS THEY WILL NOT GET ANYMORE OF MY BUSINESS. THANKS, MDA IN NC. *LA

THE CAR HAD BEEN WRECKED BEFORE WE BOUGHT IT AND WE WERE NEVER TOLD ABOUT IT. IT HAS FRONT END DAMAGE. IT IS IN THE SHOP NOW. AND I AM LEFT WITHOUT A VEHICLE.

STEERING COLUMN MAKES A POPPING NOISE. AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON AND IS IN-OPERATIVE ACCORDING TO DODGE DEALER. CRUISE CONTROL IS ALSO IN-OPERATIVE. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF DRIVING VEHICLE WITHOUT AN OPERATIVE AIRBAG THEY REPLIED "IF YOU ARE SO CONCERNED WITH SAFETY, THEN PARK THE CAR AND DON'T DRIVE IT." NOTICE ON WEBSITES THERE ARE RE-CALLS ISSUED FOR OTHER VEHICLES WITH SAME DEFECT BUT NONE ON STRATUS AT THIS TIME. DEALER WAS VERY RUDE WHEN NOTIFIED OF PROBLEM AND CHARGED $60 TO VERIFY THE PROBLEM, WHEN I INFORMED THEM WHAT IT WAS TO BEGIN WITH.*AK

I HAVE A 2003 DODGE STRATUSNI JUST BROUGHT THE CAR NOT EVEN A YEAR AGO AND I AM HAVING A POPPING NOISE WHEN I TURN MY WHEEL. THE NOISE HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO THE DEALER THAT I GOT THE CAR FROM AND THEY CAN NOT SEEM TO FIX THE PROBLEM. ALSO MY BRAKES ARE MAKING A NOISE AS WELL. THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING AND I HAVE NOT HAD THE CAR FOR A YEAR YET. I HAVE TALKED WITH DAIMER AND THEY JUST TOOK A COMPLAINT BUT I NEED SOME ACTION NO SEEMS TO CARE.*AK

EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, STEERING WHEEL SHOOK IMMENSELY WHILE GOING DOWN HILLS TRYING TO STOP. HAD TO REPLACE ROTERS BEFORE 20,000 MILES WAS ON THE CAR. THE CAR WAS SO NEW THAT THE ROTERS COULDN'T BE FOUND ANYWHERE BUT THE DEALERSHIP (OF COURSE AT A VERY NICE PRICE).

THE 2003 DODGE STRATUS WE OWN IS NOT SAFE FOR DRIVING. RAPIDLY OVERHEATING AND SHUTTING DOWN, NEAR ACCIDENT WITH SUDDEN STALLING IN TRAFFIC, REGULATORS ON THE ENGINE FAN GOING OUT, HEADGASKETS HAVING TO BE REPLACED. CAR IS NOT A YEAR AND HAS BEEN SERVICED 2 TIMES AND STILL MALFUNCTIONS. JUST GOT CAR BACK FROM SHOP AND HAVE TO RETURN IT, BECAUSE IT IS NOT IDLING PROPERLY. CONSTANT PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE.*AK

I HAVE 2003 DODGE STATUS WITH THE 2.4L 4 CYLINDER ENGINE AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. AFTER COMING BACK FROM A TRIP, MOST OF WHICH WAS AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN THE ENGINE SPEED SUDDENLY JUMPED FROM IDLE SPEED TO 2000 RPMS. THE CAR LUCHED FORWARD CAUSING ME TO ALMOST HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. AT THE NEXT 2 STOPS THE ENGINE SPEED JUMPED FROM IDLE SPEED TO 1400 RPMS. FOR THE NEXT WEEK THE PROBLEM DID NOT HAPPEN AGAIN DURING NORMAL AROUND TOWN DRIVING. THE FOLLOWING WEEK I AGAIN HAD TO MAKE ANOTHER TRIP AT FREEWAY SPEEDS AND THIS TIME STITTING AT STOP SIGNS THE ENGINE IDLE WOULD SOMETIMES DROP TO THE POINT OF ALMOST STALLING THEN RECOVER. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TWICE TO THE DEALER AND THEY CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG. THE SECOND TIME A MECHANIC WENT WITH ME AND WITNESSED THE IDLE SPEED DROPPING. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT SWANTY'S CHRYSLER CONTACTED THE FACTORY AND HE TOLD ME YESTERDAY THAT PER THE FACTORY THIS IS COMMON TO CHRYSLER 4 CYLINDER ENGINES IN HOT WEATHER. THE DAYS THE ENGINE ACTED UP THE MOST WERE VERY HOT. THE TEMPERATURES WERE 128 AND 124 DEGREES. THE ENGINE IDLE SLOWING PROBLEM IS ANNOYING TO SAY THE LEAST, BUT THE ENGINE SPEEDING UP IS A SAFETY HAZZARD. THE LAST TIME I TOOK THE CAR IN I WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE THE DEARLER AND THE ENGINE WAS IDLING IN PARK AND I DID SEE THE IDLE SPEED JUMP UP ONCE TO 1400 RPMS. MYSELF AND MY WIFE ARE VERY CONCERNED AND THE DEALER IS STUMPED. THERE ARE NO TROUBLE CODES SHOWING, BUT I FEEL THIS IS A COMPUTER PROBLEM BECAUSE THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION COMPUTERS ARE UNDER THE HOOD AND OUR COMMOM 120+ DEGREE DAYS ARE CAUSING THE COMPUTERS TO MALFUNCTION BECAUSE OF THE EXTREMELY HIGH UNDER HOOD TEMPERATURES. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT MY FUEL MILEAGE IS DEREASING SIGNIFICANTLY WHICH COULD BE RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER HAS BEEN VERY UNDERSTANDING AND HAS BEEN TRYING TO HELP, BUT THIS SEEMS TO BE A FACTORY DEFECT.

VEHICLE WAS STARTED UP AND SUDDENLY THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT MECHANISM WAS ACTIVATED. IT HELD PASSENGER TOO TIGHT, UNABLE TO BREATH. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK