2002 DODGE STRATUS Complaints

REAR SHOCK UPPER MOUNT ATTACKED BY CORROSION, VEHICLE ONLY 4.5 YEARS OLD AND 60,500 MILES. UN-PAINTED POT METAL LIKE MATERIAL BROKE UP INTO MULTIPLE PIECES WITHOUT WARNING. ONE MINUTE VEHICLE DROVE FINE, HIT A TYPICAL PAVEMENT EXPANSION JOINT CAUSING A LIGHT CLUNK TO DEVELOP. WITHIN TWO MILES I PULLED OVER TO INSPECT BECAUSE THE HAMMERING IN THE SUSPENSION GOT SO BAD. FOUND THE REAR SHOCK ABSORBER WAS NO LONGER RETAINED AT THE UPPER END. VEHICLE COULD STILL BE DRIVEN HOME GENTLY BUT THERE WAS NOTHING RETAINING THE COIL SPRING TO THE BODY OTHER THAN GRAVITY. BOTH UPPER MOUNTS WERE REPLACED WITH PAINTED REPLACEMENT PARTS FROM THE DEALER. THE LEFT REAR MOUNT HAD NOT FAILED YET, BUT CORROSION WAS RAPIDLY TURNING IT INTO POWDER FROM THE TOP DOWN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE STRATUS. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, A KNOCKING NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE FAILED AND WAS TOWED. THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON FAILURE DUE TO SLUDGE BUILD UP IN THE ENGINE. THE ENTIRE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80,000.

NORMAL DRIVING THEN THE ENGINE STARTED CLANKING AND QUIT. SERVICE STATION SAID THE 2.7 V6 IS A TERRIBLE ENGINE AND NEED TO BE TOTALLY REPLACED. CALLED CHRYSLER AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT HELP ME. IT COST ABOUT $4000 TO FIX. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO. CAN'T AFFORD THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ON WWW.DONTBUYONE.ORG WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT.*AK

DASHBOARD CONTINUES TO CRACK IN SEVERAL PLACES. THIS RAISES SAFETY CONCERNS IN TERMS OF FRONTAL IMPACT AND AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. VEHICLE WAS NEVER IN A CRASH THAT WOULD CAUSE CRACKS. *JB

I HAVE TWO LARGE CRACKS THAT HAVE APPEARED IN THE DASH OF MY VEHICLE. I DO NOT KNOW HOW THE CRACKS OCCURRED, THEY JUST APPEARED. BECAUSE OF THE CRACKS, I'M AFRAID THAT IN A CRASH THE DASH WILL FALL APART AND HARM THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN THE VEHICLE. AT THIS POINT, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM.*JB

DASH COVER CRACKED AND BROKEN IN SEVERAL PLACES. RAISES AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT (SAFETY) AND AESTHETIC (RE-SALE) ISSUES. *NM

I BOUGHT MY 2002 DODGE STRATUS IN OCTOBER OF 2004. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THERE WAS STILL THE FACTORY WARRANTY ON IT BUT FAILED TO TELL ME IT EXPIRED IN ONE WEEK. IT WAS AT THIS ONE WEEK MARK I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR A TICKING NOISE TO THREE DIFFERENT PLACES, TWO OF THEM DODGE DEALERS AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. AS THE NOISE GOT WORSE, I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO A DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME MY TIMING CHAIN WAS GOING OUT AND COULD RUIN MY WHOLE ENGINE AT ANY TIME. THE COST OF REPAIR WAS $800. I HAD TO FIGHT WITH CHRYSLER THAT A CAR THIS NEW SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM BEFORE THEY AGREED TO PAY HALF. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO RECENTLY REPLACE MY STARTER OCTOBER 2006 AFTER THE FUSE BLOWING THREE TIMES OF WHICH I HAD TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED TO A MECHANIC IN ADDITION TO PAYING FOR REPAIRS. I HATE THIS CAR!!!!!! *JB

FAX FWD LTR ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT , RE 2002 DODGE STRATUS THAT BLEW UP BECAUSE OF STEERING FLUID LEAKAGE. *TS THE MANFACTURE DENIED ANY RESPONSIBILTY FOR THE FAULURE. A YEAR LATER THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL REGARDING THE HIGH PRESSURE POWER STEERING HOSE, 06V001000. *NM

FIRST COMPLAINT...ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION ON WET ROADWAYS I WOULD BEGIN TO SLOW DOWN FARTHER BEHIND THAN NORMAL FOR MY STOP OR TURN. EVERY SINGLE TIME MY BREAKS LOCKED UP ON ME AND I SLID. A COUPLE OF TIMES ALMOST ENDED IN A COLLISION. I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT DEALING WITH A TRAIN. WHEN I STOPPED THE TRAIN HIT THE FRONT END OF MY CAR. IT PULLED OFF MY BUMPER, HOOD, RADIATOR, COOLANT EACH LANDING AT LEAST 75 FEET AWAY. IT ALSO TWISTED MY ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, BENT MY FRAME, AND REAR AXLE. ALL THE WHILE MY BATTERY BLEW UP. OUT OF ALL OF THAT MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *NM

STARTED CAR, AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND PASSENGER AIRBAG DEPLOYED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. BROKE WINDSHIELD ON PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE. CHECKED TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY RECALLS NONE. WANT TO FILE COMPLAINT AGAINST CHRYSLER CORPORATION. *NM