1999 DODGE STRATUS Complaints

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE STRATUS. THE CONTACT TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2005 FOR NHTSA RECALL 04V021000 REPAIRS. RECALL WAS CORRECTED, HOWEVER, THEY CHARGED THE CONTACT FOR CYLINDER LOCK/IGNITION LOCK, NEW KEY, AND RECODED CYLINDER, WHICH TOTALED $406.00. HE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY TOLD HIM THAT THESE REPAIRS WHERE NOT COVERED IN THE RECALL, AND THAT THEY HAD TO BE DONE TO DO THE RECALL REPAIRS. ALSO, CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, THEY TOLD HIM THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. *AK

CONSUMER LETTER REGARDING THE SAFETY RECALL FOR THE TRANSAXLE FLOOR SHIFTER IGNITION / PARK INTERLOCK.*MR THE CONSUMER HAS ALREADY SENT IN THE NECESSARY PAPERWORK REGARDING A REIMBURSEMENT. *JB

ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE ON MY 1999 DODGE STRATUS. PARKED VEHICLE AND WENT INSIDE THE STORE, AND CAME OUT AND VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO MY HOUSE. CONTACTED DODGE, THEY SENT OUT AN INSPECTOR TO REVIEW THE VEHICLE. THE INSPECTOR SAID, THE VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE EXPLODED AND DO NOT FIX THE VEHICLE, DODGE WILL FIX THIS FOR YOU. REC'D A LETTER FROM DODGE, STATING THEY DENIED MY CLAIM TO FIX VEHICLE, BUT WOULD NOT OFFER ANY REASON. THEY ALSO WOULD NOT GIVE ME A COPY OF THE INSPECTION REPORT, THEY INDICATED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO HIRE AN ATTORNEY TO GET A SUBPOENA TO GET A COPY OF THE REPORT. CALLED THE INSPECTOR BACK, FOUND THAT REALLY STRANGE THEY ALWAYS GIVE THE REPORTS OUT AND THEY MUST BE HIDING SOMETHING. CALLED DODGE 4 DIFFERENT TIMES AND THEY WERE RUDE AND HUNG UP ON ME. THEY WOULD NOT TRANSFER ME TO ANY ONE, AND DID NOT ANSWER MY QUESTIONS. THIS IS MY ONLY VEHICLE, I THANK GOD EVERYDAY THAT MY CHILDREN WERE NOT IN THE VEHICLE AT THAT TIME. NOW I HAVE TO RELY ON OTHER MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION FOR MYSELF TO GET TO WORK AND MY CHILDREN TO SCHOOL. THIS IS VERY DIFFICULT WITH 2 SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN AND 1 INFANT.*JB

DT: ON 8-25-05 THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE PARKED WHEN HIS WIFE CAME OUT OF THE STORE TO FIND THE VEHICLE ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED. NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE FIRE APPEARED TO HAVE STARTED IN THE COMPUTER AREA, BUT BECAUSE OF THE DAMAGE HE COULD NOT BE SURE. THERE HAD BEEN NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS OR WARNINGS BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. *AK

DT: AFTER THE CONSUMER DROVE FOR AWHILE PARKED THE VEHICLE, SHE CAME OUTSIDE AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THERE WAS FIRE AND SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SCRAPPED AND NO ONE HAD LOOKED AT IT. ALSO, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS MALFUNCTIONED AND THE RADIO HAD TURNED ON WHILE THE KEYS WERE OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THERE HAD BEEN NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. *AK

CAR WAS WORKING FINE, TUNED UP IN MAY, KEPT UP ON OIL CHANGES, ETC. MY FIANCE WAS ON THE WAY HOME FROM GETTING THE TIRES ROTATED AND NOTICED SMOKE. HE PULLED OVER AND DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING. HE GOT BACK IN AND FLAMES STARTED TO SHOOT OUT. FIRE DEPT CAME AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. MOST OF THE FRONT END IS COMPLETELY INCINERATED. THE RADIATOR AND ENGINE BLOCK HAD TO BE SWEPT UP. FRONT END COMPLETELY MELTED. IT'S UNDER INVESTIGATION.

AFTER DRIVING SHORT DISTANCES (UNDER 15 MILES) THE PARK SHIFT INTERLOCK DOES NOT ENGAGE. IGNITION KEY WILL NOT TURN ALL THE WAY TO THE OFF POSITION, CAN NOT BE REMOVED, AND THE SHIFTER CAN MOVE FREELY WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE SHIFTER BUTTON. SHIFTER BUTTON BECOMES SOFT AND DOES NOT LOCK. THIS CAN OCCUR WITH OR WITHOUT ENGINE RUNNING. THIS BEGAN HAPPENING AFTER SAFETY RECALL #04V021000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT) WAS COMPLETED. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE STRATUS WHICH CAUGHT ON FIRE ON JULY 23, 2005. SHE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ON AUGUST 10, 2005 ON THE FLOOR SHIFT. SHE SAID THAT THE FIRE WAS FIRST NOTICED FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE MARSHAL WAS UNSURE OF WHERE THE FIRE ORIGINATED. HER UNCLE, A FIRE FIGHTER, FOUGHT A FIRE ON JULY 1, 2005 ON A VEHICLE WITH SAME YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT OPERATING ANY DIFFERENTLY BEFORE THE FIRE STARTED. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN SITTING FOR LESS THAN 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE FIRE STARTED. BOTH THE CONTACT AND HER HUSBAND SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING WHEN THEY GOT OUT OF THE CAR BUT DID NOT SAY ANYTHING TO EACH OTHER ABOUT IT. THEN , AFTER THE FIRE WAS NOTICED THEY ANNOUNCED AT THE BOWLING ALLEY THAT SOMEONE'S VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THEY WENT OUTSIDE AND FLAMES WHERE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE HOT SPOT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE STRATUS. THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE LAST WEEK. CONTACT WAS UNSURE OF WHERE THE FIRE STARTED. WHEN CONTACT WENT OUT TO VEHICLE IT HAD BEEN BURNT UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIREMAN COULD NOT TELL HOW FIRE STARTED, BUT IT DID START ON THE FIRE WALL. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN DRIVING PERFECTLY. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN OUTSIDE, TURNED OFF FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES WHILE SHE WAS IN THE STORE, AND THEN CONTACT WAS PAGED TO COME OUT TO CAR. IT BURNED UNDER THE HOOD AND WAS NOT DRIVABLE. *AK

DT: CONSUMER BOUGHT CAR IN 1999. TWO YEARS LATER TRANSMISSION FAILED, AND CONSUMER PAID $2,500 TO REPLACE IT. CONSUMER SAID THAT WHEN SHE GOT INTO VEHICLE AND SOMETIMES WHEN SHE LEFT VEHICLE THE DOORS DID NOT LOCK, AND SOMETIMES THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW WILL NOT ROLL DOWN. CONSUMER THOUGHT SHE HAD ALL THIS FIXED, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. DASHBOARD SHUT DOWN/GAUGES DID NOT WORK, AND TDASHBOARD ILLUMINATION MALFUNCTIONED. WHEN CONSUMER DROVE DASHBOARD CA ME ON AT ONCE/GAUGES WILL BEGAN WORKING, AND LIGHT CAME ON . CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE WIRING AND SENSORS, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK