2001 DODGE STRATUS Complaints

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE STRATUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 65 MPH WHEN THE CONTACT SMELLED A STRONG SMELL OF FUEL IN THE CAR AND THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON. THE VEHICLE DECELERATED, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND TRIED SEVERAL TIMES. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE FOR POSSIBLE LEAKS, BUT THERE WERE NONE PRESENT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THIS FAILURE HAS OCCURRED FIVE TIMES. THE DEALER TOLD THE CONTACT THAT THE ENGINE VALVE FAILED. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED IN 2003 WHEN THE HEAD GASKET FAILED AT 20,000 MILES. THE DODGE DEALER STATED THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME INCIDENT. THE CONTACT HAS TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER 5 TIMES FOR REPAIRS INVOLVING THE SAME FAILURE SINCE 2003. A REBUILT ENGINE WAS INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE ON ONE OCCASION IN 2003. THE CARWAS 5 YEARS OLD WITH 51,000 MILES. THE CONTACT TRIED TO REGISTER THIS ISSUE WITH CHRYSLER 3 YEARS AGO BUT WAS NOT SURE IT IT WAS SUCCESSFUL . THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY AT THE TIME. *AK UPDATED 01/29/07. *JB

NOTICED MY CAR SEEMED TO BE LOSING PERFORMANCE. FAILURE STARTED WHEN MY CAR WOULD SHUT OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING WHEN I TURNED ON THE HEAT. THIS HAPPENED 4 TIMES IN ONE DAY AND THE FOURTH TIME I ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT ON INTERSTATE 5. I DID HAVE FIRESTONE CHECK THE VEHICLE AND THEY COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE. I SEARCH THIS SITE FOR RECALLS AND FOUND RECALL NUMBER 00V299002 WHICH STATES " PROLONGED WIRING HARNESS CONTACT WITH THE HEAT SHIELD WILL CAUSE THE WIRING INSULATION TO WEAR AND EVENTUALLY TO GROUND OUT. THIS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO DIE OUT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH" WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT I'M EXPERIENCING WHEN I DRIVE. I HAVE KEPT UP THE MAINTENANCE ON THIS VEHICLE WITH JIFFY LUBE AND FIRESTONE, SO THERE SHOULD BE NO REASON WHY THIS IS HAPPENING OTHER THAN A MANUFACTURES DEFECT. I CALLED THE LOCAL DODGE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER AND THEY BOTH STATED THERE IS NO RECALL FOR MY DODGE STRATUS 2001 FOR THIS PROBLEM. I WAS IN SHOCK TO THINK THAT NHTSA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR THERE PRODUCTS ARE NOT. HOPEFULLY, THIS COMPLAINT WILL SPARK THE MANUFACTURER TO MAKE THIS A RECALL AND PREVENT MYSELF AND OTHERS FROM BEING SERIOUSLY INJURED IN A CAR ACCIDENT, DUE TO NO FAULT OF OUR OWN. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE LOST ENGINE POWER WHILE TRAVELING 45 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND THERE WAS A CLICKING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT PRIOR TO THE STALLING. THE VEHICLE WAS JUMP STARTED, PROVIDING ENOUGH POWER TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE NEXT DAY, THE ENGINE WAS DIFFICULT TO START AND THE CLICKING NOISE CONTINUED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC. THE PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED AS A ROD BEARING FAILURE AND WOULD REQUIRE REPLACEMENT OF THE MOTOR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, A LARGE AMOUNT OF TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS OBSERVED ON THE GROUND. THERE WAS NO WARNING SIGNAL PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE SERVICE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID LINE HAD LEAKED. THE SERVICE DEALER REPLACED THE 2 TRANSMISSION COOLING LINES, 4 CLAMPS, AND PART OF THE OIL SYSTEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF NHTSA RECALL # 01V011002, WHICH PERTAINS TO THE COOLING UNIT AND LINES FOR THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DUE TO THE VIN.

IN 2003 MY 2001 DODGE STRATUS ENGINE FAILED. I TOOK IT TO A REPUTABLE CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT IT LOOKED LIKE THE OIL HAD NOT BEEN CHANGED FOR OVER 10000 MILES AND AS A RESULT GUMMED UP LOWER PART OF THE ENGINE. THE OIL HAD BEEN CHANGED EVERY 3-4000 MILES AND HAD BEEN CHANGED NOT 3 DAYS BEFORE INCIDENT HAPPENED. ENGINE HAD TO BE COMPLETELY CLEANED OUT AND REPAIRED TO THE TUNE OF $3000.00. ENGINE HAD LESS THAN 60000 MILES AT THE TIME. SINCE THEN CAR AGAIN HAS HAD REGULAR OIL CHANGES WITHOUT FAIL. AGAIN,THE ENGINE FAILED, I WAS FINALLY TOLD THAT THAT THE DODGE STRATUS MAGNUM ENGINE WAS KNOWN TO HAVE A TOO SMALL OIL LINE TO THE ENGINE AND HAD A TENDENCY TO CLOG WITH A MINUTE AMOUNT OF NORMAL DEBRIS,AND THEREFORE THE LOWER HALF OF ENGINE WAS STARVED OF OIL AND ENGINE BECOMES TOAST. BY THE WAY, THE OIL LIGHT FAILED TO GO ON TO LET ME KNOW I HAD A PROBLEM UNTIL ENGINE WAS TOASTED, THEN IT WENT ON. I HAVE TAKEN EXCELLENT CARE OF THIS VEHICLE IT IS IN PERFECT CONDITION OTHER THAN THE ENGINE. I WAS TOLD I WILL NEED A NEW ENGINE TO THE TUNE OF WELL OVER $3000.00, NO REPAIRING IT THIS TIME. I CAN'T AFFORD TO DO THIS AGAIN. IF THIS IS AN ENGINE DESIGN FLAW...IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY. BEAUTIFUL VEHICLE DESIGN,LOUSY QUALITY AND MECHANICAL DESIGN. *NM

I HAD PULLED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY TO RETURN TO WORK AND WHEN I TURNED THE CORNER TO LEAVE MY STREET I HEARD A CRACKING SOUND FROM THE STEERING COLUMN AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON IMMEDIATELY. THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS CONSTANTLY ON, THE CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK AND THE HORN DOES NOT WORK EITHER THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE VEHICLE HAD JUST OVER 35,500 MILES ON IT. *NM

DROVE THE VEHICLE THE NIGHT BEFORE THERE WERE NO SIGNS, WARNINGS OF ANYTHING WRONG. WENT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE THE NEXT AFTERNOON AND UPON START UP VEHICLE WAS MAKING A RATTLING, CLICKING NOISE, TURNED IT OFF IMMEDIATELY. HAD CAR TOWED, WAS TOLD OIL WAS SLUDGY , ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACE, AT A COST OF MINIMUM END OF $5700. MECHANIC STATED HE HAD TWO MORE VEHICLES OF EXACT YEAR, MAKE, MODEL AND 2.7L ENGINE ON HIS LOT WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. HE STATED FURTHER, HE WAS SORRY, BUT WOULD HAVE TO DECLINE HIS SERVICE TO REPAIR/REPLACE THE ENGINE AS HE WAS ALREADY FED UP WITH DEALING WITH MANUFACTURER WITH THE OTHER TWO VEHICLES. HE WENT ON TO STATE THAT THE MANUFACTURER IS CLAIMING OWNER FAULT, OF NOT MAINTAINING 3000 MILE OIL CHANGES, EVEN THOUGH ONE OF THE OWNERS HAD EVERY RECEIPT PROVING OTHERWISE. HERE I SIT WITHOUT A VEHICLE NOW, HAVE NO FINANCIAL MEANS TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THIS VEHICLE AS I BECAME DISABLED IN APRIL OF 2005 AND HAVE A VERY LIMITED BUDGET. I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW VEHICLE SO I DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ANY MAJOR EXPENSE OR PROBLEMS AND IT WOULD LAST ME 15-20 YRS, NOT 5. I ALSO DIDN'T EXPECT TO PAY OVER $20,000 FOR A VEHICLE THAT WOULD ONLY LAST 70,000 MILES. THIS WASN'T THE ONLY ITEMS I HAD TO HAVE FIXED, IN 2003 I HAD TO HAVE THE FAN FIXED FOR THE AC/HEATING AS IT ONLY WORKED ON ONE SPEED, THANK GOODNESS IT WAS COVERED BY WARRANTY. WHICH I NEVER DID RECEIVE ANY RECALL LETTER OR ANY NOTIFICATION OF THIS PROBLEM. IN 2005 THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS WENT OUT AND HAD TO HAVE THEM REPLACED. THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE GET WATER IN WHEN IT RAINS, HAVE TAKEN IT IN TO DEALER, THEY HAVE NO CLUE AS TO WHAT AND WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. THIS IS THE FIRST BRAND NEW VEHICLE I HAVE EVER PURCHASED AND WAS SO PROUD OF IT, TOOK METICULOUS CARE OF IT AND NOW I FEEL AND LOOK LIKE A COMPLETE FOOL, AS THE MANUFACTURER IS LAUGHING ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK, PLUS HAS A VEHICLE THAT RUNS! THEIR OLD SLOGAN DODGE TUFF, THE NEW IS YOUR DODGE DOESN'T RUN, THAT'S TOUGH. *JB

2.7 ENGINE TIMING CHAIN FAILURE, CHRYSLER MECHANIC SAYS THEY HAVE HAD MANY, AND ARE WAITING ON A RECALL, HAVE NOT DRIVEN CAR IN A FEW YEARS CAN NOT AFFORD REPAIR! *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING WAS HARD TO TURN TO THE RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, WHO DETERMINED THE STEERING GEAR, WHEEL BEARING, AND RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, #00V225002, REGARDING THE GEAR BOX. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

I TURNED A CORNER AND HEARD A CLICKING SOUND. MY AIR BAG LIGHT WENT ON AND MY HORN WOULD NOT SOUND. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT MY CRUISE CONTROL WAS ALSO NOT WORKING. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND DISCOVERED THAT IT IS DUE TO A BROKEN CLOCK SPRING. TWO DODGE DEALERSHIPS TOLD ME THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR IT AT NO COST, THAT IN FACT IT WOULD COST AT LEAST $200.00 . I NOW SEE THAT THIS HAS BEEN A CONTINUAL PROBLEM WITH DODGE VEHICLES OF THE SAME YEAR. TO THIS DAY, IT HAS NOT YET BEEN FIXED, AS I AM WAITING TO GET AN AGREEABLE DEALERSHIP TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM AT THEIR EXPENSE. SINCE THIS PROBLEM RENDERS THE AIRBAG INOPERABLE, I WOULD CONSIDER THIS A MAJOR SAFETY DEFECT/PROBLEM. *NM