2000 Dodge Stratus

AFTER DRIVING MY CAR A FRIEND WENT OUTSIDE AND SEEN SMOKE COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD.SHE CALLED ME AND I RAN TO THE CAR AND I SEEN FIRE UNDER THE FRONT WHEEL'S. FRIENDS SPRAYED WATER ON THE HOOD AND I OPENED IT UP A LITTLE AND THEY SPRAYED THE FIRE AND PUT IT OUT. BY THIS TIME THE TOP OF THE MOTOR WAS BURNT BAD. EVERYTHING ON TOP NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, IT WAS CAUSED BY THE HIGH PRESSURE HOSE ON THE POWERSTEERING. I FOUND OUT THAT IT HAD A RECALL ON THE HOSE SO I CALLED DODGE CORP. AND THEY GAVE ME A CASE # AND TO TAKE IT TO MY DEALER SO I DID. THEN THE CORP. OFFICE CALLED ME TODAY AND SAID IT'S BEEN TO LONG THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE BY THE LAST OWNER AND HUNG UP. I BOUGHT THIS CAR OCT.14 OF THIS YEAR AND THIS HAPPENED ON THE 31. HOW AM I TO KNOW THAT THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN IN 18 DAY'S. I PAID A LOT OF MONEY FOR THIS CAR AND I THINK. THE COMPUTER CAN TELL YOU THE RECALL AND HOW TO GET IT FIXED; BUT YOU TRY TO FIND SOMEWHERE ON HERE ON WHAT TO DO WHEN THERE IS A RECALL AND IT DONE WHAT IT SAID IT WOULD DO AND YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT UNTIL IT DID IT. I NEED HELP I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX IT. I TOOK OUT A LOAN TO GET IT. *TR

2000 DODGE STRATUS, HAD A LEAKAGE IN THE FUEL LINE, IN JUNE 2009 AND HAD IT REPAIRED, THAN TRANSMISSION WAS GOING OUT, NEEDED A NEW ENGINE, CAR WOULDN'T GO PAST 50MPH WITHOUT JERKING AND STILL WAS A GAS-HOGGER, COST MORE TO FIX THE CAR SO HAD TO HAVE IT SALVAGED COULDN'T AFFORD THE REPAIRS, AND MY FRIEND ALSO HAD A DODGE STRATUS SAME YEAR AND HAD THE SAME PROBLEM I DID AND SHE ALSO HAD TO SALVAGED HER CAR. *TR

MY SPARK PLUG JUST POPPED OUT OF THE SOCKET WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND IT STRIPPED THE THREADS, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED TO ME. THE FIRST TIME I THOUGHT THAT THE PLUG WAS NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY ON CYLINDER #2, THIS TIME IT HAPPENED ON CYLINDER #3. I'M AFRAID THAT THIS COULD CAUSE AN ENGINE FIRE DUE TO THE VEHICLE STILL SPRAYING THE GAS INTO THE CYLINDER AND THE SPARK PLUG WILL STILL FIRE IGNITING THE FUMES. *TR

I OWNED UNTIL LAST NIGHT A 2000 DODGE STRATUS, WELL NOW I AM ANOTHER FIRE VICTIM I GUESS. CAR WAS PARKED HAD IGNITION IN THE AUX POSITION TO LISTEN TO MUSIC WHILE I WAS CLEANING UP OUR STORAGE AREA. GOT INTO CAR TO START IT UP AND BOOM. FIRST HEARD A POP FOLLOWED BY IMMEDIATE ENGULFING FIRE UNDER HOOD ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WHOLE THING BURNT TO THE GROUND IN LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES. I HAVE PICTURES IF YOU NEED THEM. THANKS TERRI *TR

AFTER AN ABRUPT STOP, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND BRAKING ABILITY WAS SEVERELY IMPAIRED. I WENT HOME IMMEDIATELY FEARING FOR MY SAFETY. AFTER AN INSPECTION UNDER THE VEHICLE, I NOTICED THAT A LARGE AMOUNT OF BRAKE FLUID IN MY DRIVEWAY. LOOKING MORE CLOSELY I FOUND THE LEAK IN THE BRAKE LINE. IT APPEARS THAT THE PARKING BRAKE CABLE HAD WORN A SPOT ON THE LEFT REAR BRAKE LINE. THIS COMBINED WITH CORROSION HAD CAUSED THE LINE TO RUPTURE. IT LOOKS AS IF THE FACTORY WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THERE WAS A SOFT 3" PIECE OF FOAM RUBBER TUBING OVER THE PARKING BRAKE CABLE WHERE IT CONTACTED THE HYDRAULIC LINE. THIS FOAM RUBBER MAY HAVE ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE CORROSION BY TRAPPING WATER BETWEEN IT AND THE STEEL BRAKE LINE. JUDGING BY THE AMOUNT OF RUST STUCK TO THE FOAM RUBBER I WOULD SAY THIS IS A FAIR ASSESSMENT. CHRYSLER DEALERS AND THE MAIN OFFICE OFFERED NO RECOURSE. AFTER EXPERIENCING ALL THIS AND MANY OTHER PROBLEMS FROM A VEHICLE PURCHASED NEW, I CAN SAY THAT I WILL NEVER PAY FOR ANOTHER CHRYSLER VEHICLE AGAIN. IF SOMEONE GIVES ME ONE, I MAY CONSIDER THE OFFER. P.S. OTHER PROBLEMS INCLUDED: OIL PRESSURE SENDING SENSOR, TRANSMISSION SPEED SENSORS, FRONT WHEEL BEARING, RADIATOR, LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS, AN UNRESOLVED PULLING TO THE RIGHT NOT RESOLVED AFTER NEW TIRES AND WHEEL ALIGNMENT, ETC. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE STRATUS. WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. SHE PARKED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ENGINE BACKFIRED AND WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 123,243.

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED WITH THE ENGINE OFF AND THE IGNITION IN THE ON POSITION AND PLAYING THE RADIO WHEN SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE HOOD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED , AND THEY EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WA SINOPERABLE AND THAT FIRE DEPARTMENT INFORMED HER THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY FAULTY WIRING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LAST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 2006 THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING OIL FROM THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A LEAK UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT COULDN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY SAID WAS LEAKING NOR DID SHE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE RECEIVED A RECALL 06V001000. *AK UPDATED 02/22/07. *JB