2001 Dodge Stratus

2001 DODGE STRATUS...NOISE IN FRONT END. TOLD IT WAS BEARINGS ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, AND THEY WERE REPLACED. ENGINE TICKING/ POSSIBLE VALVE TAP NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS TO DEALER BEING TOLD THAT YEAR MODEL RUNS ROUGH; AND COULD TRADE IT FOR A MORE EXPENSIVE CAR. NOW TRYING TO HAVE REAR STRUTS PUT IN AND THE ALUMINUM PLATE THAT HOLDS THEM IN IS POWDER. THE PART IS NOT AVAILABLE. DODGE IS THE ONLY PLACE TO ORDER THE PART AND WAS INFORMED THIS IS AN OLD CAR AND THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER. *TR

2001 DODGE STRATUS SE HAS ISSUES WITH THE REAR STRUT MOUNT. CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE IS A BACK ORDER ON THE UPPER STRUT MOUNTS. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE BLOWER RESISTOR STOPPED WORKING AND TWO DAYS LATER, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE CONSUMER HAD TO PURCHASE A FUEL PUMP. THE CONSUMER THEN STARTED TO HEAR A KNOCKING NOISE IN THE STEERING. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE KNOCKING NOISE WAS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE STEERING COLUMN WAS TOO LARGE FOR THE COMPONENTS. THE THERMOSTAT BROKE INTO PIECES AND THE TRANSMISSION STOPPED SHIFTING GEARS. *JB

I OWN A 2004 DODGE STRATUS THAT I CHANGED THE OIL IN EVERY 3500 - 4000 MILES EVEN THOUGH THE MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDS CHANGES AT 7500 MILE INTERVALS. THE CAR HAD ROUGHLY 37000 MILES ON IT BACK IN 2006 WHEN THE 2.7L V6 ENGINE SEIZED DUE TO EXCESSIVE OIL SLUDGING CAUSING AN OIL FLOW FAILURE. AT THE TIME I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS BAD LUCK, BUT NOW AFTER TWO YEARS I READ OF COUNTLESS THOUSANDS OF CASES WHERE PERSONS WITH THE SAME 2.7L ENGINE IN THERE DODGE OR CHRYSLER VEHICLES HAD ENGINES SEIZE, AND YET THE COMPANY DOES NOTHING FOR US. I STILL HAVE THE VEHICLE IN MY DRIVEWAY BUT FRANKLY CANNOT AFFORD TO PUT A NEW MOTOR IN IT AS THE PRICE FOR THOSE IS SKY HIGH BECAUSE THERE IS SUCH A DEMAND TO REPLACE THEM. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS AS A CONSUMER WE DESERVE RETRIBUTION FOR THESE EXPENSIVE ENGINEERING FAILURES. *TR

MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ONE MORNING WHEN 2001 2.7L V-6 STARTED TO CHUG, ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR DIED IMMEDIATELY. MY HUSBAND HAD TO PUSH TO SIDE OF ROAD. WE HAD IT TOWED LATER THAT MORNING TO MY PARENTS' HOUSE. ENGINE IS BLOWN OUT. I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND THESE ENGINES ARE EXPENSIVE TO FIX WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE OUR MAINTENANCE AND NEVER HAD ANY WARNINGS SIGNS BEFORE HAND. CHRYSLER NEEDS TO STEP UP BECAUSE WE PAY MONEY FOR THEIR PRODUCT AND NOTHING IS HOLDING. IS THAT ALL WE GET OUT OF OUR CARS IS 75,000- 100,000 THEN NOBODY SHOULD BY CARS. THIS IS A SERIOUS SITUATION AND CHRYSLER NEEDS TO RECALL OR MAKE IT RIGHT BY OWNER. WE DID DO OUR REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE AND NOW WE SHOULD HAVE TO BASICALLY THROW THE CAR OUT. IT IS EXPENSIVE TO FIX. HELP US BECAUSE SOMEONE MAY GET INJURED WITH THESE KIND OF MISHAPS. *TR

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE STRATUS WITH A CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE OF 109,000 MILES. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT 55 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED. THE THERMOSTAT LIGHT TURNED ON, AND THE CONTACT PULLED OVER. AFTER TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT DID NOT TRY TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, AND HAD IT TOWED TO FIRESTONE CAR CARE, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE SEIZED, BUT DID NOT SPECIFY HOW OR WHY.*AK THE CONSUMER STATED THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THE ENGINE AS SHE HAS FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET PERTAINING TO THE DEFECT. UPDATED 07/10/07 *TR

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

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.

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