2001 Dodge Stratus

MY CAR IS A 2001 DOGDE STRATUS 4 DOOR ES. THE CAR HAS 57,000 MILES ON IT. AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE I ALSO PURCHASE AN EXTENDED WARRENTY FROM THE DEALER. THE WAS FROM FIRST EXTENDED SERVICE CORP. GANLEY EAST INC. AT 28840 EUCLID AVE. WICKLIFFE, OHIO 44092. I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON THURSDAY 6-16-05, STARTING OUT ON SIDE ROADS TO THEN THE FREEWAY AND THEN TO A MAIN ROUTE TO MY WORK. AFTER GETTING OFF THE FREEWAY I HAVE ABOUT A 15 MIN RIDE. AS I WAS PULLING INTO MY PARKING LOT I HEARD A LOUD BANG. THE CAR AT THIS POINT HAD A HARD TIME MOVING. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY PLACE TO SEE IF THE BROKEN (FRONT, PASSENGER SIDE) CONTROL ARM / BALL JOINT WAS COVERED AND THEY SAID YES. AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER WHICH COSTED ME $100.00. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE CAR AND TOLD THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT THE REASON THE CONTROL ARM SNAPPED WAS BECAUSE OF RUST OR CORROSION. BEING A MAJOR PART ON THE CAR AND THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS IF THE PART WOULD OF SNAP AS I WAS DOING 65 ON THE FREEWAY, I MIGHT NOT OF BEEN HERE TYPING THIS COMPLAINT. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS OUT OF THERE HANDS UPON PAYMENT AND BEFORE THIS THE EXTENDED WARRENTY COMPANY SAID IT WAS OUT OF THEIR HANDS AS WELL BECAUSE THE DEALER SAID THAT IT FAILED BECAUSE OF RUST. AT THE DEALER I WAS NEVER ASKED IF I WANTED THE BAD PARTS BACK OR TO SEE THEM, THEY NEVER WASHED MY VEHICLE AFTER THE SERVICE AND AFTER LEAVING THE DEALER AND DRIVING 2 MILES AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AND SUPPOSEDLY INSPECTED THE HUB CAP FLEW OFF THE CAR AND ALMOST CAUSED ME TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT ON THE WAY HOME. I WAS ABLE TO RETRIEVE THE HUB CAP AND GO BACK TO THE DEALER, WERE THEY DETERMINED THAT IT WAS BROKEN UP EITHER PUTTING IN ON OR TAKING IT OFF. THEY WERE SOOOO NICE TO ORDER ME ANOTHER ONE AT THEIR COST. I WAS CHARGED $680.43 FOR THE REPAIRS PLUS ANOTHER $100.00 FOR THE TOW TO ANOTHER COMPANY. AFTER RESEARCHING YOUR WEB SITE I HAVE FOUND AT LEAST 5 OTHER SIMILIAR COMPLAINTS WITH THE SAME MAKE, MODEL, YEAR AND PARTS.

DRIVER WOULD HEAR A RATTLING NOISE CONTINUOUSLY WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL IN EITHER DIRECTION,LEFT/RIGHT. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING AT 10 MPH, THE RATTLING NOISE MADE A LOUD SNAP AS IF SOMETHING INSIDE THE COLUMN WAS BROKEN. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE PERFORMANCE HAS NOT BEEN EFFECTED. ALSO, THE AIR BAG LIGHT HAS COME ON AND THE HORN AND THE CRUISE CONTROL IS ALSO INOPERATIVE. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *NM

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT BROKE, CAUSING MY RIGHT REAR WHEEL TO COLLAPSE WITHIN THE WHEEL WELL OF MY 2001 DODGE STRATUS ES. THE CONSEQUENCE OF THIS IS THAT CONTROL COULD HAVE BEEN LOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT HARMING MYSELF OR OTHERS ON THE ROAD. I MAINTAINED CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED OFF THE HIGHWAY. I THEN HAD TO AGAIN PAID FOR THE VEHICLE TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR.

THERE WAS A COMPLAINT I JUST READ BY [XXX] ODI CSE NUMBER[XXX], AND I AGREE WITH HIM ABOUT THIS COMPLAINT BE HANDLED AS A TOP PRIORITY INVESTIGATION. I BOUGHT THIS AS A USED CAR, I KNEW I'D END OF HAVING TO PUT SOME MONEY INTO IT SINCE I WAS NOT BUYING A BRAND NEW CAR. BUT I'VE ONLY HAD IT FOR 6 MONTHS AND HAVE TO PUT QUITE OF BIT INTO IT. IT HAS 59,000 MILES ON IT. I'VE HAD TO GET THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS REPLACED. A MONTH LATER WE HEARD A NOISE WHEN WE STEERED. WE ADDED POWER STEERING FLUID CAUSE WE NOTICED IT WAS LOW. ONLY TWO DAYS AFTER WE HEARD THE NOISE WHICH GOT LOUDER WAS HARD TO STEER. I DRIVE MY TWO YOUNG KIDS WITH THIS CAR AND FELT UNSAFE IN IT. A FRIEND OF OURS WHO IS A MECHANIC LOOKED AT IT AND SAID THERE WAS A LEAK SINCE THE FLUID WAS ALMOST EMPTY AGAIN. I WAS TOLD IT WAS POWER STEERING LINE. IT WAS RUBBING AGAINST THE A/C LINE WHICH IS METAL AND WORE A HOLE IN THE LINE. MY MECHANIC SAID THIS LINE WAS IN BACK ORDER (OBVIOUSLY IN HIGH DEMAND). WHEN HE FINALLY GOT IT IN, SEEMS LIKE DODGE HAS MADE SOME CHANGES ON THE DESIGN. THIS WAS MY FIRST DODGE VEHICLE I HAD PURCHASED AND FIRST USED VEHICLE ALSO. BECAUSE OF THIS, THIS WILL BE THE LAST FOR DODGE AND USED. I AGREE WITH [XXX]. THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED THOROUGHLY BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED. AGAIN MY CAR HAS ONLY 58,000 MILES ON IT AND SHOULD NOT BE HAVING SUCH SERIOUS FAILURES. THANK YOU, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

CHECK ENGINE LIGH CAME ON 12/15/04 @ 36,355 MILES. TOOK TO LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER ABOUT ENGINE NOISE. THEY SAID THEY CAN SEE SLUDGE BUILDUP ON OIL CAP. TECHNICIAN SAID HE HEARD A CHRYSLER 2.7 LITER ENGINE WAS HAVING A SLUDGE PROBLEM. THEY CHANGED OIL AND CONTINUED TO DRIVE. 1/13/05 36,626 MILES, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. THIS TIME TOOK TO LOCAL DODGE DEALER FEENY WHO INFORMED ME THAT THEY FOUND SLUDGE BUILDUP ON OIL CAP. IT WOULD COST $600--$1000 JUST TO PULL ENGINE A DO FURTHER INVESTIGATION BECAUSE ENGINE IS HARD TO WORK ON. SERVICE MANAGER SAID CHRYSLER NOT ADMITTING DEFECTIVE ENGINE DESIGN. NOTHING THEY CAN DO EVEN THOUGH IT IS BARELY OF 36,000 MILE WARRANTY PERIOD. SUGGESTED I CHANGE OIL EVERY 1000 MILES OR MONTHLY UNTIL CONDITION LESSENS. HAD THEM CHANGE OIL. 2/15/05 36,874 MILES, CHANGED OIL AGAIN. 4/4/04 37,345 MILES, CHANGED OIL AGAIN. 4/28/05 ENGINE MADE KNOCKING TYPE SOUND WHEN STARTED. GOING TO HAVE VEHICLE TOWED TO FEENY CHRYSLER FOR EVALUATION.

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING 25 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE JERKED AS IF IT HAD STRUCK A POT HOLE. CONSUMER GOT OUT TO CHECK THE VEHICLE, AND NOTICED THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE WAS NEARLY OFF. THE BALL JOINTS WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED.*AK THE MANUFACTURE OFFERS NO ASSISTANCE. REAR UPPER BALL JOINTS REPLACED AND 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT PERFORMED. *TT

01V005002/SEAT MOUNTING BOLTS. DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT MOVES WHEN BRAKING. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, WHO WAS TELLING CONSUMER THAT THE VEHICLE DESCRIBED WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. ALSO VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING STIFF STEERING. WHEN TURNING LEFT, DRIVER CAN FEEL A RUBBING NOISE THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS CAN ONLY BE FELT WHEN THE DRIVER IS MAKING A LEFT TURN. *AK *TT

ENGINE FAILED AFTER 50,000 MILES, CAR OUT OF WARRANTY. OIL CHANGED VERY FREQUENT. AUTO MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY RESPONSIBILITY. ALSO MILEAGE INCORRECT ON ODOMETER WHEN CAR WAS PURCHASED USED IN MAY 2004 CAR DEALER ALSO DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR INACCURATE ODOMETER. ALL I ASKED FOR WAS A COST CONSIDERATION IN REPLACING ENGINE. *NM