2001 Dodge Stratus

I LIKE TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO WINDOWS IN THE CARS. I WAS IN CLOSE CALL ACCIDENT AND I, WITNESS ANOTHER INCIDENT IN MINER DAMAGES TO CAR. I WAS CROSSING INTERSECTION AT SHARP ANGLE AND DID NOT SEE CAR CROSSING IT AT HI SPEED, NEAR MISS. I WITNESS INTERSECTION WHERE CAR MERGING IN TO TRAFFIC, FORCE VEHICLE OF THE ROAD TO SIDE, DAMAGING RIMS ON THE CAR OVER THE CURB SIDE WALK. SIMPLY EGG DESIGN CARS ARE NOT SAFE TO DRIVE!!!! IT IS WORST THEN DISTRACTIVE DRIVING IS BLIND DRIVING ALL THE TIME. I RECOMMEND 80'S. AS A COMPARISON AND INSPIRATION. *TR

I HAVE A DODGE STRATUS SE SEDAN, 2001 MODEL.. WHILE TURNING LEFT INTO A PARKING LOT THE STEERING WHEEL ALMOST LOCKED UP, THEN SOMETHING SNAPPED AND BROKE INSIDE. I REGAIN STEERING BUT MY AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ON AND REMAINS ON. THE OTHER CONTROLS ON THE STEERING WHEEL SUCH AS CRUISE CONTROL AND THE HORN DO NOT WORK.. I FEEL THE CRUISE CONTROL NOT WORKING, THE WHEEL FREEZING UP MOMENTARILY UNTIL YOU BREAK THE RIBBON WIRE INSIDE THE CLOCKSPRING BOTH ARE SAFETY HAZARDS. THE PART THAT IS DEFECTIVE IS THE CLOCKSPRING.. IT IS AVAILABLE FROM THE DEALER ONLY AT A COST OVER $129.00.. IT IS VERY CHEAPLY MADE AND IS ESSENTIALLY A RIBBON WIRE WRAPPED AROUND A PLASTIC SPOOL. IT IS CAPABLE OF BINDING UP AND PREVENTING THE STEERING WHEEL TO TURN. ONE SHOULD BE INSPECTED AND ANY ENGINEER WILL AGREE IT IS VERY POORLY DESIGNED. AS MUCH AS AIRBAG COSTS AND AS MUCH IS IT IS ENGINEERED, TO HAVE A CHEAPLY MADE PART PREVENT IT'S FUNCTIONING MAKE NO SENSE AT ALL. DODGE AND JEEP CHRYSLER IM SURE.. NEED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND RECALL THESE VEHICLES AND REPLACE THIS PART WITH A MUCH BETTER ENGINEERED REPLACEMENT. I ALMOST CRASHED AND NOW IF I DO CRASH I HAVE NO AIRBAG AND I HAVE NO HORN TO WARN OTHER DRIVERS IF THEY'RE ABOUT TO CRASH INTO ME. *TR

2001 DODGE STRATUS. LOSS OF CONTROL. RESULTING IN 2 SEPARATE CRASHES. I DID SUSTAIN INJURY IN THE LAST INCIDENT. I WAS TRYING TO TURN LEFT INTO A PARKING LOT, WHEEL TURNED ONLY PARTIALLY. I COULD NOT GET IT TO MOVE THE CORRECT DIRECTION, AND I RAN INTO A TALL (15IN.) CURB. SUSTAINED WHIPLASH AND A LARGE KNOT ON MY HEAD. THE 1ST INCIDENT WAS WHILE TRYING TO TURN LEFT AND MY CAR WOULD NOT GO THAT WAY. I ENDED UP HITTING YET ANOTHER TALL CURB,DUE TO LOSS OF CONTROL. IT MAY BE WORTHY TO NOTE I HAVE REPLACED THE LOWER CONTROL ARM ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, BUT AM STILL GETTING PERIODS OF HAVING A HARD TIME TURNING MY WHEEL. THIS OCCURS WHETHER IN MOTION OR JUST STARTING MY CAR AND TURNING THE WHEEL TO LEAVE . I ALSO HAD TO REPLACE RIGHT SIDE DUE TO FAILURE OF THE WHEEL TO TURN RIGHT AS WELL. I ACTUALLY WAS GOING ABOUT 30MPH AND BARELY MADE MY TURN, ALMOST BROADSIDING A SITTING VEHICLE. WHEN I CHECKED IT, MY TIRE WAS "BENT INWARD' AT THE TOP. THE WHOLE TIRE WAS, WELL, LIKE THIS, / (BUT ACTUALLY BENT THE OTHER WAY, INWARD. MY STEERING WHEEL WORKS RANDOMLY. PLEASE ADVISE, AS THIS IS MY ONLY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO HAVE FIXED ON IT! I'VE ALREADY DIPPED ALMOST $2000 "FIXING" IT. THANK YOU. THE INCIDENT DATE BELOW IS JUST THE LATEST. THE ONE WHERE I HIT MY HEAD. AS OF TODAY, MY STEERING HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN. *TR

REGARDING OUR 2001 DODGE STRATUS, LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT FAILURE. ORIGINALLY ON OCTOBER 25TH OF 2005 WE HAD THE LEFT FRONT CONTROL ARM/BALL JOINT ASSEMBLY REPLACED BECAUSE OF SEVERE SQUEAKING DURING SUSPENSION MOVEMENT. THIS WAS CAUSED BY LUBRICATION FAILURE. THERE IS NO WAY TO RE-LUBE THIS JOINT ON THIS DESIGN. THE ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED WITH THE ONLY AVAILABLE PART AT THE TIME FROM DODGE. FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS I HAD NOTICED THAT DURING ABRUPT BRAKING THE VEHICLE WOULD PULL STRONGLY TO THE LEFT, THEN RECOVER WHEN THE BRAKES WERE RELEASED. I HAD SCHEDULED FOR INSPECTION APPOINTMENT ON 11/10/2009. THEN ON11/2/2009 THE SAME EXACT BALL JOINT FAILURE OCCURRED TO THE LEFT SIDE WHEN MY 16 YEAR OLD SON WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE. I HAD READ THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 09E-056 REGARDING THE QUALIS FAILURE AND WONDERED IF IT COULD BE RELATED SOMEHOW. PLEASE ADVISE. *TR

WAS HEADING NORTH THE 805 FREEWAY FROM CHULA VISTA TO CAMP PENDLETON CA, CAR BEGAN MAKING A KNOCKING NOISE AND THE KNOCKING CONTINUED TO GET WORSE AS I DROVE DOWN THE ROAD. SUDDENLY CAR LOST ALL POWER AND ENGINE SHUT OFF. WAS HARDLY ABLE TO GET IT OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. GOT IT TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP THE NEXT DAY. WAS TOLD PROBLEM WAS ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO OIL SLUDGE AND THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON COMPLAINT FOR THE ENGINE AND CAR. WAS NOT REPAIRED SIMPLY TOWED BACK HOME BECAUSE COST WAS OVER 5,000 DOLLARS. THE CAR IS NOT EVEN WORTH 5,000 DOLLARS. *TR

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2001 DODGE STRATUS SE WITH THE 2.7L V6 ENGINE. ON FEBRUARY 9, 2006 I TOOK THE CAR TO PARK PLAZA DODGE IN FORREST PARK, IL. BECAUSE THE ENGINE MAKING A LOUD TAPPING SOUND. AT THE TIME THE CAR HAD 67,441 MILES ON IT AND WAS COVERED UNDER A CHRYSLER 5 YEAR/75,000 MILE WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE HAD A LOT OF SLUDGE IN IT AND I WAS ASKED TO PRODUCE MAINTENANCE RECEIPTS ON THE VEHICLE. I CHANGE MY OWN OIL AND I TOLD THEM THAT I DIDN'T HAVE THE RECEIPTS FOR THE OIL. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND POINTED OUT TO CHRYSLER AND THE DEALERSHIP THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ENGINE PROBLEM AND THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. AFTER MORE THAN A WEEK OF STALLING CHRYSLER AGREED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AT THEIR EXPENSE LESS MY $100 DEDUCTIBLE. IT TOOK CHRYSLER MORE THEN TWO WEEKS TO DELIVER THE NEW ENGINE TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE CHRYSLER EXTENDED WARRANTY ONLY INCLUDED A MAXIMUM OF TWO WEEKS RENTAL FOR COVERED REPAIRS. I POINTED OUT TO BOTH CHRYSLER AND THE DEALERSHIP THAT IT WAS NOT MY FAULT THAT CHRYSLER HADN'T DELIVERED THE ENGINE AND THEY SHOULD PAY FOR THE ADDITIONAL RENTAL. THEY REFUSED. THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO ME ON FEBRUARY 24, 2006. WHEN PUTTING IN THE NEW ENGINE THE DEALERSHIP MOVED ALL OF THE EXTRA PARTS (ALTERNATOR, FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM, AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR, ETC.) TO THE NEW ENGINE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE NEW ENGINE HAD A 50,000 MILE WARRANTY ON IT. THE NEW ENGINE HAS FAILED WITH 37,500 MILES ON IT. I CAN PROVIDE ADDITION INFORMATION BUT IT WOULDN'T FIT IN THIS BOX. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE STRATUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC SHOP AND, UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE PUSH ROD PUNCTURED A HOLE THROUGH THE OIL PAN. THE ENGINE SIZE WAS 2.7L WITH SIX CYLINDERS. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,800 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 121,000.