2001 Dodge Stratus

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

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

I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE IN JULY 2005. THE VEHICLE WAS OKAY UNTIL FEB-2006, THE TRANSMISSION STOPPED SHIFTING. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO JERK VERY HARD AND LOOSE POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST 3 TIMES AND STILL WAS NOT REPAIRED. I WAS TOLD THAT HE COULD NOT FIX IT. THE VEHICLE IS STILL DOING THE SAME THING AND ON TOP OF IT LOSING POWER, IT CUTS OFF. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE AND CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.

2002 HAD TO REPLACE POWER STEERING PIPE, MANUFACTURED TO LEAN ON THE INTERIOR AUTO BODY, IN WHICH ENGINE VIBRATION RUBBED HOLE IN IT. 2002 FRONT RIGHT WHEEL MAKES CONTINUOUS LOUD HIGH PITCHED WHISTLE NOISE, STILL DOES. DEALERSHIP DISCOUNTED IT AND DIDN'T KNOW WHY IT SOUNDED LIKE THAT. 2002-2006 ENGINE DIES WHILE DRIVING, ODOMETER GOES CRAZY UP AND DOWN 2006 CLOCK SPRING KEEPS BREAKING, NO POWER TO AIR BAG OR HORN. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONSTANTLY, THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS INOPERABLE AND THERE WAS A CLICKING IN THE STEERING COLUMN WHEN THE WHEEL IS TURNED LEFT OR RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED A SPRING IN THE STEERING WHEEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A CLICKING NOISE IN THE FRONT UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE THAT HAS NOT YET BEEN INSPECTED BY THE DEALER.