2003 Dodge Stratus

TL* - THE CONTACT COMPLAINED ABOUT TRANSMISSION FAILURES ABOUT 1 YEAR AGO. THE CONTACT TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP LAST YEAR, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, AND IT WAS NOT ACCELERATING PROPERLY WHEN GOING UP A HILL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE AFTER SHE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE RPMS WOULD GO UP BUT THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T ADVANCE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP IN DECEMBER, AT WHICH TIME SHE WAS TOLD THAT HER TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALERSHIP SAID TO HAVE TRANSMISSION FIXED WOULD COST $5,000.00. THE CONTACT CALLED CHRYSLER CORPORATION AND FILED A COMPLAINT, AND WAS GIVEN A FILE NUMBER 15815556.*AK UPDATED 2/6/2007 - *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PUT THE VEHICLE INTO GEAR THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE GEAR SHIFTER WOULD MANEUVER INTO DRIVE AND REVERSE BUT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEVER ENGAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION. IT WAS DETERMINED THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WITH 5 TRANSMISSION CODES. ON SEVERAL OCCASION PRIOR TO THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE DURING REGULARLY SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE THERE WAS DIAGNOSTIC TESTING PERFORMED HOWEVER THE TEST SHOWED NO TRANSMISSION CODES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

AFTER HAVING MY TRANSMISSION LINES REPAIRED DUE TO A LEAK I DECIDED TO TAKE MY CAR OUT ON A TEST DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY. WELL COMING INTO TOWN I BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN FROM 65 MPH TO 55 MPH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE RAPIDLY. THE BRAKES WOULD NOT SLOW IT DOWN. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. FEARING FOR MY LIFE I BEGAN TO GENTLY PULL THE EMERGENCY BREAK WHICH SLOWED ME DOWN TO ABOUT 20 MPH IN WHICH I TOOK A TURN INTO A PARKING LOT. WHEN I FINALLY GOT THE CAR STOPPED IT JERKED FORWARD AND THE ENGINE REVVED UP TO APPROX 600,000 RPMS. IT STAYED LIKE THAT (PARKED AT HOME) UNTIL SEVERAL DAYS LATER WHEN THE DEALERSHIP WAS FINALLY ABLE TO CHECK INTO IT AND HERE IS WHAT THEY "CLAIM". SOMEHOW BETWEEN THE TIME THEY HAD IT AND THE FEW HOURS THAT I HAD DRIVEN IT SINCE I HAD IT BACK, THEY CLAIM THAT I BROKE THE COVER TO THE IDLE AIR TEMP SENSOR AND THAT IT BECAME LODGED IN THE AUTOMATIC IDLE SPEED MOTOR AND WOULD NOT ALLOW THE CAR TO IDLE DOWN. NOW WHAT CONCERNS ME IS EXACTLY HOW CAN I BREAK THAT COVER? I AM NEVER UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR UNLESS I CHECK FLUIDS. THE COVER TO THAT THING IS EXTREMELY THICK. I BELIEVE THAT THE MECHANIC BUSTED IT WHEN HE WAS WORKING ON THE TRANSMISSION BUT THEY REFUSE TO ADMIT GUILT. ALSO I HAVE HEARD A CRUNCHING SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR END IN THE COLD WEATHER. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE REAR CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS ARE DRIED AND CRACKED AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. THIS CAR IS NOT EVEN 3 YEARS OLD. WHY AM I HAVING SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS AND PUTTING MORE MONEY INTO IT THEN IT'S WORTH? IT'S NOT FAIR. AND YES I KEEP UP WITH REGULAR MAINTENANCE ON IT. I HAVE A 4 YEAR OLD THAT RIDES IN THE CAR REGULARLY WITH ME. SHE COULD OF BEEN HURT OR KILLED. *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER SAYS THAT WHEN REACHING 35 MPH, A NOISE IS HEARD FROM IN THE TRANSMISSION AREA. THE DEALERSHIPS TRANSMISSION PERSON HAD THE VEHICLE BROUGHT IN AND CHECKED IT OUT AND VERIFIED WHAT THE SERVICE MANAGER THOUGHT IT WAS. THEY CALLED CHRYSLER STAR ONLINE. THEY STATED THAT THIS WAS A NORMAL TRANSAXLE OPERATION AND NOISE. THEY WOULD NOT LET THE SERVICE PEOPLE FIX THE CAR. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT ONE YEAR. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES. THE DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM BECAUSE OF CHRYSLER. THE CAR INCREASED IN NOISE AFTER 35 MPH. THE OWNER HAS TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE FIXED, BUT CHRYSLER WON'T LET THEM FIX IT. THE CONSUMER TALKED TO CHRYSLER TWICE, AND HAS A REFERENCE NUMBER #13735214. *AK THERE WAS A SCRAPING NOISE WHEN TURNING TO THE RIGHT. THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE DISCS WERE COVERED WITH BRAKE DUST. *SC

I HAVE 2003 DODGE STATUS WITH THE 2.4L 4 CYLINDER ENGINE AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. AFTER COMING BACK FROM A TRIP, MOST OF WHICH WAS AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN THE ENGINE SPEED SUDDENLY JUMPED FROM IDLE SPEED TO 2000 RPMS. THE CAR LUCHED FORWARD CAUSING ME TO ALMOST HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. AT THE NEXT 2 STOPS THE ENGINE SPEED JUMPED FROM IDLE SPEED TO 1400 RPMS. FOR THE NEXT WEEK THE PROBLEM DID NOT HAPPEN AGAIN DURING NORMAL AROUND TOWN DRIVING. THE FOLLOWING WEEK I AGAIN HAD TO MAKE ANOTHER TRIP AT FREEWAY SPEEDS AND THIS TIME STITTING AT STOP SIGNS THE ENGINE IDLE WOULD SOMETIMES DROP TO THE POINT OF ALMOST STALLING THEN RECOVER. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TWICE TO THE DEALER AND THEY CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG. THE SECOND TIME A MECHANIC WENT WITH ME AND WITNESSED THE IDLE SPEED DROPPING. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT SWANTY'S CHRYSLER CONTACTED THE FACTORY AND HE TOLD ME YESTERDAY THAT PER THE FACTORY THIS IS COMMON TO CHRYSLER 4 CYLINDER ENGINES IN HOT WEATHER. THE DAYS THE ENGINE ACTED UP THE MOST WERE VERY HOT. THE TEMPERATURES WERE 128 AND 124 DEGREES. THE ENGINE IDLE SLOWING PROBLEM IS ANNOYING TO SAY THE LEAST, BUT THE ENGINE SPEEDING UP IS A SAFETY HAZZARD. THE LAST TIME I TOOK THE CAR IN I WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE THE DEARLER AND THE ENGINE WAS IDLING IN PARK AND I DID SEE THE IDLE SPEED JUMP UP ONCE TO 1400 RPMS. MYSELF AND MY WIFE ARE VERY CONCERNED AND THE DEALER IS STUMPED. THERE ARE NO TROUBLE CODES SHOWING, BUT I FEEL THIS IS A COMPUTER PROBLEM BECAUSE THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION COMPUTERS ARE UNDER THE HOOD AND OUR COMMOM 120+ DEGREE DAYS ARE CAUSING THE COMPUTERS TO MALFUNCTION BECAUSE OF THE EXTREMELY HIGH UNDER HOOD TEMPERATURES. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT MY FUEL MILEAGE IS DEREASING SIGNIFICANTLY WHICH COULD BE RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER HAS BEEN VERY UNDERSTANDING AND HAS BEEN TRYING TO HELP, BUT THIS SEEMS TO BE A FACTORY DEFECT.

I OWN A 2003 DODGE STRATUS SXT SEDAN 2.4L. WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR I HAPPENED TO NOTICE THAT THERE WAS RUSTING ON THE AXLES & BRAKES TO THE FRONT END OF THE CAR. THE SECOND DAY I HAD THE CAR IT COMPLETELY SHUT ITSELF DOWN AND WOULDN'T START, IMMEDIATELY MY CAR DEALERSHIP PICKED UP THE CAR AND SAID IT WAS BECAUSE THE BATTERY "DIED". I DID NOT TAKE NOTE OF THE RUSTING BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP SAID "ALL DODGE CARS ARE RUSTED...*ALL*"A MONTH LATER MY CAR STARTED MAKING NOISES TO THE FRONT END OF THE CAR SLIGHTLY, THEN IT WAS PROGRESSING TOWARDS JANUARY WITH VIBRATION OF THE CAR PAST 50 MPH, I DECIDED TO CALL THE DEALERSHIP WHEN IT BECAME OUT OF HAND AND THEY WERE CLOSED, THEN THE MONDAY THE CAR SHUT ITSELF DOWN AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED INTO PLACE WHILE I WAS TURNING A CORNER AND IT HIT PROBABLY A 5 INCH HIGH CURB..OF COURSE THE "RUSTED" RIGHT FRONT END "AXLE", CONTROL BAR & GEAR CONTROLS BROKE OFF. FOUND IT INTERESTING THAT ALL OF THESE INCIDENTS I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR BECAUSE THIS DEALERSHIP SAYS IN OTHER WORDS THAT WE'RE LYING AND IT ISN'T THEIR FAULT NOR WAS IT A MECHANICAL DEFECT. ALSO I HAVE NOTED THAT MY DOORS DOESN'T CLOSE PROPERLY & MY WINDOWS SLIP OUT OF PLACE. AFTER THE INCIDENT OF MY CAR LOCKING UP AND MY AXLE BEING BROKEN I HAD TO TAKE OUT OF POCKET ONCE AGAIN $1,800 AND THEY FIXED IT..BUT THERE WAS STILL PROBLEMS..THE VIBRATION WAS STILL THERE AND NOW THERE WAS A KNOCKING/CRACKING SOUND TO THE FRONT & REAR ENDS OF THE CAR, AND I MEAN IT WAS LOUD..TOOK THE CAR BACK FOR THE OIL CHANGE AND THEY SAID THEY HEARD NOTHING NOR WAS THERE A VIBRATION!.A MONTH LATER I TOOK THE CAR BACK I SAID THIS WAS RIDICULOUS THAT THIS NOISE IS STILL THERE AND YES OF COURSE WHEN YOU HAVE A HUGE BRAWL AND FIGHT THEY DO FIND THE SO CALLED "PROBLEM"....THE PINS TO HOLD MY BRAKE PADS IN PLACE WEREN'T EVEN THERE!...AND VIBRATION AGAIN? NONE TO BE FOUND...YES I AM THE DRIVER AND THE VIBRATION IS STILL THERE.*JB