2004 Dodge Stratus

CAR IS DRIVEN ON REGULAR CITY STREETS AND FREEWAYS. ROADS I DRIVE ARE PAVED - NO COUNTRY, DUSTY ROADS AND AREA ISN'T HEAVY IN POLLUTION. I PURCHASE MY GAS FROM SHELL OR CHEVRON AND REFILL AT 1/4 TO 1/3 TANK TO REDUCE CHANCE OF PICKING UP SEDIMENT FROM FUEL TANK. NOTICED WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY.THAT CAR WOULD DROP IN SPEED FROM 60 MPH TO 20 RATHER QUICKLY AND THEN FORGET ABOUT GOING UP A HILL. I WAS ALSO GETTING 8-10 MPG. A COUPLE WEEKS LATER I NOTICED EVEN ON LEVEL CITY STREETS THE LOSS OF POWER. CAR WAS DIAGNOSED AS CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND WITH CALIFORNIA EMISSION REGULATIONS THE COST OF PARTS AND LABOR WAS $ 1,600.00. A YEAR LATER, I NOTICED SOME LOSS OF POWER AND INCREASED FUEL CONSUMPTION. CAR WAS DIAGNOSED TO NEED CAT CONVERTER REPLACED AGAIN AND PAID ANOTHER $ 1,600.00. ALSO WAS DIAGNOSED THAT REAR MOUNTS NEEDED REPLACEMENT AND WAS WONDERING IF THIS WAS NORMAL. VERY BOUNCY RIDE. *TR

04/20/2012 DROVE OUT OF DRIVE WAY DOWN HEADING DOWN THE STREET TO STOP SIGN *(CUL-DE-SAC) HEARD SOMETHING LIKE A BANG...DROVE BACK IN TO DRIVE WAY. OPEN HOOD...FOUND AN OPEN GAP ON LEFT SIDE OF COVER SHOWING TIME CHAIN EXPOSED...HAD A MECHANIC LOOK OVER CAR, WHILE HE WAS CHECKING UNDER THE ENGINE , RELEASING A FEW BOLTS TO REPAIR SAW TIMING CHAIN GUIDE HAD BROKEN OFF CAUSING TIME CHAIN SHIFT AND GO OUT OF POSITION CAUSING THE COVER TO BUST OPEN...I WAS TOLD VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRABLE. DUE TO THE TIMING CHAIN GUIDE . PURCHASED IN DECEMBER 2011 FAILED COMPONENTS TIMING CHAIN AND TIMING CHAIN GUIDE AND PULLEY. *TR

OUR 2004 DODGE STRATUS ENGINE SEIZED UP COMPLETELY AND WITHOUT WARNING IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME WITH OUR CHILDREN. THIS CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH THE 2.7L V6 ENGINE WHICH ONLY NOW HAVE WE BECOME AWARE OF THE LONG HISTORY OF THIS CATASTROPHIC TYPE OF FAILURE. WE BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW AND HAVE TAKEN METICULOUS CARE WITH MAINTENANCE AS NOTED BY THE SERVICE MANAGER AT OUR DEALERSHIP. NONE THE LESS, NOW I AM EXPECTED TO SPEND $6,700 TO REPLACE A MOTOR THAT WAS CLEARLY DEFECTED IN DESIGN. *TR

I PURCHASED A 04 DODGE STRATUS WITH A 2.7 ENGINE AND NEED TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP, WHICH IS EXPENSIVE. IT HAS 100,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE READ THE COMPLAINTS WITH THIS ENGINE AND AM SCARED TO FIX ANYTHING. THIS SLUDGE PROBLEM I READ ABOUT COULD BE NEXT FOR US. AND FROM WHAT I READ WILL BE. I PURCHASED IT FOR MY SON AND NEVER HERD OF THESE PROBLEMS UNTIL NOW. HE HAS HAD IT FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS AND NOW THIS. WE HAVE HARDSHIPS JUST LIKE ANY OTHER FAMILY AND FIXING MINOR PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLES ARE BAD ENOUGH. THE FIX FOR THIS IS ABOUT 1000.00 WILL THE SLUDGE BE NEXT? I WOULD LIKE TO BE APART OF ANY LAW SUIT. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 DODGE STRATUS THAT I RECENTLY WAS HAVING ROUGH IDLE AND ENDED UP STALLING ON ME. THE PROBLEM STARTED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AND I HAD A TUNE UP DONE ON THE CAR AND THE SPARK PLUGS WHERE REPLACED. I THEN CONTINUED TO HAVE ISSUES AND THE INDEPENDENT SHOP REPLACED THE IGNITION WIRES. THEY SAID THE COMPUTER WAS NOT GIVING A CODE HOWEVER THEY COULD MONITOR THE SYSTEM AND SEE A MISFIRE ON CYLINDER ONE. THEY CHANGED THE WIRE ON 1 TO 3 AND 3 TO 1 AND THEN THE SAME BEHAVIOR OCCURRED ON CYLINDER 3. I HAD THE CAR FOR ABOUT 3 DAYS AND AFTER STARING IT UP AND LETTING IT WARM UP ON A COLD WINTER MORNING I WOULD HEAR IT RUNNING ROUGH. THE CAR SOUNDED LIKE IT COULD STALL AND THE ENGINE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE INDEPENDENT DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I ASKED THEM ABOUT A TSB I FOUND THAT WAS RELATED WITH FLASHING THE PCM AND RELATED WITH COLD STARTS. I HAD THE PCM FLASHED AT A DODGE/CHRYSLER DEALER WHO SAID THEY NEVER HEARD OF THE ISSUE AND DID NOT THINK THE PCM NEEDED UPDATED. THEY SAID THEY HOOKED UP THE COMPUTER AND FOUND THAT IT DID NEED TO BE UPDATED. I HAVE BEEN RUNNING THE CAR FOR ABOUT 1 MONTH AND SO FAR NO ISSUES. I BELIEVE THEIR IS A KNOW PROBLEM WITH THE 2004 DODGE STRATUS AND THE ORIGINAL PCM CODE CAUSING THE CAR TO RUN ROUGH AND CAUSE THE ENGINE LIGHT TO TURN ON. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE STRATUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS. THE "ENGINE WARNING" LIGHT INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED A ROUGH RUNNING DURING PERFORMANCE. THE WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS WITH REPLACEMENT OF THREE DIFFERENT COMPUTER CHIPS. CURRENTLY, THE VEHICLE IS BEING SERVICED AT AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TO REPROGRAM THE COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE STRATUS. WHILE IDLING, THE VEHICLE SURGES FORWARD SPORADICALLY WITHOUT WARNING. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS THE RPM'S RAPIDLY INCREASE AND BRAKING CAPABILITY IS REDUCED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT THEY CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN REMEDIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 56,500. UPDATED 6/8/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN STOPPED AT A LIGHT, THE ENGINE WOULD SUDDENLY START TO RACE JUST OVER 2000 RPM'S. UPDATED 06/11/09.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE STRATUS. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ON JUNE 13, 2005 AND THE OIL LIGHT HAS BEEN ILLUMINATING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL EVER SINCE. THE DEALER ATTEMPTED TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS; HOWEVER, THEY STATED THAT CLEANING SOME PARTS WOULD CORRECT THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO PERSIST. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC STATED THAT THE OIL SWITCH AND PLUGS WERE NOT IN PLACE. HE REPLACED THEM WITH PARTS THAT WERE PURCHASED FROM THE DEALER, BUT THE OIL LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. FOUR MONTHS AGO, A DEALER DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE DUE TO NOISE PRESENT IN THE ENGINE AREA. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $3,000; HOWEVER, SHE COULD CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2008, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS TOWED TO HER RESIDENCE. THE TIE ROD ALSO FAILED ON ANOTHER OCCASION WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH. SHE WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE WITHOUT INCIDENT AND IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THERE WAS NO WARRANTY FOR THE VEHICLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 107,000. UPDATED 10/14/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. UPDATED 10/16/08. *JB

THIS LETTER IN REGARDS TO MY SERVICE CONTRACT #23013588 FOR # 2004 DODGE STRATUS. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE ON 10/14/06 AND IT HAD 50,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE PUT APPROXIMATELY 36,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND HAVE DONE ROUTINE OIL CHANGES EVERY 3 ? 4,000 MILES. I HAVE CHANGED THE OIL MYSELF BY DRAINING THE OIL AND REPLACING THE OIL FILTER AND NEW OIL. I HAVE NO RECEIPTS FOR THIS AND WAS NOT AWARE I WAS REQUIRED TO KEEP DETAILED RECORDS OF THIS. NOWHERE IN MY SERVICE DO I SEE ANYTHING THAT SAYS TO. ON 08/10/08 MY CAR BEGAN STALLING AND I WAS ABLE TO GET IT TOWED TO JACK POWELL CHRYSLER DODGE IN ESCONDIDO, CA FOR SERVICE. MIKE LEWIS RECOMMENDED I HAVE THE ENGINE DISMANTLED TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM. UPON HIS INVESTIGATION HE SAW METAL SHAVINGS AND ?SLUDGE? NEAR THE BEARINGS. CHRYSLER SENT A 3RD PARTY INVESTIGATOR TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROBLEM. IT WAS THE INSPECTOR?S DECISION THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE AND THE REPAIRS WOULD NOT BE COVERED. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY PREPOSTEROUS! I HAVE TAKEN EXCELLENT CARE OF MY CAR AND WAS A VERY HAPPY CUSTOMER UNTIL THIS INCIDENT. I AM REQUESTING IN WRITING AN APPEAL TO THIS DECISION AND DEMAND THAT THE CAR BE REPAIRED AS DESIGNATED IN MY SERVICE CONTRACT. I PURCHASED THE ADDITIONAL WARRANTY FOR THE COMFORT OF KNOWING THAT IF SOMETHING LIKE THIS WERE TO HAPPEN I WOULD CERTAINLY BE COVERED. I CONTACTED YOUR COMPANY AND WAS TOLD THIS IS THE PROPER CHANNEL TO MAKE THIS REQUEST. THE PERSON I SPOKE TO SAID YOU REPLACE ENGINES EVERYDAY AND DOESN'T SEE WHY THIS WOULD BE A PROBLEM. I NEED TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED AS I CANNOT POSSIBLY AFFORD WHAT IT WOULD COST TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. I AM A GOOD CUSTOMER AND I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY MY SERVICE CONTRACT IS BASICALLY USELESS. THESE REPAIRS MUST BE COVERED AND THERE WAS IN NO WAY A LACK OF MAINTENANCE. PLEASE TAKE WHATEVER ACTIONS ARE NECESSARY TO RESOLVE THIS MATTER IN A TIMELY FASHION. I REFUSE TO JUST BE SWEPT UNDER THE RUG. *TR