Dodge Stratus
Owners filed 2,654 complaints across 14 model years of the Dodge Stratus. The 1996 drew the most (554); the 1992 the fewest (1).
Model years14
Complaints2,654
Recalls94
Fires234
Deaths4
Every Dodge Stratus model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 2 | 0 | 1 | — | Child Seat | Routine | |
| 2006 | 74 | 3 | 3 | 19 | Suspension | Routine | |
| 2005 | 62 | 6 | 2 | 14 | Suspension | Routine | |
| 2004 | 144 | 7 | 1 | 24 | Suspension | Routine | |
| 2003 | 75 | 6 | — | 7 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2002 | 150 | 6 | 4 | 10 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | Routine | |
| 2001 | 186 | 14 | 2 | 8 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | Fatalities reported | |
| 2000 | 216 | 9 | 64 | 16 | Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist › Hose, Piping, and Connections | High concern | |
| 1999 | 251 | 7 | 59 | 23 | Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist › Hose, Piping, and Connections | Fatalities reported | |
| 1998 | 272 | 7 | 17 | 25 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | Above average | |
| 1997 | 349 | 7 | 32 | 28 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | High concern | |
| 1996 | 554 | 11 | 36 | 36 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | Fatalities reported | |
| 1995 | 318 | 11 | 13 | 28 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | Above average | |
| 1992 | 1 | 0 | — | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components | Routine |
Which Dodge Stratus years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 1996 is the weakest year on record, with 554 complaints concentrated in the engine and engine cooling › engine. It carries 11 recalls.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.