1996 Dodge Stratus complaints

CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE DOES NOT ACCELERATE, WHEN APPLYING GAS VEHICLE SHUTS OFF. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

CONSUMER STATES BRAKES DO NOT GRAB, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

VISIBILITY PROBLEM. HEAD LAMP COVERS HAVE BECOME FOGGED AND DISCOLORED ,NOT ALLOWING ADEQUATE ILLUMINATION OF ROAD AT NIGHT. THE HEADLAMP COVERS CAN ONLY BE REPLACED AS AN ENTIRE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. A MORE DURABLE OR A REPLACABLE COVER WOULD ALLOW THE CONSUMER TO CORRECT THIS HAZARD.*AK

CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE WAS SERVICED BY DEALER, TECHNICIAN NOTICED ENGINE MANIFOLD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, BUT PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. *AK

CONSUMER STATES MANIFOLD HAS CRACKED, CAUSING FUMES TO SEEP INTO THE VEHICLE. *AK

OWNER OF 1996 DODGE STRATUS, A CERTIFIED LEMON WITH REPEATED HEAD-GASKET LEAKS/TRANSMISSION LEAKS. I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE REPAIRED TWICE FOR HEAD GASKET LEAKAGE AND TWICE FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *AK

THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SYMPTOMS OF THE RECALL (96V006000) BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. THE RECALL WAS FOR THE ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD OIL GALLEY PLUG. *NLM

THE VEHICLE HAD AN OIL LEAK, IT WAS SOON DISCOVERED THE HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *JB

MY 1996 DODGE STRATUS HAS 37,000 MILES. IN FEBRUARY 2002 I TOOK IT TO SEARS FOR AN OIL CHANGE. ALSO ASKING THEM TO SEE WHERE OIL WAS LEAKING (NOTICED OIL ON CONCRETE IN GARAGE). THEY SAID VALVE COVER GASKET SO I GOT THAT FIXED FOR ABOUT $72.00 ALL ALONG THINKING THAT THERE WERE NOT THAT MANY MILES DRIVEN. AND TO BAD THE WARRANTY HAD JUST EXPIRED. I THINK IT WAS 5 YEARS OR 25,000 MILES. WITHIN THE NEXT 2 MONTHS OIL WAS LEAKING AGAIN. TOOK IT IN AND END UP PAYING $702.00 BECAUSE THE HEAD GASKET WAS BAD. THE MECHANIC SHOWED IT TO ME AND JOKINGLY SAID ISN'T IT FUNNY HOW THIS CAN BE SO CHEAP THAT IT ALMOST WAS DETERIORATED AND THE WARRANTY 5YRS IS UP. EVEN THOUGH I HAD NOT DROVE 25,000 MILES YET. WELL THE FINAL BLOW , ON OCT 10,2002 I KEPT HEARING A CLUNK WHEN I MADE LEFT OR RIGHT TURN. TOOK IT TO THE RHODEN DODGE. WE WERE TOLD THAT RIGHT & LEFT TIE ROD ENDS WERE LOOSE & SWAY BAR LINKS WORN & LOOSE(2 TIE RODS,& 2 BALL JOINTS) I ASKED THEM TO PERFORM AN ALIGNMENT AND TRANSMISSION FLUSH ,TOTALING $779.00 BECAUSE WHAT ELSE WILL BREAK. WELL IN JAN. 2003 THE BRAKES WERE ON MEDAL ANOTHER $190.00. I'M AFRAID TO TAKE IT IN TO THE GARAGE. THERE IS ONLY 37,000 MILES DRIVEN AND I AM HEARING ANOTHER NOISE WHEN I TURN LEFT AND RIGHT. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE FIXED THEY TOLD ME THEY TEST DROVE IT AND HEARD NOTHING . SOME HOW IT SEEMS THAT 5 YRS OR 25,000 MILES IS TELLING ME THAT I SHOULD HAVE SOLD IT BEFORE THAT BECAUSE I THINK THE COMPANY KNEW THINGS WOULD START HAPPENING. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CA

THE HEAD GASKET LEAKED OIL ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. *PH *JB

BLOWN HEAD GASKET, TWICE, MASSIVE OIL LEAK

WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING OIL WOULD LEAK FROM VEHICLE, AND CONSUMER WOULD HAVE TO REFILL OIL SEVERAL TIMES. *AK

WHILE IN MOTION, THE VEHICLE'S PASSENGER COMPARTMENT BEGAN TO FILL WITH SMOKE AND THE WARNING LIGHTS BEGAN TO FLASH. WHILE TRYING TO COME TO A STOP, CONSUMER FOUND THAT THE BRAKES AND POWER STEERING WERE INOPERABLE. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BEFORE THE FIRE BEGAN IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *JG *JB

RUPTURE IN POWER STEERING HOSE CAUSED POWER STEERING FLUID TO TO CONTACT HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD, RESULTING IN A FIRE THAT MELTED IGNITION WIRES, DISTRIBUTOR, AND POWER STEERING RETURN FLUID LINE. TS

CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE DRIVING. DEALER DIAGNOSED FIRE WAS RESULT OF THE ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD PLUG BEING LOOSE. THIS CAUSED OIL TO LEAK WHICH RESULTED IN ENGINE FIRE. RELATED RECALL 96V006000, CONSUMER'S V.I.N. NOT INCLUDED. TS

IT ALL BEGAN WHEN WE PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 1996 DODGE STRATUS IN OCT 1995. THE CAR GAVE US LITTLE IF ANY TROUBLE THE FIRST YEAR. THE SECOND YEAR AND EVERY YEAR SINCE IT HAS BEEN A#1 HEADACHE. THE SECOND YEAR ALONE THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP 17 TIMES. THE REPAIRS WERE MAJOR ONES AS WELL AS MINOR ONES INCLUDING REPLACEMENT OF AIR COMPRESSOR ON AIR CONDITIONER, STARTER, REPLACEMENT OF HEAD GASKET TWICE ONCE AT 11565 MILES SECOND AT 20495 MILES AND GUESS WHAT NOW AT 69000 MILES.THANK GOODNESS THE FIRST TWO WERE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD WITH THE DEALERSHIP, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AS WELL AS GOOD OLD CHRYSLER. I WAS TOLD BY CHRYSLER I COULD ALWAYS BUY AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ANFD THEY WOULD OPEN A COMPLAINT FILE ON ME SO THAT IF ANY OF THE SAME PROBLEMS OCCURED, I COULD CONTACT THEM. WELL I HAVE CONTACTED THEM BUT THEY SAY THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING. TALK ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE HUH!!!!! I AM NOT WILLING TO ACCEPT THAT ANSWER. I THINK CHRYSLER HAS TO ADMIT THERE IS A PROBLEM AND CORRECT THIS AT NO COST. THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM I AM

FROM ALL THE PEOPLE I'VE READ ABOUT HAVING SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH THEIR DODGE STRATUS. I BELIEVE SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. WE HAD THE HEAD GASKET REPLACED IN 1998 AND NOW IT IS FAILING AGAIN. THE ENGINE SMELLS LIKE IT COULD START ON FIRE FROM ALL THE OIL THIS CAR LEAKS. CHRYSLER KNOWS ABOUT THIS BUT REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. HOPEFULLY YOU WILL HELP US. THANKS DT

TRIED CONTACTING DODGE AND EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A PROBLEM AND THEY KNOW OF IT THEY SAID TOUGH. DT

THE CONSUMER IS CONCERN HE RECEIVE A CAMPAIGN BULLENTIN NUMBER #96V07500 FOR THE MASTER CYLINDER BRAKE. THE WORK WAS DONE THREE TO FOUR YEARS AGO. WHILE THE CONSUMER IS APPLYING THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE WILL SWAY TO THE LEFT. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS

DISCOVERED A SEVERE OIL LEAK AT THE HEAD GASKET DURING A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE. THE COOLANT WAS HEAVILY CONTAMINATED WITH OIL AS WELL. EVERYONE I'VE SPOKEN TO ABOUT THIS SAYS EVERYONE KNOWS IT'S A PROBLEM WITH DODGE STRATUS 4CYL'S AND NEON 4CYL'S, BUT NO RECALL HAS HAPPENED FOR THIS. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT I GET RID OF THE CAR DUE TO THE EXPENSE OF HAVING TO RE-REPAIR THIS REGULARLY BECAUSE OF THE BAD BLOCK/HEAD DESIGN. HELP!! DT

MFR# 671 & NHTSA# 96 V 0006 000/ENGINE: CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE LEAKING OIL FROM THE GALLEY PLUG SEAL. DEALER CONTACTED AND INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE VIN# WAS NOT COVER UNDER THAT RECALL. NLM

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. DEALER NOTIFIED. *MR

WHILE DRIVING FRONT TIRES LOCKED UP. CONTACTED DEALER. TIE ROD CAME UNDONE. THIS WAS COMMON PROBLEM. *AK

ANT-LOCK BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE STARTED TO SMOKE WHERE BRAKE PADS WERE LOCATED.*AK

MY WIFE CALLED ME TO REPORT THAT SHE WAS EXPERIENCING SOME BINDING IN THE STEERING AS SHE WAS LEAVING THE PARKING LOT OF A SHOPPING MALL, AND HAD DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE PARKING LOT. I WENT TO THE LOT TO INVESTIGATE THE MATTER AND DROVE THE CAR IN THE LOT, TURNING BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT FREQUENTLY, AND THE STEERING SEEMED TO BE ALRIGHT. I DECIDED TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME, AND THEN NOTICED THAT A SLIGHT CLUNKING NOISE COULD BE HEARD WHEN DRIVING OVER ROUGH SPOTS IN THE PAVEMENT. I DECIDED TO JACK UP THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL TO TRY AND DETERMINE WHAT MIGHT BE LOOSE. WHILE MANUVERING THE CAR INTO POSITION IN MY GARAGE, THE RIGHT TIE ROD END BALL STUD SEPARATED FROM ITS SOCKET, WHICH OF COURSE IS THE CONNECTION TO THE RIGHT SIDE STEERING KNUCKLE. THE SOCKET AND BALL WERE VERY RUSTY AND THERE WAS NO LUBRICATION PRESENT, ALTHOUGH IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE A SEALED, LUBRICATED FOR LIFE JOINT WHICH DOES NOT HAVE A GREASE FITTING.*AK

WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT OUTER TIE ROD BROKE AND FELL OFF CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT REFUSED TO DO ANTHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM.*AK *NLM

WHILE DRIVING THE 2 OUTER TIE ROD PINS FELL OUT, ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF STEERING.*AK

TRIED TO GET DODGE OF BELLEVUE TO FIX PROBLEM BUT WERE NO HELP!!. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

OIL LEAKS DOWN ENGINE AND WHEN DRIVING ONTO EXHAUST SYSTEM...FIRE HAZARD. *AK

CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT OF SERVICES RENDERED TO HIS VEHICLE FOR A DEFECTIVE VALVE COVER ON THE GASKETS. THERE IS A RECALL (96V006)OUT FOR THE SAME MAKE/MODEL AND YEAR AS CONSUMERS VEHICLE. *JG

VEHICLE WOULD SEVERELY BRITTLE WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER AND INFORMED OF BODY AND RACK MOUNTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFROMATON.*AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING, THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEED PULLING INTO AN INTERSECTION INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE DRIVING AT 25 MPH. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.DRIVER SUSTAINED HEAD INJURIES. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH ANDWITHOUT WARNING INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION, AND DRIVER'S SAFETY BELTS DID NOT RESTRAIN DRIVER, RESULTING IN MINOR INJURIES.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH OIL LIGHT ON DASH CAME ON. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER, ENGINE OIL WAS ALL OVER EXHAUST. DEALER DETERMINED OIL GALLEY PLUG CAME OUT. THERE WAS A RECALL BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT AFFECTED DUE TO VIN. *AK

MANUFACTURER CLAIMS TO NOT HAVE A SILENT RECALL ON THE 2.4 L ENGINE HEAD GASKETS. *AK

HEAD GASKET BLEWOUT BETWEEN TWO CYLINDERS. OIL WAS LEAKING FROM BETWEEN THE HEAD AND ENGINE BLOCK. DEALER CONTACTED.*AK.*JB

VEHICLE WAS LEAKING OIL PROFUSELY OUT OF THE PRESSURE GALLEY HOLE WHERE OIL IS DELIVERED TO THE CYLINDER HEAD, THE OIL CONTINUED TO DRIP ONTO THE TRANSAXLE AND EXHAUST CAUSING A BURNING SMELL. CONSUMER WAS ADVISED THAT THE GASKET HAS A DESIGN FLAW, BUT WAS REDESIGNED DUE TO SO MANY FAILURES TO THE GASKET. *TT

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

IN A FRONT END COLLISION SEAT BELT UNHOOKED, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO BE THROWN OUT THE VEHICLE.CAR TOTALLED. *AK

IN A FRONT END COLLISION SEAT CAME OFF THE ANCHOR AND FLEW OUT VEHICLE WITH DRIVER INSIDE. VEHICLE TOTALLED.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT IN A FRONT END COLLISION AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. VEHICLE TOTALLED.*AK

OIL LEAKAGES WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER AND INFORMED OF A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

CONSUMER NOTICED OIL LEAKING FROM VEHICLE. CONSUMER CHECKED ENGINE, AND NOTICED THE LEAK WAS COMING FROM HEAD GASKET ABOVE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. DODGE HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

REAR LAP BELT BUCKLE AND REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELT BUCKLE PLASTIC COVER KEEP FALLING OFF/APART ON LATCH SIDE. *AK CONSUMER ADDS THAT MIDDLE REAR BELT IS COMING APART ALSO, AND WON'T STAY TOGETHER. *TT

HEADGASKET REPLACED @57000. NEED ANOTHER REPLACEMENT @ 120000. *AK

CONSUMER STATED THE HEAD GASKETS HAVE BEEN REPLACED 4 TIMES, ALSO THE TIMING COVER WAS REPLACED.*JB

THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN FEBRUARY OF 1996. SINCE THE DATE OF PURCHASE THE HEADGASKET ON THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING A THIRD REPLACEMENT. THE FIRST HEADGASKET REPLACEMENT WAS AT THE COST OF THE CUSTOMER, THE SECOND AT THE COST OF THE DEALER UNDER A SERVICE BULLETIN AGREEMENT. THE THIRD REPLACEMENT COST WAS TURNED DOWN BY DAIMLER CHRYSLER BUT THE LOCAL DEALER OFFERED A DISCOUNT ON LABOR TO THE CUSTOMER FOR CUSTOMERS REPEATED BUSINESS REASONS. THE HEAD GASKET SHOULD HAVE NEVER FAILED A THIRD TIME AFTER PRODUCTION AND INSTALLATION OF THE NEWLY DESIGNED HEADGASKET FOR THE CHRYSLER VEHICLES. CUSTOMER REQUESTS FULL COMPENSATION FOR FIRST HEADGASKET REPLACEMENT AND THIRD REPLACEMENT PER FAULTY DESIGN BY DAIMLER CHYSLER. *AK

TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY PULLED OUT AND REBUILT TRANSMISSION. THEN, REINSTALLED IT. NEXT DAY WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS DRIVER HEARD A LOUD BANGING NOISE UNDER CAR. DRIVER PULLED OVER AND VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE.*AK

TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS REGISTERING HOT. VEHICLE WAS LEAKING OIL. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK