1996 Dodge Stratus complaints

HEAD GASKET LEAKS OIL BADLY & IS GETTING WORSE. DEALER IS AWARE OF PROBLEM, BUT HAS NO REMEDY.*AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

THE CAR EXIBITS THE SAME PROBLEMS DESCRIBED IN THE RECAL 671 FOR THE 1996 DODGE STRATUS OIL LEAKING ON EXHAUST MANIFOLD EMITTING A HORRIBLE SMELL COULD CAUSE UNDER HOOD FIRE. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FRO ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR IN THE SHORT 7 MONTHS THAT I'VE HAD IT. CHRYSLER HAS DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT.

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

HAVE HEARD OTHER REPORTS OF HEAD GASKETS FAILING ON THIS MODEL, APPARANTLY IS A BIG PROBLEM.

REAR ENGINE OIL LEAK,DEALERSHIP FOUND BLOWN ENGINE HEAD GASKET,COST 679.00 TO REPAIR, IS THERE A RECALL ON THIS THAT I'M UNAWARE OF????

SUDDEN MASSIVE OIL LEAK DETECTED AT 3000 MI OIL CHG. GASKET REPLACED APPROX $800 AT CARLIN DODGE, COLO SPGS CO INV DOCS229243

LEAKING HEAD GASKET. THE ENGINE LEAKS OIL PROFUSELY AND HAS FOR AT LEAST A YEAR. THIS WEEK I FOUND THE DIPSTICK DRY. MY SERVICE STATION SAYS THE PROBLEM IS COMMON WITH THE DODGE STRATUS. *AK

TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN LEAKING FLUID FOR THE PAST YEAR. MY SERVICE STATION CAN'T LOCATE THE LEAK. *AK

POWER STEERING FAILED. NLM

VEHICLE WAS LEAKING OIL FROM UNDERNEATH VEHICLE. LEAK WAS COMING FROM OIL PLUG. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THE DEALERSHIP WAS WAITING FOR THE PART. *AK

THE CAR CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE NEVER WENT UP, NOR DID THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON. MY MECHANIC SAID THAT THERE WAS AN OIL LEAK IN THE ENGINE. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO THE SHOP ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 TO HAVE THE ENGINE LOOKED AT. THE CAR CAUGHT FIRE THE SATURDAY BEFORE.*AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED TWO HEAD GASKET FAILURES; FIRST OCCURRED AT 37,000 MILES. BOTH REPLACEMENTS WERE DONE BY TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS, AND HEAD GASKETS STILL LEAKING. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

COMPLETE HEAD GASKET FAILURE- ENGINE SIEZED- CHRYLER DENIES ANY PROB

TIE ROD FAILURE RESULTED IN TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING. FRONT WHEELS WERE ORIENTED AT 90 DEGREES RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER. LIKELY FATAL ACCIDENT AVOIDED ONLY THROUGH CIRCUMSTANCE OF PART FAILING AT LOW SPEED IN A PARKING LOT. *AK

NO SUMMARY

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE DRIVEWAY FLOOR MAT BECAME ENTANGLED WITHIN THE STEERING COLUMN WHERE IT WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR BECAUSE THIER WAS NO PROTECTIVE COVER TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING. *AK HEAD GASKET AND TIMING BELT FAILED ALSO. *YH

VEHICLE HAD BEEN LEAKING FUEL. DEALER SAID THAT THIS VEHICLE WASN'T INCLUDED IN THE RECALL 96V006000. DEALER GAVE NO OTHER EXPLANATION , BU TINDICATED THAT CONSUMER WAS ON HIS OWN TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM.*AK

I BOUGHT A 1996 DODGE STRATUS IN FEBRUARY 1997. IT HAD 16,000MILES ON IT AND IS CONSIDERED USED. DUE TO NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS I PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THROUGH MY CREDIT UNION TO PROTECT MYSELF FROM ONGOING REPAIRS. SINCE THAT WARRANTY HAS TAKEN EFFECT, THEY HAVE SPENT APPROXIMATELY $3,500.00 ON REPAIRING MY VEHICLE. A MAJORITY OF THIS REPAIR WAS A CONTINOUS OIL LEAK. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO KERNERSVILLE DODGE AT LEAST 6 TIMES SINCE MAY, 1999 TO HAVE THIS OIL LEAK REPAIRED, WITH NO LUCK. THEY HAVE REPORTEDLY REPLACED THE GASKETS TWICE, THE CYLINDER HEAD ONCE(WHICH THEY TOLD ME WAS FAULTY FROM THE BEGINNING), AND THE SEALS TWICE TO STOP THIS LEAK. UNFORTUNATELY THEY WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL. ALTHOUGH MOST OF THESE REPAIRS WERE PAID FOR BY MY EXTENDED WARRANTY, I STILL HAD EXPENSE OF MY OWN, NOT TO MENTION THE INCONVENIENCE OF THEM KEEPING MY CAR FOR A WEEK AT A TIME ONLY TO NOT REPAIR MY CAR. I FEEL THEY HAVE NOT MADE ADEQUATE EFFORT AND HAVE A BEGUN A LETTER TO THE CHRYSLER COMPANY. HOWEVER, I DO NOT EXPECT MUCH SUCCESS OR COOPERATION FROM THEM. MY CAR IS NOW AT A PRIVATE SHOP WHO HAVE TOLD ME THE HEAD GASKETS WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT THEY WERE PATCHING THE LEAK INSTEAD OF REPAIRING HOWEVER I WAS BEING CHARGED FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF PARTS. WHY DOES IT COST $3500.00 TO PATCH A LEAK? I HOPE THAT BY WRITING TO YOU, I WILL GET SOME SOLUTION TO THIS VERY FRUSTRATING AND ONGOING DILEMNA. I HAVE ALL PAPERWORK FROM REPAIRS DONE ON MY CAR IF CO

1) TRANSMISSION LEAK DUE TO CRACK IN CASE. MECHANIC DIAGNOSED AS CRACK DUE TO DAMAGED DIFFERENTIAL CARRIER. DESCRIBED AS MOUNTING PIN BROKE OR WORKED LOOSE, ALLOWING PLAY IN DIFFERENTIAL, BANGING AGAINST CASE. 2) FAULTY STARTER MOTOR CAUSED REPEATED FAILURE OF FUSE. FUSE WOULD BLOW IMMEDIATELY UPON IGNITION ATTEMPT. 3) CONSTANT OIL LEAK FROM REAR OF ENGINE. MECHANIC DIAGNOSED AS HEAD GASKET SEAL. 4) TRUNK LID OFTEN WILL NOT LATCH.

WE WERE DRIVING ON I-69 IN TULSA, OK ON SEPTEMBER 5, 1999, TRAVELLING ABOUT 75 MPH IN THE LEFT LANE OF TRAFFIC WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING DOWNSHIFTED INTO SECOND GEAR. FORTUNATELY, THE TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET OFF WITHOUT INCIDENT. AT THAT TIME, WE HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT HAD DONE AND WERE PERPLEXED - WAS IT THE TRANSMISSION? TIRE BLOW OUT? THE CAR CONTINUED TO RUN HOWEVER BUT WOULD NOT LET US SHIFT OUT OF SECOND GEAR. WE READ OUR OWNER'S MANUAL AND LEARNED THAT WHAT HAPPENED WAS A "SAFETY FEATURE" WHEN THE COMPUTER DETECTS SOMETHING WRONG, THE CAR WILL AUTOMATICALLY "DOWNSHIFT" SO NO ADDITIONAL DAMAGE, ETC. WILL BE CAUSED! WE ALSO NOTED TO SHUT OFF THE CAR AND RESTART IT AND IT WOULD RE-SET BUT HTE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD STAY ON. WE TOOK IT FIRST TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY (TUESDAY) AND THEY STARTED MUMBLING ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDING REPLACED WITHOUT EVEN A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK! WE THEN TOOK IT TO TUNEUP MASTERS WHO DID A CHECK AND FOUND NO CODES, NOTHING WRONG. ANOTHER YEAR HAS PASSED AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN BUT NOT WHILE TRAVELLING AT HIGH SPEED. A CODE WAS NOTED THIS TIME FOR THE TRANSMISSION. I AM GETTING RID OF THIS CAR. BAD THINGS ARE GETTING READY TO HAPPEN AND I CAN'T AFFORD IT. MY CONCERN, HOWEVER, IS THIS "SAFETY FEATURE" OF DOWNSHIFTING AT HIGH SPEEDS. I WILL NOT SELL IT PRIVATELY AS I AM CONCERNED A FAMILY WILL BUY IT AND SOMETHING AWFUL MAY HAPPEN. I KNOW, "BUYER BEWARE" BUT IT SEEMS DANG

CAR JERKS WHEN PUTTING IN PARK AND STEERING COLUMN MAKES A POPPING SOUND. CONSUMER STATED IT HAS BEEN TWO YEARS, AND DEALER HAS NOT RECEIVED PART FOR VEHICLE. *AK

BRAKE FAILURE CAUSED REAR END ACCIDENT.*ET

HEAD GASKET FAILED. YH

CLUNK IN THE LEFT FRONT REVEALED FAILED TIE ROD END. UPON REMOVAL IS WAS FOUND THAT THE LEFT TIE ROD END HAD SEPARATED AT THE BALL STUD. THE BALL STUD WAS ONLY BEING HELD IN PLACE BY THE RUBBER BOOT. WE ALSO REPLACED THE RIGHT TIE ROD END AND FOUND THAT IT TOO WAS FAILING. IT WAS SHOWING SIGNS OF BINDING. FAILURE WAS IMMINENT. *AK

ENGINE HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING. GASKET HAS BEEN LEAKING FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND ALL OF SUDDEN VEHICLE LOSES POWER AND SHUTS OFF. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. CONTACTED THE DEALER NO WARRANTY.*AK

ENGINE CONTROL MODULE REPROGRAMMED IN MAY 1999. SINCE THEN THE VEHICLE IS SLOW TO DECELLERATE.. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE AND SAYS IT OPERATES NORMALLY.

ENGINE LEAKING OIL. DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKET SUSPECTED AS PROBLEM. *AK

CAR MADE NOCKING NOISE WHEN BROUGHT INTO THE MECHANIC SAID THAT IT WAS NOTHING. SPOKE TO THE OWNER AND HE SAID HE WOULD NOT LOOK AT THE ENGINE OR TAKE IT OUT IN FEAR THAT IT WOULD BE THE TRANSMISSION. HE WROTE A NOTE AND SAID THAT IF THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVEABLE THAT HE WOULD REPAIR THE CAR IF IT WAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS BEFORE. NOW THE CAR FEELS AS IF IT IS IN TO LOW OF A GEAR. ALSO I HAVE LOST A LOT OF POWER.*AK

4 MONTHS AFTER I PURCHASED THIS CAR, I STARTED HAVING MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH IT. I'VE HAD TO PAY $830 FOR A HEAD GASKET AT 82,000 MILES, $318 FOR SUSPENSION + ALIGNMENT BECAUSE MY TIERODS BUSTED OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT 92,000 MILES. I STILL CANNOT GET THE FUEL INJECTION PROBLEM FIXED, BECAUSE I'M OUT OF MONEY. I HAD TAKEN THIS CAR IN TWICE FOR THE STALLING, ENGINE DYING, AND SHAKING PROBLEM, AND IT HAS NEVER BEEN FIXED (STARTED 4 MONTHS AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR). *AK

VEHICLE HAD STARTED TO LEAK OIL ONTO THE ENGINE. TOOK TO MECHANIC & INFORMED VEHICLE NEEDED TO GO TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. MECHANIC AT DEALER'S INDICATED THE ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD WAS LEAKING OIL FROM THE GALLEY PLUG. IT CAUSED A LITTLE SMOKE TO APPEAR. VEHICLE NOT ON RECALL. *AK

ENGINE IS LEAKING OIL. CONSUMER HAS TO PUT TWO TO THREE QUARTS OF OIL INSIDE OF VEHICLE. *AK

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT MY 1996 DODGE STRATUS HAS EXPERIENCED HEAD GASKET FAILURE AND A CAM SEAL LEAK. THE FIRST TIME, MY VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. FOR THIS TO HAPPEN TWICE ON A CAR THAT NOT EVEN FIVE YEARS OLD AND WITH LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON IT IS ODD. I WONDERED IF OTHER CONSUMERS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND THEREFORE DECIDE TO CONTACT YOU IN CASE THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM SO THAT THERE MAY BE A RECALL. I WOULD HOPE THAT I AM THE ONLY ONE. I HAVE ALL MY REPAIR RECEITS IF THAT WILL AID IN THE INVESTIGATION, IF THERE IS ANY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *AK

ENGINE HEAD GASKETS HAD DEVELOPED A CRACK & WAS LEAKING FLUIDS. TOOK VEHICLE TO MECHANIC & THE HEAD GASKET WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED. CHECKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD WHICH WAS NEXT TO FIREWALL. THE FUMES WOULD ENTER THE VENTS & THE HEATER. THE OIL LEAKING FROM HEAD GASKET BLEW ONTO THE EXHAUST PIPE, CAUSING FUMES. CHRYSLER CONTACTED & SHIPPED NEW HEAD GASKETS. *AK *ML

ENGINE HEAD GASKET LEAK, OIL WENT INTO COOLENT SYSTEM CAUSES DEFECTS IN SYSTEM. *AK

I AM ALSO TOLD THAT I HAVE A BAD HEAD GASKET AND I DONT KNOW IF THE RECALL FOR IT WAS DONE ON THE VEHICLE. HOW DO I CHECK TO MAKE SURE I'M NOT BEING LIED TO. THE RECALL I BELEIVE FOR AN OIL PLUG. *AK

WHILE DRIVING DOWN ROUTE 80 HEARD A LOUD BREAKING NOISE, CAR WAS SMOKING. PULLED OVER, WENT TO PUT VEHICLE IN PARK, AND VEHICLE WON'T HOLD IN PARK. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE DIFFERENTIAL BROKE. TOLD THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS VEHICLE. TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPAIRED AND IS FUNCTIONING, BUT DOES NOT "FEEL" THE WAY IT SHOULD. *AK *ML

EXCESSIVE ENGINE OIL LEAKAGE OCCURS FROM HEAD GASKET - HAD TO REPLACE WITH MLS GK. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED. *AK

CHRYSLER REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEGE THEIR FAULTY HEAD GASKET PROBLEM AND EXPECTS CONSUMER TO PAY FOR NEW ENGINE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING OUT OF DRIVEWAY LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE DUE TO BROKEN TIE ROD END. *AK

SECOND SET OF ROTORS TO FAILED DUE TO CORROSION IN 4 YEARS, DEALER REPLACED ORINGINALS, IN BOTH CASES PADS WERE FINE. *AK

SECOND FAILURE OF BRAKE ROTORS IN 4 YEARS DUE TO CORROSION, BRAKE PADS STILL GOOD. CHRYSLER HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM IN NE BEFORE. *AK

ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILED CAUSING OIL TO LEAK ON ENGINE. LEAK WAS SEVERE AND COULD HAVE CAUSED FIRE. MECHANIC SAID THIS IS NOT AN UNUSUAL FAILURE WITH THESE ENGINES. COST TO REPAIR IS $500+. *AK