2000 Dodge Stratus

I OWNED UNTIL LAST NIGHT A 2000 DODGE STRATUS, WELL NOW I AM ANOTHER FIRE VICTIM I GUESS. CAR WAS PARKED HAD IGNITION IN THE AUX POSITION TO LISTEN TO MUSIC WHILE I WAS CLEANING UP OUR STORAGE AREA. GOT INTO CAR TO START IT UP AND BOOM. FIRST HEARD A POP FOLLOWED BY IMMEDIATE ENGULFING FIRE UNDER HOOD ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WHOLE THING BURNT TO THE GROUND IN LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES. I HAVE PICTURES IF YOU NEED THEM. THANKS TERRI *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE STRATUS. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE CONTACT WAS NOTIFIED THAT OIL WAS LEAKING FROM HER VEHICLE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC AND HE STATED THAT THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE HOSE. WHEN THE MECHANIC TOOK THE TRANSMISSION APART, HE NOTICED THAT THE CASE WAS CRACKED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED TO HER VEHICLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 36,915 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,907.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE STRATUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE FROM WHERE THE SMOKE ORIGINATED. APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES AFTER LEAVING THE MECHANIC, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. THE INSURANCE COMPANY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A TOW YARD MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FIRE ORIGINATED FROM THE POWER STEERING HOSE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED RECALL NUMBER E23 TWO WEEKS AFTER THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 92,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE STRATUS. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL NOTICE NUMBER 06V001000 (STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS) IN APRIL OR MAY OF 2007. SHE CALLED THE DEALER TO SCHEDULE A REPAIR APPOINTMENT AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE AT LEAST 50 PEOPLE BEFORE HER ON THE WAITING LIST. THERE ARE NO OTHER LOCAL DEALERS IN HER AREA AND SHE FEELS AS IF THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE A FIRE COULD OCCUR. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 107,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE STRATUS. HE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED THE DRIVEWAY. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT HE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID # 06V001000). AS OF AUGUST 6, 2007, THE DEALER HAS NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 89,000. THE CONTACT WOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A COPY OF INCIDENT REPORT.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE STRATUS. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE STEERING WHEEL BECOMES DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE NUMBER 06V001000 (STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS). THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT COULD CATCH FIRE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

AFTER AN ABRUPT STOP, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND BRAKING ABILITY WAS SEVERELY IMPAIRED. I WENT HOME IMMEDIATELY FEARING FOR MY SAFETY. AFTER AN INSPECTION UNDER THE VEHICLE, I NOTICED THAT A LARGE AMOUNT OF BRAKE FLUID IN MY DRIVEWAY. LOOKING MORE CLOSELY I FOUND THE LEAK IN THE BRAKE LINE. IT APPEARS THAT THE PARKING BRAKE CABLE HAD WORN A SPOT ON THE LEFT REAR BRAKE LINE. THIS COMBINED WITH CORROSION HAD CAUSED THE LINE TO RUPTURE. IT LOOKS AS IF THE FACTORY WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THERE WAS A SOFT 3" PIECE OF FOAM RUBBER TUBING OVER THE PARKING BRAKE CABLE WHERE IT CONTACTED THE HYDRAULIC LINE. THIS FOAM RUBBER MAY HAVE ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE CORROSION BY TRAPPING WATER BETWEEN IT AND THE STEEL BRAKE LINE. JUDGING BY THE AMOUNT OF RUST STUCK TO THE FOAM RUBBER I WOULD SAY THIS IS A FAIR ASSESSMENT. CHRYSLER DEALERS AND THE MAIN OFFICE OFFERED NO RECOURSE. AFTER EXPERIENCING ALL THIS AND MANY OTHER PROBLEMS FROM A VEHICLE PURCHASED NEW, I CAN SAY THAT I WILL NEVER PAY FOR ANOTHER CHRYSLER VEHICLE AGAIN. IF SOMEONE GIVES ME ONE, I MAY CONSIDER THE OFFER. P.S. OTHER PROBLEMS INCLUDED: OIL PRESSURE SENDING SENSOR, TRANSMISSION SPEED SENSORS, FRONT WHEEL BEARING, RADIATOR, LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS, AN UNRESOLVED PULLING TO THE RIGHT NOT RESOLVED AFTER NEW TIRES AND WHEEL ALIGNMENT, ETC. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE STRATUS. WHILE IN A STORE, THE CONTACT WAS NOTIFIED OF A BURNING VEHICLE OUTSIDE. WHEN SHE ARRIVED AT HER VEHICLE, IT WAS SMOKING AND THEN CAUGHT FIRE. SHE HAS A REPORT FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. SHE EVENTUALLY NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER AND THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED. ON JUNE 20, 2007, SHE RECEIVED A LETTER STATING THAT THE FIRE WAS NOT THE MANUFACTURER'S RESPONSIBILITY. THE CONTACT RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE # 06V001000 (STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS). SHE BELIEVES THAT THIS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 108,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE STRATUS. WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. SHE PARKED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ENGINE BACKFIRED AND WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 123,243.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE STRATUS. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE MECHANIC WHO REPLACED A VALVE GASKET. AFTER LEAVING THE REPAIR SHOP, THE SMOKE WAS VISIBLE AGAIN AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY CAUGHT FIRE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF FAILURE APPEARED TO BE THE POWER STEERING HOSE. THE FAILURE IS THE SAME AS NOTED IN NHTSA RECALL # 06V001000 (STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS). THE MANUFACTURER SENT OUT AN INVESTIGATOR TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 125,000.