2002 Dodge Stratus

I DRIVE A 2002 DODGE STRATUS 4 DOOR R/T AND NOTICED A SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR OF CAR. I PULLED OVER COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING AND DROVE AGAIN. IT STILL MADE A LOUD THUMP SOUND FROM THE REAR OF CAR. INSPECTED CAR AT HOME WITH PROPER TOOLS, I FOUND THE REAR STRUT MOUNT ON THE LEFT OF CAR WAS BROKE IN TO 6 PIECES. IN SIGHT OF THIS I TOOK THE RIGHT REAR STRUT MOUNT OFF AND FOUND IT TO BE BROKE INTO 2 PIECE WITH A 2 INCH CRACK GOING ACROSS PART OF IT. ORDERED TWO NEW REAR STRUT MOUNTS TO FIND OUT THERE HAS BEEN A MAJOR PART CHANGE. THE OLD PARTS ARE ALUMINUM AND NOT PAINTED AND THE REVISED PARTS ARE STEEL AND ARE PAINTED BLACK. I CALLED DODGE'S COMPLIANT LINE AND WAS HUNG UP ON. PLEASE NOTE THAT 4 DOOR R/T SUSPENSIONS ARE NOT THE SAME AS ALL OTHER 4 DOOR STRATUS CARS. TIRES WORE ON THE INNER EDGES AND THE SHOCKS WERE FREE TO JUMP UP AND DOWN SINCE NOT ATTACHED TO THE CAR. *JB

I DROVE TO KNOXVILLE, TN. I WENT TO A BASKET BALL GAME. ON THE INTERSTATE THE ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING REAL TERRIBLY. I CALLED MY MOM AND SHE SAID TO CHECK THE OIL IN THE MORNING. I DID IT WAS AT A PERFECT LEVEL.(I HAD GOT THE OIL CHANGED ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE THIS TRIP.) I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A MAINTENANCE SHOP. THEY SAID THE OIL HOLES ARE TO SMALL TO LET SUFFICIENT OIL THROUGH TO THE ENGINE AND THAT THE OIL WAS LIKE GUMMY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE(HOW WOULD ANY ONE KNOW THAT) AND IT RUINS YOUR ENGINE. I HAD ANOTHER MAINTENANCE SHOP CHECK MY CAR AT HOME IN WI. THEY SAID THE SAME THING THE MECHANIC SAID IN TN. THE CAR NEEDS A NEW ENGINE. THE CAR IS IN MY DRIVE WAY BECAUSE I HAVE NO MONEY TO PUT A NEW ENGINE IN THE CAR. MY MOM WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO DRIVE TO TN AND RENT A UHAUL WITH A TRAILER AND BRING MY CAR BACK. I DON'T ONLY NEED AT LEAST $3000 FOR ENGINE I ALSO OWE MY MOM $700 FOR THE TOWING. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35MPH ON A WINDING ROAD, CURVING RIGHT, THE STEERING WHEEL JERKED AND THE VEHICLE TURNED LEFT. THE BRAKES SEEMED STIFF WHEN APPLIED. THE VEHICLE HIT A FENCE AND THE DRIVER SUSTAINED SEVERE INJURIES. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, ALTHOUGH SEAT BELTS WERE WORN. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE AGENCY, BUT NO DETERMINATION WAS MADE AS TO WHY THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. HOWEVER, THE INSURANCE AGENCY DID DETERMINE THE ACCIDENT MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSE BY A STEERING OR BRAKE PROBLEM.

MY CAR NEEDS A NEW ENGINE. IT HAS ~42000 MILES. THE MECHANICS ONE FROM KNOXVILLE,TN WHERE THE ENGINE DIED AND THE ONE IN KENOSHA,WI WHERE I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR BROUGHT HOME, SAID THE OIL HOLES ARE TO SMALL TO LET SUFFICIENT OIL THRU THE ENGINE. THE CAR IS STILL SITTING AT THE MECHANICS SHOP BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE $3000.00 TO HAVE IT FIXED. *NM

DODGE STRATUS 2002 2.7 MOTOR FAILURE AT 80,000 DUE TO SLUDGE BUILD UP CAUSED BY WATER LEAKING INTO MOTOR, POOR ENGINE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURER SHOULD OF ADVISED THAT THIS CAR NEEDED AGGRESSIVE OIL CHANGES WITH SYNTHETIC OIL NOT FOSSIL FUEL BASED OIL. STRANDED WIFE ON HIGHWAY ON CHRISTMAS EVE. DEALERSHIP WILL NOT REPAIR DUE TO POOR MAINTENANCE. CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. SAID THAT I DID NOT DO ENOUGH OIL CHANGES. CAR WAS MAINTAIN TO COMPANY SPECS. *NM

02/2005 - DURING NORMAL COMMUTE HOURS, I NOTICED MY TRANSMISSION SLIPPING DURING ACCELERATION. TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP (63,067 ODOMETER), THEY SAID THAT THE TRANSMISSION COOLER LINES WERE LEAKING AND BOTH HOSES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.( I PARK MY CAR IN THE SAME SPOT AT WORK AND AT HOME, AND HADN'T NOTICED ANY LEAKAGE) I WAS ASSURED THAT ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO SPOTS, THAT SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM ALONG WITH A FLUSH, CLEAN, AND CONDITIONER. UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE PARTS WEREN'T COVERED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY.($406.62 IN REPAIRS) NOTHING WAS LISTED OR MENTIONED ABOUT ANY OTHER PARTS THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. 11/2005 - ON MY WAY TO WORK, THE TRANSMISSION STARTS SLIPPING AGAIN AND WENT OUT ON ME. THIS TIME I'M BEING TOLD I NEED A FRONT PUMP, VALVE BODY, AND TORQUE CONVERTER ($2,900 IN REPAIRS). WITH 81,000+ MILES ON THE CAR, AND NOW OUT OF WARRANTY, I'M BEING TOLD THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT. *NM

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 59,000 MILES ON MY 2002 DODGE STRATUS. THE VEHICLE STARTED TO MAKE A POPPING SOUND UNDER THE HOOD ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. THE SOUND WAS INTERMITTENT FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS. ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2005, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO MAKE A LOUD WHISTLING SOUND AND STARTED TO SHIFT HARD AND/OR DELAY SHIFT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A HARD PART TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE TOTAL COST OF REPAIR WAS $2100.00 AND THE VEHICLE WENT OUT OF WARRANTY AT 50,000 MILES. *JB