2003 Dodge Stratus

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE STRATUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S HORN HAD NO FUNCTIONALITY AND THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL DID NOT FUNCTION. IN ADDITION, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 178,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.

I WAS BACKING OUT OF PARKING SPACE WHEN I HEARD A CRACKING NOISE WHEN I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL.THEN THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON.THEN I NOTICED THE HORN DID NOT WORK. UPON INVESTIGATION ON THE INTERNET I AM 100% CONVINCED THAT THE CLOCK SPRING HAS BROKEN.FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOWS THERE IS A RECALL ON CHRYSLER-DODGE CLOCK SPRINGS BUT ONLY ON CERTAIN YEAR-MODELS WHICH DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. THE YEAR OR MODEL OF THE VEHICLE IS IRRELEVANT IF THE CLOCK SPRING PART IN QUESTION (THE ONE IN THE RECALL) WAS/IS STILL BEING INSTALLED ON VEHICLES NOT IN THE RECALL LIKE MINE A 2003 DODGE STRATUS A LITTLE INVESTIGATION ON YOUR END WILL CLEARLY SHOW THIS TO BE THE CASE. I'D BE WILLING TO BET THAT MY CLOCK SPRING HAS THE SAME MANUFACTURING NUMBERS AS THE RECALLED CLOCK SPRINGS . *TR

I HAVE A 2003 DODGE STRATUS SE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON ALONG WITH THE OIL LIGHT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD I HAVE A BAD PCM/ECM. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND BEEN ADVISED THAT THE COMPUTER IN MY CAR SHOULD NOT BE BAD THIS SOON. IF MY COMPUTER GOES OUT I WILL BE UNABLE TO USE MY CAR WHICH IS NEEDED FOR SCHOOL AND WORK. *TR

MY GIRLFRIEND AND I WE'RE PULLING OUT OF A GAS STATION AND TURNING TO THE RIGHT WHEN SUDDENLY WE HEARD A "SNAP" AND THE CAR STALLED. IT STARTED RIGHT BACK UP, WHERE I WAS THEN GREETED BY MY AIR BAG DUMMY. HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL NO LONGER WORK EITHER. TALKED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT WOULD COST AT LEAST $80 WORTH OF "INVESTIGATIVE WORK" TO MAKE SURE IT WAS A CLOCK SPRING (WHICH I COULD TELL THE SECOND IT HAPPENED). SAID THAT THE PART AND LABOR WOULD BE $200 AFTER THE DETECTIVE WORK OF COURSE. NO RECALL, NOT AVAILABLE AT PARTS STORES, SO NO DRIVER AIR BAG FOR ME. HOPE DODGE RECOGNIZES THE PROBLEM, IT'S ALL OVER THE INTERNET. *TR

THE 2003 DODGE STRATUS WE OWN IS NOT SAFE FOR DRIVING. RAPIDLY OVERHEATING AND SHUTTING DOWN, NEAR ACCIDENT WITH SUDDEN STALLING IN TRAFFIC, REGULATORS ON THE ENGINE FAN GOING OUT, HEADGASKETS HAVING TO BE REPLACED. CAR IS NOT A YEAR AND HAS BEEN SERVICED 2 TIMES AND STILL MALFUNCTIONS. JUST GOT CAR BACK FROM SHOP AND HAVE TO RETURN IT, BECAUSE IT IS NOT IDLING PROPERLY. CONSTANT PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE.*AK

I HAVE 2003 DODGE STATUS WITH THE 2.4L 4 CYLINDER ENGINE AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. AFTER COMING BACK FROM A TRIP, MOST OF WHICH WAS AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN THE ENGINE SPEED SUDDENLY JUMPED FROM IDLE SPEED TO 2000 RPMS. THE CAR LUCHED FORWARD CAUSING ME TO ALMOST HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. AT THE NEXT 2 STOPS THE ENGINE SPEED JUMPED FROM IDLE SPEED TO 1400 RPMS. FOR THE NEXT WEEK THE PROBLEM DID NOT HAPPEN AGAIN DURING NORMAL AROUND TOWN DRIVING. THE FOLLOWING WEEK I AGAIN HAD TO MAKE ANOTHER TRIP AT FREEWAY SPEEDS AND THIS TIME STITTING AT STOP SIGNS THE ENGINE IDLE WOULD SOMETIMES DROP TO THE POINT OF ALMOST STALLING THEN RECOVER. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TWICE TO THE DEALER AND THEY CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG. THE SECOND TIME A MECHANIC WENT WITH ME AND WITNESSED THE IDLE SPEED DROPPING. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT SWANTY'S CHRYSLER CONTACTED THE FACTORY AND HE TOLD ME YESTERDAY THAT PER THE FACTORY THIS IS COMMON TO CHRYSLER 4 CYLINDER ENGINES IN HOT WEATHER. THE DAYS THE ENGINE ACTED UP THE MOST WERE VERY HOT. THE TEMPERATURES WERE 128 AND 124 DEGREES. THE ENGINE IDLE SLOWING PROBLEM IS ANNOYING TO SAY THE LEAST, BUT THE ENGINE SPEEDING UP IS A SAFETY HAZZARD. THE LAST TIME I TOOK THE CAR IN I WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE THE DEARLER AND THE ENGINE WAS IDLING IN PARK AND I DID SEE THE IDLE SPEED JUMP UP ONCE TO 1400 RPMS. MYSELF AND MY WIFE ARE VERY CONCERNED AND THE DEALER IS STUMPED. THERE ARE NO TROUBLE CODES SHOWING, BUT I FEEL THIS IS A COMPUTER PROBLEM BECAUSE THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION COMPUTERS ARE UNDER THE HOOD AND OUR COMMOM 120+ DEGREE DAYS ARE CAUSING THE COMPUTERS TO MALFUNCTION BECAUSE OF THE EXTREMELY HIGH UNDER HOOD TEMPERATURES. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT MY FUEL MILEAGE IS DEREASING SIGNIFICANTLY WHICH COULD BE RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER HAS BEEN VERY UNDERSTANDING AND HAS BEEN TRYING TO HELP, BUT THIS SEEMS TO BE A FACTORY DEFECT.

I OWN A 2003 DODGE STRATUS SXT SEDAN 2.4L. WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR I HAPPENED TO NOTICE THAT THERE WAS RUSTING ON THE AXLES & BRAKES TO THE FRONT END OF THE CAR. THE SECOND DAY I HAD THE CAR IT COMPLETELY SHUT ITSELF DOWN AND WOULDN'T START, IMMEDIATELY MY CAR DEALERSHIP PICKED UP THE CAR AND SAID IT WAS BECAUSE THE BATTERY "DIED". I DID NOT TAKE NOTE OF THE RUSTING BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP SAID "ALL DODGE CARS ARE RUSTED...*ALL*"A MONTH LATER MY CAR STARTED MAKING NOISES TO THE FRONT END OF THE CAR SLIGHTLY, THEN IT WAS PROGRESSING TOWARDS JANUARY WITH VIBRATION OF THE CAR PAST 50 MPH, I DECIDED TO CALL THE DEALERSHIP WHEN IT BECAME OUT OF HAND AND THEY WERE CLOSED, THEN THE MONDAY THE CAR SHUT ITSELF DOWN AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED INTO PLACE WHILE I WAS TURNING A CORNER AND IT HIT PROBABLY A 5 INCH HIGH CURB..OF COURSE THE "RUSTED" RIGHT FRONT END "AXLE", CONTROL BAR & GEAR CONTROLS BROKE OFF. FOUND IT INTERESTING THAT ALL OF THESE INCIDENTS I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR BECAUSE THIS DEALERSHIP SAYS IN OTHER WORDS THAT WE'RE LYING AND IT ISN'T THEIR FAULT NOR WAS IT A MECHANICAL DEFECT. ALSO I HAVE NOTED THAT MY DOORS DOESN'T CLOSE PROPERLY & MY WINDOWS SLIP OUT OF PLACE. AFTER THE INCIDENT OF MY CAR LOCKING UP AND MY AXLE BEING BROKEN I HAD TO TAKE OUT OF POCKET ONCE AGAIN $1,800 AND THEY FIXED IT..BUT THERE WAS STILL PROBLEMS..THE VIBRATION WAS STILL THERE AND NOW THERE WAS A KNOCKING/CRACKING SOUND TO THE FRONT & REAR ENDS OF THE CAR, AND I MEAN IT WAS LOUD..TOOK THE CAR BACK FOR THE OIL CHANGE AND THEY SAID THEY HEARD NOTHING NOR WAS THERE A VIBRATION!.A MONTH LATER I TOOK THE CAR BACK I SAID THIS WAS RIDICULOUS THAT THIS NOISE IS STILL THERE AND YES OF COURSE WHEN YOU HAVE A HUGE BRAWL AND FIGHT THEY DO FIND THE SO CALLED "PROBLEM"....THE PINS TO HOLD MY BRAKE PADS IN PLACE WEREN'T EVEN THERE!...AND VIBRATION AGAIN? NONE TO BE FOUND...YES I AM THE DRIVER AND THE VIBRATION IS STILL THERE.*JB