2004 Dodge Stratus

MY CASE IS SIMILAR TO ODI CASE 10151711. I PERFORM MOST OF MY CAR MAINTENANCE FROM OIL CHANGES TO BRAKE PAD REPLACEMENT. I HAD RECENTLY REPLACED MY PADS AND MADE SURE EVERY BOLT WAS TIGHTENED CORRECTLY. ONE WEEK LATER I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT AN APPROXIMATE SPEED OF 70 MPH AND HEARD A CLUNK AND IT SOUNDED LIKE I HAD RAN OVER SOMETHING AS THE OBJECT HIT THE BOTTOM OF MY CAR. I THOUGHT SOMEONE THREW SOMETHING OUT THEIR WINDOW. ABOUT A MILE DOWN THE ROAD I HEARD A NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE I HAD A FLAT TIRE. AS I BEGAN TO BRAKE AND PULL OVER THE NOISE WENT AWAY. CONFUSED BY THE SUDDEN STOP OF THE NOISE, I PROCEEDED ANOTHER MILE OR SO DOWN THE HIGHWAY UNTIL THE NOISE FROM THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE STARTED UP AGAIN AND SOUNDED LIKE GRINDING. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AT THIS POINT AND CAME TO A SKIDDING STOP. I TRIED TO PULL FORWARD AS I WAS OFF THE ROAD BUT VERY CLOSE TO THE SHOULDER. THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD REGARDLESS OF THE PRESSURE ON THE GAS PEDDLE. I DECIDED TO TRY AND BACK UP AND I WAS SUCCESSFUL AND PULLED FURTHER OFF THE SHOULDER. I SAW THAT MY CALIPER HAD COME FREE AND BEGAN TO TAKE CHUNKS OUT OF THE ALLOY RIM. I AM VERY FORTUNATE THAT I DID NOT LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE OR DAMAGE ANY OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER AND SERVICE MANAGER STATED THEY NEVER SAW ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. $497.66 LATER (NEW BOLTS AND A RIM) MY CAR WAS MOBILE. I WAS OVER TWENTY MILES FROM HOME WHEN THIS OCCURRED. PHOTOS AND BILL AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45MPH WITH STEADY BRAKE PRESSURE APPLIED, THE ABS BRAKES LOCKED UP RESULTING IN A REAR END COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER AND SLID INTO A TELEPHONE POLE COMING TO A FINAL STOP ON ITS SIDE. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ALTHOUGH THE CONTACT WAS WEARING A SEATBELT, NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. THE POLICE WERE ON THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE INSURANCE ADJUSTOR, AS WELL AS A FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE, INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THE AIRBAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE IS A 2004 DODGE SRT4. *AK

VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING A VARIETY OF NOISES FROM THE FRONT WHEEL AREA OVER 20,000 MILES. DEALERSHIP HAS MADE SEVERAL REPAIRS, INCLUDING REPLACING BRAKE PADS AND INSTALLING NEW DESIGN RIVETS, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THE BRAKE CALIPER BOLTS LOSE AND ALMOST SEPARATED FROM THE CALIPER-- IF THE CALIPER HAD BECOME SEPARATED WITH THE VEHICLE IN MOTION, IT MAY HAVE CONTACTED THE WHEEL RIM CAUSING FRONT WHEEL LOCK-UP. *NM

AT 19000 MILES, THE FRONT ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO WARPAGE. DEALERSHIP SAYS IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AFTER 12000 MILES. NOW THE CAR HAS 22000 MILES ON IT AND NEEDS FRONT ROTORS REPLACED AGAIN. I REFUSE TO AGAIN PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD AT LEAST HAVE A LIFE EXPECTANCY OF 55000 MILES OR MORE. DEALERSHIP MECHANIC SAYS IT IS A DEFECT IN THE ROTORS BUT IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. WHY????????? *NM

I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 30 MPH AND COMING TO A SLOW FOR A STOP LIGHT WHEN IT SOUNDED LIKE IT HAD A FLAT TIRE. I STARTED TO PULL OVER WHILE CONTINUING TO SLOW THE CAR WHEN IT CAME TO A SHARP STOP AND I COULD GO NO FURTHER TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC. I GOT OUT TO LOOK, AND SAW NO FLAT TIRE, BUT NOTICED FRONT RIGHT BRAKE GRINDED INTO RIM. I HAD IT TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP NEAR MY HOME, AND THEY ASSESSED THAT A LARGE BOLT FELL OUT FROM THE BRAKE CALLIPER, AND CAUSED MY BRAKE TO SLIP OUT AND COLLIDE WITH THE RIM. MY CAR IS JUST OVER A YEAR OLD, AND I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY BRAKE WORK DONE THUS FAR. THEY FOUND A REPLACEMENT BOLT FOR ME, AND I THEN DROVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF IT WAS WARRANTY COVERED, THEY SAID NO. THEY SUGGESTED THAT I NOT DRIVE ON THE RIM FOR FEAR OF NOT KNOWING WHETHER OR NOT THERE WERE FRACTURES THAT WERE NOT VISIBLE, AND THAT HITTING ONE POT HOLE COULD COLLAPSE THE RIM AND DO FURTHER DAMAGE. *AK

AT AROUND 32,000 MILES THE BRAKE SHOE BOLTS BROKE, AND THE SHOE GOT CAUGHT IN THE RIM CAUSING 1: THE RIM (INSIDE) TO GRIND AGINST THE SHOE AND FOREVER CHANGING THE SHAPE OF THE RIM. 2: BENDING THE CALLIPER. AND 3: HAVING THE BREAKS GRIND THE ROTOR IN AN UNUSUAL MANNER IN WHICH THEY NEEDED TO BE GRINDED DOWN. I WAS SLOWING DOWN FOR THE STOP LIGHT (SPEED LIMIT WAS 25, I WAS GOING MAYBE 20), AND STARTED TO BREAK, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP, AND WAS PULLING TO THE LEFT. IT WAS A VERY VIOLENT STOP. FOR A SECOND, I THOUGHT THAT I MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN A FLAT TIRE, BUT I GOT OUT SIDE OF THE CAR AFTER PUTTING IT IN PARK, AND TURNING ON MY HAZZARDS. LOOKING AT THE FRONT LEFT TIRE, I SAW THAT IT WAS FINE, LOOKED AT ALL OF THE OTHER TIRES, AND THEY ARE ALL FINE AS WELL. GOT BACK INTO THE CAR, AND PUT IT IN DRIVE. CAR DIDNT MOVE. PUT IT IN REVERSE...CAR DIDNT MOVE EITHER. WONDERING WHAT WAS HAPPENING, I PUT THE CAR AGAIN, IN PARK, AND LOOKED AT THE TIRES AGAIN. I NOTICED AT THIS TIME THAT SOMETHING LOOKED DIFFERENT WITH THE RIM. I GOT IN FOR A CLOSER LOOK, AND NOTICED IT WAS PRETTY BADLY DAMAGED. I PROCEEDED TO LIFT THE CAR, TAKE THE TIRE OFF, AND AS SOON AS I TOOK THE TIRE OFF, THE SHOE WAS HANGING AND WASNT BOLTED IN WHERE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. HOLY CRAP, WAS I MAD. THEN WENT INTO ADVANCE AUTO, TO GET REPLACEMENT BOLTS, AND FOUND SOME, ABOUT 3 HOURS LATER BECAUSE THEY DIDNT HAVE ANY IN STOCK, AND THEY HAD TO CALL AROUND. AFTER PUTTING THE BOLTS ON, I DROVE HOME AT ABOUT 20 MPH, USING ABOUT HALF AND HALF (BRAKES AND E-BRAKE). I DID NOT WANT THAT TO EVER HAPPEN AGAIN. A DAY AFTER THAT HAPPEND I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER TO HAVE THEM FIX THE PROBLEM. I ASKED THEM TO FIX IT ANYWAYS. TOTAL BILL WAS AROUND $130. $112 BEING LABOR, AND $18 FOR THE BOLTS AND OTHER PARTS. WHAT REALLY BURNS ME UP, IS THAT THIS SHOULDNT HAVE HAPPEND FOR ONE, AND I'M SOL FOR MY RIM AND CALLIPER. IT STILL MAKES A SCRAPING SOUND WHEN I MAKE TURNS AS WELL.*AK

PURCHASED A 2004 DODGE STRATUS IN JULY OF 2003. BY DEMEBER 2003, AT 6,00 MILES, THE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO WARPAGE. IN JULY 2004, APX 12,000 MILES, THE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN DUE TO WARPAGE. I BEGAN TO SEE THIS FOR WHAT IS IS; A PERPETUAL PROBLEM SOON TO BE EXCLUDED FROM WARRANTY WORK. I TOOK A LOSS OF 1,500. ON THE VEHICLE SIMPLY TO GET OUT FROM UNDER IT. I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS DUE TO MY DRIVING STYLE, WHICH IS THE STANDARD LINE BEING GIVEN TO DODGE OWNERS. DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE WEB TO SEE IF OTHER DODGE OWNERS EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM AND IT APPEARS IT COMES STANDARD WITH MOST DODGE VEHICLES. IT APPEARS THE FINAL SOLUTION INVOLVES SHELLING OUT 400 BUCKS OUT OF POCKET FOR A HIGHER QUALITY ROTOR. CALL ME CRAZY, BUT I EXPECT STANDARD MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT ON A VEHICLE TO ACTUALLY DO WHAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO DO. I HAVE NEVER HAD ROTOR PROBLEMS ON ANY OTHER VEHICLE I'VE OWNED. (GRANTED, THIS IS MY FIRST DODGE) THIS ISSUE CRIES OUT FOR A RECALL!!!!!!!!!!!!*AK