2004 Dodge Stratus

DT: CONSUMER SAYS VEHICLE SHAKES AT 50 MPH. ALSO, SHAKES WHEN CONSUMER FIRST STARTED VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT SHAKING WAS CAUSED BY SPARK PLUG WIRES. CONSUMER STATED WIRES WERE CHANGED FOUR TIMES ALREADY, AND IT DID NOT GET BETTER. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER TO HAVE WIRES CHANGED. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED REGULARLY. VEHICLE DIED INTERMITTENTLY. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE OF VEHICLE.*AK

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

JACKING 2004 DODGE STRATUS. I USED THE JACK THAT WAS SUPPLIED BY THE MANUFACTURER TO JACK MY CAR TO ROTATE MY TIRES. THE REAR JACK POINTS (AS OUTLINED BY THE OWNER'S MANUAL) WERE USED. THE JACK POINTS ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THE CAR. THE CAR WILL SLIDE (CAR WAS ON LEVEL SURFACE). I BROUGHT MY CAR TO HENDRICKS DODGE IN CARY NC AND WE LOOKED AT FIVE OTHER DODGE STRATUS. EACH ONE WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. THE CONCLUSION WAS THAT THE DODGE REP NEEDED TO BE CONTACTED. TODAY, DODGE IS STATING THAT THE JACK AND JACK POINTS ON THE 2004 DODGE STRATUS ARE TO BE USED ONLY FOR EMERGENCY USE. THE JACK AND JACK POINTS ARE NOT TO BE USED FOR JACKING THE CAR FOR TIRE ROTATIONS. I FEEL THAT THERE IS A DANGER THAT SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET HURT, ESPECIALLY IF THEY JACK THEIR CAR ON THE SIDE OF A ROAD TO CHANGE A FLAT TIRE. *JB

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

DRIVER FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL AND CRASHED INTO SCHOOL BUS HEAD ON. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, BUT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR BRACKET BROKE. THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RESTRAIN THE DRIVER, CAUSING EYE AND BACK INJURIES, AND DRIVER WAS TRANSPORTED BY HELICOPTER TO THE HOSPITAL. VEHICLE WAS TOWED, AND TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. *AK