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We found the following complaints for DODGE STRATUS (1998)

Read complaints for DODGE STRATUS (1998)

70 degrees, dry level road surface, slight curve in road to left. Frontal impact at 40mph into side of second vehicle that ran stop sign. Pressed brake pedal with both feet at maximum force. Brake pedal went to floor and car did not slow or stop resulting in impact.normaly, abs activates at the slightest sign of road irregularity. Abs sounds not heard during entire incident. Abs pulsing sensation in brake pedal not felt during entire incident. Also, front driver and front passenger airbags did not deploy.

Violent deployment of air bag during collision caused the air bag to explode rather that deflate.

Front impact collision air bag deployed, but caught on fire, impact of the airbag caused bodily injuries todriver.

Consumer stated that when they was hit in the front center of the vehicle the air bag did not deploy causing minor injuries to the consumer. Dealer notifies. Ts

Vechicle involved in a crash witha dumptruck at 70 miles per hour, was hit on all four cornerswhen collidedwith guardrail,in addition to being hit in the front andairbags did not deploy.

Consumer's wife was involved in a front-end collision.during the accident, the airbags on the driver's and passenger's sides failed to deploy.the wife was not seriously injured, but suffers from sores and bruises.when the consumer contacted the manufacturer, an investigator from chrysler came out to view the vehicle, but failed to give the consumer any information pertaining to vehicle.

Dt: the contactcomplained about steering problems. The steering wheel felt as though it was binding. The power steering fluid was kept at correct levels. The vehicleexperienced steering difficulties for the past year. The vehicle was involved in a crash and the air bags did not deploy. The vehicle ran into a hill and neither air bag deployed. The speed was around 55 mph. The manufacturer has not been contacted about the steering or the air bags.a police report was takenfrom the crash.updated 1/5/2006 - the consumer was injured and had to be taken by ambulance to the hospital.

Car hit twice by deer.once on the left front and once on the right front.both times going about 55 miles per hour or less and neither time did the air bags go off.on 10-31-2005i was in an accident where my car went off the road, at less than 55 mph, due to rain and a curve i was going around.the impact broke my rear axle, thenthe back of the car side swiped a tree and tore off the rear bumper and flipped the car on the passenger side, flipped back right side up and then into the side of a small hill.none of these times did any air bags go off.

2nd accident, brake pedal went to floor, car did not slowdown, direct fronal impact 45mph, driver's & passenger's airbags did not deploy.

Consumerwas involved in a 55 mph frontal collision ,hitting a barrier in which the driver's and passenger's air bags did not deploy, cause unkown. Please give any further details.

30mph frontal crash, driver's/passenger's airbags didn't deploy, brake pedal went to floor, but car didn't respond.

While driving 30 mphvehicle had a direct frontal impact, anddriver's/passenger's airbags did not deploy which did not protect the occupant incrash.please provide further information.

Accident occurred and air bags did not deploy. Dealer has been notified. Ph

Whenever brakes are applied, they would make loud squealing noises. They would let go while being pressed. Rearended another vehicle when the brakes failed to work properly at 60 mph. At time of impact, the air bags did not deploy.

Was driving at approxiamtely 15-20 mph, hit another vehicle head-on which was going about 30 mph.direct hit and airbags on both sides did not deploy, causing the consumer to hit steering wheel and windshield.

While driving 35 mphvehicle was involved in a head on collision. The dual airbags deployed without air. As a result,driver sustained severe facial injuries.

We have conctaced several car seat manufacturers (fisher price and even-flo)and they do not recommend using convertible car seats in the rear position with automatic emergency locking device seat belts which is in my dodge stratus.we contacted chrysler and they told us there was nothing they could do to solve the problem.i think it is very important to inform the public that to my knowledge there is not a safe child seat made that will work in the rear position in a car with a automatic emergency locking device.this i assume includes all or most chrysler vehicles.we informed them that there are thousands if not millions of parents traveling around the daily with cars that are not capable of being used with rear facing child seats.they need to address this issue.it is disappointing that a car maker could even produce a product with sure disregard for child safety.

Having issues with dash and headlight dimming,also radio goes off and looses memory,door locks won't work when radio goes off. Burnt out defogger relay and power amp fuse with no power amp, also had to replace horn relay yet taking all those relays out and problem still happens. Already checked lighter assembly, that was popping amp fuse. Fixed that still happening. Also goes through 1 quart of oil a month but no leaks under the car when moved. ?????? help!!!!!! the oil problem should fall under hazardous meterials act if all these cars are dumping used oil all over this country.

The contact owns a 1998 dodge stratus. The contact stated that the gear shifted from park without the key in the ignition. The contact also stated that the key became stuck in the ignition. The failure occurred on multiple occasions.the contact referenced nhtsa campaign id number: 04v02100 (power train), however, the vehicle was not affected at the time and no repairs were done.the manufacturer was notified of the failure.the approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

The contact owns a 1998 dodge stratus. While the vehicle was at the dealer for routine maintenace, it was discovered that the front ball joint and control arm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. On two separate occasions, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The dealer determined both times that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired both times. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. Several years later, the contact was unable to remove the key from the ignition switch. The vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign numbers: 04v021000 (power train) and 98v183000 (power train). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was 5,000.

The vehicle has been in for repairs on numerous occasions for electrical components (3) alternators, (2) batteries, the dealership stated that is was due to the aftermarket alarm system, consumer had the alarm system taken out and the problems continued. *mjs

Battery light indicator on panel coming on/off leading to light glitches on speed indicator panel, radio clock, interior lights, headlights, rear defrost coming on by itself and glitching on the odometer reading.car battery showing 11 volts out of 12 for cold start and alternator already changed out have receipt to show this past month.

Herbee motors130 sunrise highway west islip n.y. 11795 august 15, 2004. Attn. Service manger, the preventative recall work done on my 1998 dodge stratus is unsafe and totally unacceptable. Please see service history for aug. 12 and aug. 13, 2004 and refer to your invoice docs27685 dated 8/13/04 vin [xxx] for recall c45 floor shifter ignition park interlock.i picked up my car friday evening aug 13.after parking my car (placing the shift in the park position with the hand brake on) i was unable to remove the key from the ignition.i drove back to herbee motors and saw your manager charlie who assisted me. At first he was unable to remove the key with the car shift in the parked position.then after numerous attempts he was able to remove the key and advised me to bring the car back on monday for service. I started my car and shut it off and was able to remove the key with no effort (like normal) but the dash parking light and odometer light were still on. The key would not turn all the way to the parked position but was able to be removed.i saw charlie who verified that the key was easily removed but not going into the locked park position. The problem of key removal appears to be intermittent. After attempts, again he was able to remove the key in the proper position. He thought the hand brake had something to do with the key removal and advised not to use the hand brake. This afternoon after returning from shopping i parked my car on my driveway and thought i had placed the floor shift into the parked position and removed the key easily. I got out of the car but the shift was in the reverse position and my car rolled down my driveway into the street.the car could have killed someone or cause serious property damage very easily.[xxx].information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

The ignition key was stuck in the "on position" and could not be removed.the consumer contacted the manufacturer and the dealer but no assistance was offered.*sc

While placing the key inside the ignition vehicle failed to turn on its own.consumer contacted the dealer for inspection, and dealer informed consumer that the vehicle had to be towed for service.

Dt*: the contact stated while pulling into a parking lot, smoke was noticed coming from under the hood.the front hood was raised, and flames were noticed on top of the engine.there was nothing unusual about the way the vehicle had operated prior to the fire.the fire department was contacted, and extinguished the fire.the type of fire and exact component involved was unknown.the vehicle was towed to a local dealership, where it was deemed totaled.the contact planned to notify the manufacturer after filing a complaint with the nhtsa.a police report was not taken, but there were pictures available.

Startus blows ignition/fuel pump fuse and total disables car.so far it has happen 3 times in the 6000 miles i have driven the car.only has happened when tring to start the car.

First horn was blowing out ofcontrol, than the enginewe got it fixed, or so we thought ,than got the starter fix drove it 2 weeks and now it turns over but does nothing so it'ssitting in my yard not workingand am sick of it so far i havepaid out over a grand and this car don'twork just why,oh god just why.ihave paid some ofeverything you think of one that car ihave had it towards so much state farm wanted to cancel my insurance,okay let'sbegin.starter replaced,eg road valve senser,valley + pipe, ignitioncoil,ignitionrelay,temperature senser,ignitionwire, rotor, injector, brush, bearing ball, december frame not tomention the labor my god. And now it sits in my yard am tired really.

My 1998 dodage stratus leaks oil to the tune of at least 1 qt every other day. I have to keep a case of oil in my trunk to keep up with the leak. And then it still barely registers on the dip stick. I have a large oil stain in the grass of my driveway. I was told the leak was due to a faulty head gasket. It hasn't blown (yet) but it is only a matter of time before the rest of the car falls to pieces. I emailed a complaint to daimlerchrysler and i got a "we are sorry for your dissatisfaction". That was it. I have read all of these complaints and i was just wondering where the responses to them are? has anyone gotten anywhere with this issue?

1998 dodge stratus head gasket cracked i have 48 thousand miles on the car oil leaking into the cooling system called chrysler they were no help at allthis seems to be a very common problemwith the dodge stratusthis is going to cost me between eight and nine hundred dollars.i feel the company should make good of this problemi also understand there may be a class action suit against them. Hope there is something you can do to help with this problem.i honestly don't feel this type of repair should have to be done at 48 thousand miles

While driving and without warning the head gasket blew causing oil to leak. Dealer notified. Ts

1998 dodge stratus caught on fire in the engine compartment. Daughter turned a corner when the power steering went out. She pulled over as the engine caught fire. It was extinguished by the fire department.the car was totaled.

Slow oil leak, but not enough to turn on low oil indacator on the dash board. I eventually put a quart of oil in the engine.then i took my car to have it checked out and found out that i had a cracked head gasket.i was very angry when i had found that out especially with only 53,465 miles on the car!!!!!

Dt:consumer statedvehicle caught on fire.the vehicle was smoking , and took it to the repair shop.they could not find anything wrong with it.the fire started while the vehicle was in use.it started smoking where the oil filter wasthe vehicle has not been inspected to see why the fire started.the fire department did come, but the report should be available today or tomorrow.this happened on sunday july 24, 2005.the brakes were serviced about 5 days ago.also a police report was issued.

While driving head gasket blewout, causing an oil leak.

Throttle cable frayed and stuck in cable housing not letting the engine to idle down.

The vehicles head gasket failed and the manifold cracked. *nlm*nlm

Head gasket leak

1998 dodge stratus caught fire under the hood.ohio traffic crash report.

Well i have had to replace my oil pressure sensor about 6 times already, it seems like i replace it ever 6 months or so, it has been leaking out of the electrical end of the sensor but never leaks out of the threaded end that goes into the block, it almost caused me to blow up my motor that last time it happened, it is just becoming a huge hassle there has to be some defect in the part, because it doesn't matter which parts store i go too they all end up leaking.

While driving vehicle overheated. Consumer had to stop to constantlyadd coolant. Tookvehicle to dealer for an oil change. Dealerfound that the head gasket blew out. Oil had sprayed from the front end to the back end of the vehicle.

Oil was leaking fromengine.consumer couldn't tell where it was coming from. 2 quarts of oil a month had to be added.recently 4th of july 2001,vehicle started to overheat alot.air was coming through the water reservior. Thermostat and radiator were replaced, but nothing worked.dealer knows ofproblem.

No summary listed for abov evehicle.

The vehcile was leaking oil, progressively getting worse, but was fixed by the dealer.the consumer stated that head gasket was a common problem with this model of the vehicle.

Head gasket failed with mileage of less than 35,000. Gasket was replaced at owners expense by dealership.

Car began leaking oil, but has gotten really bad in the last couple of weeks.i took it to my mechanic and it has been diagnosed as having a faulty head gasket.apparently a common and wide spread problem with this type year car.dt

March 2002 noticed oil leakage.had it checked and found that the head gasket needed replaced.the car didn't have even 60000 miles on it.secondly, the car starting just this summer has stalled on numerous occasion.the temperature has always been above 90 degrees and the air conditioning has been running on high.it stalls only when i'm at a stop or in bumper to bumper traffic trying to shift from first.i have a standard, the clutch doesn't feel like it is slipping, and i'm sure it's not user error.this just started stalling this summer.i've had it to the dealership, but they didn't find anything wrong with the car.but it stalls consistently when the temp. Reaches above 90 degrees.

I've started experiencing both head gasket leaks as well as air condition issues.i have paid out over $2,500 combined over the past 18 months.now, i read that this is something that everyone that has a 1998 dodge stratus.

Head gasket failure.cannot afford to replace, just hope the engine will not catch fire.

We just notice a oil leak today and took it up to repair shop and they stated that it was th e head gasket and this is a common problem with dodge/ chrysler cars.

Dealership replacedsensor inside of engine compartment.currently, vehicle is leaking oil from underneath the hood.

I have been told by 2 mechanics that i have a head gasket leak.my car is only 5 years old and has 37,250 miles.the repair cost is 7-8 hundred dollars.i am retired, on a fixed income and feel chrysler corporation should repair this defect.

1998 dodge stratus 64,000 miles with head gasket problems?????doesn't seem right.

When checking the oil, consumer states the oil reading kept decreasing rapidly.consumer took to dodge, dodge says the gasket is too thin and is causing a leak.please provide any further information. Ph

My head gasket hasn't totally blown yet but my car is going through a quart of oil a week. I've had the gasket cover replaced and new spark plug wires installed. Oil still coming out . I take care of my car but not through the dealer. I had to replace the rotors at 16000 miles. Albany dodge said that they could resurface them for $90 a piece. I believe the rotors should not have been messed up at that time.

There are several references in internet newsgroups about this head gasket problem but a clarksville dealer says that it is not a common problem

Consumer called complaining about having problems with the head gaskets. Also stated that has been on our web site where there is more then 40 complaints.dealer was not contacted at the time of this phone call. Mr

Consumer noticed large amount of oil on driveway. Dealer has been contacted. Technician stated that head gasket needed to be replaced.the head gasket failure results in leaking oil on to the engine which would be fire hazard a s well.

Oil leak in my 1998 dodge stratus after only 35,000 miles.

Even though this is a known problem chrysler refuses to pay for the repair.after replacing the headgasket twice, they are now telling me that the oil leak is due to a possibly warped cylinder head.so far the best chrysler has done is pay for half of the cost.

While driving noticed smoke coming from under hood. Stopped vehicle and lifted hood. Head gaskets was leaking oil onto engine. Had no prior warning. Took vehicle to mechanic, and had no indication what caused leakage.

I have had numerous problems with this vehicle, other than those listed, plus there is much more information to support the problems i have listed.i have experienced a heater core failure, brakes replaced already twice on the vehicle with less than 40,000 miles on the car.i have had a defective seat belt (passenger), the timing chain is a major engine repair that i just had down.now i am still dealing with the residule prodblem with my heating/defrost since k & m replaced my water pump on 10/17/01.overall i consider this car to be a real piece of crap and i absolutely would never buy another stratus and in fact, i will never buy another chrysler vehicle ever.i feel i have stung with a lemon and basically i no legal recourse which is very unfair to me, the consumer.i am still paying on this piece of crap.if nothing else, i hope to warn anybody else, please do your homework ahead of time and don't buy adodge stratus.any assistance nhtsa might offer would be greatly appreciated.i can provide any documentation and detail that you require.thank you.

While driving the check engine light flashes, on and off, intermittently on thedashboard. The driver noticed oil leaking from underneath the vehicle while parked.the driver took the vehicle to the dealer for inspection.the mechanic informed the driver that a sensor needed to bereplaced due to worn part.please fill in additional information.

Head gasket was replaced originally in nov 00 and was replaced 3 additional times within the next 6-8 month period.i noticed the same problem again earliers this year and am preparing to take it in for the 5th time.

Bought acar with a defect in the head gasket.

Head gasket is leaking oil, it is only leaking a few spots here and there, but most of theoil has leaked in consumer's driveway. Consumer has contacteddealer and the dealer is not willing to do anything.

At approximatly 49,500 miles on my 1998 dodge stratus i noticed an oil leak while doing an oil change. I kept a watch on this and determined that the head gasket was where the problem was. At this time i did some research on the internet and found out that there were many complaints and service bulletins on the head gasket on this model and engine size. I then contacted the dealer where the vehicle was purchased and they verified that the head gasket was the problem and that it was going to cost me $600.00 or more to have the problem fixed. I then did more research into this and found out that there is an excessivly high incident of the head gasket failing on this model in both the 1997 and 1998 years, and when questioning people in the surrounding area found out that nearly every person that has purchased this model and engine combination have had the same failure and most of them with around 50,000 miles. I do not feel that i should have to pay the full amount to repair something that is a known and commen manufacturer problem ( dodge implemented a new gasket design on the 1999 model year to correct the problem). Also i think that based on the frequency of this failure there should be a full manufacturer recall, this problem also causes a safety concern of the possibility of a fire in the engine compartment due to the severity, and location of the oil leak .

While driving the head gasket leaked oil. The consumer was told by many mechanics that this was a common problem.the consumer had to pay a deductible to have the part replaced.the consumer feels the part should have been replaced free of charge.

Engine head casket is blown, causing major oil leakage. *nlm

Engine was leaking oil and consumer had to add a quart a week.dealer originally said it take $600-$800.after consumer tolddealer there were alot of complaints onthe internet,dealer reduced the price to $150.00.

A significant oil leak developed because of a failed head gasket in 10/2000. Mileage at time of failure around 42,000. Replacement gasket (dodge replacement as per service bulletin # 09-08-99 installed by dodge dealership mechanics) failed in 3/2002 after 21,000 miles.

I have a 1998 dodge stratus and like many others the head gasket needs replacing.i was told about this in july 2002.i was told by service that this was a known problem and that chrysler would participate in the expense of the repair and it would only cost me $200.at the time i could not afford the repair.also, the leak was not that bad.i was led to believe that the $200 would be the cost when i had the repair work done.when i called to make the appointment jan 20, 2003 because the leak was starting to get worse, i asked the service person if this $200 cost was still in effect.he said he checked on it and was told it was.after i dropped off the car, i got a call later in the morning telling me it would cost me full price.my issue is that since this is a known problem on the 98 stratus why hasn't chrysler (dodge) been made to issue a recall.the realized the problem with the head gasket because they changed the headgasket part approximately nov 1998 in production and replacements.

Vehicle was losing oil while driving. Vehicle was taken to a repair shop, and a dealer.both informed consumer thatvehicle have a blown head gasket. Feel free to provide any further information.

Warranty expired on10/27/01.was told on 1/31/01 that head gasket leaking needs replacement.two months out of warranty,35,571 miles yet needs new gasket?checking your database,service bullentin 090598,seq. 291,nhtsa # sb602898,states that chrysler develope new mls gasket to be implemented on 1999 models to correct such a problem.incomplaint database,odi # 714001, states chrysler aware of gasket failures.a head gasket is a costly/time consuming job especially when not under warranty.if this is a known problem,and a new gasket has been introduced,should there not be a recall or aupdate nade to the 1998 models.? could you please help out this situation?

Head gasket is leaking oil due to faulty gasket.

Check oil light alerted me to a problem which was confirmed by a licensed mechanic. The problem is a blown head gasket. While car was in the shop, mechanics suggested i look for a recall.none at the present time.talked to dodge dealer. Was told that since i had over 75000 miles and a non-dodge mechanic was repairing the problem, there was nothing they could do. It has become obvious that this is a growing problem. This should be addressed as a recall. I caught it early. Dodge should step up and fix the problem, regardless of the number of miles on the vehicle.some poeple properly maintain their vehicles.

My 1998 dodge stratus is leaking oil to the tune of 2 quarts every 7-10 days.2 mechanics have looked at it and both feel it is at the very least a defective head gasket and possible rear seal?both have told me it will need about $20 in parts but cost in excess of $800 to fix.i feel this is ridiculous.this has been a problem for some time now and though it started slow at first, it has now become a real safety concern.after researching the internet, i find that this is really a common problem and the manufacturer even redesigned the head gasket because of it but has offered no recall or assistance to the owners that bought the cars on good faith.please advise as to what you intend to do.

There have been 5 technical service bulletins issued in regard to the head gasket on this vehicle.i feel that it is a problem that chrysler has been aware of since manufacturing it, and they should have extended the warranty to cover this part. I had not driven the car for 36 months yet but my mileage was over the 36,000 limit,i feel i should be reimbursed the $412.71 i was charged as this has been a problem with this vehicle.

Head gasket leaking oil 1998 dodge stratus 2.4 engine with only 41,000 miles. Fire hazard.n

The engine/head gasket had an oil leak.scc

1998 2.7 v-6 engine in dodge stratus vehicle. Oil light came on and then the engine quit running. When attempting to obtain information on cost of repairs, i was told by many individuals that this engine has failed in this same manner for all of the vehicles. The oil was changed every 3000-5000 miles, more often that suggested by the owners manual. The owners manual states to change it every 7500 miles or 6 months which every comes first. Most of the repair places that i spoke to said that this engine should have been recalled due to this failure.

Noticed oil leak that would come and go.recently noticed oil leaking from head gasket.mechanic says it is verry common on these cars.is there any help offered by dodge?

Head gasket on the vehicle has failed.upon research of this issue , i find more people with the same problem.one person had it replaced 4 timess.the company won't recall it .this is unexceptable .a high percentage of these vehicles have this failure at the 50,000 mile mark. Why is there not a recall.oil and heat....fire!

1998 stratus, 78000 miles,leaks oil badly. Started about 76000 and has worsened. Hope this can't catch on fire.

The head gaskets fail on these cars pre-maturely and oil leaks from the engine spraying oil mist onto the catalitic converter wich could in turn start the vehicle on fire.i have read hundreds of complaints on the internet and have called the daimler-chrysler recall line and they have no intention on making this problem correct for the consumer.estimates to repair this defective head gasket have ranged between 700 and 800 dollars.i firmly believe that these vehicles need to be recalled and repaired for free it is clearly a defect in material/workmanship that never happens to cars normally and a fire hazard from the oil mist contacting the very hot catalitic converter.please help us.

I noticed oil on the outside of engine. I brought our car to downtown tire in hastings, mn where they told me that there was a headgasket leak.the mechanic also told me that he has heard about and seen a lot of problems with the dodge stratus and headgaskets.told us to take it to the dodge dealer and have it fixed.ron becker, inc told us that there really wasn't any problems with headgaskets but they would check our car out.they then called us to say it was definetly the head gasket it cost me $99for the parts and $552.50 for labor.i have been checking the internet and have found out that there has been a number of head gasket leaks and would like something done or compensation.

Timing belt tensioner broke while driving full speed on the freeway. The engine stalled and i was lucky to get to the side of the road safely. Now the car has been at the shop for two weeks and dodge states the parts are not in production and unavailable until a later unknown date. I have been told that the part is being remanufactured to eliminate the problem, but the new part hasn't been produced yet. There is not a date set for when the part will be available. Dodge obviously knew the part was defective or they would not have improved it for replacement. Why was my safety put at risk for a part they knew was a problem?

My car has been leaking oil, i am not sure how long.after calling several places to get estimates i found that every machanic was aware of the problem.i researched the internet to find out if anyone else had complained about the head gasket and found that there are a lot of complaints.my car is in the shop now and the cost to repair is more than i can affford.also, since i do not know how long this has been leaking i feel that this is a serious environmental problem.

I have a 2.4 liter 4-cylinder dodge stratus that has 49,000 miles on it.it has developed a head gasket leak.i've obtained several estimates ranging from $700-$950 to repair the problem.daimler chrysler will not issue any type of recall for this car or many other models like the breeze, neon, avenger and cirrus.they are aware of this problem and have been for some time yet they refuse to cover the problem under warranty nor have they attempted to redesign these engines so the head gaskets don't leak.when you put an aluminum head on a cast-iron block, there will be leaks.the two different metals have too many differences in how they react to temperature changes.as long as these metals are paired together (and the unsuspecting public keeps buying this ill-thought-out design) there will be leaks.

Head gasket leaks oil at about 70,000 to 80,000 miles and causes extreme fire hazard all over engine.

"the famous head gasket failure that nobody wants to touch". Yes, i have a 98 dodge stratus that is leaking at the head gasket. I had to buy one of those flat pans to catch the oil in while the car is parked in the garage. My 2 year old got out there the other day and decided to play in the used oil. Is this not a safety issue? having to keep a pan of dirty oil under a car? i drain it once a week and get at least 1 quart. (and have to pay to dispose of it) come on here!so, on top of the fire hazard (hot oil on a hot catalyst), now we have poisoning issues with our children. Is anybody going to help us, or should we just start the whole class action lawsuit? i am sure there are enough people here to back me up on this. According to all of the complaints here, dodge already knows about it and made a stronger gasket to replace it with.*nlm

Engine head casket blew out due to excessive oil leaking. Dealer notified.

Car began leaking oil..though it was due to last oil change .took car back to place where oil was changed and was told head gasket was gone and was a common problem with the model engine.car was repaired by dealer without cost to me.

1998 dodge stratus developed problems with the head gasket.***no answer required***. *mr

Head gaskets blewout,causing oil leakage.dealer has inspectedvehicle.

Vehicle is leaking oil,leak is extremely bad.vehicle has to be refilled with two quarts ofoil every couple of days.dealer has been contacted.

Engine headgasket failure.i have a 1998 dodge stratus with a 2.4l and a year ago when i noticed that my engine had a very significant oil leak coming from the head gasket. The car has 75000 miles. I contacted dodge recall center and they told me that there is no recall for this problem. I have called for repair quotes and it can range from 600 to 800 dollars to repair.

Re faulty head gasket on 1998 chrysler dodge stratus.the faulty head gasket caused oil to leak from the engine.the consumer had to put at least 1 quart every other day and even then the oil barely register on the dipstick.

Head gasket already faulty at only 71,000 miles.should have lasted until at least 100,000

Consumer noticed oil stains ondriveway.upon inspection of the vehicle by the manufacturer he indicated that the engine head gasket was leaking.

Oil leak under engine head, causing smoke to come intocar.

Head gasket is leaking oil. The dealership diagnosed problem and gave me a quote of $800 to replace head gasket. I told the dealer that there are numerous complaints surrounding this particular vehicle. I did not feel i should have to pay all of the expense.

Head gasket leaked oil and caused major damage to car.there was suddenly a big oil puddle under vehicle which is also a safety hazard.it is a factory defect (head gasket was redesigned by chrysler since 98) but they refuse to provide compensation for repair.

I just bought a 98 stratus with 36000 miles.the first day the weather turned cold and i started it, a huge oil leak developed.the head gasket is out.where can i sign up for the class action suit?

My vehicle developed an oil leak at the head gasket, the dealer says an entire head assembly is necessary, my research at your site shows service bulletins & other complaints about this leak.is there any recourse to the manufacturer, since i am looking at a $750 repair bill on a vehicle that should not have this problem this soon.

This car has been a major problem.head gasket failed at approx 11,000 on my way to airport to pick up family on april 10, 1999.couldn't get it in for service until april 14, 1999.transmission clutch started catching or scraping on something shortly after head gasket was replaced, i was told when work was completed (replaced cables on 11/18/1999) that problem was manufacturer defect mileage was 18,373. Was again experiencing same problem with clutch on 2/29/2000.upon speaking with service team, was told there was a bad bearing in the transmission and they would be replacing both the cables and transmission parts; i also asked for them to check the engine light , because it was coming on and had a strong smell of gasoline;vaccum system was replaced.on 3/24/2000 internal parts of transmission were replaced at 22,349 mi.on 06/05/2000 engine stalled and was difficult to restart, engine was running really rough, replaced mapping computer @25,008 mi.came home from work on 8/23/2000 strong odor of gasoline.opened hood and watched gas leaking all over exhaust manifold.had it towed to dealership on 8/24/2000 w/ 29,539 mi.replaced cracked fuel injectors and leaking hoses.the car is now in again because of yet the same transmission/clutch problem previously complained about.think . . . I'm driving down i 95 with my family in my car. Transmission fails, big truck runs the car over . . . Does chrysler want that headache?

Head gasket is blown.oil in the coolant.all hoses and radiator cap have to be replaced and not covered by warranty.62000

While traveling noticed a burning smell and oil stains under vehicle. Dealer has been contacted, and indicated thathead gasket needed to be replaced. Consumer spoke to a dodge representative who informed consumer that this was a common problem with these vehicles.*jg

Head gaskets fail on chrysler 2.4 liter engines lots of people with the same problem head gasket had to be redisigned see service bulletin # 090598 my oil was leaking from head gasket and blowing onto the exhaust manifold posing a fire risk dealer replaced head gasket however didnt cover the entire charges.

Gasket replaced with new style gasket.chrysler realizes the old one fails.mechanics at this garage have done numerous ones

Oil wasleaking from head gaskets, cause unknown. Consumer is concerned that this could eventually cause a fire.please give any further details.

I have talked to other stratus/breeze owners and they told me to expect the leak because crysler was having problems with their gaskets. At the time i didn't have a problem, but sure enough, it's starting to leak alot!

I took my car in because i needed to have the brakes repaired as a regular item of repair, secondary to wear and tear. This was early in december 2000. The mechanic also checked over the car and reported that as with many 1998 dodge stratus' i will need to keep an eye on the cylinder head gasket. The mechanic also informed me that i should check with the dealer and see if this item has yet been recalled. I then had no problems for the next few weeks when i was turning around a corner slowly and an awful noise occurred. I then parked the car and when i returned i had a large oil leak on the ground. I scheduled an appointment with my trusted mechanic and they checked it over when they noticed that the head gasket needed replacing, the entire pulley system was seizing up and needed replacing and my manifold needs to be replaced. The cost of this was $1,000 and that was without replacing the manifold, as i could not afford it at that time. I have called the dealership and they reported that they would have to schedule an appointment to look at the car, submit a claim to the regional manager of daimler chrysler and they have been known to help out with approx. $200. Of the repairs. Well since i was in the process of moving to ga from ca and had to stay on schedule i was unable to stay back for the appointment which wasn't until a week later. Upone my request for the name and number of the regional manager of daimler chrysler, they said , i cannot give that information to you. We are the only ones with this information and you must bring to car in for us to inspect. When i asked them if this inpection would cost, they reported, depending upon the tests needed. I knew that financially, even if i was approved for $200 assistance i was better off getting this fixed by a trusted less expensive mechanic and fight the battle later. Clearly a vehicle with 70,000 hwy miles, with oil changes every 3,500 milesshould not need a new manifold, a new pulley system and all new gaskets

The vehicle developed an extensive oil leak due to a faulty head gasket design.nlm

Head gasket has busted. It's leaking fuel all over the exhaust. I took it to the dealer who said it could start a fire. He said it would cost about $800 to fix. It requires me to put a quart of oil in it weekly.

The head gasket failed.jb

Head gasket is leaking again.the dealership replaced while it was still under warranty at 71000 miles, however it now is leaking again at 107000 miles.i have had so many major problems with this stratus, such as failed brake line, air conditioning system, continual misfire on the engine when the ac is turned on and requires a downshift, failed rack and pinion system, leaking cam position sensor, failed tie rod ends, leaking oil pan, continual oil leaks after numerous attempts by dealership to stop leaks, etc.

1998 dodge stratus2.4l engineautomatic1. The engine is severly leaking oil.two mechanics have looked at it and both said it needs a new head gasket.this car only has 76,000 miles on it.upon research, this is a rampant problem.i have seen hundreds of complaints.they have changed the gasket type to fix this problem.this should be a recall item!2. Trunk latch seems to have a sticking problem.this too seems to be a very common problem. *la

Nar 03/17/2003the head gasket were defective and leaked prematurely in the 1998 dodge stratus. The consumer requested that he be reimbursed for the attempt to repair defective head gaskets in the amount of $ 300.00 from the dealer.

The vehicle lost oil, and the brake pedal traveled to the floor when applied.the dealer replaced the brake tube and clamp.

Started with an oil leak that required about a quart of oil per tank of gas.this suddenly got much worse, about three weeks ago.car began to overheat and also had no heat inside.my first thought was a thermostat and i purchased one and went to replace it, only to find the coolant looking like chocolate milk.seems to be a clear indication of a ruptured head gasket.engine will still run and there seems to be no structural damage, only that the oils is blowing into the water.with no heat on the inside, i would hope that a heating/coolant system flush will take care of that.dt

At 78,000 mile delevoped a bad oil leak, don't know if it can catch on fire. It sure smells bad.*nlm

They want me to pay $900 for a defect thatoccurred to the 1995 model. Nlm

No summary listed for above vehicle.

Head gasket leaking, millage 69310,total cost $1003.

At approx 60,000 miles my 1998 dodge stratus, developed an oil leak at the head gasket, a cracked exhaust manifold, a timing belt tensioner and cover that have failed, a leaking water pump that needs replacing. My mechanic estimates $2150.00 to replace and repair all these items. To top this off my mechanic tells me that it will take 2 to 3 weeks to get the timing belt tensioner and cover because there's a big back order on these items. Meanwhile i'm without a car! by reveiwing the complaints on the web, i see that this vehicle's head gasket was redesigned by chrysler since 1998, also the timing belt tensioner has been redesigned. The car has been great up to this point. However i feel, all these recent problems are clearly pre-mature especially since chrysler has had to redesign the head gasket and tensioner in order to correct the problems with these items. Should there not be a recall on the 1998 dodge stratus for all these breakdowns? do i have any recourse on this? could you please help out. Thank you.

Engine leaking a quart of oil a week.serious environmental issue.

I noticed my car oil light came on - so i checked the oil and much to my amazement i showed no oil level on the dip-stick so i added oil until it showed on the dip-stick which ended up being 2 qts low. Since january i have added at least 3 qts a day, costing me a numerous amount of money. Also my windshield has been cracking since feb, 99 the crack has almost reached the drivers side.

Oil leak leaks onto exhaust pipe , concern of fire hazard and ground contamination.

No summary listed for above vehicle.

On three occasions, consumer noticed engine oil and service engine soon lamp had illuminated, dealer found engine oil was leaking, but could not determine from where, dealer changed engine oil, replaced oil filter, and checked engine, but problem still exists, consumer is placing up to three quarts of oil every week.vehicle stopped completely causing vehicle to jerk violently and causing an accident.

I have contact chrysler and told them and they are unresponsive. No safety defect listed in summary.

My dodge stratus 98 has a major oil leak from the head gasket which can blow my engine - according to my friend who is a mechanic. He says that most of these models have this problem but there was recall only for 95-96 models. Is there anything on process to extend the recall??? the car is worth $2,600 and the repair will cost me $2,000.

I have heard a lot of people complain about this problem.dodge "apparently" has a service bulliten out onextending the warranty, but it's hard to get dealers to look into it. No safety defect listed.

Head gasket failure internet reveals widespread problem.dealer acknowledged problem.called chrysler they said individual dealers would handle problem on a case by case basis.reputable dealer also aaa offered to repair as good will for $378.i hope someone else benefits from my experience.what is the correct thing for a manufacturer to do when it appears every single engine will eventually fail before the expected life of the part?can the gov't help us?dt

While driving oil leaked onto spark plugs, causing vehicle to hesitate.consumer took vehicleto a mechanic, and they stated thathead gasket needed replacing.please provide any further information.

My dodge stratus/98 has recently began giving me a load of problems.it all began summer 2001 with the drivers side door not being able too close.i did not think anything was wrong untill i attempted to continuously close my door and it would not shut.so i looked carefully and the latch that locks the door in place was comming undone.i than tried to make the door shut but the problem was greater than that.the screw was gone and the second was almost outof tact.the labor and screw replacement along with the towe cost me around $60.00.thanluck would have it the same incident occured again on the left-hand front passenger side with labor and parts costing$30.00.the problem with my engine began in november, i had noticed that my car oil and engine warning had appeared so i took my car to a mechanic had oil-filters,air-condition fluid,water,& engine all checked and repaired.the mechanic told me all i needed and $360.00 was well invested.i thought all was fine but the service signal for oil and sometimes engine were constantly appearing. I took my car back and the mechanic told me that i needed more oil and when did i last have my car checked,i advised him that it was not long ago he than emphasized that i was lucky my car had not locked.the next week the same thing but another mechanic.he told me my oil was leaking he could not determine from where so he recommended i change my oil-filters,oil brand and put car on machine dialiysis.he did all this totaling $73.00.yet a week later i'm having to place up to threequarts of oil every week.i contacted a local dodge dealer here in eastman ga 31023 and he told me of daimler luck would have it you all had just sent me notification of brake change. Imade the complaintand no one contacted me so now today i had a bad accident my car completly stopped leaving me stranded and when my car stopped it jerked me leaving me stunned but concious and my car is now out of service.

Massive oil leak from head gasketthere is a consistant problem with the 98 (and other years) dodge stratus engines. The head gasket is leaking oil massively. Whe you are driving it splatters down the underside of the car, landing on the catalytic converter, the exhaust pipes and muffler. I have no fires of yet, but we have restricted use to short trips. Here is a link to a message baord with similar people with problems. Http://www.cartrackers.com/forums/live/chrysler/8.html

Please contact me if you have any information on this subject.dt

1998 dodge stratus faulty head gasket.

Engine serpentine belt was frayed.

Engine serpentine belt failure.

The exhaust manifold has cracked. Attempts to find a replacement have been difficult. All salvage yards that had one says that theirs is also cracked.

Consumer had the oil changed in the vehicle,and was told that the head blew a gasket.manufacturerinformed the consumer that the gasket was defective, but no recall was anticipated for that part.

Problems with vehicle's head gasket. *mr the consumer was told that this part was not covered under warranty. *sc

While the vehicle was parked consumer noticed fluid leaking from underneath the vehicle. Itwas taken to the dealerfor inspection, andmechanic determined thathead gasket needed to be replaced. The consumer stated that the tie rod fell off.*tc

I recently bought a stratus from a used car dealer and i know buyer beware.any how, i was told by the dealership that they got it from a dodge dealership and they said it had a head gasket leak.the dealership that i got it from said they looked it over and it wasn't a head gasket, but an oil pan leak.anyhow, i bought it(hook-line and sinker).went to get an inspection and was told that it was a head gasket leak.took it to a couple others and they said it was that.so, i told the companyi bought it from and got 300.00 back .then proceeded to take it to a dodge dealership(gladstone dodge) here in town. They said that it was a head gasket leak, but also said it was many other thing to the tune of 2000.00, i didn't have the money for that so i took it to another dealership that just found a head gasket leak and a few other minor things and fixed it all for a 1000.00.what i dont understand with all these problems with the head gasket is why they haven't been recalled?unfortunates, i don't have the old parts to this but wish i did.

Mechanic determinedthat intake manifold was cracked. And coolant spilled inside the engineand the overflow.

On saturdayjune 17, 2000while traveling in lewisburgtn , it started raining heavily.had ran the air conditioner earlier in the day but after some showers it had cooled things down and just had on the air vents.after encountering heavy rain turned the defroster onto clear foggy windows and heard a howling grinding noise from under the hood.immediately pulled off the road after turning the defroster off.tried it again and same noise and also tried to turn on air conditioner with same results and car choked out and quit.so i just turned off the compressor and used vent only to try to get home.i accessed your websit for info regarding stratus.i f ound info on tech serv bulletins about compressor failure at 90+ tempswe have had 90+ more thannot since may.contacted the dealer monday morn about problemtalked to gen mgr. Mr. Stephenshe told me to bring info and car in wed for free inspection of problem.i took the car in and tried to talk to him and serv dept aboutcompressor failure problems.they said they would check out compressor and call me.they confirmed compressor locked up on car and offered to fix the car for 700.00 instead of reg price of 940.00since the car was out of warranty at 36,000 miles thats the best they would do.i argued according to info i had f ound and brought to there attention i thought the problem was a defected compressor and they shoud fix at no cost.they said no.i went and picked up car and f ound certified a/c tech car repair place to do the work for much less. When checking around for estimates one auto repair shop told me i was the 5 inquiry about failed a/c compressor on 98 stratus.i feel that this is a mfg defect and poses a safety problem when it locks up going down street or hwy because it chokes out the engine and could cause an accident and injury esp considering the mileage on cari have f ollowed all reasonable maint guildlines and in my opinon this compressor should have lasted longe

While driving a/c stopped blowing. Consumer shut car off and smoke was coming out from under the hood, took to dealer, and they said that clutch for the a/c compresser was hanging up and burned up the compresser.

The head light lens cover is very clouded from a defect in the plastic the wrong type of plastic was used for the headlight that deals with the elements and the does that while driving down the road.this interns reduces the lighting from the head lights so bad that it is hard to see at night and im 23 and have 20\20 vision. I can drive with my brights on and the light is still weaker than most of the cars driving down the road.i have noticed that other 1998 dodge stratus cars have had the same problem unless not driven much and garaged.speaking to a quality control manager at grimm brothers plastics in wapello iowa he told me that the wrong plastic was used for the headlight.i have recently almost been in an accident with my 2 year old daughter and now do not drive the car at night.and its my only car.

When driving at any speed and applying the brakes there is a very loud noise coming from the brakes. Also, the consumer is having problems with the passenger's window, where there is air coming through the window.in addition,the turn signal lightswork intermittently.the cosnumer can't determine the problem.

My name is [xxx] . This complaint is for the car allowance rebate system. I feel that my car is eligible for the clunkers for cash program. It is a clunker, it is 11 years old. But because the mpg is 22 i was told i don't qualify. Why haven't it been made a little easier for those that own old vehicles period? i feel this isn't done fairly and it could be changed. This will be break for those who can't afford to upgrade to better cars. Those that are low income workers. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

After driving vehicle for approximittly 15 min i parked to have lunch. While inside someone ran in and said a car was on fire. My car was towed to dealership and after investigation of fire i was toldby the mechanic he had never seen any thing like this before, he said the gas line located behind engine had exploded from the inside out. Which in turn started a fire.

I am filing this complaint to have on record this incident and seeking questions already posed to daimler chrysler.i informed daimler chrysler by email, that my 1998 dodge stratus caught on fire with my daughter.on may 23, 07 on peoples court a 1997 dodge stratus was burnt to a crisp because of the power steering hose. A porter hill @ 248-944-7134, from daimler chrysler contacted me regarding the date that this incident took place and the location of the vehicle. That they would be coming to see the vehicle. I just received a letter today from daimler chrysler customer claims resolution group with no signatures reading that they have completed their investigations into the incident and they have denied the claim. That further inquiries be directed to the insurance company.i had inquired to know from chrysler if they had other reported incidents with power steering hoses causing fires to this type of vehicle and whether this vehicle had any recalls.yet, no one has answered this question.

On several occasions, consumer had problems with shutting the driver side and passenger side door, consumer noticed that the door latches were coming undone, dealer replaced at owners expense.

Dealership gave me statement that recall item was fixed on 10-22-1999 and they did nothing.the problem still exists.i can manuver the shift lever from park position with the key out of the ignition.they did not replace the shifter assembly and interlock cable as stated in the recall notice i receiverd from chrysler.i called the dealer and was told to bring it back in.so i trust them to do this correctly?

Complaint regarding the waiting time consumer had to endure when having recall repairs performed on 1998 dodge stratus. *mr the malfunction indicator lamp had come on.the transmission would not shift.the 02 sensor failed.the 02 sensor was replaced and reset and may have been the cause for the transmission problem.recall campaign #04v021000. *sc

Vehicle fire

No summary listed for above vehicle.

The key can be removed from the vehicle without vehicle being in park.also, shiftsgears without the key being in the ignition.vehicle was taken to dealer on the transmission shift interlock.

Vehicle rolled forward while parked and struck a house.there was no key in the vehicle at the time of the accident. The manufacturer denied the claim. Recallo4v021000 was issued for this problem.a recall noticed was received a week later for the park interlock .

Total transmission failure

I tried to explain to mr. Jay w/ chrysler corporation that my vehicle is having the same problem as indicated in nhtsa campaign id number 98v183000, but he was not interested..

I have a 1998 dodge stratus es. The transmission will place itself in neutral at random times while at a stop. The only way to get the transmission working again is to restart the car. The car has the power-stick transmission.

Vehicle was parked in the driveway it rolled backward and hit another vehicle. Consumercontacted the dealer.then,consumer received a recall 04v021000concerning ignition interlock.consumer was concernedbecause a collsion occurred and the problem had nort been resolved.

I requested recall inspection for transmission power train on 6-19-2000. While looking for info on my dodge stratus 9 8on your website i accessed recalls and noticed that their were two for this car.one was for brake recall and i was notified by huntsville dodge and took the car in for the inspection the other recall was for power train transmission problemthe recall date was owner notification oct 1998i purchased this car in dec 98 and according to the info at that time this car was on there lot at the time of recall notification.i took the recall info to dealer and asked if that recall inspection was done while the car was in there possession and on there lot before it was sold to me in dec 98.they looked it up i guess by vin and told me no it was not i asked them to do it while they had it there.they said they would and did.my question and possible complaint to you is should not they have been required to do the recall inspection while in there possession at the car lot before being allowed to sell the car.thank you.

Gear shift is defective. When moving it there is no need to put foot on the brakes, the vehicle shifts gears anyway. The dealer states that is the way the gear shift should be because of federal standards.dealer cannot duplicate the problem.

Automatic transmission floor console design throw from d to r to park is too long resulting in consumer thinking that the vehicle is in park when in reverse.

The vehicle was recalled for automatic transaxle floor shifter/park interlock: nhtsa campaign 04v021000.the interlock knob failed to move and prevented the key from being removed from the ignition and the floor shifter.please describe details.

The contact owns a 1998 dodge stratus.the vehicle was repaired under recall # 04v021000 (power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:floor shift).the dealer stated that the shift linkage cable was not a part of the recall and will not repair the vehicle for free.the vehicle has not been repaired.the purchase date and failure mileage were unknown.the current mileage is 189,608.

Floor shift indicator does not shift properly. Indicator is located on dashboard & not showing what gear vehicle is located in.also, steering wheel tilts where it obstructs the view of the indicator.

In september of 2003 my brother the orginal owner of the 1998 dodge stratus sold me the car. And then right after he died. He purchased the car 6 months before he died in march 03. When i received the car i took it to the shop to get an oil change and the transmiison fliud changed. When i did this the oil man told me that i had no oil or transmisson fluid to change it had all leaked out. The oil man told me to get to a machanic as soon as i could. I took the car to get it fixedand the amco transmisson place chaged over 1,000.00 dollars to have it repaired.i see that it was 3 recalls on this car and one had to do with the power train, automatic transmisson/level and linkage. I called dodge at the number provided and they told me that the warranty was up and that if i had aready paid to get these thing fixed it would not be refundable.the transmisson fliud had all leaked out that i had to almost redo the hold engine. I donot have the old parts but i do have the receipt of repairs done.

Gears can be changed witout depressingbrake pedal. Dealer has been notified. Please provide further information.

While in park on an incline with engine turned off gear jumped into reverse, and vehicle rolled backwards into another car.please provide any further information.

1998 dodge stratus 2.4 dohc, on 7/15/2000 started hearing a low rumble/gear noise coming from the front of the car.took to dealer on 7/24/2000 and was told that both front wheel bearings were shot.total estimated bill was $510.00.i told dealer that there were 2 tsb's and he said that there was no additional warranty available.tsb #'s were sb054434 and sb6088758.

I bought a stratus from a used car dealer, which i understand buyer beware. Just resently i had the tensioner bar bolt break off as i was driving the car, which could of cause a great deal of damage but i got lucky.plus, i take the freeway to work each day, what if that would have snap off in the middle of traffic?my car completely shut off, immediately. Luckly, i was on a side street and had towed to a mechanic,i took it to the place that replaced my head gasket (another complaint) and they fixed it but also told me that dodge had made a complete new piece for it and had to get the full kit. Which that costed me six hundred and fifty for that.i do have the old tensioner parts but i dont have the old head gasket parts.

Driverside seatbelt wont fully retract automatically.the clip has been slammed in the door several times now.

Rear passenger seat belt fails to work properly. Css was locked in seat belt & it became unlatched.locking mechanism was broken. Also,driver's seat belt would lock completely when a little pressure was applied to brakes. Would have to jerk to release belt. Took vehicle to dealership & mechanic ordering parts.

Rear seatbelt will not buckle,causing it to be useless in event of a vehicle crash. Cause unknown.dealer notified.

Driver's seat belt buckle is inoperative.the buckle does not lock.driver contacted the dealer, and was informed that the buckle needed to be replaced. ....a penny was foundstuck in the receiver. Once removed the seat belt performed perfectly.

I was in a car accident on feb. 16 1998/1999??.and my car was almost totalled. The collision repair shop was supposed to replace all of the bad parts totalling somewhere a little over 9,000$ .every time i would go to pick up my car there was something wrong with it.finally after like 5 trips to the repair shop i took it home.a while later i had taken it in to be worked on the side the damage was done to it.the chrysler dealership told me they would not touch it because it was a hazardous situation and the car shouldn't even be on the road.well come to find out the damage was never replaced but buffed and coated with bondo.the collision shop ended up paying for it to get fixed but state farm said he was guilty of insurance fraud and i would like this investigated.if he has done it to me how many other people has he done it to.not to mention the fact that everyone including my 7 year old nephew, was in danger every time we would get in my car.they said that it would buckle under the lightest of hits.please get back to me regarding this matter. The collision shop is called expert collision on 14 mile & dequindre/ john r.

The clip which slides along the seat belt and clips into the anchor has a plastic portion on the rear that provides the tensioning.in three separate incidents this plastic part came apart while installing childs seats.this has happened on both the passenger and driver's sides of the car.i have reported this to dealership, and on my last visit one of belts was replaced, but not the one that i had originally discovered the problem.i would actually like to see an investigation done on the safety of these seatbelts.it seems very likely that one of these could fail in an accident thereby releasing any tension on the belt and cause injuries to the person using the seatbelt.

Whenconsumer is using the rear seat belts they won't retract or won't work properly.

We have problems installing a carseat in the rear paasenger sides.the shoulder straps do not lock, causing the carseat to flop around.trying to install a toddler carseat was impossible due to the seat belt not being long enough nor would it lock.we have called the dealer in our area several times to help find a solution and they were not able to provide us with any information on how to fix it.we need a way to install the carseat backwards and can not do so.

Rear shoulder belts was beginning to fray under normal use. Right rear shoulder belt was fraying more than the left side, equal use on each side.dealership informed consumer they cannot repair at no cost toconsumer because itwas no longer covered under warranty.please provide any additional information/attachments.

Left rear seat belt does not retract properly.requires owner to play with the belt to have it retract.

I've lost a seat part to my car and i'm having trouble getting it from anyone.i've contacted dodge customer service, had the part on order and then they cancelled it without notifying me or tell me why.the part #is rd161azaa and is a pillow that connects to an intergrated child seat in the back.i'm now unable to use the entire back seat for fear that one of my children will get hurt.can you help?dt

While driving and with no warning drivers seat fully reclined back, and could have caused an accident. Cause unknown. Dealer notified.

The abs and the braking system quit working i got on the freeway and i had breaks by the time i got three off ramps later to get off the freeway i had no brakes they didn't work in the pedal went all the way to the floor causing and accident

1st brake failure, 15,000 miles, second at 40,000 miles.engineering defect, not enough surface area to compensate for cab forward design.many of your complaints about anti-lock brakes have nothing to do with the hydraulics.lets get this recalled before some one gets killed.*mr *nlm**dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over artemis**725472

I started the car, placed my foot on the brake and it went to the floor. I exited the vehicle and found a large pool of fluid on the right front of the car. Abs and brake light came on. Master cylinder was near empty. I had the car towed to my local mechanic and he found that all the brake lines (6?) were leaking at the abs pump. This is the car my wife drives. My wife!i am anal with regard to my vehicles condition and maintenance. To have a failure like this on a what is supposed to be a "quality american made vehicle" is absurd and totally unacceptable! my brothers 1999 honda, my step son's 1991 nissan stanza (recently sold) a 1993 geo prizm (i.e. Toyota corolla!!!) recently sold had zero rust on any brake fitting, brake line or fuel line.i had no brake issues previously.

The vehicle lost oil, and the brake pedal traveled to the floor when applied.the dealer replaced the brake tube and clamp.

Safety defect in 1998 on several occasions extended stopping distance was experienced resulting in an accident. The consumer admits that she may have hit the gas instead of the brake while attempting to stop for a red light. Campaign id number : 99v244000 *tc

2nd accident, brake pedal went to floor, car did not slowdown, direct fronal impact 45mph, driver's & passenger's airbags did not deploy.

Brakes, outer tie rod, brake calipers, engine oil inner seal. Brake pads, since i have owned this car i have replaced the brake pads 20 times every 3 months and the brake caliber on the right rear this will make the 9th time i am running out of money on this car the front brakes and hubs have been replaced several times have all my receipts and can prove the work that has been done on my car cost of oil leak repair was over $800.00 dollars and guess what i will have the car paid for this month and i am still working on the wheels and brakes i need some help with this car and the dealership i purchased the car from will not respond to my questions about the brakes, and the engine problems i am having.

30mph frontal crash, driver's/passenger's airbags didn't deploy, brake pedal went to floor, but car didn't respond.

When the brakes were appliedvehicle did not stop, resulting in a collision.prior to the collision the brakes failed, andconsumer jumped a curb,consumer turned the vehicle off, and that stopped the vehicle.the vehicle airbag did not deploy.as a result of the collision the vehicle was declared a total wreck by met life insurance company.*tc

Braking system loses pressure when pedal is engaged. Ongoing problem that has gotten worse.new rotors and pads installed @ 50k miles, but problem not resolved. Pedal loses pressure when transmission changes to lower gear and vehicle has no braking power and "glides" until brakes "catch" again. Does this over and over during single braking/stopping incident. Pedal eventually pressed to floor with little effect.

3 times within 6 months ,twice while at a stop and once while driving,brakes will startto fade and vehicle will suddenly surge/accelerate , consumer has to shift into park in order to stop vehicle.

Brakes had to be replaced at under 20,000 miles.rotors warped.there is a problem with the brakes on the dodge stratus.i work for chrysler, and i have spoken with other owners who have encountered the same type of problem with their stratus'.

I have had the brakes fail on my stratus 5 times so far (and counting) to the point where i had no breaking power and was forced to use the parking brake on all occasions to stop the vehicle in time before crashing into other vehicles.on all occasions i have been driving at low speeds, on dry roads, for generally only 15 -30 minutes after getting into the vehicle.the dealer has looked at it and found no diagnosable problem.i am having them look at it one more time next week and then if it is not fixed, i will have the nh motor vehicle arbitration board arbirtrate to get me a new vehcile.

Whenthe brake pedal is applied it goes to the floor, increasing extended stopping distance.brakes respond late. Also, brake pads have been replaced 7 times. Dealer says that they can't find the cause of the problem.

Brakes are operating poorly, it is very difficult to stop car.also,brakes make a squealing noise andpulsate.dealer says that nothing is wrong with the vehicle.*ml

Dt: the contact owns a 1998 dodge stratus. There were two fires that originatedin the right rear wheel. The contact stated the dealership did some work on the vehicle, and when he got the vehicle back he had the same problem. The fires were due to a malfunction in the anti-lock braking system. The firesoccurred while the vehicle was in motion. The first fire was onjuly 2005, and the second occurred on august 2005.

Brake repairs every 3000 miles.dealer cannot correct problem. 1. Repaired: brake pads/turned rotors/brake shoes and drums;2. Brake shoes and drums; 3. Left and right drums;rear wheel cylinders, andbrake shoes. Was told possible abs problem. 4. Brake master cylinder leaking /proportional valve. 5. Brake recall, was told did not need done, 6. Rods and master cylinder and left front caliper. As soon as vehicle gets close to 3000 miles brakes start grinding.

Brakes continue to make excessive noise causing the consumer to replace the brakes every 1500 miles.nlm

When brakes are applied there is a squeaking and rubbing noise then the pedal releases pressure and goes to the floor. Dealer says there is no solution.

While driving and without warning stepped on brakes and pedal got stiff, resulting in vehicle coasting and not slowing down or coming to a complete stop. Problem has occurred several times. Dealer has checked vehicle, and found no problem with consumer's concern.consumer took car to dealer for the inspection of brakes because of hard brake pedal, limited brake use and pedal movement.they were unable to duplicate the problem, the dealer replaced the brake booster,but was not sure if that was the problem. *jg

Brakes fellinmiddle of street.

The first day that consumer took vehicle homehe experienced brake failure. Consumer was backing up and the brakes failed to stop vehicle.a second time, consumer was driving approximately 25 mph when a truck stopped in front of vehicle. When driver appliedbrakes there were none, she rear ended the truck .

I've addressed this same problem now three times with two different dealerships and again the braking system is not correct.i initially took the vehicle back to where i purchased it after only owning it for about 6 weeks.they supposedly did $700 worth of brake repair work per the manager there at aero ford (steve corbish).i called them again in january of 2001 with the same braking problems and was told they couldn't help me so i went to royal chrysler in oneonta, new york.they did $220.00 worth of brake work to the front end of the car.again in june of 2001 i took the car back to royal chrysler with the same braking problems, they replaced the front rotors again, brake pads, buffed the brake shoes on the back and replaced the front brake pads.not even a month down the road the car is having braking problems again and i'm just so frustrated i don't know where to turn.i've spent hundreds of dollars on the braking system and it is still unsafe i feel.the brakes constantly squeel, the wheel shakes when i brake coming down an incline, and at times an odor is given off, like asbestos?please help me in resolving this brake issue or direct me where to turn next.thank you cindy hotaling.

Brake system does not last more than 20,000 miles due to engineering defect.manufacturer has increasedsize of rotors and pads on newer models. Please provide further information.

Bolts tobrakes came completely off inmiddle ofstreet.dealer had a tow company to come pick upvehicle. Tow company for whatever reason still has car. A loaner was suppose to be givenconsumer until vehicle was repaired.

Consumer received notification of brake change, consumer returned notification notice, but dealer has not responded back.

Brakes failed. *mjs

Consumer received notification of brake change, consumer returned notification notice, but dealer has not responded back.

Brakes went out, andpedal wentall the way to the floor while driving. Thiscould have caused an accident. Cause unknown. Dealer notified.

The brakes fail every 6~11 months / 6000~11000 miles, have replaced calipers, pads, rotors, drums, shoes, wheel cylinders multiple times.

Consumer has to turn rotors and replace brake pads every 6 months. Pads are wearing uneven. Braking distance is normal.

Brake system does not last more than 20,000 miles due to engineering defect.manufacturer has increasedsize of rotors and pads on newer models. Please provide further information.

Brakes are operating poorly, it is very difficult to stop car.also,brakes make a squealing noise andpulsate.dealer says that nothing is wrong with the vehicle.*ml

Consumer experencing excessive wear of the front and rear brake pads and rotors, causing extended stopping distance when the brakes are applied to make a normal stop. Consumer has contacted the dealer, dealer has replaced parts. Problem still occurs, please provide any further details.

Consumer had to replace brake pads every 6 months,so far 7 times.also, problems with rotors.

Consumer took vehicle for inspection.vehicle didn't pass inspection because rotors were rusted which caused the front brake pads to wear out. Also,brake linewas defective. Consumer stated that he fixed vehicle and he wants reinbursement from the dealership.

Brake rotors have completely rusted through with less than 30,000 miles due to bad mixture of manufacturing of brake rotors.

Brakes are wearing, possiblythe rotors, causing brakes to make a grinding noise whenapplied.

Consumer contacteddealer in reference to recall number 99v244000/manufacturer's recall843 concerning right rear brake tube.dealer refused to correct the problem without charging the consumer.*ml

I was hearing noised coming from the brakes and took car in for inspection, i was handed a list of noises that were to be considered normal. I went in a second time with black dust on outside of hubcaps again i was told it was normal. Then my brakes failed while backing out of driveway. Dealer replace numerous parts of factory defective parts. Also i was stopped at a traffic light and vehicle acellerated on its own, i almost hit a pedestrian and went into oncoming traffic. I held my foot on the brake to try to keep the vehicle from moving. The vehicle was jumping from side to side and smoking while the engine was racing at max throttle.

The brakes fail every 6~11 months / 6000~11000 miles, have replaced calipers, pads, rotors, drums, shoes, wheel cylinders multiple times.

Vehicle experienced failure of the recall component (99v-244) prior to recall notification, consumer is requesting reimbursement. *mjs

Drivers frontbrake line broke due to large area were line was worn.

The contact owns a 1998 dodge stratus. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked when it ignitied into flames. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire and a fire report was filed. The fire department concluded that the fire originated fromthe high pressure power steering hose. The contact spoke with the manufacturer and was advised that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa recall campaign id number: 06v001000 (steering: hydraulic power assist: hose, piping, and connections) dealt with the 1999-2002 dodge stratus and not the 1998 even thought the failure was caused for the same reason. The failure mileage was 175,000.

Power steering pressure line leaking on exhaust manifold fire risk.

While driving at any speed andwith no warning steering bolts are loose, and it is causingsteering wheel to jump around, making ithard for consumer to steervehicle. Dealer notified.

1998 dodge stratus engine compartment fire associated with power steering leaks.

While driving into a parking lot the rubber boot is too small that it won't slide over the coupling mechanism to keep something from getting into it.the factory issued floor mat got caught in the turn coupling, anddriver couldn't turn the wheel.avoided a near miss.contacted dealer.

Floor mat started moving while making a turn.steering locked because floor mat was jammed around the column due to steering column mechanism not being covered.dealer contacted, and statedit was design of vehicle. Problem still exists. Provide further information.

Floor shift indicator does not shift properly. Indicator is located on dashboard & not showing what gear vehicle is located in.also, steering wheel tilts where it obstructs the view of the indicator.

While turning power steering makes noise, and is hard to turn.dealer was notified. Feel free to provide any further information.

Car started smoking under the hood and then it caught on fire the owner of the store had to call the fire department. The car is not drivable as everything under the hood is burnt.

Car was leaking power steering fluid so we kept on adding more until we could save enough money to get the problem fixed(around $350.00, no small fee for a working family!)then, the smoking got worse until one day it just caught on fire! i couldn't put it out with an extinguisher, the fire department had to put it out and now the car is totaled! can we still get a recall?

We were told by dealer service associates that tie rods were part of normal wear and tear on vehicle. Both front and back, left and rod tie rods need to be replaced, and there is a clunking sound when steering wheel is turned.

Since july 2003, i have had to replace left and right tie rods and right wheel bearing. 7/2003-left tie rod, 8/2003 right wheel bearing, 1/2004 right tie rod.

While turning a corner at 10 mph consumer felt the steering wheel tightened severely. Consumer made another turn, and the steering wheel tightened again. Vehicle would not proceed any further, and consumer called a tow truck.the vehicle was towed to a garage, were the consumer learned that the left tie rodbroke.

While driving on highway vehicle started drifting from lane to lane. Took vehicle to dealer & mechanic checked it. Had noticed right tie rod had came loose. Had no problem with the left. Later, was backing out of parking space & vehicle completely stalled out. Vehicle towed home. Husband noticedleft tie rod had came apart, causing wheels to face one another. Both tie rod ends were replaced.

Bolts that hold the steering rack and pinion gear together broke off.*mjs

Trunk is so high that it is impossible anything directly behind the vehicle.

The contact owns a 1998 dodge stratus. While performing an oil change, the contact noticed that the lower ball joint and control arms were rusted. The contact stated that the lower ball joints and control arms were replaced four months ago. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,000.

When driving and hitting a bump on the road vehicle will make a loud thumping noise. This only happens when there are bumps, and it lasts for a few seconds. Contacted dealer, and the dealer cannot find the cause.

Left front upper ball joint broke

Have a serious vibration/shaking in the front end during hard braking, most noticeably during downhill braking at speeds of approximately 65 miles per hour.vehicle becomes difficult to control due to vibration throughout passenger compartment.front and rear rotors have been serviced repeatedly to no avail and front disk pads have been replaced.new tires and front end allignment have not improved the situation whatsoever.steering wheel shakes violently with vibration throughout cabin.

No summary listed for above vehicle.

Someone needs to drive this vehicle, it is absolutely unsafe.the front end and steering shakes violently when under hard braking.i live in a mountain area that requires accurate handling/braking, etc.this vehicle is dangerous to operate and is being ignored by the dealer and now the manufacturer.i believe this problem exist in a large number of vehicles and has been undetected/mis-diagnosed or otherwise non-repaired.i welcome your expert opinion and will make the vehicle available for your inspection.

Consumer complained about a ball joint problem.when turningcorners heard a popping sound ondriver side. This action occurred at all speeds.

While driving out of the drivewayupper and lower driver's side ball joints broke without prior warning.

The contact owns a 1998 dodge stratus.while driving 5 mph the contact heard a loud noise coming from the front passenger's side wheel. The contact's relative inspected the vehicle and determined the ball joints were broken.the dealer has not diagnosed the vehicle. Therewas recall97v201000concerningthe lower ball joints for 1997 vehicles.the contact stated thatthisvehicle should be included in the recall.

I begain to have a grinding noise when i turned and then, my half-shaft fell out of my transmission, causing me to have to replace my half shaft and lower control arm.that stuff is not cheap.

While driving out of the drivewayupper and lower driver's side ball joints broke without prior warning.

Consumer complained about a ball joint problem.when turningcorners heard a popping sound ondriver side. This action occurred at all speeds.

Front stabilizer joints and bars had to be replaced, right front broke.fixed at dealership 11/16/2001.

Since july 2003, i have had to replace left and right tie rods and right wheel bearing. 7/2003-left tie rod, 8/2003 right wheel bearing, 1/2004 right tie rod.

Wheel hub/bearing assembly failed around 62,000 miles only on one side (passanger). I believe part was faulty as their is a tsb 02-07-97 on this part. They are aware of the problem but will not provide any assistance (both the dealer and the company was contacted). They claim "out of warranty". The warranty clause should not matter in this case as this a known problem - it should be a recall!!

The steering went out of control while drivingdue to the rear wheel coming out of place. Dealer says the rear lower control arm needs to be adjusted.

1998 dodge stratus right front tire blew out while pulling into a toll booth lane.ohio traffic crash report # 10-0765-90.

Impressed with the sporty style of my sister's 4-door dodge stratus,i purchased one for my wife in 1998 (a 1998 dodge stratus).it wasn't long before my sister began having problems with her car.i blamed her and told her that she was too rough on her car (she has a lead foot).my wife and i take very good care of our cars and i was confident we would not run into the same problems.well, recently i noticed the presence of a small oil-puddle were my wife keeps her car.i learned that the head gasket was in need of replacement.i've yet to have this done but was quoted and estimate of $700-750.the mechanic informed me that this was a very common problem for the stratus.so common that he predicted the diagnosis before ever looking under the hood.my stratus only has 55,000 miles on it.its been well maintained and driven with care.turns out, my sister had the same problem (head gasket failure) at/near 65,000 miles.in typing the words "dodge stratus head gasket" in an internet search many articles, complaints, and reviews noted this all-to common problem.i also learned many of those who have had this failure received zero to little compensation/compassion from the manufactuer for the obvious defect.it appaers dodge has identified this problem and has re-designed the gasket multiple times.two seperate mechanics informed me that i can have the gasket replaced but i should expect the problem to happen again soon after.this doesn't seem fair.i understand defects occur but feel people should be compensated when they do.dodge needs to stand behind their product and admit they are responsible.this defect has led to much frustration..a response of what i should/can do would be appreciated

I have a 1998 dodge stratus with a 2.4l 4 cylinder engine with 86,000+ miles that has recently developed a head gasket oil leak. I am aware that this is a common problem with this engine and the associated tsb(09-05-98).when i noticed the leak, i took my car to the dealer in town and was told that the regional office denied my request for payment of the repair.i did not have the repair done, but got an estimate for $800.next, i contacted the chrysler customer service line in detroit, mi.(1-800-992-1997).i was told politely that they would like to help me but that my car was too far out of warranty and that there was no warranty extension for this problem.i asked why some people received assistance for the same problem while others did not, and was told that "this office would not have authorized those payments".i asked for a number or address to make an appeal to this decision and was told that they had already made the final decision, there was no one else to appeal to, and the decision would not be overturned.

Unspecified.

No summary listed for above vehicle.

The floor mat on the driver side, slid forward and became tangled in the steering universal joint. This caused the steering wheel to be hard to turn.

They want me to pay $900 for a defect thatoccurred to the 1995 model. Nlm

Consumer state that while driving on the ny state for about 2 1/2 hours, the cruise control was set at 65 mph, as consumer was pulling into a passing lanewithout accelerating to pass a slower vehicle, the speed jumped to 80 mph very rapidly, consumer then hit the accelerator two or three times without any results then turned off the cruise control and the slowed down back tonormal.*mj

Vehicle will take off on its own while driving at low speeds. Consumer must hold downbrake pedal and shut engine off. Cause is unknown.

At nearly zero speed the engine speed surge with the foot on the break.

Dt:the caller'sson was drivingand without warning the throttle stuck. He tried to pull the foot pedal up with his foot but it did not stop the vehicle. He went through a stop sign and almost lost control of vehicle, but finally got the vehicle to stop by turning off the ignition. The caller said the brakes were on fire.the fire department was not called. The vehicle reached the speed of 80 mph. Dealer has not been contacted yet.will take vehicle to her own mechanic. Manufacturer said there was no recall and she should take the vehicle to dealerto get it repaired.the problem was the cruise control modulator.

Dt: the contact stated cruise control would not go off. This happened on 8-26-05. She had the cruise control was set at 60 mph,but instead it kept climbing higher.the consumer did nothaveany problems with the cruise control prior to this occurrence.the service dealer had to cut the wires to get the cruise control to go off. The brakes were ruined because she had to ridethe brakes for so long.the service repair shop said the module to the cruise control was bad. He disconnected the cruise control.he told her to call the nhtsa and report this because he had never seen anything like it.the consumerdid not have the money to have the module replaced.the consumer felt thatshe should be reimbursed for the cost incurred. The consumer she is experiencing back pain from being jerked around in the vehicle.

Brakes failed to disengage the cruise control set at 70 mph.consumer continued depressing brake pedal until he smelled rubber burning. When this occurred the ignition switch was immediately turned off.vehicle started to slow down, but the failure continued when the ignition was turned back on.ignition was then turned back off, and vehicle coasted to the median. Whenvehicle was at a complete stop consumer put the vehicle in park before restarting.cruise controldisengaged, and the failure had corrected itself. Dealership was not notified,the cause of the failure was undetermined. ...

Throttle linkages broke in mechanism, causingvehicle to move full force. Engine madevehicle move fast asowner was pressing onbrakes.consumer than placed the vehicle in neutral and eventually turned off the vehicle to make it stop.

3 times within 6 months ,twice while at a stop and once while driving,brakes will startto fade and vehicle will suddenly surge/accelerate , consumer has to shift into park in order to stop vehicle.

When heat is being usedwindows andwindshield fog up, causing poor driver visibility. Consumer has contacteddealer, please provide any further details.

Heater core has failed and causes the car to overheat. The defective heater also causes the car interior to fill with steam. This also causes the car to stall out unexpectedly.

Dt: consumer stated there was a fire in the driver's side door panel. The power windows did not work.consumer believed this was the source of the fire. The car was not drivable. Took itto a local dealer.

The driver and passenger front windows failed. *mjs

The right rear wheel (rim) has small holes in it and the metal seems weak and the dealer says tough luck. I brought the problem to their attention about two to three days after purchase and no one could find the problem. Now my warranty has expired, and they say it has never happened before. Are there any previous problems with dodge stratus rims15inch, 5 lug, 5 spoke?

While driving 55 mph, both frontal rims cracked.this caused wheel to cave in.consumer hadvehicle towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic toldconsumer there was no determination to fix the rim.

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We found the following complaints for DODGE STRATUS (1998)

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