1995 Dodge Stratus Electrical Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 DODGE STRATUS. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO FIRST GEAR WITHOUT WARNING, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE SPEED TO DECREASE. THERE WERE SEVERAL REPAIRS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT AND THE SOLENOID WAS REPLACED ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE SENSORS AND RELAYS WERE REPLACED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000 MILES AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 68,000.

NHTSA ID

10222791

Incident

May 19, 2007

Mileage

63,000 mi

AUTO TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTS AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, THROWING DRIVER TOWARDS WINDSHIELD. PROBLEM BEGAN 2003. HAVE MANY, MANY SERVICE VISITS. LUBE SHOP FLUSHED SYSTEM. DEALER REPLACED TPS SWITCH, DEALER REPLACED TCM, TRANS SHOP REBUILT TRANSMISSION WITH NEW TORQUE CONVERTER AND NEW INPUT AND OUTPUT SWITCHES (WORKED ONE YEAR) THEN PROBLEM RETURNED. TRANS SHOP FLUSHED SYSTEM, TRANS SHOP REPLACED TPS (AGAIN), TRANS SHP RECOMMENDED TO REPLACE TCM (AGAIN), BUT, DEALER SAID NO PROBLEM FOUND. ANOTHER DEALER SAYS TPS BAD. WHEN I SAID IT WAS REPLACED 100 MILES EARLIER, THEY SAID THAT IT WAS EITHER WIRING SHORT, OR MAIN COMPUTER FAILURE, HAS NO WAY TO KNOW WHAT PROBLEM IS. ALSO SAID THAT IF I FIX THE "WIRING" I WOULD HAVE TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION (AGAIN), AWEN I SAID IT WAS REBUILT LAST YEAR, DEALER CHANGED HIS STORY AND SAID I DID NOT HAVE TO REBUILD TRANSMISSION. DEALER RECOMMENDS JUNKING THE CAR. MANUFACTURER IS NOT HELPING AT ALL. NOT LOOKING FOR FREE WORK, I ALREADY SPENT $3000. I JUST WANT THE PROBLEM FIXED. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR DODGE, BUT THEY WON'T FIX IT, AND THEY WON'T ADMIT TO A PROBLEMATIC TRANSMISSION IN THIS 4 SPEED. *NM

NHTSA ID

10168058

Incident

Aug 15, 2006

Mileage

125,000 mi

NUMEROUS FAILURES-SINCE I BOUGHT THIS "95 DODGE STRATUS WITH ONLY 30,000 MILES. 1) ENGINE MAKING A KNOCKING NOISE-I TOOK CAR TO THE DODGE DEALERSHIP-BUCHANAN & YOUNG IN BURNSVILLE, NC AND HAD A NEW HEAD GASKET PUT ON. 2) I REPLACED THE BATTERY BECAUSE THE CAR WOULDN'T START. I ALSO REPLACED THE BATTERY CABLES, SO THE CAR WOULD START, BUT THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I REPLACED THE STARTER TO TRY TO GET THE CAR TO START. I STILL OFTEN HAVE TO GET OUT AND PECK ON THE STARTER WITH A SCREWDRIVER TO GET IT TO START---EVEN AFTER I HAD A NEW STARTER PUT ON. DATE: 8-10-05 3) WHEEL BROKE OFF/CAR NOT DRIVABLE-PARTS TO FIX PROBLEM & MECHANIC'S BILL 4) HAD TO REPLACE FLYWHEEL 5) HAD TO REPLACE STEERING COMPONENTS I HAVE SPENT APPROXIMATELY $2,000 TO GET THIS CAR WITH VERY LOW MILES ON IT TO START. *NM

NHTSA ID

10132764

Incident

Aug 10, 2005

Mileage

31,000 mi

AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, WENT INTO THE HOUSE, AND A FRIEND CAME TO NOTIFY CONSUMER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. CONSUMER STATED THAT THE PERMANENT REGISTRATION ON THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN RECEIVED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10090134

Incident

Aug 30, 2004

Mileage

97,000 mi

REQUEST FOR REFUND FOR ALL REPAIRS MADE TO TRANSMISSION THAT WAS IN THE RECALL .*MR THE CONSUMER'S TRANSMISSION FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTIFICATION. THE CONSUMER REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE COST OF THE REPAIR. THE RADIATOR WAS REPLACED. THE ENGINE MOUNT ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. THE IGNITION WAS REPLACED. *NM

NHTSA ID

10083763

Incident

May 21, 2003

Mileage

181,075 mi

WE HAVE HAD OUR 1995 DODGE STRATUS AT SERRAMONTE AUTO PLAZA'S DODGE SERVICE FOR OVER 7 WEEKS NOW. THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR DYING OUT. IT DIES AT ANY TIME AND UNDER NO SPECIFIC CONDITION. WHEN IT DIES, AS IF ALL POWER FAILS, WHICH IT DOES EVENTUALLY, AND IS OUT OF GAS. THERE HAS BEEN A TOTAL OF 2 SERVICE PROVIDES AND NOW A THIRD TO FIGURE THIS PROBLEM OUT. MY REAL ISSUE IS WITH THE CERTIFIED EXPERT DEALER SERVICE WHO 1) REPLACED AN ERG VALVE - IT DID NOT FIX THE DYING OUT PROBLEM, THEN AFTER MORE THAN 15 SERVICE HOURS LATER THEY SAID IT WAS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER $750 MORE AND THAT DID NOT FIX NOR WAS THE PROBLEM. PRIOR TO GOING TO THE DODGE DEALER, I HAD THE CAR AT VISITATION AUTO SERVICE IN SF WHO INFORMED US THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE POWER DISTRIBUTION UNIT $1000 TO REPLACE INCLUDING PARTS (NEVER SAW THE OLD UNIT- WAS TOLD THAT IT HAD TO GO TO THE MANUFACTURER), NOR ARE WE SURE THAT ANY OF THESE REPAIRS AND PARTS WERE JUSTIFIED - NEEDED, BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN NO IMPROVEMENT AT ALL, THE CAR STILL DIES WHEN EVER IT FEELS LIKE IT, AND IT DIES ON THE FREEWAY, DRIVE WAY, CITY STREET, AND WILL ONLY START AGAIN AFTER A REST PERIOD OF SAY 15 MINUTES. AND THEN YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL KILL AGAIN. BEING THAT THE STRATUS HAS POWER WINDOWS, CASSETTE, 51,000 MILES, AND IS VERY GOOD CONDITION WITH NO ACCIDENTS AND EXCELLENT MAINTENANCE RECORD THE CAR'S VALUE IS $3500-$4000 BUT BECAUSE THE DEALER KNOWS OF THE ISSUE OF DYING OUT AND THEIR OWN REPAIR SHOP CAN NOT FIX IT, INFORMED US OF IT BEING WORTH $1000 - $1500, THIS IS LESS THAN THE AMOUNT WE INVESTED TO REPAIR IT, AND THEY WILL NOT OFFER US ANOTHER THATS EQUAL IN MILEAGE, CONDITION AND VALUE. SO ARE WE AT A MAJOR LOSS BECAUSE DODGE CAN NOT REPAIR THIS PROBLEM WITH THEIR VEHICLE? *LA

NHTSA ID

10043276

Incident

Oct 21, 2003

VEHICLE IN REPAIR SHOP NUMEROUS TIMES DUE TO WIRING HARNESS MELTING AND FAILING, CAUSING A SHORT TO MULTIPLE COMPONENTS, AND AFFECTING THE PERFORMANCE OF VEHICLE/ HESITATING. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

8017530

THE VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED COMPUTER PROBLEMS WHICH HAVE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STOP WHILE BEING DRIVEN. NLM

NHTSA ID

567054

WE ARE ON OUR THIRD TRIP TO HAVE OUR CAR REPAIRED FOR STALLING AT ANY TIME OR SPEED FOR THE THIRD TIME IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO THANK YOU. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

753755

Incident

Aug 30, 2001

THIS CAR HAS HAD 2 REPLACED COMPUTERS AND 2 OXYGEN SENSORSTHAT I KNOW OF, ALSO I HAVE BEEN TO SEVERAL SHOPS INCLUDING THE DOGE DEALER SHIPS TO SEE WHY THE CHECK INGINE LIGHT IS ON AND ACCORDING TO THEIR MACHINES THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. BUT THEIR IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS CAR, AFTER DRIVING IF ON A HOT DAY ONCE YOU TURN OFF THE CAR AND LET IT SET , WHEN YOU GO TO START IT AGIAN IT WILL NOT START IT ACTS LIKE IT HAS NO GAS, IT STARTS POPPING AND DIEING OUT, IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE IT IS VAPOR LOCKING. I WAS TOLD THESE CAR DO NOT VAPOOR LOCK , BUT THIS ONE SURE ACT LIKE IT . I HAVE BEEN BACK TO THE DEALER SHIP I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM AND THEY HAVE WORKED AND WORKED ON THIS CAR FOR THE SAME PROBLEMS AND NOBODY CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS ! I AM TRYING TO FIND OUT ANY INFORMATION ON THIS CAR THAT I CAN , MAYBE THERE WAS A RECALL BEFORE I BOUGHT THE CAR AND THE ORGINAL OWNER NEVER TOOK THE CAR IN .

NHTSA ID

750029

Incident

Nov 15, 2000

KRANE CHRYSLER HAS LOOKED AT CAR TWICE FOR THIS. REPLACING FUSES ABOUT 4 TIMES OR MORE A WEEK NOW. *AK

NHTSA ID

745306

Incident

Feb 5, 2001

1. A/C PAST 3 TEARS HAS FAILED. CONTROL MODE FAILURE. A/C REPAIRED 2X IN WARRENTY. 2. ABS SENSOR FAILED AT 42000. 3.DISTRIBUTOR FAILED AT 90000 3. TRANSMISSION-FRONT PUMP SEAL STARTED LEAKING AT 90000. 4. SPARK PLUG RING SEALS(6) FAILED AT 90000.

NHTSA ID

744170

Incident

Jun 15, 1997

I WAS ON MY WAY TO MY JOB AND I MAY A FULL STOP ON A RED LIGHT THE ENGINE STOP SO I PROCEEDED TO CHECK THE CONTROL PANEL TO VIEW ANY ANORMAL SIGNAL. AFTERWARDS I TURNED THE IGNITION ON AND PUT THE CAR ON DRIVE, I TURNED RIGHT ON THE INTERSECTION . AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 100 FEET THE ENGINE STOPPED AGAIN AND WHEN I TRY TO TURNED IT ON THERE WAS A BIG EXPLOSION AND A BIG FLAME CAME OUT FROM THE ENGINE. INMEDIATEDLY I GOT OUT FROM THE CAR AND SOME PASSBYERS CALLED THE POLICE AND FIREMEN. UP TO THIS MOMENT I LACK KNOWLEDGE OF WHY THIS OCCURRED. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOST. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY INFOR MATION ABOUT THIS OR ANY SIMIILAR ACCIDENTS OF THIS CAR'S TRADEMARK AND MODEL.*AK

NHTSA ID

739017

Incident

Dec 20, 2000

WHAT I AM DOING IS TRYING TO GET HELP; MY VEHICLE IS BADLY LEAKING OIL, THE RECALL IS FOR GALLEY PLUGS, BUT THE DEALER IN PHOENIX SAYS IT IS THE HEAD GASKET AND NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL, APPROXIMATELY. $900.00 TO FIX. THE DEALERSHIP SAID TO ME ON THE PHONE, "AT THAT MILEAGE IT WON'T BE THE GALLEY PLUGS, IT'L BE THE HEAD GASKET, THAT'S WHAT IT ALWAYS IS WITH THOSE STRATUS'"(EMPHASIS MINE). WHAT I AM TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT IF IT IS A COMMON OF ENOUGH PROBLEM FOR THE DEALERSHIP TO SAY THAT, AS WELL AS A HEAD GASKET TO BE SHOT AT SUCH A LOW MILEAGE, WHY ISN'T THIS JUST AS MUCH AS A RECALL AS THE GALLEY PLUGS, ALLOWING ME AND I'M SURE MANY OTHERS TO BE HELPED. CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE ANSWER THIS REQUEST, I CALLED THE CHRYSLER FACTORY ABOUT THIS AND THEY COULD HAVE CARED LESS. *AK

NHTSA ID

725457

TOOK CAR TO DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE OF VEHICLE BEING HARD TO START, OR STALLING FOR NO REASON. NO PROBLEMS WERE FOUND. NO ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO DISCOVER THE PROBLEM. CAR WOULD STALL AFTER BEING DRIVEN ON HOT DAY, STALL WHILE TRYING TO MAKE A TURN, STALL WHEN STOPPED FOR LIGHT,ETC., SOMETIMES IT WOULD BE HARD TO START. HAD TO PLACE MY FOOT ON THE ACCELORATOR AND QUICKLY SHIFT INTO REVERSE TO GET THE CAR GOING. FINALLY, AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED, VEHICLE LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 30 MPH AND WHILE ENGINE HAD BEEN SITTING ALL DAY. THE CAR COULD NOT BE STARTED. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE DISTRIBUTOR AT A COST OF $900.00 TO ME. DEALERSHIP NO HELP. TOLD THAT THE CAR WAS TOO FAR OUT OF THE WARRANTY EVENTHOUGH I HAD REPORTED SIMILAR PROBLEMS DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD. HAVE HAD MANY OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR AS WELL. TOO MANY TO LIST. ALMOST ALL COMPONENT ARE INVOLVED AT SOME POINT. COULD NHTSA DO ANYTHING. THERE SEEMS TO BE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. OTHER CAR OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME DIFFICULTY. I'M SURE THAT EVENTUALLY THE CAUSE OF THEIR CARS STALLING WILL END UP BEING THE DISTRIBUTOR AS WELL. *AK

NHTSA ID

720112

Incident

Oct 1, 1999

VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO 2 DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS. THE FIRST WAS FREEDOM DODGE OF LEXINGTON AND THE REPLACED THE ABS MODULAR. THE PROBLEM WE WERE HAVING WITH THE CAR IS THAT WE COULD BE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH OR 5 MPH AND THE CAR WOULD STOP RUNNING. RESULTING NO POWER. FREEDOM COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM, SO WE TOOK IT TO SUPERIOR DODGE AND THE DID A SOFTWARE UPDATE TO THE COMPUTER AND STILL SAME PROBLEMS HAPPENED. INSTALLED A CO-PILOT AND FOUND THE DIST. CAP SENSOR WAS BAD. REPLACED, PICKED THE CAR UP AND WITHIN 24 HOURS THE CAR STALLED 5 TIMES. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP NOW 9 TIMES, GOING ON 10. I NEED TO KNOW THE NEXT STEPS TO TAKE. THIS IS A SAFTEY ISSUE. I COULD KILL SOMEONE, OR BE KILLED IN THE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

719037

WHEN CONSUMER TRIED TO START E ENGINE IGNITION SWITCH SOMETIMES DOES NOT WORK, AND SHE IS UNABLE TO START THE ENGINE. *AK

NHTSA ID

856091

Incident

Feb 2, 2000

KEEP BLOWING FUSES TO THE STARTER, CATALYST CONVERTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, HAD CAR LESS THAN 2 YEARS FAILED PA STATE INSPECTION TWICE IN 1998 ,6/98 & 7/98, AND 5/99. WHEN INSPECTED IN 98 TOOK TO MIDAS, WAS TOLD THAT CAR WOULD NEED TO HAVE $800 IN REPAIRS DONE TO THE BRAKE LINE, WAS GIVEN A LONG LIST OF THINGS NEEDED TO BE DONE, TOLD DEALER, THEY FIXED ONE PROBLEM REAR WHEEL CYLINDERS LEAKED WHICH MADE REAR BRAKES GO BAD, DEALER HAD ANOTHER NISSAN DEALER IN PA TO INSPECT WAS CHARGED $60 TO REPLACE WINSHIELD WIPERS AND INSPECT, CAR ALREADY HAD NEW WIPERS COULD NOT PASS WITHOUT THEM. WINSHIELD WASHER DOES NOT WORK DID NOT KNOW WHEN CAR WAS BROUGHT TOLD DEALER, DEALER SAID THERE WOULD BE A CHARGE TO FIX ONLY, HAD CAR FOR LESS THAN 2 WEEKS. CAR KEEPS CUTTING OFF WHEN STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT. WHEN STOPPED CAR SEEMS LIKE IT WILL CUT OFF, HAD TUNE UP BY DEALER TO FIX PROBLEM, STILL KEEPS CUTTING OFF. DRIVER SIDE FLOOR MAT GETS STUCK BETWEEN WHERE THE FLOOR AND STEERING COLUMN MEETS, HAVE TO TURN CAR OFF IN TRAFFIC TO RELEASE MAT. NEEDED POWER STEERING PUMP AT 58,000 MILES WAS REPLACED BY DEALER. TAPE DECK MAKES IRRITATING NOISE AND KEEPS EATING TAPES. NEED TO KNOW CAN CAR BE A POSSIBLE LEMON? HAD CAR ONLY 18 MONTHS CAR HAS HAD THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN AUTO WORK, BROUGHT CAR AT 37,326 MILES.

NHTSA ID

715208

A CLUSTER OF WIRES UNDER THE HOOD, BETWEEN THE FIREWALL AND THE ENGINE, HAVE CORRODED. THIS CAUSED BRAKE FAILURE AS WELL AS FAILURE TO ALL DASHBOARD LIGHTS. ALSO CAR COULD NOT BE HOOKED UP TO DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER.LUCKY FOR THEM I WAS ONLY BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY.

NHTSA ID

715033

Incident

Nov 3, 1999

VEHICLE EXPERIENCING SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING. NLM

NHTSA ID

547789

Incident

Nov 1, 1998

THERE IS A BURNING SMELL AFTER DRIVING ON INTERSTATE. REPORTED TO DEALER TWICE. DEALER STATED THAT THERE WERE TWO WIRES TOO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER WHICH CAUSED THE COVERING OF ONE TO BURN. DEALER MOVED WIRES. BURNING SMELL CONTINUES. *AK

NHTSA ID

704774

Incident

Mar 12, 1999

DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW AND TRIM MOLDING FAILED CAUSING WATER TO COLLECT ON DRIVERS SIDE FLOOR BOARD.

NHTSA ID

543905

Incident

Oct 31, 1996

RADIO STATIC.

NHTSA ID

530524

Incident

Jul 17, 1997

WATER LEAKS INTO FLOOR BOARD CONTINUALLY, UNABLE TO RECTIFY LEAKAGE RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO CARPETING.

NHTSA ID

543785

Incident

Oct 31, 1996

FUSE BURNED OUT. FUEL STARTER BURNED OUT (SHORT CIRCUIT) WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED I REPLACED THE FUSE IN MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THIS IS NOT A NORMAL SITUATION BECAUSE AT ANY TIME THIS FAILURE OCCURS. *AK

NHTSA ID

702653

Incident

Jan 26, 1999