RoadVitals

1996 Dodge Stratus Driver assistance Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Driver assistance reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
12
Latest Nov 17, 2003
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
2%
of 554 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Dodge Stratus submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming driver-assistance

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistance
Filed Nov 17, 2003

CRUISE CONTROL LOCKED UP. WAS NOT ABLE TO DISENGAGE CRUISE CONTROL. DEALER STATED CRUISE CONTROL CABLE WAS INOPERATIVE. *AK

NHTSA ID
10048026
Incident
Nov 13, 2003
Mileage
78,050 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 14, 2003

I HAD MY CRUISE CONTROL ON WHILE COMING HOME LAST NIGHT AROUND 8:00 PM. WHEN I APPLIED MY BREAKS WHEN I ENTERED A TOWN MY CAR ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK. I TURNED OFF MY CRUISE CONTROL AND I IT WAS STILL STUCK. I TOOK THE COUNTRY ROUTE HOME. WHEN I PULLED INTO MY DRIVE AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK IT MAX OUT THE RPM AND I QUICKLY TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. I DID NOTICE THAT DODGE HAS A BULLETIN ABOUT THE SPEED SENSOR LOSS OF CRUISE CONTROL (4/99) DOES THAT MEANS I HAVE TO PRAY FOR MY LIFE. I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT I WAS BEING A SEMI WHEN THIS HAPPENED AND HE WAS STOPPING FOR A RED LIGHT AND I WAS NOT. THANK GOD I HAD ENOUGH COMMON SENSE ON WHAT TO DO. *LA

NHTSA ID
10046910
Incident
Nov 13, 2003
Mileage
78,035 mi
BrakesDriver assistanceElectrical+6 more
Filed Sep 16, 2003

LTR FM JOVAN MATHEWS (TX) RE PROBLEMS WITH HIS 1996 DODGE STRATUS AND ASKING DAIMLER CHRYSLER TO INITIATE A RECALL. *MR THE A/C LEAKED, ELECTRIC CIRCUITS MALFUNCTIONED, TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, PREMATURE BRAKE WEAR, HEAD GASKET, AND POOR DRIVE ABILITY. THE CONSUMER HAD REPLACED THE TIMING BELT, HYDRAULIC TENSIONER, WATER PUMP, ALTERNATOR, ALTERNATOR BELT, ROTORS, BRAKE SHOES, REAR WHEEL CYLINDERS, PCV VALVE, DRYER, A/C COMPRESSOR, TIRES, ALL FILTERS, AND FLUIDS. THE VEHICLE WAS IN NEED OF AN EXHAUST MANIFOLD, WINDSHIELD, STRUTS, SHOCKS, STEERING WHEEL, AND A HEAD GASKET. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED STEERING WHEEL OSCILLATION/VIBRATION ABOVE 50 MPH, ROUGH RIDE ON ROAD WITH IRREGULAR SURFACE, ERRATIC IDLE, PERFORMANCE LOSS, OVERHEATED,WARM UP SAG, HESITATION, REAR GRID DEFOGGER INDICATOR MALFUNCTION, INSIDE LIGHTS HAD BECOME INOPERATIVE, LATE/HARSH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTS, FREQUENCY RUMBLE OR GEAR NOISE FROM THE FRONT BETWEEN 50 AND 70 MPH, MUSTY ODOR, AND THE DEFROSTER FAILED TO CLEAR THE GLASS. *SCC *JB

NHTSA ID
10040045
Incident
Jan 1, 1901
Driver assistance
Filed Aug 11, 2003

CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE DOES NOT ACCELERATE, WHEN APPLYING GAS VEHICLE SHUTS OFF. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID
10033575
Incident
Aug 7, 2003
Driver assistance
Filed Jun 14, 2001
Crash reported

CONSUMER PUT VEHICLE IN REVERSE TO BACK IN GARAGE, HEARD A HIGH PITCHED SOUND AS ENGINE STARTED, BACKED VEHICLE IN GARAGE, AND PUT IN PARK. THEN, WANTED TO PULL VEHICLE FORWARD. CONSUMER PUT FOOT ON BRAKE, TOOK VEHICLE OUT OF PARK, AND IT SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD/ENGINE REVVED. CONSUMER PRESSED HARDER ON BRAKE PEDAL, THEN THREW VEHICLE IN PARK TO STOP IT. VEHICLE AT DEALER AT THIS TIME, DAMAGE $ 1600.00. *AK

NHTSA ID
890391
Incident
May 24, 2001
Driver assistance
Filed Feb 21, 2001

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH WITH CRUISE CONTROLON VEHICLE ACCELERATED. CONSUMER TRIED TO TURN CRUISE CONTROL OFF, BUT WOULD NOT TURN OFF. CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES HARD. FINALLY WAS ABLE TO SLOW VEHICLE DOWN. TOOK OUT OF GEAR, AND ENGINE WAS REVVING, SHIFTED BACK AND FORTH FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL TO DISENGAGE CRUISE CONTROL, AND WAS ABLE TO STOP VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
880951
Incident
Feb 16, 2001
BrakesDriver assistanceInterior & seats+1 more
Filed Feb 14, 1999

I HAVE HAD OVER 8 DIFFERENT PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR IN THE LAST 2YRS, HAVE BRAKES REPLACED TWICE, TIRES REPLACED TWICE, ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS FIXED AND STILL NOT WORKING PROPERLY, HIGH PITCHED NOISE WHEN PRESSING ON THE GAS, MECHANICS COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM, AND I HAVE WRITTEN TO CHRYLSER TO NO AVAIL. HAVE TRIED TO GET RID OF CAR BUT NOONE WANTS IT. OWE MORE THAN WHAT THE CAR IS WORTH. CHRYSLER WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

NHTSA ID
703276
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 9, 1998

WHILE DRIVING AND HAD THE FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL, THE VEHICLE DOES NOT SLOW DOWN, BUT IT SPEEDS UP WHICH MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. BEEN DEALER , DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID
828799
Incident
Dec 1, 1996
Body & structureBrakesHeating & air conditioning+6 more
Filed Aug 27, 1998

DASHBOARD ASSEMBLY LOOSE, FIRST REPAIR FAILED AND WAS REPLACED AGAIN.

NHTSA ID
539422
Driver assistance
Filed Aug 11, 1998

VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO FULL THROTTLE AND STUCK THERE WHEN PASSING GEAR IS ENGAGED AT ANY SPEED. DRIVER APPLIED BRAKES AND SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL TO REGAIN CONTROL. *SLC

NHTSA ID
539713
Incident
Jul 1, 1998
Driver assistance
Filed Apr 9, 1997

VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD FROM A STOPPED POSITION, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ID
516319
Driver assistance
Filed Mar 5, 1997

ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKS, CAUSING VEHICLE TO GO INTO OPEN THROTTLE POSITION, AND SOMETIMES IN CLOSE POSITION WHERE THE PEDAL LOCKED AND WILL NOT MOVE. IN FOR REPAIR , THROTTLE CABLE COULD BE STICKING. *AK

NHTSA ID
809712
Incident
Sep 1, 1996

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Engine335Brakes65Transmission54Steering42Electrical36Suspension32Airbags18Fuel system16Visibility13Body & structure13Heating & air conditioning12Interior & seats11Powertrain (other)10Seat belts9Exterior lighting8

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .