Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. 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. 16 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
WHEN MY FUEL GOES BELOW 3/4 OF A TANK, IT DIES ON ME. IT STARTS TO JERK LIKE ITS SHIFTING HARD, THEN LOOSES POWER. WHEN I TRY TO START IT BACK UP, IT TURNS OVER BUT DOESN'T ACT LIKE ITS GETTING ANY FUEL. THEN THE BATTERY GOES DEAD. IF I GET GAS AND FILL IT BACK UP IT RUNS FINE. I HAVE SPENT MANY HRS BROKE DOWN ON THE HWY. I WAS NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT. *JB
POWER STEERING FAILED. NLM
VEHICLE HAD BEEN LEAKING FUEL. DEALER SAID THAT THIS VEHICLE WASN'T INCLUDED IN THE RECALL 96V006000. DEALER GAVE NO OTHER EXPLANATION , BU TINDICATED THAT CONSUMER WAS ON HIS OWN TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM.*AK
GAS LEAKING FROM THE O-RING GASKET ON THE TOP OF THE GAS TANK, FIRE & SAFETY PROBLEM, DEFECTIVE FROM THE FACTORY BUT CHRYSLER REFUSES TO INCLUDE THIS PART UNTER THEIR EXTENDED WARRANTY
VEHICLE PARKED. LEFT VEHICLE & FEW MINUTES. LATER WAS INFORMED VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. CONTACTED FIRE & POLICE DEPARTMENTS WHO REFUSED TO COME OUT, INDICATING VEHICLE WAS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. PRIOR TO FIRE, VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED FOR LEAKAGE IN "O" RINGS WHICH WAS REPLACED. VEHICLE'S ENGINE WAS CLEANED. OIL PROCEEDED TO LEAK AGAIN. THERE WAS A RECALL #96V006000. *AK
I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE IN FOR THE HEAD GASKET TO BE REPLACED 4 TIMES NOW. I AM TAKING IT IN AGAIN FOR THE 5TH TIME FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. ALL THE DEALER KEEPS DOING IS PUTTING ANOTHER HEAD GASKET ON AND CHARGING ME MY $50 DEDUCTABLE. THIS IS GETTING VERY TIRING. MY BRAKES WENT OUT COMPLETELY IN 1997 AFTER THE FACTORY RE-CALL HAD BEEN PREFORMED. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE MECHANIC HAD PUT THE SEAL IN WRONG. THE LAST TIME I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR THE HEAD GASKET, NUMBER 4, THE DEALER FOUND THAT THE CV BOOT NEEDED REPLACED. DURRING THE REPAIR THE AXEL JUST FELL APART. SAME TIME THE TRANSMISSION PUMP NEEDED REPLACED THE FUEL SENDING UNIT NEEDED REPLACED AND THE HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED. AND IT STILL LEAKS FROM THE SAME SPOT THE REAR LEFT OF THE ENGINE.
REAR RATTLE DUE TO BAFFLE IN GAS TANK BEING LOOSE AND MAKING NOISE WHEN DRIVING OVER BUMPS. ALSO, ENGINE HEAD GASKET LEAKED OIL.
SEVERE OIL LEAK ON BACKSIDE OF ENGINE NEAR EXHAUST MANIFOLD. WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT THE RECALLED OIL GALLEY PLUG IN THE HEAD BUT THE HEAD GASKET WAS BAD. HAD TO HAVE HEAD GASKET REPLACED, CAM SEALS, CAM SENSOR AND VARIOUS OTHER GASKETS. WAS TOLD BY ANOTHER CHRYSLER DEALER THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT THESE ENGINES DUMP OIL, BUT CHRYSLER DOES NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. ONE DEALER SAID THEY HAVE REPLACED 7 IN THE PAST 2 WEEKS, A GOODYEAR SHOP TOLD US THAT THEY SAW 5 IN ONE WEEK THAT HAD COME IN FOR OTHER REASONS AND THEY HAD TO SEND THEM TO THE DEALER. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS. WE HAD TO PAY TO HAVE THIS REPLACED AND CHRYSLER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE. HEAD GASKETS DO NOT JUST GO BAD ON NEW CARS. TO PUT THE FINAL NAIL IN OUR COFFIN. THE DEALER (JACK CARUSO REGENCY DODGE IN JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA) THAT REPLACED THIS GASKET, PUT OUR ENGINE BACK TOGETHER WRONG. WE WERE DRIVING AND THE CAR LOST POWER AND WE SMELLED FUEL. THE FUEL LINE TO THE ENGINE WAS LOOSE AND SPRAYING OIL EVERYWHERE, THE GROUNDSTRAP WAS ARCHING WITH THE SPARK PLUG WIRE AT THE DISTRIBUTOR. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A DIFFERENT DODGE DEALER AS WE WERE ON VACATION. THE DEALER SAID WE CAME VERY CLOSE TO LOSING OUR LIVES, ANOTHER FEW SECONDS AND THE CAR WOULD HAVE EXPLODED. THEY SAID "WHOEVER PUT THIS ENGINE BACK TOGETHER DID A ?!@#$% JOB AND DID NOT KNOW WHAT THEY WERE DOING" THE FUEL LINE WAS BENT AND THE SEAL CRACKED, THE VACUUM LINES WERE NOT ROUTED CORRECTLY, BRACKETS WERE LOOSE ON HOSES AND PARTS LOOSE ON THE BACK OF THE ENGINE. AFTER WE PAID AGAIN TO HAVE THIS FIXED, WE BROUGHT THE CAR TO OUR DEALER WHO SCREWED UP AND THEY DENY EVERYTHING AND ARE NOT OF ANY HELP. WE ARE OUT A LOT OF MONEY, BUT AT LEAST IT IS ONLY MONEY, WE CAME VERY CLOSE TO LOSING THE LIVES OF 4 PEOPLE. THIS IS UNCALLED FOR! *AK
FUEL LEVEL GAUGE DOES NOT READ CORRECTLY IN THE DASHBOARD...
FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT READ CORRECTLY. *AK
FUEL GAUGE DOESN'T READ CORRECTLY..FULL TANK OF GAS READS EMPTY (E)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 195/R70/14 )
WHEN THE FUEL LEVEL REACHES THE HALF TANK LEVEL THE GAUGE ACTS AS IF IT HAS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT AND INDICATES EMPTY. THE FUEL GAUGE BOTTOMS OUT AND THE LOW FUEL INDICATOR TURNS ON. WHEN THE GAS TANK IS FULL THE GAUGE WILL SOMETIMES INDICATE ONLY 3/4.
DUE TO AN OIL LEAK ON THE INTAKE MANIFOLD, HEAD GASKET CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE INSURANCE COMPANY, NO ACTION TAKEN. THE VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALER, WHERE THEY COMPLETED WORK ON THE VEHICLE. BUT THE CONSUMER STATED THAT SHE DID'NT KNOW IF THE DEALER FIXED THE PROBLEM. THE CASE NUMBER IS #D-55-11585.
VEHICLE STALLS AND QUICKLY ACCELERATES. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM OR FIND CAUSE. *AK
SON WAS DRIVING, SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. OTHER DRIVERS NOTICED FLAMES UNDER VEHICLE. PULLED OFF THOROUGHFARE & PARKED VEHICLE; GOT OUT OF VEHICLE; VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES. FIRE DEPT ARRIVED & PUT FLAMES OUT. INSURANCE ADJUSTOR SAID IT WAS GAS LINE RUPTURE. VEHICLE TOTALED. *AK
BRAKES MALFUNCTIONS. YH
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .