1997 Dodge Stratus Transmission Problems

HAVE CONTACTED DODGE/DAIMLER-CHRYSLER SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT TRANSMISSION ON MY 1997 DODGE STRATUS GOING OUT. HESITATION ON SHIFTING INTO GEAR, SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR AND BACK IN ON TURNS, TRANS LEAKS, SLIPPING INTO GEAR SUDDENLY AND JERKING THE CAR, AND SO ON. CAR HAS ONLY 66,000 MILES ON IT NOW AND I GOT IT IN 2001 WHEN MY FATHER PASSED AWAY. IT HAD ONLY 53,000 MILES ON IT THEN. A TRANS SHOULDN'T BE GOING OUT AT 50-60,000 MILES. IF DODGE HAS A BAD PRODUCT THEY SHOULD CORRECT IT THEMSELVES. I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY TO REPAIR A PROBLEM DODGE ALREADY KNOWS ABOUT AND ISN'T DOING ANYTHING ABOUT. I NEVER HAUL OR PULL ANYTHING AND I ONLY PUT 13,000 MILES ON IT IN FIVE YEARS. NOT HEAVY DRIVING. I SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS AT ALL AND DODGE REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING OR PAY FOR REPAIR- JUST SAYING "IT'S PAST WARRANTY". I CANNOT AFFORD TO REPAIR BUT I SHOULD HAVE A VEHICLE COMPANY THAT IS PROUD OF IT'S PRODUCT ENOUGH TO STAND BEHIND IT. I ONLY GET $867 A MONTH RETIREMENT AND I'M 60 YEARS OF AGE. DAIMLER-CHRYSLER SHOULD HAVE MADE REPAIRS WHEN I FIRST CONTACTED THEM A YEAR AGO. THIS IS A DAILY PROBLEM AND GETTING WORSE. HUNDREDS OF FAILURES. I HAVE TO USE THE CAR FOR PET CARE SO JUST CONTINUE TO PUTT ALONG UNTIL IT (THE TRANS) GOES OUT COMPLETELY. *NM

NHTSA ID

10173208

Incident

Apr 1, 2005

Mileage

58,000 mi

AUTO TRANSMISSION. 1997 DODGE STRATUS 2.5L WITH AUTO STICK. TRANSMISSION LEAKAGE AND FAILURE OF TRANSMISSION. VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT ABOVE SECOND GEAR, AND GEAR SLIPS. *NM

NHTSA ID

10168929

Incident

Sep 12, 2006

Mileage

80,000 mi

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WOULD INTERMITTENTLY SHIFT OUT OF DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH OR MORE. CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE MAY BE INVOLVED IN A REAR END COLLISION BECAUSE OF THIS CONDITION. DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED.*AK

NHTSA ID

10116972

Incident

Mar 1, 2005

Mileage

44,400 mi

RECEIVED RECALL TRANSAXLE FLOOR SHIFTER IGNITION/PARK INTERLOCK. TOOK TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS. *BF THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE RECALL REPAIRS WERE ALREADY DONE. THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT HE HAS NO IDEA WHEN THE REPAIRS WERE MADE BECAUSE HE HAS NO INVOICE. *NM

NHTSA ID

10099736

Incident

Jan 1, 1901

WHILE DRIVING 30MPH CAR AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTS IN NEUTRAL.*AK

NHTSA ID

8017222

Incident

Dec 1, 2001

ENGINE WILL CONTINUOUSLY OVERHEAT. ALSO, OIL AND TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LEAKING.. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND CAUSE OF PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

8015612

Incident

May 28, 2002

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH CLUTCH FLEW OUT FROM UNDER CAR.*AK

NHTSA ID

8014556

Incident

Jul 10, 2002

WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION SHIFTS OUT OF GEAR DUE TO DIFFERENTIAL. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

889678

MANUFACTURER WILL NOT ASSIST WITH APPARENT KNOWN TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. MANUFACTURER AGREED TO PAY HALF FOR APPARENT KNOWN HEAD GASKET PROBLEM. WHEN WILL THERE BE RECALLS FOR THESE TWO KNOWN PROBLEMS. *AK

NHTSA ID

746379

Incident

Apr 20, 1999

THE HEAD GASKET FAILED TWICE RESULTING IN ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION PUMP FAILURE. NLM

NHTSA ID

785414

Incident

Dec 15, 2000

OUR TRANSMISSION HAD AT LEAST 1500 DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE FROM THE FACTORY. THE LOCAL DODGE DEALER 'S SERVICE DEPT SEES AT LEAST ONE PER WEEK. IT DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT.*AK

NHTSA ID

725086

Incident

Jul 7, 2000

I HAVE CONTACTED DODGE WITHOUT ANY HELP. THE REPRESENTATIVE I TALKED TO WAS VERY INSENSITIVE TO THE PROBLEM I CALLED IN ABOUT. I KNOW OF 2 DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND GOT IT FIXED, EVEN AFTER THE WARRANTY WAS OUT. I HAD NO OPTION BUT TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED AND FIXED. THE CAR IS ONLY 2 AND 1/2 YEARS OLD AND IS ONLY DRIVEN ON THE EXPRESSWAY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS COULD HAPPEN. PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH ANY INFO. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN THE SUMMARY. *AK

NHTSA ID

720564

Incident

Mar 17, 2000

WITH NO PRIOR WARNING, I WAS DRIVING MY CAR ON A BUSY STREET AND WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE, THE CAR ACTED LIKE IT HAD BEEN PUT IN NEUTRAL. I LIMPED IT OVER TO A TRANSMISSION PLACE AND THEY PUT A MACHINE ON IT. THE THIRD GEAR IS OUT SO WE HAD TO HAVE IT REBUILT. THE COST TO DO THIS IS $1650.00. IT DOESN'T SEEM THAT A VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE TO HAVE A NEW TRANSMISSION WITH ONLY 9,000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY. WE PREVIOUSLY HAD TROUBLE WITH THIS CAR BECAUSE WE WERE STRANDED AT NIGHT WITH 3 CHILDREN IN THE CAR ON THE FREEWAY DUE TO THE TIMING BELT BEING SHREDDED AT 23,000 MILES. WE HAD TO BE TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP AND RENT A VEHICLE TO GET HOME (70 MILES AWAY). AFTER THAT, WE HAD TROUBLE WITH THE MANIFOLD. WE HAD A CRACKED MANIFOLD AND I HAD TO REPEATEDLY GO BACK AND ARGUE THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG. I FINALLY GOT IT REPLACED AFTER 3 VISITS AND A WEEK LONG STAY, IT WAS FIXED. NOW THAT WE HAVE BEEN HAVING THESE TROUBLES, WE THOUGHT WE SHOULD FILE A COMPLAINT. *AK

NHTSA ID

719537

Incident

Feb 24, 2000

TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR--CAR "KICKS AND BOLTS" AS THOUGH THE DRIVER SLAMMED ON BRAKES AT 30 MILES PER HOUR. ALSO, CAR NEEDS A NEW HEAD GASKET AT 50,000 MILES. CAR HAS BEEN SERVICES REGULARLY AND WELL MAINTAINED. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?!

NHTSA ID

719163

Incident

Feb 1, 2000

ON ACCELERATION VEHICLE DOES NOT GEAR IN. TRANSMISSION DID NOT ENGAGE, AND LEFT VEHICLE STRANDED TO BE HIT IN TRAFFIC. ALSO SLIPS AFTER ACCELERATION OR DOES A HARD KICK INTO GEAR. *AK

NHTSA ID

718600

Incident

Feb 8, 2000

GEAR SHIFT MOVES WHEN CAR IS IN PARK. THIS ITEM WAS RECALLED, AND CAR WAS SUPPOSE TO BE FIXED. BUT HAS BEEN IN SHOP 3 TIMES, AND STILL WASN'T FIXED. RECALL 98V183000. *AK

NHTSA ID

854436

Incident

Dec 27, 1999

THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED 3 TIMES IN MY DODGE STRATUS, WONT SHIFT OUT OF 2ND GEAR,IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES THEY SAID THEY FIXED IT THE FIRST 2 TIMES BUT IT WAS NOT FIXED PROPERLY. IT IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER AGAIN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE TALKED TO 3 OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSIONS IN THEIR CHRYSLER VEHICLES HOWEVER, CHRYSLER CORP MAIN OFFICE DENIES ANY PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION...NOT THAT I THOUGHT THEY WOULD SAY SO. BUT SOMEONE AT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF MY DEALER ADMITS THAT CHRSYLER KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT GO PUBLIC.

NHTSA ID

714407

Incident

Oct 25, 1999

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED. FROM RESEARCH ON THE INTERNERT, THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH CHRYSLER TRANSMISSIONS. WE RECEIVED NO HELP FROM CHRYSLER OR THE DEALER.

NHTSA ID

713361

Incident

Oct 14, 1999

IT WOULD STICK WHEN I WOULD PUT MY CAR INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE AND THE ENGINE STARTED SOUNDING LOUDER THAN IT SHOULD WHEN I ACCELERATED. THEN ON FRIDAY OCTOBER 1, 1999 AS I WAS INCREASING SPEED FROM 35 TO 45MPH THE RPM GAGE STARTED SPINNING. THOUGH I HAD MY FOOT ON THE GAS THE SPEED DID NOT INCREASE AND IT FELT LIKE MY WHEELS LOCKED UP. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT I AM MISSING THIRD GEAR.

NHTSA ID

712975

Incident

Oct 1, 1999

TRANSMISSION FAILS TO ENGAGE DRIVE PROPERLY ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, DEALER UNABLE TO DUPLICATE (VERY INTERMITENT) OR FIX PROBLEM. FRONT BRAKES NOISY/GROAN ON APPLICATION (TOLD THIS WAS NORMAL BY DEALERSHIP) FRONT BREAKS ALSO SQUEEK (SIMULAR TO WEAR INDICATOR) AFTER REPLACEMENT.

NHTSA ID

710517

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AND A GRINDING NOISE OCCURRED DUE TO A MALFUNCTION IN THE TRANSMISSION. PLEASE GIVE ANY FUIRTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

842029

BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUCTIONED,BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. ALSO PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. *AK CONSUMER STATES AFTER BACKING UP AND THEN PUTTING VEHICLE IN DRIVE, VEHICLE WONT GO FORWARD. *SLC

NHTSA ID

841647

Incident

Feb 1, 1999

INTERMITTENT DELAYED ENGAGEMENT AT VEHICLE START UP. ACCELERATION SHUDDER DURING TORQUE CONVERTER EMCC OPERATION AT 28-42MPH DUE TO LEAK IN TRANSMISSION FRONT PUMP. THIS IS CHRYLSER'S A604 TRANSMISSION THAT WAS RENAMED TO 41TE TRANSMISSION IN 1992. IF I HAD KNOWN CHRYLSER KNEW THEY WERE PUTTING A DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION IN THEIR NEW STRATUS, I WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT ONE.

NHTSA ID

705413

Incident

Apr 2, 1998

CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT WHEN THE HEAD GASKET BLEW THE TRANSMISSION FLUID BURNED OUT RESULTING IN THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING AND LOCKING UP.

NHTSA ID

544034

Incident

Nov 27, 1998

AFTER PARKING VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ROLL DOWN DRIVER'S DRIVEWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK POSITION WHEN THIS OCCURRED. ALSO CONSUMER RECEIVED A MFR. RECALL NOTICE CONCERNING PARKING PAWL. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID

832169

Incident

Nov 20, 1997