RoadVitals

1998 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.
9
Latest Sep 29, 2005
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.
3%
of 272 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.
1

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 1998 Dodge Stratus submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 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 Sep 29, 2005
1 injury reported

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 NOT HAVE ANY 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 RIDE THE 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 CONSUMER DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO HAVE THE MODULE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER FELT THAT SHE SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR THE COST INCURRED. *AK THE CONSUMER SHE IS EXPERIENCING BACK PAIN FROM BEING JERKED AROUND IN THE VEHICLE. *JB

NHTSA ID
10134467
Incident
Aug 26, 2005
Mileage
104,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Sep 29, 2005
Fire reported

DT: THE CALLER'S SON WAS DRIVING AND 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 DEALER TO GET IT REPAIRED.*AK THE PROBLEM WAS THE CRUISE CONTROL MODULATOR. *JB

NHTSA ID
10134466
Incident
Aug 26, 2005
Mileage
95,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Sep 24, 2004

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. WHEN VEHICLE WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP CONSUMER PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK BEFORE RESTARTING. CRUISE CONTROL DISENGAGED, AND THE FAILURE HAD CORRECTED ITSELF. DEALERSHIP WAS NOT NOTIFIED, THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED.*AK ...*AK

NHTSA ID
10094280
Incident
Sep 13, 2004
Mileage
120,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Jul 11, 2002

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 LANE WITHOUT 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 TO NORMAL. *MJ

NHTSA ID
566023
Incident
Mar 11, 2002
Driver assistance
Filed Mar 5, 2001

THROTTLE LINKAGES BROKE IN MECHANISM, CAUSING VEHICLE TO MOVE FULL FORCE. ENGINE MADE VEHICLE MOVE FAST AS OWNER WAS PRESSING ON BRAKES. CONSUMER THAN PLACED THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND EVENTUALLY TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE TO MAKE IT STOP.*AK

NHTSA ID
882162
Incident
Mar 4, 2001
Driver assistance
Filed Feb 22, 2001

VEHICLE WILL TAKE OFF ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS. CONSUMER MUST HOLD DOWN BRAKE PEDAL AND SHUT ENGINE OFF. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. *AK

NHTSA ID
881116
BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Nov 16, 2000

3 TIMES WITHIN 6 MONTHS ,TWICE WHILE AT A STOP AND ONCE WHILE DRIVING, BRAKES WILL START TO FADE AND VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY SURGE/ACCELERATE , CONSUMER HAS TO SHIFT INTO PARK IN ORDER TO STOP VEHICLE.*AK

NHTSA ID
875054
BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Sep 18, 1999

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.

NHTSA ID
711528
Incident
Sep 14, 1998
Driver assistance
Filed Aug 27, 1999

AT NEARLY ZERO SPEED THE ENGINE SPEED SURGE WITH THE FOOT ON THE BREAK.

NHTSA ID
710611
Incident
Aug 18, 1999

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

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .