CarComplaints.com Notes: The Dodge Stratus, Intrepid & other Chrysler sedans are infamous for oil sludge problems with the 2.7L V6 engine. If someone offers to sell you a 2.7L V6 model, it's only worth the price of the scrap metal it's going to shortly turn into.
NOTE: Only the 2.7L V6 has the oil sludge problem. Our "Avoid like the Plague" designation is ONLY for models with the 2.7L V6 engine. All other available engines are very reliable with no major problems.
Even with regular maintenance, the oil sludge defect eventually destroys the 2.7L engine typically around 80,000-100,000 miles. The only true fix we know about is to put in the larger 3.2L engine, which has a great reputation.
This issue was never deemed a safety defect by the Feds, so there was no recall. In the end, Chrysler got away with FOUR YEARS worth of defective 2.7L V6 engines in their sedans.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
106,545 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
I got this next site to do again email. Claim #11301605 and following up as to your next step. 3 recalls the Dodge customer care people dont want to do or help me fix or conclude.
I bought a car in Jan 2020 which has been sitting a few/couple years and I found 3 recalls on it. 1999 Dodge Stratus 2.4. I emailed U S customer care/ Dodge customer care and got mail back stating yes on 3 recalls and a dealer in reno nv to call. I called and service and parts dept said yes on recalls. Bring it in to check and advise to fix. Got mutil mails from customer care stating they had car under last owner and I told them I was new owner. Next mail was, claim/S are closed. I asked why now 3 times and no answer except a take survey. No service or repairs have been done on this car other then to find out there was 3 recalls and now customer care doesnt want to do anything to fix this car. I dont understand how one day there is and the next day claim closed. The only difference is I am a new owner. One recall is for a fix power steering hose so car wont catch fire. I am have got nowhere with all my tries to get car recalls fixed. According to web sites the 3 recalls are listed as incomplete still to date. Meaning not taken care of to my understanding.
The contact owns a 1999 Dodge Stratus. While driving at various speeds, the contact noticed a burning rubber odor and shaking noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. Upon further inspection, the contact noticed that the rear passenger side wheel hub, wheel, tire, and brake drum were extremely hot. The contact independently changed both rear brake shoes, springs, and drums; however, the failure recurred. The contact independently diagnosed that the brake lines needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 135,000.
My girl friend came home and said the car was smoking so I went to look at it and yes smoke was coming from the firewall side of the motor right above the exhaust manifold.I did some research and found a recall on the high pressure hose for the power steering pump so I called the number given and Chrysler set me up with haddad Dodge in bakersfield California we set an appointment for the repairs to be done, I brought the car to them and they kept it for 4 days I called them about the car and they said it was ready I picked it up later that afternoon drove approx 6 miles home it was smoking slightly but no where near as bad as before so I thought nothing of it, maybe just residual from before the repair.the following morning I drove from real rd to fair view ave and the car was smoking heavily I stopped in front of a friends house opened the hood and there was a fire burning on the back side of the engine luckily there was a garden hose hooked up out side the house, I grabbed that and put the fire out. Could smell fuel heavily parked the car and have not moved it since just a week ago about a month after all this haddad Dodge left me a message saying that my parts had come in and they would like to set an appointment for the work to be done. According to them they had already done the work no body told me that the work was not complete quite the con-trary I was told it was fixed and ready to go the service attendant was so busy on his phone and cell phone he hardly spoke a word to me I had to find the car in there lot so I could go home, why would anybody in there right mind let someone drive a car that could catch fire.
This is the second time this has happened. Lost all instrumentation: Speed, fuel, RPM, etc, at 50mph. Just prior to this, the ABS light came on. The first fix included a new battery last year, three alternators until one worked (do not think this was the problem), and some kind of a harness which was rubbing on the engine? and creating a short. This problem could be the reason for all the car fires. Thank you.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Reno, NV, USA