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. Also the 2.4L engine doesn't have the oil sludge problem.
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.
8.7
pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$2,320
Average Mileage:
79,350 miles
Total Complaints:
11 complaints
Most Common Solutions:
replace transmission (5 reports)
not sure (3 reports)
2nd opinion, will repair, and later trade it (2 reports)
computer that runs the transmission failed (1 reports)
This Is Something You Should Look Into It Helped Me Out - I'm not a mechanic I've been a bodyman for 18 yrs. we didn't have the car a week when this happened I hope it helps. 08_05 Shift Pointers - Transmission Digest Home Page
Two were regarding a 2001 Dodge Stratus with a 3.0-liter V-6 engine, ... Notice a piece of the wave spring that lodged in the pump gears and destroyed the ...
www.transmissiondigest.com/tech/TD200508/200508ShiftP.
one time I started the car and after I put the gear on Drive, the car felt like I didn't change anything, like it was on neutral.
I shifted back and then fourth to reverse and then drive, and its got fixed after couple tries. after that day it went about 6 months nothing happened. Kinda weird
My transmission went out on the hwy like most of the other complaints, which cost me $1950 to fix (my least expensive quote). I'm getting rid of this car ASAP, due to I'm constantly getting this car repaired and I don't think things are going to get any better.
Here I am, driving or the highway at about 65 mph and the neutral icon on my dash starts flashing. My car begins to coast to a stop. I was unable to put the car into any gear other than neutral. So I had the car towed to my mechanic where he discovered it was my transmission. He called dodge for a replacement transmission (of course I was out of warranty) and they wanted $6,000!!!!!!!! Therefore my only option is to rebuild the transmission. So here I am, still waiting for this transmission rebuilding process to end. I love my dodge r/t >:-( r/t = (Real / Trouble)
i bought this car used back in aug and eveything was going good till i was comming home on the hightway and the trans light came on so i got off at the nearest exit in noth philly (not a good place to be a white guy at night) so i finaly got a hold of a tow truck driver and had it towed to the back around my house and just as i thought the trans is shot so now i need to come up with 1400 to fix it f*ck dodges i have allways been a chevy guy but the wife had to have i will never by a doge again once again FUCKKKKKKKK DODGESSSSSSSSSSSS
bought the car new, never had a single problem, until now. I love dodge, and will trade this one in when i get back from mechanic, for a dodge charger.
- Becky B.,
Round Lake, IL, US
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I was really disapointed to discover that my transmission went out at 42000 miles. What was even more discusting is that the dealership where I bought my car tried to blame it on me by telling me that I should have had my transmission serviced more often. I hate to tell them but there is no need to service my transmission at 42000 miles. In addition, they told three week prior during an oil change that my fluids were fine. However, at that point in time my trans fluid was dark brown and was at the early transmission failure stage. A week later my I heard odd noises and took it back to the shop and they said everything was good. Finally I took it to another transmission shop who said my transmission is going out and has been for a while judging by the color of the fluid. I took it back to the shop and they acted surprised to know my transmission was out.
I was driving to the store when night when I noticed my car acting up... more than the usual, that is. The Stratus has never been a particularly powerful machine when accelerating, but its problem that night was out of the ordinary. I was stopped at a red light on a hill, & when I took my foot off the break to accelerate, I began to roll backwards. I was in drive, & it is an automatic transmission. SO GREAT. Basically, from then on, my car was unable to stay in gear & driving it to the repair shop the next day was an adventure. My transmission was bad, & it has since been replaced with one from a junkyard. My tran went out around 83,000 miles, & the new tran already has 40,000 miles in it. By my calculations, I only have another 20,000 miles to go before it all craps out again. When that happens, I plan on loading my car with dynamite & sending it straight to the dodge dealer. Never again Dodge, never again....
Just paid off this car last year and we were looking forward to driving it to the ground to save money and escape financing another car. Little did we know that the car would have major problems like a complete transmission failure. And yesterday, guess what? The transmission we replaced failed again. Mo' money down the drain. Never buying a Dodge again.
My daughter was driving to work this AM on the Freeway during rush hour. The car suddenly coasted to a stop. She could not engage any of the gears. She had it towed home; The car is maintained efficiently. Oil and transmission fluid/filter recently changed (Sept). I was told that the auto needed a new transmission for $5K or rebuilt for $$2.5K.
Damn Dodges forever. I see why consumers invest in foreign made autos. I'll never buy American again..
while driving down a major highyway at the speed of 55mph, the car lost power and coast to a stop. It took one hour to coast 2.5 miles back home. We were told by the services department that our warranty was expired. and had to pay out of pocket to have the transmission overhauled. We contact Dodge Customer Service hotline and was told that we had to work something out with the Dealership. We took the car to another shop for a 2nd opinion and they found a broken linkage in the transmission. The car had 55225 miles total. This was our first and last Dodge.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
one time I started the car and after I put the gear on Drive, the car felt like I didn't change anything, like it was on neutral.
I shifted back and then fourth to reverse and then drive, and its got fixed after couple tries. after that day it went about 6 months nothing happened. Kinda weird
- Abdul T., Blah, Blah, US