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.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
0 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.
In or around October 2004 I took my car in for it's 30,000 checkup. I have a 2002 Dodge Stratus. I told the service technician that I had a "thud" in the front in of my car. He told me that it was my "front suspenssion". it was fixed, but was not noted on my invoice. A while later I felt the same "thud" everytime I turned the corner or turned my steering wheel to the left. Sometime in January my check engine light came on. Well, I took it to the dealership to find out what was going on with my 2002 vehicle. Now, mind you, I paid my car off 10 months after I purchased it from Dodge. Anyway, not only did I feel that I shouldn't have to pay for the diagnostic but I also feel that car is too new for the "rack & penion" and my "evap system" to go out. They talked me into buying another car this past weekend, April 9, 2005 but decided to return the car on April 11, 2005. They didn't even want to compensate me for my car being a "lemon" as the salesperson deemed my car to be except for trade my car for $6,000 and have payments, again, of $275.74 for 71 months. I don't think that's fair. For one, my car is paid off and two my car is too new for it to have these kind of problems. I want to know if there's been any recalls or problems on the 2002 Dodge Stratus'.
- Sacramento, CA, USA
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- Sacramento, CA, USA