NHTSA Complaint #10030644 — 2003 DODGE STRATUS

I HAVE 2003 DODGE STATUS WITH THE 2.4L 4 CYLINDER ENGINE AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. AFTER COMING BACK FROM A TRIP, MOST OF WHICH WAS AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN THE ENGINE SPEED SUDDENLY JUMPED FROM IDLE SPEED TO 2000 RPMS. THE CAR LUCHED FORWARD CAUSING ME TO ALMOST HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. AT THE NEXT 2 STOPS THE ENGINE SPEED JUMPED FROM IDLE SPEED TO 1400 RPMS. FOR THE NEXT WEEK THE PROBLEM DID NOT HAPPEN AGAIN DURING NORMAL AROUND TOWN DRIVING. THE FOLLOWING WEEK I AGAIN HAD TO MAKE ANOTHER TRIP AT FREEWAY SPEEDS AND THIS TIME STITTING AT STOP SIGNS THE ENGINE IDLE WOULD SOMETIMES DROP TO THE POINT OF ALMOST STALLING THEN RECOVER. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TWICE TO THE DEALER AND THEY CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG. THE SECOND TIME A MECHANIC WENT WITH ME AND WITNESSED THE IDLE SPEED DROPPING. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT SWANTY'S CHRYSLER CONTACTED THE FACTORY AND HE TOLD ME YESTERDAY THAT PER THE FACTORY THIS IS COMMON TO CHRYSLER 4 CYLINDER ENGINES IN HOT WEATHER. THE DAYS THE ENGINE ACTED UP THE MOST WERE VERY HOT. THE TEMPERATURES WERE 128 AND 124 DEGREES. THE ENGINE IDLE SLOWING PROBLEM IS ANNOYING TO SAY THE LEAST, BUT THE ENGINE SPEEDING UP IS A SAFETY HAZZARD. THE LAST TIME I TOOK THE CAR IN I WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE THE DEARLER AND THE ENGINE WAS IDLING IN PARK AND I DID SEE THE IDLE SPEED JUMP UP ONCE TO 1400 RPMS. MYSELF AND MY WIFE ARE VERY CONCERNED AND THE DEALER IS STUMPED. THERE ARE NO TROUBLE CODES SHOWING, BUT I FEEL THIS IS A COMPUTER PROBLEM BECAUSE THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION COMPUTERS ARE UNDER THE HOOD AND OUR COMMOM 120+ DEGREE DAYS ARE CAUSING THE COMPUTERS TO MALFUNCTION BECAUSE OF THE EXTREMELY HIGH UNDER HOOD TEMPERATURES. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT MY FUEL MILEAGE IS DEREASING SIGNIFICANTLY WHICH COULD BE RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER HAS BEEN VERY UNDERSTANDING AND HAS BEEN TRYING TO HELP, BUT THIS SEEMS TO BE A FACTORY DEFECT.