NHTSA Complaint #10560126 — 2002 DODGE STRATUS

NOTICED SLIGHT GEAR SLIPPAGE TRAVELLING 35-45MPH. ALL FLUIDS CHECKED, AT PROPER LEVELS. A WEEK LATER, ENGINE 'JERKED' WHEN COMING TO COMPLETE STOP, CHECK ENG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. PROGRESSIVELY WORSENED. ONCE ENGINE WARMED UP, STARTED HEARING A 'WHIRRING' NOISE FROM LOWER-MIDDLE AREA OF ENGINE. STOPPED @ LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, THEY CHECKED FLUIDS AND VAC HOSES, NOISE STOPPED, BUT NOTICED COOLANT IN RESERVOIR SIDE 3/4 FULL & BOILING, TEMP GAUGE ON DASH 'NORMAL'. NEXT DAY, WHILE COLD, I CHECKED COOLANT LEVEL IN RESERVOIR (LEFT SIDE) STILL FULL, (HADN'T FLOWED BACK THRU SYSTEM ONCE COOL). I ADDED WATER TO 'FILL LINE', CHECKED CONDITION OF PRESSURE CAP (LOOKED FINE), PLACED & TIGHTENED, STARTED ENGINE, LET RUN A FEW MINUTES, LOOSENED 'AIR BLEEDER' ON TOP OF COOLANT BLEEDER HSNG. THEN I SLOWLY SHIFTED THRU ALL GEARS, W/FOOT ON BRAKE, LET AIR BLEED TIL SOLID STREAM OF LIQUID AND SHUT CAR OFF. WAITED AN HOUR, STARTED UP AND DROVE. CK ENG LT= OFF. FINE FOR A FEW DAYS, SAME ISSUES STARTED UP AGAIN. LOUDER 'WHIRRING', LIKE A BELT OR BAND SLIPPED. IRRATIC SHIFTING, TRANS NEVER FAILED. RAN BOTH CODE TESTS ON DASHCLUSTER=NO DTCS. JAN 2014-DROVE TO DODGE DEALERSHIP: DISPOSITION: REPLACE MOPAR 41TE TRANS. MY LOST WAGES / LOSS OF VEH USE(DEC/JAN) + BURDEN OF A LOAN TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION = MORE THAN I PAID IN FULL TO BUY THE CAR BARELY 6 MONTHS AGO. UNFAIR TO CUSTOMERS: ONGOING COMPUTER AND PCM/TRANSMISSION FAILURE SINCE 1999. THE 'OOPS' TECH SPEC-CORRECT TRANS FLUID ATF+4 HOW MANY DAMAGED & FAILED TRANSMISSIONS? REFUSED TO HONOR POWERTRAIN WARRANTY!! AND CONTINUED PLACING. SHAME ON ALL OF THE CORPORATE EXECUTIVES & ENGINEERS THAT GOT RICH FROM ROBBING THE CONSUMERS. YOU WERE 'SUCCESSFUL FAILURES' MOPAR, CHRYSLER-DODGE-DAIMER-IACOCCA, ETC. 90+ TSBS, NO RECALLS. CLASS ACTIONS DISMISSED! TIME FOR THE CONSUMERS TO PREVAIL. TIME FOR A CALIFORNIA CLASS ACTION!! *TR