2001 DODGE STRATUS COUPE Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

FIRST OFF, I BOUGHT THIS CAR FROM MY SISTER...THE BALL JOINT BROKE ON ME WITHIN A MONTH...PROBABLY NOT HER FAULT. HOWEVER THE CAR WAS MAKING A LOT OF NOISES AND CLANKS AND CREAKS, I WAS TOLD IT WAS JUST THE BUSHINGS, GUESS I FOUND OUT IT WASN'T THE HARD WAY. ABOUT A MONTH AFTER THE BALL JOINT WAS REPLACED THE REAR STRUT BROKE AND WAS RUBBING THE INSIDE OF THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE. AFTER THAT WAS FIXED, ABOUT 3 WEEKS LATER I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND HEARD AN ODD GRINDING SOUND STARTED TO SOUND LIKE A FLAT, PULLED OVER TO DISCOVER THAT ALL OF MY LUGNUTS HAD BEEN PUSHED OFF SOMEHOW AND THE RIM HAD GRINDED DOWN THE POSTS. IT WAS ONLY HOLDING ON BY 1 LUGNUT AND IT WAS ALMOST OFF TOO. MOST RECENTLY THE CAR KEEPS OVERHEATING, REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT, AND CHECKED ALL FLUIDS NONE OF...

WHILE PARKED AND TURNED OFF, MY '01 DODGE STRATUS R/T ENCOUNTERED AN ENGINE FIRE. THE ENTIRE ENGINE IS ALMOST BEYOND RECOGNITION. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT ANYTHING OF THE KIND WAS WRONG; THE CAR HAD BEEN RUNNING AS USUAL. A SIMPLE GOOGLE OF "STRATUS ENGINE FIRE" TURNED UP AN OVERWHELMING OCCURRENCE OF STRATUS OWNERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. IT APPEARS TO HAVE STARTED NEAR THE FUSEBOX, WHICH WAS ALSO THE LOCATION OF THE FIRE IN THE COUNTLESS SEARCH RESULTS. THE CAR HAD IDLED TOO HIGH FROM A FEW DAYS AFTER I PURCHASED IT. WE HAD THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE CHANGED AND THE IDLE SPEED ADJUSTED BY THE SHOP FOUR OR FIVE TIMES, YET NOTHING WOULD STOP THE HIGH IDLE. THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD DECREASE IT WAS TO TURN THE AIR CONDITIONER ON--WHICH BRINGS ME TO ANOTHER PROBLEM. THE DRAIN HOLES FOR THE AIR CONDITIONER ARE NOT SUFFICIENT FOR...

I BOUGHT MY 2001 STRATUS R/T USED. NOT EVEN A YEAR AFTER I HAD BOUGHT IT, I HAD TO PAY OVER $100 TO GET IT TO IDLE RIGHT. THEN I WAS IN A NOT-AT-FAULT ACCIDENT 6 MOS. LATER WITH OVER $8,000 IN DAMAGES TO THE FRONT END AND THE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. AFTER THE WRECK I HAD TO PAY OVER $ 1,300 TO GET THE SHOCKS & STRUTS FIXED JUST TO HAVE IT MESS UP NOT EVEN 4 MOS. LATER. IT ALSO AS A ROTTEN ODOR COMING FROM IT OCCASIONALLY. I ALSO PAID ALMOST $200 FOR A NEW BATTERY TO HAVE IT START TO DRAIN NOT EVEN 6-7 MOS. LATER! AND WHEN THE BATTERY HAD TO BE CLEANED, I HAD TO GET IT RE-IDLED AGAIN! NOW IT WON'T STAY STARTED UNLESS YOU'RE GIVING IT GAS. I LOVE THE LOOK, BUT WORST CAR I EVER BOUGHT. AND IT'S NOT EVEN...

I BOUGHT THIS CAR BRAND NEW... DROVE IT OFF THE LOT FEELING CONFIDENT AND NOW 5 YEARS LATER THERE IS BARELY ANY PAINT ON IT AND I CAN'T KEEP THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OFF. THE CLEAR COAT STARTED CRACKING EARLY OF 2003. WHEN I ASKED THE DEALER ABOUT THE PAINT SITUATION THEY ASKED ME HOW MANY MILES WERE ON MY CAR AND THEN SAID THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING. MY QUESTION IS WHAT DOES THE MILAGE HAVE TO DO WITH THE PAINT JOB???? ALSO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT RANDOMLY COMES ON. I HAVE NEEDED SOME NORMAL MAINTENANCE ON MY CAR BUT THIS LAST TIME, EARLIER THIS YEAR I TOOK IT IN FOR THE LIGHT. THEY SAID IT WAS NOTHING, CHARGED ME $100 AND THEN SENT ME ON MY WAY ONLY FOR THE THING TO COME RIGHT BACK ON THE NEXT DAY. THIS IS ALL VERY DISCOURAGING BECAUSE THIS VEHICLE IS NOT...