1998 DODGE STRATUS Engine And Engine Coolingengine Problems

I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE, OTHER THAN THOSE LISTED, PLUS THERE IS MUCH MORE INFORMATION TO SUPPORT THE PROBLEMS I HAVE LISTED. I HAVE EXPERIENCED A HEATER CORE FAILURE, BRAKES REPLACED ALREADY TWICE ON THE VEHICLE WITH LESS THAN 40,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I HAVE HAD A DEFECTIVE SEAT BELT (PASSENGER), THE TIMING CHAIN IS A MAJOR ENGINE REPAIR THAT I JUST HAD DOWN. NOW I AM STILL DEALING WITH THE RESIDULE PRODBLEM WITH MY HEATING/DEFROST SINCE K & M REPLACED MY WATER PUMP ON 10/17/01. OVERALL I CONSIDER THIS CAR TO BE A REAL PIECE OF CRAP AND I ABSOLUTELY WOULD NEVER BUY ANOTHER STRATUS AND IN FACT, I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER CHRYSLER VEHICLE EVER. I FEEL I HAVE STUNG WITH A LEMON AND BASICALLY I NO LEGAL RECOURSE WHICH IS VERY UNFAIR TO ME, THE CONSUMER. I AM STILL PAYING ON THIS PIECE...

EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM CHRYSLER REFUSES TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. AFTER REPLACING THE HEADGASKET TWICE, THEY ARE NOW TELLING ME THAT THE OIL LEAK IS DUE TO A POSSIBLY WARPED CYLINDER HEAD. SO FAR THE BEST CHRYSLER HAS DONE IS PAY FOR HALF OF THE COST.*AK

HEAD GASKETS FAIL ON CHRYSLER 2.4 LITER ENGINES LOTS OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM HEAD GASKET HAD TO BE REDISIGNED SEE SERVICE BULLETIN # 090598 MY OIL WAS LEAKING FROM HEAD GASKET AND BLOWING ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD POSING A FIRE RISK DEALER REPLACED HEAD GASKET HOWEVER DIDNT COVER THE ENTIRE CHARGES. *AK

AT APPROXIMATLY 49,500 MILES ON MY 1998 DODGE STRATUS I NOTICED AN OIL LEAK WHILE DOING AN OIL CHANGE. I KEPT A WATCH ON THIS AND DETERMINED THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS. AT THIS TIME I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE WERE MANY COMPLAINTS AND SERVICE BULLETINS ON THE HEAD GASKET ON THIS MODEL AND ENGINE SIZE. I THEN CONTACTED THE DEALER WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED AND THEY VERIFIED THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS THE PROBLEM AND THAT IT WAS GOING TO COST ME $600.00 OR MORE TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED. I THEN DID MORE RESEARCH INTO THIS AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS AN EXCESSIVLY HIGH INCIDENT OF THE HEAD GASKET FAILING ON THIS MODEL IN BOTH THE 1997 AND 1998 YEARS, AND WHEN QUESTIONING PEOPLE IN THE SURROUNDING AREA FOUND OUT THAT NEARLY EVERY PERSON THAT...

WHILE DRIVING NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER HOOD. STOPPED VEHICLE AND LIFTED HOOD. HEAD GASKETS WAS LEAKING OIL ONTO ENGINE. HAD NO PRIOR WARNING. TOOK VEHICLE TO MECHANIC, AND HAD NO INDICATION WHAT CAUSED LEAKAGE.*AK

WE JUST NOTICE A OIL LEAK TODAY AND TOOK IT UP TO REPAIR SHOP AND THEY STATED THAT IT WAS TH E HEAD GASKET AND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH DODGE/ CHRYSLER CARS. *AK

THERE HAVE BEEN 5 TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS ISSUED IN REGARD TO THE HEAD GASKET ON THIS VEHICLE. I FEEL THAT IT IS A PROBLEM THAT CHRYSLER HAS BEEN AWARE OF SINCE MANUFACTURING IT, AND THEY SHOULD HAVE EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO COVER THIS PART. I HAD NOT DRIVEN THE CAR FOR 36 MONTHS YET BUT MY MILEAGE WAS OVER THE 36,000 LIMIT, I FEEL I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED THE $412.71 I WAS CHARGED AS THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. *AK

HEAD GASKET ALREADY FAULTY AT ONLY 71,000 MILES. SHOULD HAVE LASTED UNTIL AT LEAST 100,000

HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING OIL, IT IS ONLY LEAKING A FEW SPOTS HERE AND THERE, BUT MOST OF THE OIL HAS LEAKED IN CONSUMER'S DRIVEWAY. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER AND THE DEALER IS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. *AK *SLC

1998 DODGE STRATUS 64,000 MILES WITH HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS????? DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT. *AK

ENGINE WAS LEAKING OIL AND CONSUMER HAD TO ADD A QUART A WEEK. DEALER ORIGINALLY SAID IT TAKE $600-$800. AFTER CONSUMER TOLD DEALER THERE WERE ALOT OF COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET, DEALER REDUCED THE PRICE TO $150.00.*AK

THE VEHCILE WAS LEAKING OIL, PROGRESSIVELY GETTING WORSE, BUT WAS FIXED BY THE DEALER. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HEAD GASKET WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL OF THE VEHICLE. *YH

THE VEHICLE DEVELOPED AN EXTENSIVE OIL LEAK DUE TO A FAULTY HEAD GASKET DESIGN. NLM

HEAD GASKETS BLEWOUT, CAUSING OIL LEAKAGE. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE.*AK

I NOTICED OIL ON THE OUTSIDE OF ENGINE. I BROUGHT OUR CAR TO DOWNTOWN TIRE IN HASTINGS, MN WHERE THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A HEADGASKET LEAK. THE MECHANIC ALSO TOLD ME THAT HE HAS HEARD ABOUT AND SEEN A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE DODGE STRATUS AND HEADGASKETS. TOLD US TO TAKE IT TO THE DODGE DEALER AND HAVE IT FIXED. RON BECKER, INC TOLD US THAT THERE REALLY WASN'T ANY PROBLEMS WITH HEADGASKETS BUT THEY WOULD CHECK OUR CAR OUT. THEY THEN CALLED US TO SAY IT WAS DEFINETLY THE HEAD GASKET IT COST ME $99 FOR THE PARTS AND $552.50 FOR LABOR. I HAVE BEEN CHECKING THE INTERNET AND HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THERE HAS BEEN A NUMBER OF HEAD GASKET LEAKS AND WOULD LIKE SOMETHING DONE OR COMPENSATION.*AK

WARRANTY EXPIRED ON10/27/01.WAS TOLD ON 1/31/01 THAT HEAD GASKET LEAKING NEEDS REPLACEMENT.TWO MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY,35,571 MILES YET NEEDS NEW GASKET?CHECKING YOUR DATABASE,SERVICE BULLENTIN 090598,SEQ. 291,NHTSA # SB602898,STATES THAT CHRYSLER DEVELOPE NEW MLS GASKET TO BE IMPLEMENTED ON 1999 MODELS TO CORRECT SUCH A PROBLEM.INCOMPLAINT DATABASE,ODI # 714001, STATES CHRYSLER AWARE OF GASKET FAILURES.A HEAD GASKET IS A COSTLY/TIME CONSUMING JOB ESPECIALLY WHEN NOT UNDER WARRANTY.IF THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM,AND A NEW GASKET HAS BEEN INTRODUCED,SHOULD THERE NOT BE A RECALL OR A UPDATE NADE TO THE 1998 MODELS.? COULD YOU PLEASE HELP OUT THIS SITUATION? *AK

I TOOK MY CAR IN BECAUSE I NEEDED TO HAVE THE BRAKES REPAIRED AS A REGULAR ITEM OF REPAIR, SECONDARY TO WEAR AND TEAR. THIS WAS EARLY IN DECEMBER 2000. THE MECHANIC ALSO CHECKED OVER THE CAR AND REPORTED THAT AS WITH MANY 1998 DODGE STRATUS' I WILL NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET. THE MECHANIC ALSO INFORMED ME THAT I SHOULD CHECK WITH THE DEALER AND SEE IF THIS ITEM HAS YET BEEN RECALLED. I THEN HAD NO PROBLEMS FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS WHEN I WAS TURNING AROUND A CORNER SLOWLY AND AN AWFUL NOISE OCCURRED. I THEN PARKED THE CAR AND WHEN I RETURNED I HAD A LARGE OIL LEAK ON THE GROUND. I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY TRUSTED MECHANIC AND THEY CHECKED IT OVER WHEN THEY NOTICED THAT THE HEAD GASKET NEEDED REPLACING, THE ENTIRE PULLEY SYSTEM WAS SEIZING UP AND...

MY VEHICLE DEVELOPED AN OIL LEAK AT THE HEAD GASKET, THE DEALER SAYS AN ENTIRE HEAD ASSEMBLY IS NECESSARY, MY RESEARCH AT YOUR SITE SHOWS SERVICE BULLETINS & OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS LEAK. IS THERE ANY RECOURSE TO THE MANUFACTURER, SINCE I AM LOOKING AT A $750 REPAIR BILL ON A VEHICLE THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM THIS SOON.*AK

CONSUMER NOTICED LARGE AMOUNT OF OIL ON DRIVEWAY. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. TECHNICIAN STATED THAT HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE HEAD GASKET FAILURE RESULTS IN LEAKING OIL ON TO THE ENGINE WHICH WOULD BE FIRE HAZARD A S WELL. *YH

CHECK OIL LIGHT ALERTED ME TO A PROBLEM WHICH WAS CONFIRMED BY A LICENSED MECHANIC. THE PROBLEM IS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. WHILE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP, MECHANICS SUGGESTED I LOOK FOR A RECALL. NONE AT THE PRESENT TIME. TALKED TO DODGE DEALER. WAS TOLD THAT SINCE I HAD OVER 75000 MILES AND A NON-DODGE MECHANIC WAS REPAIRING THE PROBLEM, THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. IT HAS BECOME OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS A GROWING PROBLEM. THIS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AS A RECALL. I CAUGHT IT EARLY. DODGE SHOULD STEP UP AND FIX THE PROBLEM, REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF MILES ON THE VEHICLE. SOME POEPLE PROPERLY MAINTAIN THEIR VEHICLES. *AK

NOTICED OIL LEAK THAT WOULD COME AND GO. RECENTLY NOTICED OIL LEAKING FROM HEAD GASKET. MECHANIC SAYS IT IS VERRY COMMON ON THESE CARS. IS THERE ANY HELP OFFERED BY DODGE? *AK

THIS CAR HAS BEEN A MAJOR PROBLEM. HEAD GASKET FAILED AT APPROX 11,000 ON MY WAY TO AIRPORT TO PICK UP FAMILY ON APRIL 10, 1999. COULDN'T GET IT IN FOR SERVICE UNTIL APRIL 14, 1999. TRANSMISSION CLUTCH STARTED CATCHING OR SCRAPING ON SOMETHING SHORTLY AFTER HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED, I WAS TOLD WHEN WORK WAS COMPLETED (REPLACED CABLES ON 11/18/1999) THAT PROBLEM WAS MANUFACTURER DEFECT MILEAGE WAS 18,373. WAS AGAIN EXPERIENCING SAME PROBLEM WITH CLUTCH ON 2/29/2000. UPON SPEAKING WITH SERVICE TEAM, WAS TOLD THERE WAS A BAD BEARING IN THE TRANSMISSION AND THEY WOULD BE REPLACING BOTH THE CABLES AND TRANSMISSION PARTS; I ALSO ASKED FOR THEM TO CHECK THE ENGINE LIGHT , BECAUSE IT WAS COMING ON AND HAD A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE; VACCUM SYSTEM WAS REPLACED. ON 3/24/2000 INTERNAL PARTS OF TRANSMISSION WERE REPLACED AT 22,349 MI. ON 06/05/2000 ENGINE STALLED AND WAS DIFFICULT TO...

HEAD GASKET ON THE VEHICLE HAS FAILED. UPON RESEARCH OF THIS ISSUE , I FIND MORE PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. ONE PERSON HAD IT REPLACED 4 TIMESS. THE COMPANY WON'T RECALL IT . THIS IS UNEXCEPTABLE . A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE THIS FAILURE AT THE 50,000 MILE MARK. WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL. OIL AND HEAT....FIRE!

I HAVE TALKED TO OTHER STRATUS/BREEZE OWNERS AND THEY TOLD ME TO EXPECT THE LEAK BECAUSE CRYSLER WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THEIR GASKETS. AT THE TIME I DIDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM, BUT SURE ENOUGH, IT'S STARTING TO LEAK ALOT!*AK

CAR BEGAN LEAKING OIL..THOUGH IT WAS DUE TO LAST OIL CHANGE .TOOK CAR BACK TO PLACE WHERE OIL WAS CHANGED AND WAS TOLD HEAD GASKET WAS GONE AND WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE MODEL ENGINE.CAR WAS REPAIRED BY DEALER WITHOUT COST TO ME. *AK

GASKET REPLACED WITH NEW STYLE GASKET. CHRYSLER REALIZES THE OLD ONE FAILS. MECHANICS AT THIS GARAGE HAVE DONE NUMEROUS ONES

THERE ARE SEVERAL REFERENCES IN INTERNET NEWSGROUPS ABOUT THIS HEAD GASKET PROBLEM BUT A CLARKSVILLE DEALER SAYS THAT IT IS NOT A COMMON PROBLEM