1998 DODGE STRATUS Engine And Engine Coolingenginegasoline Problems

HEAD GASKET LEAKING, MILLAGE 69310,TOTAL COST $1003. *AK

MY DODGE STRATUS 98 HAS A MAJOR OIL LEAK FROM THE HEAD GASKET WHICH CAN BLOW MY ENGINE - ACCORDING TO MY FRIEND WHO IS A MECHANIC. HE SAYS THAT MOST OF THESE MODELS HAVE THIS PROBLEM BUT THERE WAS RECALL ONLY FOR 95-96 MODELS. IS THERE ANYTHING ON PROCESS TO EXTEND THE RECALL??? THE CAR IS WORTH $2,600 AND THE REPAIR WILL COST ME $2,000.*AK

AT 78,000 MILE DELEVOPED A BAD OIL LEAK, DON'T KNOW IF IT CAN CATCH ON FIRE. IT SURE SMELLS BAD. *NLM

AT APPROX 60,000 MILES MY 1998 DODGE STRATUS, DEVELOPED AN OIL LEAK AT THE HEAD GASKET, A CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD, A TIMING BELT TENSIONER AND COVER THAT HAVE FAILED, A LEAKING WATER PUMP THAT NEEDS REPLACING. MY MECHANIC ESTIMATES $2150.00 TO REPLACE AND REPAIR ALL THESE ITEMS. TO TOP THIS OFF MY MECHANIC TELLS ME THAT IT WILL TAKE 2 TO 3 WEEKS TO GET THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER AND COVER BECAUSE THERE'S A BIG BACK ORDER ON THESE ITEMS. MEANWHILE I'M WITHOUT A CAR! BY REVEIWING THE COMPLAINTS ON THE WEB, I SEE THAT THIS VEHICLE'S HEAD GASKET WAS REDESIGNED BY CHRYSLER SINCE 1998, ALSO THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER HAS BEEN REDESIGNED. THE CAR HAS BEEN GREAT UP TO THIS POINT. HOWEVER I FEEL, ALL THESE RECENT PROBLEMS ARE CLEARLY PRE-MATURE ESPECIALLY SINCE CHRYSLER HAS HAD TO REDESIGN THE HEAD GASKET AND TENSIONER IN ORDER TO CORRECT THE PROBLEMS...

MASSIVE OIL LEAK FROM HEAD GASKET THERE IS A CONSISTANT PROBLEM WITH THE 98 (AND OTHER YEARS) DODGE STRATUS ENGINES. THE HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING OIL MASSIVELY. WHE YOU ARE DRIVING IT SPLATTERS DOWN THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR, LANDING ON THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, THE EXHAUST PIPES AND MUFFLER. I HAVE NO FIRES OF YET, BUT WE HAVE RESTRICTED USE TO SHORT TRIPS. HERE IS A LINK TO A MESSAGE BAORD WITH SIMILAR PEOPLE WITH PROBLEMS. HTTP://WWW.CARTRACKERS.COM/FORUMS/LIVE/CHRYSLER/8.HTML

PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THIS SUBJECT. DT

HEAD GASKET FAILURE INTERNET REVEALS WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED PROBLEM. CALLED CHRYSLER THEY SAID INDIVIDUAL DEALERS WOULD HANDLE PROBLEM ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. REPUTABLE DEALER ALSO AAA OFFERED TO REPAIR AS GOOD WILL FOR $378. I HOPE SOMEONE ELSE BENEFITS FROM MY EXPERIENCE. WHAT IS THE CORRECT THING FOR A MANUFACTURER TO DO WHEN IT APPEARS EVERY SINGLE ENGINE WILL EVENTUALLY FAIL BEFORE THE EXPECTED LIFE OF THE PART? CAN THE GOV'T HELP US? DT

STARTED WITH AN OIL LEAK THAT REQUIRED ABOUT A QUART OF OIL PER TANK OF GAS. THIS SUDDENLY GOT MUCH WORSE, ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO. CAR BEGAN TO OVERHEAT AND ALSO HAD NO HEAT INSIDE. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS A THERMOSTAT AND I PURCHASED ONE AND WENT TO REPLACE IT, ONLY TO FIND THE COOLANT LOOKING LIKE CHOCOLATE MILK. SEEMS TO BE A CLEAR INDICATION OF A RUPTURED HEAD GASKET. ENGINE WILL STILL RUN AND THERE SEEMS TO BE NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE, ONLY THAT THE OILS IS BLOWING INTO THE WATER. WITH NO HEAT ON THE INSIDE, I WOULD HOPE THAT A HEATING/COOLANT SYSTEM FLUSH WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT. DT

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

ON THREE OCCASIONS, CONSUMER NOTICED ENGINE OIL AND SERVICE ENGINE SOON LAMP HAD ILLUMINATED, DEALER FOUND ENGINE OIL WAS LEAKING, BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE FROM WHERE, DEALER CHANGED ENGINE OIL, REPLACED OIL FILTER, AND CHECKED ENGINE, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS, CONSUMER IS PLACING UP TO THREE QUARTS OF OIL EVERY WEEK. VEHICLE STOPPED COMPLETELY CAUSING VEHICLE TO JERK VIOLENTLY AND CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *TT

ON THREE OCCASIONS, CONSUMER NOTICED ENGINE OIL AND SERVICE ENGINE SOON LAMP HAD ILLUMINATED, DEALER FOUND ENGINE OIL WAS LEAKING, BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE FROM WHERE, DEALER CHANGED ENGINE OIL, REPLACED OIL FILTER, AND CHECKED ENGINE, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS, CONSUMER IS PLACING UP TO THREE QUARTS OF OIL EVERY WEEK. VEHICLE STOPPED COMPLETELY CAUSING VEHICLE TO JERK VIOLENTLY AND CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *TT

MY DODGE STRATUS/98 HAS RECENTLY BEGAN GIVING ME A LOAD OF PROBLEMS.IT ALL BEGAN SUMMER 2001 WITH THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR NOT BEING ABLE TOO CLOSE.I DID NOT THINK ANYTHING WAS WRONG UNTILL I ATTEMPTED TO CONTINUOUSLY CLOSE MY DOOR AND IT WOULD NOT SHUT.SO I LOOKED CAREFULLY AND THE LATCH THAT LOCKS THE DOOR IN PLACE WAS COMMING UNDONE.I THAN TRIED TO MAKE THE DOOR SHUT BUT THE PROBLEM WAS GREATER THAN THAT.THE SCREW WAS GONE AND THE SECOND WAS ALMOST OUT OF TACT.THE LABOR AND SCREW REPLACEMENT ALONG WITH THE TOWE COST ME AROUND $60.00.THAN LUCK WOULD HAVE IT THE SAME INCIDENT OCCURED AGAIN ON THE LEFT-HAND FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WITH LABOR AND PARTS COSTING $30.00.THE PROBLEM WITH MY ENGINE BEGAN IN NOVEMBER, I HAD NOTICED THAT MY CAR OIL AND ENGINE WARNING HAD APPEARED SO I TOOK MY CAR TO A MECHANIC HAD OIL-FILTERS,AIR-CONDITION FLUID,WATER,& ENGINE ALL...

THEY WANT ME TO PAY $900 FOR A DEFECT THAT OCCURRED TO THE 1995 MODEL. NLM

I HAVE CONTACT CHRYSLER AND TOLD THEM AND THEY ARE UNRESPONSIVE. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK

I HAVE HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. DODGE "APPARENTLY" HAS A SERVICE BULLITEN OUT ON EXTENDING THE WARRANTY, BUT IT'S HARD TO GET DEALERS TO LOOK INTO IT. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

OIL LEAK LEAKS ONTO EXHAUST PIPE , CONCERN OF FIRE HAZARD AND GROUND CONTAMINATION. *AK

WHILE DRIVING OIL LEAKED ONTO SPARK PLUGS, CAUSING VEHICLE TO HESITATE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, AND THEY STATED THAT HEAD GASKET NEEDED REPLACING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

I NOTICED MY CAR OIL LIGHT CAME ON - SO I CHECKED THE OIL AND MUCH TO MY AMAZEMENT I SHOWED NO OIL LEVEL ON THE DIP-STICK SO I ADDED OIL UNTIL IT SHOWED ON THE DIP-STICK WHICH ENDED UP BEING 2 QTS LOW. SINCE JANUARY I HAVE ADDED AT LEAST 3 QTS A DAY, COSTING ME A NUMEROUS AMOUNT OF MONEY. ALSO MY WINDSHIELD HAS BEEN CRACKING SINCE FEB, 99 THE CRACK HAS ALMOST REACHED THE DRIVERS SIDE. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

ENGINE LEAKING A QUART OF OIL A WEEK. SERIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE. *AK