2004 DODGE STRATUS Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

CAR IS DRIVEN ON REGULAR CITY STREETS AND FREEWAYS. ROADS I DRIVE ARE PAVED - NO COUNTRY, DUSTY ROADS AND AREA ISN'T HEAVY IN POLLUTION. I PURCHASE MY GAS FROM SHELL OR CHEVRON AND REFILL AT 1/4 TO 1/3 TANK TO REDUCE CHANCE OF PICKING UP SEDIMENT FROM FUEL TANK. NOTICED WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY.THAT CAR WOULD DROP IN SPEED FROM 60 MPH TO 20 RATHER QUICKLY AND THEN FORGET ABOUT GOING UP A HILL. I WAS ALSO GETTING 8-10 MPG. A COUPLE WEEKS LATER I NOTICED EVEN ON LEVEL CITY STREETS THE LOSS OF POWER. CAR WAS DIAGNOSED AS CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND WITH CALIFORNIA EMISSION REGULATIONS THE COST OF PARTS AND LABOR WAS $ 1,600.00. A YEAR LATER, I NOTICED SOME LOSS OF POWER AND INCREASED FUEL CONSUMPTION. CAR WAS DIAGNOSED TO NEED CAT CONVERTER REPLACED AGAIN AND PAID ANOTHER $ 1,600.00. ALSO WAS DIAGNOSED THAT REAR MOUNTS NEEDED...

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE CAM SHAFT ROTATION SENSOR 4X, THE CAR BREAKS DOWN WHEN IT FAILS. ALSO, THE RELAY WIRES CONSTANTLY COME LOOSE. *TR

04/20/2012 DROVE OUT OF DRIVE WAY DOWN HEADING DOWN THE STREET TO STOP SIGN *(CUL-DE-SAC) HEARD SOMETHING LIKE A BANG...DROVE BACK IN TO DRIVE WAY. OPEN HOOD...FOUND AN OPEN GAP ON LEFT SIDE OF COVER SHOWING TIME CHAIN EXPOSED...HAD A MECHANIC LOOK OVER CAR, WHILE HE WAS CHECKING UNDER THE ENGINE , RELEASING A FEW BOLTS TO REPAIR SAW TIMING CHAIN GUIDE HAD BROKEN OFF CAUSING TIME CHAIN SHIFT AND GO OUT OF POSITION CAUSING THE COVER TO BUST OPEN...I WAS TOLD VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRABLE. DUE TO THE TIMING CHAIN GUIDE . PURCHASED IN DECEMBER 2011 FAILED COMPONENTS TIMING CHAIN AND TIMING CHAIN GUIDE AND PULLEY. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 DODGE STRATUS THAT I RECENTLY WAS HAVING ROUGH IDLE AND ENDED UP STALLING ON ME. THE PROBLEM STARTED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AND I HAD A TUNE UP DONE ON THE CAR AND THE SPARK PLUGS WHERE REPLACED. I THEN CONTINUED TO HAVE ISSUES AND THE INDEPENDENT SHOP REPLACED THE IGNITION WIRES. THEY SAID THE COMPUTER WAS NOT GIVING A CODE HOWEVER THEY COULD MONITOR THE SYSTEM AND SEE A MISFIRE ON CYLINDER ONE. THEY CHANGED THE WIRE ON 1 TO 3 AND 3 TO 1 AND THEN THE SAME BEHAVIOR OCCURRED ON CYLINDER 3. I HAD THE CAR FOR ABOUT 3 DAYS AND AFTER STARING IT UP AND LETTING IT WARM UP ON A COLD WINTER MORNING I WOULD HEAR IT RUNNING ROUGH. THE CAR SOUNDED LIKE IT COULD STALL AND THE ENGINE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE INDEPENDENT DEALER AND THEY...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE STRATUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS. THE "ENGINE WARNING" LIGHT INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED A ROUGH RUNNING DURING PERFORMANCE. THE WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS WITH REPLACEMENT OF THREE DIFFERENT COMPUTER CHIPS. CURRENTLY, THE VEHICLE IS BEING SERVICED AT AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TO REPROGRAM THE COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE STRATUS. WHILE IDLING, THE VEHICLE SURGES FORWARD SPORADICALLY WITHOUT WARNING. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS THE RPM'S RAPIDLY INCREASE AND BRAKING CAPABILITY IS REDUCED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT THEY CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN REMEDIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 56,500. UPDATED 6/8/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN STOPPED AT A LIGHT, THE ENGINE WOULD SUDDENLY START TO RACE JUST OVER 2000 RPM'S. UPDATED 06/11/09.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE STRATUS. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ON JUNE 13, 2005 AND THE OIL LIGHT HAS BEEN ILLUMINATING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL EVER SINCE. THE DEALER ATTEMPTED TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS; HOWEVER, THEY STATED THAT CLEANING SOME PARTS WOULD CORRECT THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO PERSIST. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC STATED THAT THE OIL SWITCH AND PLUGS WERE NOT IN PLACE. HE REPLACED THEM WITH PARTS THAT WERE PURCHASED FROM THE DEALER, BUT THE OIL LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. FOUR MONTHS AGO, A DEALER DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE DUE TO NOISE PRESENT IN THE ENGINE AREA. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $3,000; HOWEVER, SHE COULD CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2008, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART...

THIS LETTER IN REGARDS TO MY SERVICE CONTRACT #23013588 FOR # 2004 DODGE STRATUS. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE ON 10/14/06 AND IT HAD 50,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE PUT APPROXIMATELY 36,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND HAVE DONE ROUTINE OIL CHANGES EVERY 3 ? 4,000 MILES. I HAVE CHANGED THE OIL MYSELF BY DRAINING THE OIL AND REPLACING THE OIL FILTER AND NEW OIL. I HAVE NO RECEIPTS FOR THIS AND WAS NOT AWARE I WAS REQUIRED TO KEEP DETAILED RECORDS OF THIS. NOWHERE IN MY SERVICE DO I SEE ANYTHING THAT SAYS TO. ON 08/10/08 MY CAR BEGAN STALLING AND I WAS ABLE TO GET IT TOWED TO JACK POWELL CHRYSLER DODGE IN ESCONDIDO, CA FOR SERVICE. MIKE LEWIS RECOMMENDED I HAVE THE ENGINE DISMANTLED TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM. UPON HIS INVESTIGATION HE SAW METAL SHAVINGS AND ?SLUDGE? NEAR THE BEARINGS. CHRYSLER SENT A 3RD PARTY INVESTIGATOR...

THE CAR WILL IDLE ROUGHLY AT SLOW SPEEDS AND STALL IN PARKING LOTS AND INTERSECTIONS, WITH JUST 6,000 MILES THE BRAKES ARE NOW GOING BAD AS WELL. IT ALSO WILL LUNGE FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING AT STOP LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS, MY WIFE WAS ALMOST IN AN ACCIDENT YESTERDAY AND REFUSES TO DRIVE THE CAR. IT IS AT THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM TODAY. LAST TIME THEY TOLD ME I DID NO KNOW WHAT IT MEANS WHEN A CAR STALLS BECAUSE THE COMPUTER SAYS IT DID NOT AND THEY DROVE IT A FEW MILES AND DID NOT HAVE TROUBLE. I WISH I COULD GET RID OF IT TODAY. *NM

WHILE AT A STOP ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. VEHICLE THEN STARTED TO JERK FORWARD. CONSUMER PRECEDED TO DRIVE HOME. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

CAR DOES THE FOLLOWING AT RANDOM- WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS IT DIES, SOMETIMES WHEN PULLING INTO PARKING SPACES THE ENGINES SURGES AND CAUSES CAR TO LUNGE FORWARD. ONCE WHEN I BACKED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE IT SURGED AND LUNGED FORWARD. THE ENGINE, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS HAS IDLED VERY ROUGHLY, THE ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON ONCE AND THE OTHER TIME IT FLASHED 5 OR 6 TIMES AND QUIT. NOE THE MOTOR IN THE REAR WINDOW IS DEFECTIVE! I HAVE HAD THIS CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP 6-7 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM AND "THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM".THE LEMON LAW IN TENNESSE REQUIRES 4 VISITS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, HAVE EXCEEDED THAT BY FAR! I AM DONE WITH DODGE/CHRYSLER AND ALL THEIR PRODUCTS. I WILL BUY A FOREIGN CAR BEFOR I EVER BUY ANOTHER PRODUCT FROM THEM!!!*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS VEHICLE STALLED. *AK AFTER THE VEHICLE STALLS IT CUTS OFF EVEN WHEN THE CONSUMERS FOOT IS ON THE ACCELERATOR. SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE THE GAS PEDAL HAS BEEN KICKED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE JERKS FORWARD. *TC