Dodge STRATUS COUPE problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
68 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
54,250 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2001 to 2005 model years. Data snapshot: . 44 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Structure is the most frequently named component, appearing in 22 of 68 complaints (32.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 7 | 10.3% |
| Braking behavior | 3 | 4.4% |
| Transmission and shifting | 2 | 2.9% |
| Engine operation | 2 | 2.9% |
| Steering behavior | 1 | 1.5% |
| Fuel system concerns | 1 | 1.5% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Structure | 22 |
| Air Bags | 9 |
| Unknown Or Other | 9 |
| Electrical System | 7 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 4 |
| Structure:Body | 3 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 2 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 2 |
Structure: 22; Air Bags: 9; Unknown Or Other: 9; Electrical System: 7; Engine And Engine Cooling: 4; Structure:Body: 3; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 2; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 2
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 7 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 13 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 11 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 6 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 4 |
| 150,000 and above | 3 |
Under 25,000: 7; 25,000 to 49,999: 13; 50,000 to 74,999: 11; 75,000 to 99,999: 6; 100,000 to 149,999: 4; 150,000 and above: 3
25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (13). 24 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 1 |
| 2003 | 6 |
| 2004 | 4 |
| 2005 | 6 |
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2007 | 15 |
| 2008 | 8 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 5 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 5 |
| 2018 | 1 |
2001: 1; 2003: 6; 2004: 4; 2005: 6; 2006: 2; 2007: 15; 2008: 8; 2009: 3; 2010: 5; 2011: 3; 2012: 3; 2013: 1; 2014: 2; 2015: 3; 2016: 5; 2018: 1
Pattern summary
Structure leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 7 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 3 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 2 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10017128 · 2003-05-06 (May 6, 2003)
I BOUGHT THIS CAR BRAND NEW OFF THE LOT ON 01/12/01 WITH 14 MILES ON IT. 04/14/02 I WAS DRIVING THE CAR WHEN THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON AND STALLED OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. WHEN THE CAR WAS ABLE TO BE STARTED AGAIN, BLUE SMOKE WAS COMING OUT THE BACK. I PARKED THE CAR NEARBY AND LET IT SIT FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES, AND WHEN I TRIED TO START THE CAR AGAIN, IT WOULD NOT STAY RUNNING, AND THERE WAS MORE BLUE SMOKE COMING OUT OF IT. I CALLED THE DODGE TOWING SERVICE, AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE ORIGINAL DEALER THAT I BOUG…
Owner-reported narrative. 11,440 miles reported. Look up ODI 10017128 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10131148 · 2005-08-02 (August 2, 2005)
1. THE CAR BATTERY OF MY 2001 DODGE STRATUS RT WENT DEAD ON SUNDAY MORNING. I PURCHASED A CORRECT REPLACEMENT BATTERY AND INSTALLED IT ON THE VEHICLE. 2. UPON STARTING THE CAR AFTER INSTALLING THE NEW BATTERY, THE CAR WOULD NOT IDLE BUT WOULD ONLY SHUT DOWN. I TRIED THIS SEVERAL TIMES AND I COULD ONLY KEEP THE CAR RUNNING WHILE GIVING IT GAS. I TRIED DRIVING THE CAR AND IT DROVE OK UNTIL I RELEASED THE GAS PEDAL IN ORDER TO SLOW DOWN, STOP, OR MAKE A TURN AND EACH TIME THE CAR ENGINE SHUT DOWN. 3. I MANAGED TO DRIVE THE CAR TO THE DO…
Owner-reported narrative. 49,821 miles reported. Look up ODI 10131148 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10098709 · 2004-11-11 (November 11, 2004)
ENGINE STARTED TO IDLE VERY ROUGH WITH AND WITHOUT BRAKES APPLIED FOR SEVERAL DAYS UNTIL IT FAILED TO START. 3 DAYS AT DEALERSHIP SERVICE FOR CONCERNS. (NEW BATT AND PCM REPROGRAM THAT RESULTED IN A 10 MINUTE DRIVE AWAY FROM CENTER AFTER SERVICE COMPLETED TO HAVE THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT COME ON) RETURNED CAR TO DEALER THE NEXT DAY TO FIND THE ERG VALVE WAS FAULTY TO FAILURE, HAD TO RESTRICT AIR FLOW TO MAINTAIN PROPER IDLE. PENDING 2 MORE DAYS OF SERVICE TIME TO CORRECT. MORE LOST TIME AND MONEY. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 39,010 miles reported. Look up ODI 10098709 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10318855 · 2010-03-11 (March 11, 2010)
I DID EXPERIENCE MY CAR ACCELERATING. I STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND WAS WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO TURN GREEN WHEN MY CAR JUST STARTED REVVING UP. I COULD FEEL THE CAR PULLING BECAUSE IT WAS ACCELERATING. I HAD KEPT FEET ON THE BRAKES BUT IT KEPT GETTING LOUDER AND PULLING UNTIL I TURNED THE IGNITION OFF. I STARTED IT UP AGAIN WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN BUT IT WAS STILL ACCELERATING, SO I MANAGED TO PULL OVER AND PARK THE CAR. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10318855 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10104134 · 2004-12-20 (December 20, 2004)
MANUAL 5-SPEED TRANSMISSION ON MY 2001 DODGE STRATUS R/T HAS LOST REVERSE. IT HAS ONLY 56000 MILES AND I HAVE FOUND, THROUGH RESEARCH, THAT TIS TRANSMISSION PRODUCED BY MITSUBISHI HAS A VERY HIGH FAILURE RATE. I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH 2ND GEAR GRINDING SINCE NEW. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 56,777 miles reported. Look up ODI 10104134 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10235947 · 2008-07-27 (July 27, 2008)
I AM WRITING ON BEHALF OF THE ISSUE CONCERNING SAFETY AND RELIABILITY OF MITSUBISHI/DODGE VEHICLES CONTAINING THE F4A51 AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE (2000-05 ECLIPSE, 2001-05 STRATUS RT, 1997-2003 V6 GALANT) THE MAIN ISSUE SEEMS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE WAVE/CUSHION SPRING LOCATED IN THE TRANSMISSION. MITSUBISHI HAS DESIGNED THE WAVE SPRING AS A FRAGILE TWO COIL PIECE WHICH HAS BEEN KNOWN TO REPEATEDLY BREAK CAUSING CATASTROPHIC FAILURE IN THE TRANSMISSION. THIS IN TURN POSES A THREAT ON THE DRIVER/PASSENGERS AS WHEN THIS WAVE SPRING BREA…
Owner-reported narrative. 91,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10235947 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10250908 · 2008-12-05 (December 5, 2008)
MY STEERING ALL OF A SUDDEN GOT LOCKED TO THE LEFT AND I ALMOST RAN INTO AND OTHER CAR. I WENT TO A REPAIR PLACE AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS MY RACK AND PINION. I JUST GOT BACK FROM A TRIP AND HAD NO PROBLEMS THANK GOD BUT TO GO OUT ALL OF A SUDDEN. IT SCARED ME PRETTY BAD I PARKED THE CAR IT IS TO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 68,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10250908 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10132661 · 2005-08-12 (August 12, 2005)
MY 2002 DODGE STRATUS COUPE HAS FAULTY STARTS. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES, I HAVE HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERS TWICE BEFORE. THERE WAS ONE OCCASION WHEN IT DIDN'T START, THEN HOURS LATER ALL OF A SUDDEN IT DID. THE FIRST TIME I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERS, THEY SAID IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH A LARGE EVAPORATION LEAK. THE SECOND TIME, THE DEALERSHIP COULDN'T FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM , KEPT THE CAR FOR 4 DAYS, THEN TOLD ME THE CAR STARTED ON ITS OWN. THIS LAST TIME THE CAR DIED WHEN I WAS REVERSING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE. I TRIED TO…
Owner-reported narrative. 13,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10132661 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 0 |
| 2002 | 0 |
| 2003 | 0 |
| 2004 | 0 |
| 2005 | 0 |
2001: 0; 2002: 0; 2003: 0; 2004: 0; 2005: 0