1998 Dodge STRATUS problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
236 owner complaints analyzed
3 distinct recall campaigns
75,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1998 model year. Data snapshot: . 67 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 74 of 236 complaints (31.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 45 | 19.1% |
| Steering behavior | 15 | 6.4% |
| Transmission and shifting | 11 | 4.7% |
| Engine operation | 5 | 2.1% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 2 | 0.8% |
| Fuel system concerns | 2 | 0.8% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 74 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 19 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 13 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 9 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 9 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components | 9 |
| Unknown Or Other | 9 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc | 8 |
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 74; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 19; Engine And Engine Cooling: 13; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 9; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip: 9; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components: 9; Unknown Or Other: 9; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc: 8
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 4 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 9 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 20 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 18 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 12 |
| 150,000 and above | 4 |
Under 25,000: 4; 25,000 to 49,999: 9; 50,000 to 74,999: 20; 75,000 to 99,999: 18; 100,000 to 149,999: 12; 150,000 and above: 4
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (20). 169 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 |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 36 |
| 2001 | 42 |
| 2002 | 43 |
| 2003 | 34 |
| 2004 | 37 |
| 2005 | 15 |
| 2006 | 7 |
| 2007 | 6 |
| 2008 | 4 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1 |
2000: 36; 2001: 42; 2002: 43; 2003: 34; 2004: 37; 2005: 15; 2006: 7; 2007: 6; 2008: 4; 2009: 3; 2011: 2; 2014: 1; 2015: 3; 2016: 2; 2017: 1
Pattern summary
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 45 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 15 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 11 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 10006367 · 2000-07-15 (July 15, 2000)
1ST BRAKE FAILURE, 15,000 MILES, SECOND AT 40,000 MILES. ENGINEERING DEFECT, NOT ENOUGH SURFACE AREA TO COMPENSATE FOR CAB FORWARD DESIGN. MANY OF YOUR COMPLAINTS ABOUT ANTI-LOCK BRAKES HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE HYDRAULICS. LETS GET THIS RECALLED BEFORE SOME ONE GETS KILLED. *MR *NLM **DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER ARTEMIS**725472
Owner-reported narrative. 15,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10006367 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10015772 · 2003-04-14 (April 14, 2003)
THE VEHICLE LOST OIL, AND THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR WHEN APPLIED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BRAKE TUBE AND CLAMP. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 55,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10015772 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10020160 · 2003-05-20 (May 20, 2003)
THE FLOOR MAT ON THE DRIVER SIDE, SLID FORWARD AND BECAME TANGLED IN THE STEERING UNIVERSAL JOINT. THIS CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO BE HARD TO TURN. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 70,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10020160 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10079594 · 2004-06-21 (June 21, 2004)
WHILE TURNING A CORNER AT 10 MPH CONSUMER FELT THE STEERING WHEEL TIGHTENED SEVERELY. CONSUMER MADE ANOTHER TURN, AND THE STEERING WHEEL TIGHTENED AGAIN. VEHICLE WOULD NOT PROCEED ANY FURTHER, AND CONSUMER CALLED A TOW TRUCK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE, WERE THE CONSUMER LEARNED THAT THE LEFT TIE ROD BROKE.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. 54,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10079594 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10086900 · 2004-08-15 (August 15, 2004)
HERBEE MOTORS 130 SUNRISE HIGHWAY WEST ISLIP N.Y. 11795 AUGUST 15, 2004. *JB ATTN. SERVICE MANGER, THE PREVENTATIVE RECALL WORK DONE ON MY 1998 DODGE STRATUS IS UNSAFE AND TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. PLEASE SEE SERVICE HISTORY FOR AUG. 12 AND AUG. 13, 2004 AND REFER TO YOUR INVOICE DOCS27685 DATED 8/13/04 VIN [XXX] FOR RECALL C45 FLOOR SHIFTER IGNITION PARK INTERLOCK. I PICKED UP MY CAR FRIDAY EVENING AUG 13. AFTER PARKING MY CAR (PLACING THE SHIFT IN TH…
Owner-reported narrative. 62,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10086900 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10089577 · 2004-08-24 (August 24, 2004)
THE KEY CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE WITHOUT VEHICLE BEING IN PARK. ALSO, SHIFTS GEARS WITHOUT THE KEY BEING IN THE IGNITION. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER ON THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. 104,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10089577 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10003145 · 2003-01-21 (January 21, 2003)
TIMING BELT TENSIONER BROKE WHILE DRIVING FULL SPEED ON THE FREEWAY. THE ENGINE STALLED AND I WAS LUCKY TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SAFELY. NOW THE CAR HAS BEEN AT THE SHOP FOR TWO WEEKS AND DODGE STATES THE PARTS ARE NOT IN PRODUCTION AND UNAVAILABLE UNTIL A LATER UNKNOWN DATE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE PART IS BEING REMANUFACTURED TO ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM, BUT THE NEW PART HASN'T BEEN PRODUCED YET. THERE IS NOT A DATE SET FOR WHEN THE PART WILL BE AVAILABLE. DODGE OBVIOUSLY KNEW THE PART WAS DEFECTIVE OR THEY WOULD NOT HAVE IMPROVED IT FOR…
Owner-reported narrative. 83,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10003145 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 735926 · 2000-11-07 (November 7, 2000)
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 TRA…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 735926 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10105846 · 2005-01-06 (January 6, 2005)
BATTERY LIGHT INDICATOR ON PANEL COMING ON/OFF LEADING TO LIGHT GLITCHES ON SPEED INDICATOR PANEL, RADIO CLOCK, INTERIOR LIGHTS, HEADLIGHTS, REAR DEFROST COMING ON BY ITSELF AND GLITCHING ON THE ODOMETER READING. CAR BATTERY SHOWING 11 VOLTS OUT OF 12 FOR COLD START AND ALTERNATOR ALREADY CHANGED OUT HAVE RECEIPT TO SHOW THIS PAST MONTH.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. 170,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10105846 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10244020 · 2008-09-30 (September 30, 2008)
WELL I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MY OIL PRESSURE SENSOR ABOUT 6 TIMES ALREADY, IT SEEMS LIKE I REPLACE IT EVER 6 MONTHS OR SO, IT HAS BEEN LEAKING OUT OF THE ELECTRICAL END OF THE SENSOR BUT NEVER LEAKS OUT OF THE THREADED END THAT GOES INTO THE BLOCK, IT ALMOST CAUSED ME TO BLOW UP MY MOTOR THAT LAST TIME IT HAPPENED, IT IS JUST BECOMING A HUGE HASSLE THERE HAS TO BE SOME DEFECT IN THE PART, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MATTER WHICH PARTS STORE I GO TOO THEY ALL END UP LEAKING. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10244020 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10759378 · 2015-08-26 (August 26, 2015)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE STRATUS. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALER FOR ROUTINE MAINTENACE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FRONT BALL JOINT AND CONTROL ARM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE DEALER DETERMINED BOTH TIMES THAT THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BOTH TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. SEVERA…
Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10759378 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10945788 · 2017-01-17 (January 17, 2017)
FIRST HORN WAS BLOWING OUT OF CONTROL, THAN THE ENGINE WE GOT IT FIXED, OR SO WE THOUGHT ,THAN GOT THE STARTER FIX DROVE IT 2 WEEKS AND NOW IT TURNS OVER BUT DOES NOTHING SO IT'S SITTING IN MY YARD NOT WORKING AND AM SICK OF IT SO FAR I HAVE PAID OUT OVER A GRAND AND THIS CAR DON'T WORK JUST WHY,OH GOD JUST WHY.I HAVE PAID SOME OF EVERYTHING YOU THINK OF ONE THAT CAR I HAVE HAD IT TOWARDS SO MUCH STATE FARM WANTED TO CANCEL MY INSURANCE, OKAY LET'S BEGIN.STARTER REPLACED,EG ROAD VALVE SENSER,VALLEY + PIPE, IGNITION COIL,IGNITION RE…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10945788 at NHTSA ↗