Dodge Stratus 1996 - multiple problems

# 31 for February 21, 2002

Complaints.com received the following e-message on February 20, 2002:

From: rebecca renfro [Email User]

Dodge Stratus 1996 - multiple problems

I am the owner of a 1996 Dodge Stratus. I have been the only driver of this car and it has been well cared for, with all preventative maintaince, oil changes and etc.. I am also a pilot and by training, ALWAYS immediately service any indication of a problem. #The brakes on this car failed at less than 30,000.

#The air conditioning in this car had an odor for the first two years that the dodge dealer told me they couldn't find and which I have since learned they were well aware of as being a problem in the evaporator of this car.

#The head gasket failed and had to be replaced at 40,000 miles. $560

#The sparks and wires had been replaced 3 times. $360

#The electric door locks gave out at 55,000.

#The transmission has leaked since 40,000 and cost $450.00 to repair.

#The starter was replaced. $380

#The cooling system leak and had to be repaired twice. When repaired the first time the dealership charged me for a overflow jug which they did not put in and put in the wrong size rad cap.The thermostat had to be replaced. Dealership never told me they did not put in the overflow jug untill I took it back 6 months later due to the same overheating problem. They would not have told me then, except for the fact that I had another repair group check it out before taking it back to Dodge.$269

#The air conditioning has a refrigent leak and broken connection. $210

#Transmission still slips. Will not go into second on occasion. And will stall and frezze going into turn from stop position.

# The car has so many clangs and rattles and the dodge dealerships are so rude and untrustworthy I have given up on this car and am getting ready to go back to a Nissian. I am surprised that no class action suit has been brought against DCHY, not only for the obivious lemon status of this model, but for all the engine fires reported due to the head gasket problems reported on NHSTA. It is also interesting to not that NHSTA has re vamped their complaint database and deleted some complaints.

I know this because in 1999 when my head gasket failed I ran off all the complaints listed. I recently did that again and compared this most recent data base to the 1999 data for the Dodge stratus. I had run off the original 1999 data in order to send it to Washington during the Ford hearings as an example of the need for a better NHSTA.

I also e-mailed the DCHY investors center in Germany and advised them I was fed-ex ing this material. That email was the only reason they contacted me and agreed to pay for the head gasket replacement. Calls to their customer care center were a joke. On to the transmission problem. I don't know about the other owners of these money sucking lemons, but I am now in the process of running off all the complaints I can find on the Dodge cars and DCHY and intend to send them as a package to all the investment analyst who are covering DCHY stock..with the question as to how they could be recommending a buy of this companies stock...?..

especially in light of the recent scandel on the all the Wall Street buy recommendations on the Enron scam.....and in the certain knowledge that sooner or later some class action suit is going to change their ways or put them out of business. All car owners would do well to remember that companies do not give a hoot about their customers, only their shareholders....so if you want to get anywhere with a company you have to hit them where it hurts...in their stockprice. You want some fairness on the problems you have had with your Dodge/Chy..? ..drive down their stock, let the credit raters and anyalst covering the company know that consumers are gunning for them. R.Renfro

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