Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
09060003/10/2000610630Subject pertains to changes to the timing belt tensioner components. *tt05/09/2000
18010002/04/2000609988Subject regarding misdiagnosed leak detection pump systems with diagnostic trouble codes p1494, p0442 p0455, or p0456. *tt04/12/2000
09079812/11/1998603107Subject regarding oil seepage at cam position sensor / misinterpreted head gasket leak. *yc11/17/1999
09079909/17/1999607914Information regarding 2.5l v-6 head gasket application. *tt10/18/1999
09089909/17/1999090598607916Technical service bulletin regarding multi-layer steel (mls) head gasket installation procedures. *tt10/18/1999
09059811/06/1998602898A new multi-layer steel ( mls ) head gasket has been developed and is being implemented into production vehicles. *yc01/20/1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
180200108/17/2001623153Exhibiting rough idle, hard start and start & stall.*cls10/26/2001
08149905/21/1999606347Conditions with vehicle start and stall or vehicle no-start. *tt08/17/1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM
25029810/23/1998602881Subject regarding i/m ( inspection maintenance ) testing - obd ii carb readiness monitor information. *yc01/20/1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL
2500102A09/02/2002250010210006129Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illumination, diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0442, p0455, or p0456 - leak detection pump (ldp), leak detected. this bulletin supersedes 25-001-02 dated feb 11, 2002. *tt04/21/2004

Investigations


NHTSA IDManufacturerDate openDate closeSubjectRecall campaign
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
EA05019CHRYSLER GROUP LLC11/07/200501/12/2006POWER STEERING FLUID FIRES
 Odi has received 29 reports of engine compartment fires that appear to be related to power steering hose leakage in model year (my) 1999 and 2000 chrysler cirrus, dodge stratus and plymouth breeze vehicles (ja-cars) equipped with 2.4l engines.these reports indicate that the fire resulted from a power steering hose leak or that it occurred after an extended drive and shortly after being parked - conditions consistent with ignition of power steering fluid on a hot engine or exhaust surface during the vehicle hot soak period. on january 6, 2006, daimlerchrysler corporation (dcc) notified nhtsa of a safety defect on my 1999 and 2000 ja-cars built from july 1, 1998 to july 31, 2000 and equipped with 2.4l engines (recall 06v-001).the notification stated that
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
PE05036CHRYSLER GROUP LLC06/29/200511/07/2005ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES06V001000
 On june 29, 2005, odi opened preliminary evaluation pe05-036 to investigate complaints of engine compartment fires in model year (my) 1999-2000 chrysler cirrus, dodge stratus and plymouth breeze passenger cars (ja cars). the ja cars were introduced in my 1995 and ended with my 2000.they were produced with 2.0l, 2.4l and 2.5l engines.the incident data in the failure report summary of this resume are for subject vehicle engine compartment fires for all causes. according to daimlerchrysler, evidence collected from field inspections of fire incident vehicles indicate that fluid leakage from the high pressure power steering hose is the most likely cause of the fires in the subject vehicles.the subject high pressure power steering hose is used in ja cars with both the 2.4l and 2.0l engines in my 1995 through 2000.the fire incident rate in the my 1999 through 2000 ja vehicles with 2.4l engines is significantly higher than in the prior model year vehicles using that engine and in any of the vehicles with the 2.0l or 2.5l engines.daimlerchrysler is continuing its investigation of the issue and has provided periodic updates to odi. an engineering analysis (ea05-019) has been opened to further assess the scope and frequency of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles.

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
07/15/200854000
 Tl*the contact owns a 1999 dodge stratus. while parked at a store parking lot, the vehicle's hood caught fire. the puerto rico police department filed report number 200835803237. the failure was not diagnosed. the manufacturer advised the contact to have her insurance company investigate the failure and forward them the report. the current and failure mileages were 54,000.
05/29/2006106/30/2003
 Dt*: the contact stated while traveling at 50-55 mph, the vehicle caught on fire from the engine compartment. 5 minutes prior to the incident, the contact noticed grey smoke escaping from under the hood. the vehicle was pulled over and the fire department and police was alerted. the fire was extinguished and the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. the fire department was unable to determine what caused the fire. a representative of daimler chrysler inspected the vehicle on 06/04/06, but did not provide any feedback. a letter was received from the manufacturer dated 06/09/06 that declared daimler chrysler would not be held responsible for all the incurred damages to the vehicle. a card was also received from daimler chrysler alerting the contact to call the dealership about recall e23 about a week before the incident occurred. on 06/19/06, a recall letter was received stating that there was a recall on the high pressure steering hose for the vehicle that caught on fire.
08/18/200590000103/15/2002
 Engine caught on fire on my 1999 dodge stratus. parked vehicle and went inside the store, and came out and vehicle was on fire. had the vehicle towed to my house. contacted dodge, they sent out an inspector to review the vehicle. the inspector said, the vehicle should have exploded and do not fix the vehicle, dodge will fix this for you. rec'd a letter from dodge, stating they denied my claim to fix vehicle, but would not offer any reason. they also would not give me a copy of the inspection report, they indicated that i would have to hire an attorney to get a subpoena to get a copy of the report. called the inspector back, found that really strange they always give the reports out and they must be hiding something. called dodge 4 different times and they were rude and hung up on me. they would not transfer me to any one, and did not answer my questions. this is my only vehicle, i thank god everyday that my children were not in the vehicle at that time. now i have to rely on other means of transportation for myself to get to work and my children to school. this is very difficult with 2 school age children and 1 infant.*jb
11/01/20041000002
 Drove 4 to 5 miles, then the vehicle was parked inside of the garage when it caught on fire in the engine compartment and totaled . the fire department was called to extinguished fire. no injuries. the insurance company will come out tomorrow for inspection. please fill in additional information. *jb
05/26/2004655001
 While driving at 35 mph check oil light came on, and vehicle stalled. while getting on an off the ramp vehicle stalled permanently. vehicle was towed to dealer for examination, and dealer found that the pickup tubing in the engine broke. *ak
08/15/200350968
 Compressor blew out-car shakes hard now. self adjusting brakes don't feel right, they feel weak. rolling windows down takes away power to the car, or ac. brakes make unusual noises but dodge said there was nothing wrong with them, my mechanic said they needed to be adjusted but dodge said the brakes adjust themselves
12/21/2003103/24/2000
 Blown head gasket, second 1999 dodge stratus we have had to pay to have the head gasket replaced. was this not recalled, i see alot of similar complaints.*ak
06/23/200240000408/20/1999
 Took vehicle to dealership due to a problem with my manual transmission. upon looking over the car they found several (about 4) oil leaks. these were repaired and covered under the power train warrenty since my car only had a little over 40,000 miles on it at the time.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM
06/07/200478239112/15/1999
 While driving 55 mph, the vehicle stalled. the consumer tried to restart the vehicle but was unable to do so. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection and the mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. *ak *sc the consumer stated the thermostat failed.*jb
11/11/2002102/01/2000
 Should be national recall. dt
10/14/2002105/01/2099
 Car was serviced on 09/07/02. on 10/14/02, looked up to see temperature gauge in the h running hot. no warning, no dashboard light warning. pulled to side of road, car cooled off drove home. popped hood, coolant in reservoir and checked oil, oil in engine. next day, 10/15/02, started car, started fine. noticed the temp gauge was not moving off the c for cold, no heat coming from the heater started off to work. was doing about 68, when car immediately started to decelerate and immediately the little red genie looking oil lamp light went on. immediately pulled to side of road as car was obviously loosing power. called for tow truck. car was towed not to the selling dealership because of on-going service problems, but to another dealership. i authorized them to check the engine. they did a compression test and told me blown head gasket. but they could not tell if any more significant damage was done without tearing down the engine. car was towed two days later to selling dealership. engine was torn down. their response, engine overheated doing severe damage to engine. no mention of a head gasket being the cause of the engine overheating. dealer offers to do nothing. it is now november 3, 2002 and i still have not been given any opinions or prices to repair this vehicle. daimler chrysler was notified. i received a call from the dealership and daimler chrysler on behalf of the district manager who say they will do nothing to assist; won't even come look at the car. i now have a 3-1/2 year old car that is undriveable. this is a car that has had its share of engine related problems in the past. in researching the internet, the nhtsa, the center for auto safety and just under dodge defects, i note that the stratus, cirrus and neons have a long, long history of head gasket problems. dt
08/15/2002
 Ongoing problem with 3.8l v6 engine overheating. dealer and manufacturer have been notified. feel free to provide any further information.*ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - FAN
01/15/20071200001001/15/2000
 Tl* - the contact is experiencing a recurring incident, the air and the heat operates only on high or off, there is no way to adjust the temperature. the contact had the vehicle repaired previously for this incident; however, it recurred within one week of the repair. the contact was informed by the repair shop that the failure was due to an electrical component and is now stating that the incident may be engine related. the contact is scheduling another repair for this failure. *nm
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - HOSE
08/22/200679000404/19/2002
 Tl*the contact owns a 1999 dodge stratus. the contact stated that the power steering failed. the vehicle began smoking underneath the hood , and the mechanic replaced the power steering pump and hose. also, the contact stated that the transmission failed and caused the indicators on the instrument panel to malfunction. this failure prevented her from determining how fast she was driving. in addition, the gears failed to shift from second gear. the mechanic stated that a sensor in the transmission and the air conditioning system failed. also, the cooling system failed, and the water pump and timing belt were replaced twice. the failure began when the vehicle ran hot. she will collect the work reports and receipts from the dealer regarding the other failures that occurred. the current mileage is 105,000, and failure mileage was 79,000.*ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
09/20/2004110/01/1999
 Multiple failures, continually steering problems. engine leaked oil, no a/c or heated, ect. *bf the consumer stated that the steering wheel was loose. the consumer attempted to make a left turn and hit the curb due to the loose steering wheel. the consumer stated that there might be a problem with the right side axle. *tc
11/01/2003107/11/2003
 I have a 1999 dodge stratus with a leaky head gasket. i was told by many mechanics that this is a common problem on these cars. when i went to dodge about it they said that they knew about it and that the new model stratus' had been fixed. but with all that i have read it seems that they say this every year and these cars still have the same problems. i don't have $1200.00 dollars to fix their mistake and poor craftsman ship. i put at least a quart of oil in every four days or so. when ever i call and ask about what they would do to help their answer is, that it is my problem and i have to pay to fix it. i had to post-pone school this semester because of this car. i go to school an hour and a half away and i can't worry wether or not it will make it. i don't feel i should have to put my education on hold for this. it is very frustrating. i don't have the money to fix it and make the outrageous $320.00 a month payments and insure it. if this car breaks down i am out of luck. i would have no other means of transportation and i would be stuck paying for a car that doesn't go. i have read that this problem can lead to engine fires. this is very dangerous and should be investigated. i am afraid my car will catch on fire when i am driving and i shouldn't have to worry about that. *ak
03/06/200438000101/07/2001
 My 1999 dodge stratus has a head gasket oil leak with only 43,000 miles. it will cost $800 to repair. after doing extension research, i discovered that this is an ongoing problem with dodge stratus. now i have read that this could be fatal to dodge owners due to the fire risk. i would like to see an investigation of the dodge stratus and to have a recall issued.*ak
01/15/200472980103/24/2000
 My son drove his 1999 dodge stratus back to his college dormitory when he saw smoke from under the hood. he pulled into a parking space just before fire erupted from under the hood. the fire totaled his son
11/17/2003100450108/03/2002
 1999 dodge stratus with malfunction/defective head gasket. *la
10/06/2003104/17/2003
 Car has massive oil leak from head gasket at rear of drivers side head. i have been told this could cause a fire. i fear for the lives of myself and my children. is there a recall or any investigation on this matter? if not? why? *la
06/20/200360000110/09/1999
 A fire started under the hood of my car (dodge stratus 1999) after i parked it after driving for about half an hour. there was no prior indication of anything amiss. fire department put out the fire, but i am told the car cannot be repaired. i have had regular maintenance on this car. *jb
06/08/200367000101/20/2001
 Took my '99 stratus to my mechanic for an oil leak. i was told it was a head gasket problem and that is common in that year. did some research on the internet and found a number of complaints confirming this. i called dodge and they deny having any knowledge of the problem. when i told them about the complaints on this and other sites he again denied any knowledge of it. i was told that it's my problem not theirs. after this experience there is no way i will ever buy a chrysler product again and i don't think anyone should.*ak
05/08/2003600001
 My wife drove about 25 minutes to a flea market. bystanders there told her that there was smoke coming out from under the vehicle. when she stopped, they told her that her vehicle is on fire and to get out. she immediately got her children out. a man there popped the hood and saw that the engine compartment was on fire. the vehicle was totaled. the vehicle ran fine the day before.
01/02/2003104/19/2000
 There is an oil leak (from the head gasket) on my 1999 dodge stratus. i was told by the mechanic that every dodge stratus that he has seen with an oil leak has been coming from the head gasket and i have heard other stratus owners complain of the same problem. *jb
10/15/20021
 The vehicle stalled and would not restart.*jb
08/10/200240000208/20/1999
 Took car in for routine oil change before taking another trip out of town. this was just 2 months after having oil leaks repaired and clutch cable replaced. dealership checked on clutch cable and all was fine, however upon proceeding with oil change they found 2 more oil leaks! these were repaired and covered under power train warrenty. what happens when this warrenty runs out?
10/14/2002205/01/1999
 Consumer experienced head gasket failure. other failures included rear seat belt problems, no power on the back windows, egr valve failure, transmission shifting problems and speed sensor failure.*jb
08/10/2002
 While driving and no warning the rpm is racing and the consumer cannot go over 35mph. dealer notified
08/20/2002107/01/2002
 Vehicle had developed a constant oil leak. before taking to dealership for review, we did extensive research on internet & determined that head gasket issues were highly evident in the stratus. numerous records also indicated that chrysler was well aware of issue, although no formal recall had been done. upon taking to dealer, diagnostic confirmed head gasket needed replacement. total cost was approx. $700 & we had to pay $511 of it. prior to paying, made several calls to chrysler trying to solicit a higher level of assistance on it. csr reps gave indication that my request was plausible, but dealer service mgr. continued to only approve orig. $200 of assistance which supposedly chrysler dist. mgr. backed up. i have not been given any satisfaction on trying to contact the dist. mgr. ongoing high level of complaints on this same issue should warrant recall and chrysler backing full cost of repair. i'm continuing with several consumer agencies to recoup my $500, including looking into small claims court.*ak
06/01/2001
 Engine head gasket was replaced by the dealer on two occasions within 10 months, and currently problem with coolant leaking is reoccurring. dealer contacted. feel free to provide any further information.*ak
08/12/2002
 Vehicle was going 55mph on the expressway when temperature gauge dropped to red. vehicle was pulled over due to oil leaking on the ground. no other signs indications that vehicle was having a problem. vehicle was diagnosed as having a blown head gasket. dealer was notified. please provide more information.*ak
05/11/2002
 Motor mount bracket broke while driving. dealer has been notified. please provide additioanl information.*ak
03/28/20021
 Consumer stated vehicle leaks oil due to blown head gasket. dealer contacted. nlm *yh
01/07/2002105/01/2000
 Head gasket failure, when called the manufacturer they stated that i will only need to pay a deductable and that chrysler will pick up the rest of the bill. is seems to be an on-going issue with dodge stratus'. if the manufacturere readily agrees to handle the situation maybe they are utilizing the secert warranty or the adjustable warranty. went on line and noticed this is a wide spread problem with dodge stratus'.*ak
11/06/2001210/01/1998
 On 31/1/01 there was a headgasket leak and under the warranty it was replaced. on 11/6/01 i was travelling at about 15 mph when i noticed my temperature gauge had passed the h the mark. i immediately pulled over and put my car into neutral and turned the heater on maximum. the engine temperature went down about 1/3 of the way from the top but went back up when i tried to drive. i had my car then towed to prevent any further engine damage.
06/15/20010
 Vehicle was leaking oil from underneath. *ak
07/27/2001106/01/2000
 Informed that head gaskekt was blown,extended warranty expired by 14 miles. suspect inaccurate odometer reading .i noticed my odometer increase amount when driving oddly this occurred right arouned my warraty experation. possibly suspect odometer tampering. reviewed milage history and noticed a large milage amout in unrealistic periods of time . i caluclated known milage distance and compared odometer reading ,appeared to be inacurate. i further feel that i was sold the wrong vehicle at purchase time. dh odo. please advise and assist a. *ak
06/06/20010
 Oil light was flashing on. took vehicle to mechanic, and mechanic stated it was a head gasket leak. please provide any further information. *ak
02/25/19991002/01/1999
 Vehicle is unsafe to drive and cannot be driven in a normal manner. note: this is car has a manual transmission. all throttle (gas pedal) movement, acceleration or deceleration is followed by a < second application of full power or full deceleration, followed by the reverse application of full deceleration or full power, respectively, until the computer figures out what to do. at no load, e.g. cruising at 65 mph, especially on a slight slope, the computer never figures out what to do. the whole system goes into oscillation, with < second alternate applications of full power then full deceleration, then full deceleration, for as long as a constant throttle position is maintained. in all cases, the engine winds up on its rubber motor mounts with a thump that can be felt throughout the car. this is so severe that the shop supervisor at the dealer was going to try replacing the motor mounts. *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
12/20/20011
 No summary. dt
10/15/2002105/01/2099
 If i reported this before i apologize. car overheated on 10-14-02. pulled aside let cool down. drove home checked under hood. coolant in reservoir, oil in engine. started car the next day, no heat from heater, temperature gauge did not move off of cold. shortly thereafter, car decelerated and oil pressure light went on. pulled to side of road, called for tow. car towed to another dealership. compression test done, they said blown head gasket. two days later, car towed to selling dealership, authorized tear down of engine. they state car overheated, severely damaged engine to point where some component was crystalizing. they said nothing about a blown head gasket. dealer refuses to help. daimler chrysler refuses to assist and will not even look at the car. have made calls to chrsyler corporation customer service and filed complaint, wrote a letter to chrysler. then sent a fax to chrysler only response was through dealership and message left on answering machine. won't assist you won't look at car. dt
10/14/2002105/01/2099
 Car was serviced on 09/07/02. on 10/14/02, looked up to see temperature gauge in the h running hot. no warning, no dashboard light warning. pulled to side of road, car cooled off drove home. popped hood, coolant in reservoir and checked oil, oil in engine. next day, 10/15/02, started car, started fine. noticed the temp gauge was not moving off the c for cold, no heat coming from the heater started off to work. was doing about 68, when car immediately started to decelerate and immediately the little red genie looking oil lamp light went on. immediately pulled to side of road as car was obviously loosing power. called for tow truck. car was towed not to the selling dealership because of on-going service problems, but to another dealership. i authorized them to check the engine. they did a compression test and told me blown head gasket. but they could not tell if any more significant damage was done without tearing down the engine. car was towed two days later to selling dealership. engine was torn down. their response, engine overheated doing severe damage to engine. no mention of a head gasket being the cause of the engine overheating. dealer offers to do nothing. it is now november 3, 2002 and i still have not been given any opinions or prices to repair this vehicle. daimler chrysler was notified. i received a call from the dealership and daimler chrysler on behalf of the district manager who say they will do nothing to assist; won't even come look at the car. i now have a 3-1/2 year old car that is undriveable. this is a car that has had its share of engine related problems in the past. in researching the internet, the nhtsa, the center for auto safety and just under dodge defects, i note that the stratus, cirrus and neons have a long, long history of head gasket problems. dt
09/15/200210/01/2098
 After several attempts to stop oil leaking from my car, it was discovered that the car needed the head gasket replaced. the manufacture states this part is out of warranty. i have seen where several people of complained about this very problem and i am wondering what recourse i have to get my money refunded. i have spent $700.00 in repairs. dt
09/04/200201/01/2001
 Cracked head gasket as of 09/04/2002 problem was not diagnosed until 10/08/2002. mr
04/15/2002210/01/2098
 Routine oil change noted a severe leak that they suspected was the infamous head gasket leak that the stratus are famous for. took to dealer who agreed and repaired under my extended warranty. mr
10/17/2001109/29/2000
 The vehicle caught fire while the ignition was turned off. *yh
01/29/2002105/01/1999
 No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak
11/01/2001
 Engine stalls intermittently while traveling at any speed. dealership has been unable to determine cause for this problem. please provide any additional information / attachments. *ak
12/01/19981011/01/1998
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
04/04/2001111/01/1998
 Had cam sensor fixed on 4/2/2001, car began to make a loud noise and sputter, then would slow down. car finally stopped and stalled and won't restart.*ak
09/24/20003
 No summary
01/28/1999
 Vehicle stalls at low speed of 40 mph & up to high speed of 70 mph. also, stalls while turning and coming to a stop position. been in/out of dealer shop on three occasions, and problem is reoccurring. *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM
01/24/1999100001/01/1999
 Dealer/chrysler confirm safety and pollution problem on all similar cars, but have no fix, refused to fix at this time.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE)
10/14/2002205/01/1999
 Consumer experienced head gasket failure. other failures included rear seat belt problems, no power on the back windows, egr valve failure, transmission shifting problems and speed sensor failure.*jb
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
03/08/200654000111/01/1999
 Dt*: the contact stated while parked, there was oil on the ground under the vehicle. the dealership determined there was a cracked head gasket. the manufacturer was alerted.