Recalls


CampaignManufacturerManufacturing dateType# of units affectedDate Owner notified MfgRecall Initiated byManufacturers of recalled vehicles/productsReport Recieved DateRecord Creation DateRegulation Part NumberFMVSS Number
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER ARM
10E059000FEDERAL-MOGUL CORPORATION E (Equipment)22689MFRCHRYSLER GROUP LLC12/27/201012/27/2010
Defect SummaryFederal-mogul is recalling certain replacement control arm assemblies, part numbers k7425, 10945, fa4510x, k7427, 10946, and fa4611x, sold for use on various passenger vehicles listed above. the ball joint on the control arm assembly can fail causing the ball stud to wear through the control arm housing resulting in noise and/or separation of the ball stud from the housing.
Consequence SummaryIf there is a separation of the ball stud from the housing, the driver can loose steering control, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
Corrective SummaryFederal-mogul will notify owners of record and replace the affected control arms free of charge. the safety recall is expected to begin during january 2011. owners may contact federal-mogul at 1-877-489-6659.
NotesThis recall only pertains to replacement control arm assemblies and has no relation to any original equipment installed on vehicles manufactured by chrysler llc.owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov .
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER BALL JOINT
09E056000QUALIS AUTOMOTIVE LLC E (Equipment)578711/09/2009MFRCHRYSLER GROUP LLC10/09/200910/13/2009
Defect SummaryQualis automotive is recalling certain aftermarket ball joints sold for use on certain passenger vehicles. the socket may have been excessively hardened which could cause it to crack near the retaining ring groove allowing the ball stud to separate under impact load. the subject ball joints were sold as four part numbers, d10945, d10946, g10945, and g10946. the affected control arms, d10945 and d10946, are stamped with the following dates on the ball joints: 134308, 135708, 100109, 102709, 104109, 105509, 107609, 108909, 110309, 113209, and 116609. the g10945 and g10946 are the same part as the d10945 and d10946 respectively. they are labeled differently depending on the aftermarket customer.
Consequence SummarySeparation of the ball stud from the socket of the ball joint housing would allow the control arm to collapse and the wheel to fold in causing loss of steering control, possibly resulting in a crash.
Corrective SummaryQualis automotive will replace the ball joints free of charge. the safety recall began on november 9, 2009.
NotesThis recall only pertains to aftermarket ball joints and has no relation to any original equipment installed on vehicles produced by chrysler.owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov .

Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
SUSPENSION
0100805/29/2001620075Wheel alignment out of specification. *tt07/11/2001
0006110/20/2000618888Advance service information regrading shock tower weld issues. *tt05/07/2001
020090012/29/2000618393Concerns with popping or squawking noise from rear suspension while driving vehicle. *jb04/12/2001

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
SUSPENSION
12/14/2011119000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2001 dodge stratus. the contact stated that while driving 80 mph, the ball and axle joints detached from the vehicle. the contact was able to safely maneuver to the shoulder and stop. the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was contacted and they stated that the vehice was not included in any recalls. the failure mileage was 119,000 and the current mileage was 125,000. sm.
12/14/2011119000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2001 dodge stratus. the contact stated while driving 80 mph the ball and axle joints fell off the vehicle. she was able to pull over on the side of the road where the vehicle come to a complete stop. the vehicle was towed to a locate shop. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was contact and they stated that her vehicle was not under recall. the failure mileage was 119,000 and the current mileage was 125,000.jp
01/28/200170070
 Dodge stratus 2001: severe squeaking during suspension movement: the car was having problems with squeaking noises during movement. then while driving my daughters and their friends to the skating rink, i heard a loud pop, then grinding noise coming from under the car while making a left turn into the parking lot. i checked to see what was wrong and the left rear tire was bent outward and almost detatched from the car. i had it towed to the closest repair station and was told it was the ball and joint, and that both left and right ball and joints would have to be replaced at a cost of $1000. as a single parent i can not afford this. i would like to know about the national recall and if i am entitled to repair cost under the recall. thank god we were not injured and that i was traveling less than 10 miles per hour during this failure.
11/03/2009780002
 2001 dodge stratus. loss of control. resulting in 2 separate crashes. i did sustain injury in the last incident. i was trying to turn left into a parking lot, wheel turned only partially. i could not get it to move the correct direction, and i ran into a tall (15in.) curb. sustained whiplash and a large knot on my head. the 1st incident was while trying to turn left and my car would not go that way. i ended up hitting yet another tall curb,due to loss of control. it may be worthy to note i have replaced the lower control arm on the drivers side, but am still getting periods of having a hard time turning my wheel. this occurs whether in motion or just starting my car and turning the wheel to leave . i also had to replace right side due to failure of the wheel to turn right as well. i actually was going about 30mph and barely made my turn, almost broadsiding a sitting vehicle. when i checked it, my tire was bent inward' at the top. the whole tire was, well, like this, / (but actually bent the other way, inward. my steering wheel works randomly. please advise, as this is my only mode of transportation. i don't know what else to have fixed on it! i've already dipped almost $2000 fixing it. thank you. the incident date below is just the latest. the one where i hit my head. as of today, my steering has a mind of its own. *tr
06/02/20091181121
 Lower ball joint, upper ball joint not made very well. *tr
11/18/200346000112/20/2000
 When turning corners a crunchy noise was heard. *ak *sc
03/21/2003
 While driving the vehicle started to swing from left to right. *nlm
11/02/2001610/23/2001
 Consumer states that the whole front end has been replaced, however the vehicle continues to have suspension problems, possibly causing problems with the steering. *slc
07/12/2002
 While making a left turn it felt like something was rubbing. vehicle has not been examined by dealer.*ak
06/15/2001810/01/2000
 Suspension feels very loose at higher speeds when you encounter bumps and potholes in the road also steering wheel catches and pulls right when attempting to make a right hand turn causing the vehicle to hit curbs or cross into traffic
SUSPENSION - FRONT
01/31/2011100000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2001 dodge stratus. while attempting to park, the contact placed the vehicle into reverse with the brake pressed, he noticed that the front end of the vehicle dropped while making a clicking noise and would not engage in any gears. he looked inside of the front right wheel and noticed that the control arm and wheel bearing had failed without warning. he noticed liquid coming from the wheel bearing housing and two small fragments on the ground. the dealer was contacted who informed the contact that no major repairs had been performed on the vehicle. the contact did not inform the manufacturer nor had the vehicle been repaired or diagnosed. the current and failure mileages were approximately 100,000. the vin was unavailable. bw
11/02/20091200001
 Regarding our 2001 dodge stratus, lower control arm ball joint failure. originally on october 25th of 2005 we had the left front control arm/ball joint assembly replaced because of severe squeaking during suspension movement. this was caused by lubrication failure. there is no way to re-lube this joint on this design. the assembly was replaced with the only available part at the time from dodge. for the past couple of weeks i had noticed that during abrupt braking the vehicle would pull strongly to the left, then recover when the brakes were released. i had scheduled for inspection appointment on 11/10/2009. then on11/2/2009 the same exact ball joint failure occurred to the left side when my 16 year old son was driving the vehicle. i had read the nhtsa campaign # 09e-056 regarding the qualis failure and wondered if it could be related somehow. please advise. *tr
08/16/200801
 2001 dodge stratus...noise in front end. told it was bearings on 3 separate occasions, and they were replaced. engine ticking/ possible valve tap numerous complaints to dealer being told that year model runs rough; and could trade it for a more expensive car. now trying to have rear struts put in and the aluminum plate that holds them in is powder. the part is not available. dodge is the only place to order the part and was informed this is an old car and the part was on back order. *tr
08/04/2007730001
 Tl*the contact owns a 2001 dodge stratus. while making a u-turn at 10 mph, the passenger side front tire leaned halfway down to the ground. dodge has not been notified and the vehicle has not been repaired. the vin and purchase date were unknown. the current and failure mileages were 73,000.
06/01/200665086104/15/2001
 Dt*: the contact stated the air bag light illuminated constantly, the cruise control was inoperable and there was a clicking in the steering column when the wheel is turned left or right. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who determined a spring in the steering wheel needed to be replaced. also, the contact stated there was a clicking noise in the front underside of the vehicle that has not yet been inspected by the dealer.
11/10/2002108/01/2001
 This should be handled as a top priority investigation. the front axles bearings have been replaced 3 times on right and left front. the front ball joints and control arms have been replaced once all covered under warranty by manufacturer. axle bearing failure occured at 21,000 miles vehicle was 6 months old. then again 6 months later with 38,000 miles on it , at that time it was discovered the ball joints on the upper and lower on both sides were worn out, manufacturer covered under warranty. recently a power steering line which runs from the power steering pump to the power steering resevoir started leaking, upon inspection i found it had been leaking for a while but finally opened up. the casue is the design of the power steering line, it rubs against the a/c line which is metal and wore a hole in the line. i purchased the line front the local dodge dealer. the line has been superceeded 3 times, a obvious design problem. i am ase certified technician, the following problems i listed are very serious and dodge is aware of them. comment to me was the axle bearings and ball joints are a very common problem, this came from the dealer it self. the dealers also can not keep the power steering lines in stock. potential risk associated with this failures are as follows, ball joint and axle bearing failure should they break while operating on the highway can cause loss of control of vehicle. the power steering line when it finally ruptures after it has worn through can cause a potential fire hazard due to the proximity of the exhaust system and also loss of power steering. although my vehicle has 64,000 miles on it, it is only 15 months old and is driven exclusively on the highway. these failures are not normal on any vehicle with the mileage i listed and should prompt an investigation before someone gets injured. the superceeded power steering line can be confirmed at any dodge or chrysler dealer. thank you kevin gilmore dt
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER ARM
12/24/2002
 The passenger side lower control arm broke, almost resulting in a collision. the wheel was damaged. ph
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER BALL JOINT
07/11/200351000
 While driving, heard a screeching noise and noticed smoke coming from vehicle. dealer diagnosed that the rear upper ball joints had failed and the lower ball joints were ready to fail. dealer also discovered that the tie rods were loose. related investigation pe03-032
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER ARM
03/09/2004340001
 Before getting into the vehicle consumer noticed that the rear right wheel was tilted inward. dealer informed the consumer that the upper control arm broke. dealer informed the consumer that a bolt was welded to the frame of the vehicle.*ak
SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER BALL JOINT
06/16/200557654103/14/2001
 My car is a 2001 dogde stratus 4 door es. the car has 57,000 miles on it. at the time of purchase i also purchase an extended warrenty from the dealer. the was from first extended service corp. ganley east inc. at 28840 euclid ave. wickliffe, ohio 44092. i was driving to work on thursday 6-16-05, starting out on side roads to then the freeway and then to a main route to my work. after getting off the freeway i have about a 15 min ride. as i was pulling into my parking lot i heard a loud bang. the car at this point had a hard time moving. i called the dealer and then the extended warranty place to see if the broken (front, passenger side) control arm / ball joint was covered and they said yes. after having the vehicle towed to the dealer which costed me $100.00. the dealer inspected the car and told the extended warranty that the reason the control arm snapped was because of rust or corrosion. being a major part on the car and the seriousness of this if the part would of snap as i was doing 65 on the freeway, i might not of been here typing this complaint. the dealer said it was out of there hands upon payment and before this the extended warrenty company said it was out of their hands as well because the dealer said that it failed because of rust. at the dealer i was never asked if i wanted the bad parts back or to see them, they never washed my vehicle after the service and after leaving the dealer and driving 2 miles after the vehicle was serviced and supposedly inspected the hub cap flew off the car and almost caused me to have an accident on the way home. i was able to retrieve the hub cap and go back to the dealer, were they determined that it was broken up either putting in on or taking it off. they were soooo nice to order me another one at their cost. i was charged $680.43 for the repairs plus another $100.00 for the tow to another company. after researching your web site i have found at least 5 other similiar complaints with the same make, model, year and parts.
11/16/200429500102/19/2003
 Consumer was driving 25 mph when the vehicle jerked as if it had struck a pot hole. consumer got out to check the vehicle, and noticed the rear passenger tire was nearly off. the ball joints were defective and needed to be repaired.*ak the manufacture offers no assistance. rear upper ball joints replaced and 4 wheel alignment performed. *tt
04/02/2004109/11/2002
 Left rear tire was cocked outward. dealer inspected and said upper ball joints were blown out on both sides. car was never in collision, and only 44k miles on it. also, interior dash lights flicker when turn signal is used, clicks around corners, seats don't always stay locked in place. it's still under warranty!! i don't want to pay $600 to fix a problem i did not cause. *jb
07/11/200351000
 While driving, heard a screeching noise and noticed smoke coming from vehicle. dealer diagnosed that the rear upper ball joints had failed and the lower ball joints were ready to fail. dealer also discovered that the tie rods were loose. related investigation pe03-032
SUSPENSION - FRONT - MACPHERSON STRUT
06/24/200784000106/03/2006
 Tl*the contact owns a 2001 dodge stratus. while driving 65 mph, the contact heard a faint grinding sound that gradually grew louder. a mechanic stated that the strut mounts on both sides of the vehicle totally disintegrated and the coil was grinding into the tires. the vehicle was repaired. the powertrain was unknown. the current mileage was 89,000 and failure mileage was 84,000. updated 10/03/07 *tr
SUSPENSION - FRONT - SPRINGS - COIL SPRINGS
08/06/20031
 Dealer will replace coil spring. consumer stated vehicle still under warranty, but this coil is not covered, and will cost $750 to replace.*ak
SUSPENSION - FRONT - WHEEL BEARING
09/13/200670000305/23/2001
 Drove the vehicle the night before there were no signs, warnings of anything wrong. went to drive the vehicle the next afternoon and upon start up vehicle was making a rattling, clicking noise, turned it off immediately. had car towed, was told oil was sludgy , engine needed to be replace, at a cost of minimum end of $5700. mechanic stated he had two more vehicles of exact year, make, model and 2.7l engine on his lot with the same problems. he stated further, he was sorry, but would have to decline his service to repair/replace the engine as he was already fed up with dealing with manufacturer with the other two vehicles. he went on to state that the manufacturer is claiming owner fault, of not maintaining 3000 mile oil changes, even though one of the owners had every receipt proving otherwise. here i sit without a vehicle now, have no financial means to repair or replace this vehicle as i became disabled in april of 2005 and have a very limited budget. i bought a brand new vehicle so i didn't have to worry about any major expense or problems and it would last me 15-20 yrs, not 5. i also didn't expect to pay over $20,000 for a vehicle that would only last 70,000 miles. this wasn't the only items i had to have fixed, in 2003 i had to have the fan fixed for the ac/heating as it only worked on one speed, thank goodness it was covered by warranty. which i never did receive any recall letter or any notification of this problem. in 2005 the front wheel bearings went out and had to have them replaced. the front drivers side get water in when it rains, have taken it in to dealer, they have no clue as to what and why this is happening. this is the first brand new vehicle i have ever purchased and was so proud of it, took meticulous care of it and now i feel and look like a complete fool, as the manufacturer is laughing all the way to the bank, plus has a vehicle that runs! their old slogan dodge tuff, the new is your dodge doesn't run, that's tough. *jb
12/28/2002402/27/2002
 2002 had to replace power steering pipe, manufactured to lean on the interior auto body, in which engine vibration rubbed hole in it. 2002 front right wheel makes continuous loud high pitched whistle noise, still does. dealership discounted it and didn't know why it sounded like that. 2002-2006 engine dies while driving, odometer goes crazy up and down 2006 clock spring keeps breaking, no power to air bag or horn. *jb
07/20/200430000209/20/2001
 Timing belt failure resulted in engine failure. bearings on both front wheels were replaced at 30,000 miles, replaced front bearings and replaced engine. *ak
SUSPENSION - REAR
08/16/200801
 2001 dodge stratus...noise in front end. told it was bearings on 3 separate occasions, and they were replaced. engine ticking/ possible valve tap numerous complaints to dealer being told that year model runs rough; and could trade it for a more expensive car. now trying to have rear struts put in and the aluminum plate that holds them in is powder. the part is not available. dodge is the only place to order the part and was informed this is an old car and the part was on back order. *tr
01/01/19011
 2001 dodge stratus se has issues with the rear strut mount. consumer states that there is a back order on the upper strut mounts. *nj the consumer stated the blower resistor stopped working and two days later, the vehicle would not start. the consumer had to purchase a fuel pump. the consumer then started to hear a knocking noise in the steering. the consumer was informed the knocking noise was due to the fact that the steering column was too large for the components. the thermostat broke into pieces and the transmission stopped shifting gears. *jb
07/26/2008800001
 I have a 2001 dodge stratus with 80,000 miles. on july 26 i heard a noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. i took it to a repair shop that i usually take my car in to change the oil and such. he inspected the rear axle of my dodge stratus and said the upper strut joint on both sides of the rear vehicle. he told me that the car should not be driven do to the metal part of the upper strut joint broken and it would be hazardous to drive the vehicle. i asked him when and how much the repairs would be? he made a few calls to autodealers, auto parts stores and apparently they are not available due to a back order of upper strut joints. we took matters into our hands and called a number of dealers thinking that they would have an inventory of the product. all the car dealerships said that they were in back order and that they also needed them for customers and loaner cars that they have in their inventory that they cannot use due to the part not being available. they told me that it would take more than three to four weeks for the part and that was not a guarantee. some of the car dealerships and repair shops said that this is a problem and can cause the rearend of the vehicle to be attached only by a part of the vehicle which is dangerous. these parts are in back order which means this is a problem that should be addressed. i have photos of the defective part and would like to make them available to you. i could not wait for the part so i had someone make a temporary part for both sides of the vehicle. this should not happen to anyone that has invested on a vehicle and when something happens there are no parts to be found. their is a problem with this matter and it should be investigated. please feel free to call me anytime regarding this matter. *tr
07/12/20081090771
 On 7-12-08 my wife was driving the car home and got less than 1/4 mile away, going around a curve at 45mph. she heard a noise pop and then a rub. she proceeded to the drive and into the garage. she came into the house, got me and i looked at the rear of the vehicle. what i found was the upper strut mount on the rear right side is rotted out because it was made of aluminum (which reacts with steel and road salt). the strut broke free and rubbed a 3/16 groove into the tire. also looking at the left side it is also rotted or corroded. i am pretty upset about this for two reasons. first, if she were traveling down interstate 69 at 70 mph and it broke free, the tire would of been cut in half. probably sending the car into a spin into the ditch, other cars, or a guard rail. this would of been disastrous let alone having some kids in the car. second, i called three dealerships in the fort wayne area on 7-14-08, one told me there are 1200 on back order. one said there are 1300 on back order. one said there are 9000 on back order. all of them said they would not come in until the middle of august. i ordered 2 rear strut mounts on 7-14-08 and have not heard anything as of 7-20-08. what is a person to do without a car for one month? thank you for your time. *tr
07/08/2008139000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2001 dodge stratus. the contact heard excessive noise coming from the vehicle and it began to ride roughly. the failure has been occurring for approximately a week. the dealer stated that the rear upper strut mounts needed to be replaced. the dealer also stated that this is a common occurrence with this make and model dodge. the parts for the repair are on back order until august of 2008 at all chrysler dealers. the vehicle has not been repaired. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 139,000 and current mileage was 139,200.
06/29/2008710001
 2001 stratus se heard a grind after going over a bump on the way home from work. looked under car and saw driver side strut mount was broken. took to mechanic and was told both mounts are broken and needed repair. these parts are made of cheap aluminum which is horrible material for salt corrosion. was told part was on national backorder 2-3 weeks. not believing hem, i called dodge directly and was told basically told sorry, 1000 were shipped 7/3 but there was another 7,600 backorder!!! now it will be end of july before i get parts. all they would do was get me a priority for if a dealer in oh gets some i can have them. (and a case number). very disappointed in dodge making a suspension piece that sees heavy corrosion conditions out of aluminum pot metal and then has a month backorder. seems like this is a major issue with this car. so i'm out of my main work vehicle for a month, borrowing the wife's van. what were we to do if my wife was working or if she needed van to get kids to school. dodge wouldn't even work with me for a loaner. (because i wouldn't have it repaired at the dealership which was 2x the cost, a whole other story).*tr
08/30/2005270472
 Right rear axel broken, both rear ball joints broken and rear upper control arms broken on dodge stratus, 2001, with only 26,000 miles. failure occurred while driving slowly. both rear ball joints and upper control arms showed excessive play. *nm
08/07/2004588001
 Left rear ball joint went out while drinving. as a result, tire hit the rear of the vehicle. *ak
05/22/200448000110/10/2003
 Failure of right rear ball joint in 2001 dodge stratus with no warning such as noise or vibration proceeding failure no personal injury or property damage ball joint replaced by dodge dealership with after market part, old parts are available. *mr
SUSPENSION - REAR - SHOCK ABSORBER
06/10/20052
 Rear top mounts on both the rear struts corroded into several pieces. very poor manufacturing using cheap pot metal as they were completely corroded from salt,etc. couldn't find replacement struts in stock anywhere(out of stock and on back order cross country) and it was extremely dangerous to drive vehicle in this condition. both struts went within a two week period and i ended up getting two used struts from a junk yard off of a 2004 stratus which had been totalled with 2000 miles on it.
SUSPENSION - REAR - SPRINGS
05/12/200790000208/11/2004
 While driving about a year ago passenger rear strut broke. upon inspection i noticed the top strut clamp of the spring corroded, causing the spring and strut to fall out of place and rub against the tire. had to replace tire and strut. approximately $500.00 for both. 6 months later the driver side strut did the exactly the same thing. the clamp corroded and has fell apart, causing the spring to rub against thewheel once again. this was due to an aluminum alloy/metal corroding. manufacturer should know that aluminum corrodes extremly bad when it come in contact with weather.*ak
SUSPENSION - REAR - SPRINGS - COIL SPRINGS
08/12/2004110/11/2001
 Left rear shock was rattling around within the coil spring. upon investigation, found that the upper spring/shock mount, which is aluminum or an aluminum alloy, had deteriorated so badly that it had seperated into 5 pieces. this part locates the upper end of the rear spring, and had it not been caught, could have allowed the spring to migrate into the tire, possibly causing an accident. this car has 70,000 highway miles, and is kept clean, and stored in a garage every night. i will be replacing the rh sided shortly, as it is showing similar signs of rot. i have the failed piece, and have digital pictures if interested.*ak