Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||||
| 0700202 | 02/04/2002 | 070200 | 629131 | A vehicle may exhibit low or no cabin heat, engine overheating and / or coolant bottle damage after service has been performed on the engine cooling system. *tt | 03/27/2002 |
| 0700202 | 02/04/2002 | 070200 | 629133 | Subject regarding low or no cabin head, engine cooling system system fill procedure. *tt | 03/27/2002 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 0901104 | 04/27/2004 | 10006892 | Incorrect oil filter usage. also includes 2005 sebring and stratus. *tt | 05/18/2004 | |
| 0900704 | 03/02/2004 | 10006455 | Irregular engine snapping sound. *tt | 05/03/2004 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 1802701 | 11/23/2001 | 628186 | Some vehicles may exhibit moderate to severe high way speed 45-60 mph vehicle surge. *tt | 03/06/2002 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 02/18/2009 | 82000 | ||
| On my way to work one morning, the car stopped in the middle of the street. it was two blocks from the house. i had 2 neighbors push the car back to the house. i eventually took it to the mechanic, who told me the problem was the engine. he took out the parts trying to rebuild the engine and noticed there was sludge throughout the parts. he then told me it was not safe to try and clean it out, because there is no guarantee how far into the engine it had gone. i would have to purchase an whole new engine. he looked for engines but could only find those with high mileage. he was not sure if the engine would stand-up for long or eventually cause me to have to change it again. the car is still waiting for an engine. i have not been in a financial situation to afford it. i recently started to look again to get an idea of when i may be able to work on this again. i remember hearing there was an issue with the stratus' but when i called two local dealers for information, they told me they did not know anything about it. | |||
| 06/07/2011 | 112000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 dodge startus se. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds and ran over a pothole he started to feel a second motion. he then pulled over and looked in the engine and noticed that the bracket had fractured. the vehicle was then inspected by a independent mechanic and they advised him that the bracket was fractured and needed to be replaced. the vehicle has not been repaired due to the part being on back order. the failure mileage was approximately 112,000. tb | |||
| 09/20/2010 | 135000 | ||
| The timing chain broke causing bent valves and the need to rework the top end of the engine. in doing research it was found out about the issues with the 2.7l v6 and the fact that this issue likely causes catastrophic engine failure. | |||
| 07/02/2009 | 138000 | 1 | |
| While driving the car on a road trip (about 2 hours) the vehicle began smoking. after stopping the vehicle and opening the hood, the engine burst into flames. the car was a total loss. *tr | |||
| 05/24/2008 | 61000 | 1 | |
| The engine stop working and i replace the engine and it did the same thing. its the 2.7l v6 engine that has been given people a lot of problems. *tr | |||
| 12/23/2007 | 101000 | 1 | 02/18/2004 |
| Always changed the oil every 3,00 miles. and the engine seized. it knocked for less than a minute prior to total failure with the correct amount of oil in the engine. the public should be warned and anyone this has happened to should be reimbursed the amount to fix the problem through dodge. *tr | |||
| 12/26/2007 | 1 | ||
| Dealer dragging feet on repair, even with us having purchased the extended warranty.*cn | |||
| 12/06/2007 | 58000 | 1 | 09/02/2005 |
| 2002 dodge stratus began to hesitate and act like it was stalling driving a 10 mile commute. wife pull over, opened the hood, but saw nothing wrong. being only a couple miles from home she attempted to restart the car. the car would not start and didn't sound right. she called our mechanic and had the car towed to his business. he told us that after making several attempts to start the car that the engine seized. both the water and oil were well within the normal operating range. the car has only 58,000 miles on it has been well cared far and driven by my overly cautious wife. as i have learned more about this engine i have found plenty of evidence online that the 2.7l v6 engine is probably one of the worst examples of faulty engineering in memory. this could have caused very serious problems, and chrysler should have been forced to recall this. this is an outrageous fraud upon the american public that also makes me think that nhtsa is not doing their job for the american people. *tr | |||
| 11/26/2007 | 94000 | 1 | 01/04/2005 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 dodge stratus. while driving 40 mph, the contact heard a rattling noise in the engine compartment. a mechanic stated that the engine could explode if the vehicle is driven. the contact spoke with dodge and they stated that they were unaware of the failure. the powertrain was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 94,000. | |||
| 07/20/2007 | 2 | 07/22/2005 | |
| I had my dodge stratus 2002 since summer of 2005. while going to work one morning, i thought i heard that the starter was going. i called and had the manufacturer's local inspection shop look at the car and they told me that the engine had blown out. if i recall the engine should be the last thing to die in a car. this vehicle is only five years old, regardless of mileage the engine should still be going. the manufacturer claimed that they couldn't help because i bought the car from another car dealer and not the manufacturer. this matter should be inspected. *jb | |||
| 12/01/2004 | 1 | ||
| I bought my 2002 dodge stratus in october of 2004. the dealership told me there was still the factory warranty on it but failed to tell me it expired in one week. it was at this one week mark i took my car in for a ticking noise to three different places, two of them dodge dealers and they told me there was no problem. as the noise got worse, i took the car back to a dealership and they told me my timing chain was going out and could ruin my whole engine at any time. the cost of repair was $800. i had to fight with chrysler that a car this new should not have this problem before they agreed to pay half. i have also had to recently replace my starter october 2006 after the fuse blowing three times of which i had to have my car towed to a mechanic in addition to paying for repairs. i hate this car!!!!!! *jb | |||
| 10/02/2006 | 37748 | 4 | 03/11/2002 |
| Dt*: the contact stated four times since purchase, the vehicle revved out of control while stopped. the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle was shifted into neutral. the vehicle restarted and was taken to the dealership, who was unable to determine a problem. updated 10/18/2006 - the irs time this happened the dealer noticed that the intake was very black and that the throttle was possibly sticking, causing the iac motor to overcompensate. *nm | |||
| 06/19/2005 | 80000 | 1 | 05/20/2003 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 55 mph, the vehicle had an oil sludging problem, internal oil leaking and an increase of engine oil consumption by the engine. the manufacturer and dealership did not properly identify the problem and did not honor any warranty claims. the vehicle was taken to a repair shop who determined that the engine needed to be replaced because the damage was too extensive to fix. the vehicle was inoperative since the day of the incident. | |||
| 08/11/2006 | 37280 | 1 | 06/01/2002 |
| Dt*: the contact stated oil had leaked all over the engine. the dealership was contacted. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 09/23/2008 | 70000 | 1 | |
| On 9/3/08 i had brought my 2002 dodge stratus 2.7l v6 in for a coolant system flush. i was charged $129.95. soon after, i smelled burning coolant, but the dealership had said it was just excess burning off. two weeks later on 9/23/08, i was on rt 1 to out to my sister-in-laws in lancaster, pa, when my car overheated and had to shut it down on an off ramp. i got out of the car, and all the coolant was leaking out. i had it towed back to miller dodge, and they had informed me my water pump has failed and has to be replaced, along with the timing tensioner chain. it cost me $628.63. i had argued with the dodge dealership because they just did maintenance involving the water pump, and now it is dead. they said i would have to fight with chrysler about it. i found a bulletin on mycarstats.com regarding my engine that the water pump appears to fail after a coolant flush is performed. the bulletin id # 0700202, mfg bulletin date: 20020204, and the nhtsa item # 629131. i called chrysler about it and they said they would not pay for it. i am still fighting that fight now, almost a year later. i feel that if the coolant flush damages the water pump, that it is a defect, and chrysler should pay for the cost of repairs. i do not feel i am getting any where with chrysler, and now i am reporting it, hopefully for some kind of solution. *tr | |||
| 01/09/2006 | 58000 | 3 | |
| My engine light stays on and oil light comes on after the oil has been changed. *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 08/01/2010 | 177000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2002 dodge stratus. the contact stated while driving 35 mph, she noticed the vehicle temperature was a little hotter than normal so she stop and realized that the engine cooling liquid was disappearing. she continue to drive it and the next day the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to a local shop who advised that the engine need to be replaced. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and current mileage were 177,000. pm | |||
| 05/24/2009 | 68000 | ||
| I own a dodge stratus (2002) that has an oil sludge problem. i had a mechanic look at it thinking it was a head gasket and was told that only the gasket would be like a band aid on the problem. he told me that the chrysler 2.7l engine is having oil sludge problems and that there is a class action lawsuit for this. i cannot junk this vehicle as i still owe several thousands of dollars. also, i have been unable to use this vehicle for the past year and still have to pay my monthly bill. | |||
| 01/18/2010 | 92319 | 1 | |
| I was driving my 2002 dodge stratus on the interstate when the engine dies. i coasted to the bottom of the exit ramp and attempted to start the car. all it would do is click. a call to aaa and the car was toed to the dealer. i call from the dealer later in the day revealed a seized engine. my husband confronted the dealer and asked to have the engine opened up for inspection. sure enough large deposits of oil sludge. i asked the deal where we go from here and he said a replacement engine is $4900.00 after all the years of taking the car to the dealer for repairs and scheduled oil changes i must know replace the engine. how can chrysler not be aware of this problem with all the attention it is getting. *tr | |||
| 07/07/2009 | 1 | ||
| 2002 dodge stratus oil sludge issues - motor blown - *tr | |||
| 06/20/2008 | 122156 | 1 | |
| Noticed increased oil usage with no leaks although oil was changed every 3 months or 3000 miles. at approx. 122000 miles, engine threw a rod. several dodge/chrysler mechanics stated this was due to oil sludge buildup, saying this is a very common problem with the 2.7l v6 engine regardless of the type of oil used or frequency of oil changes. *tr | |||
| 09/11/2008 | 96234 | 1 | |
| During daily driving my dodge stratus 2.7 motor failed. after taking to the mechanic, i was told it was cause by engine sludge and that the repair was going to cost me 4k. *tr | |||
| 08/08/2008 | 172000 | 1 | |
| 2.7l engine failure. tensioner for primary timing chain failed to extend. 2 o rings missing on tensioner . oil sludge in engine. oil passages almost plugged. *tr | |||
| 06/04/2008 | 94500 | 1 | |
| Oil sludge caused catastrophic engine failure causing the engine to stop working on the ca-110s. *tr | |||
| 11/05/2007 | 75000 | 1 | |
| While on 495 long island expressway the car made a load knocking sound and died. when towed to our mechanic he said it was engine failure. this happened in nov. 2007(the car was purchased new in august 2002), and there were no funds to fix it which has caused transportation/financial difficulties in regard to work from nov. 2007 until the present,june 2008. the daimler chrysler rep. said they weren't responsible because we didn't bring the car to them for our oil changes. i just received an estimate to replace the engine with a jaspar engine for 4,500 to 5,000 dollars. *tr | |||
| 06/24/2007 | 100000 | 1 | |
| Oil light came on and the engine seized. nothing has been done, the car is currently sitting untouched. *tr | |||
| 04/17/2008 | 106156 | 1 | 06/10/2007 |
| Oil light started flickering most when i was applying the brake. the engine started knocking maybe 3 weeks after. i knew i was due for an oil change so i had one done yesterday that didn't stop the knocking. i take it to the dealer i brought the car to have it looked at and he told me it was the engine so last night as im driving the knocking got real loud and you could smell something burning. the oil light was flickering more. before i knew it the car had completely shut down. *tr | |||
| 01/08/2008 | 85600 | 2 | 01/08/2008 |
| One day after we purchased a 2002 dodge stratus from a private seller, the car died and had to be towed to a mechanic. he had it for 3 days but car started for him. 2 days later car died again so we towed it to a dodge dealer. he had it for 2 days and informed us the engine was shot due to oil sludge and a timing issue. it would need an engine replacement for $6100. we drove the car less than 20 miles, didn't make our first payment on a 3 year loan and have no car to drive. i still have a 10 year old dodge caravan, but was not aware of the defective 2.7l engine dodge knowing sold to consumers. never buy another dodge. *tr | |||
| 10/20/2007 | 82000 | 1 | 07/05/2007 |
| Engine failure. *tr | |||
| 09/23/2007 | 77000 | 2 | 01/14/2006 |
| I bought this car in january 2006. i was having problems with the car, little things kept going wrong. i have kept up on maintenance. 3 weeks ago my water pump went out. i picked up my car after the repair and the oil light was still on. apparently when the water pump had failed, it was leaking coolant and such into the engine. not to mention the sludge. of course 2 days after picking up the car, the engine failed on the interstate with my 2 year old son in the car. it is still in the shop. i am having to have a brand new engine installed. *tr | |||
| 05/11/2007 | 80000 | 1 | 02/01/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 dodge stratus. while driving 20 mph, a knocking noise was heard coming from the engine compartment. the vehicle failed and was towed. the contact was told that this is a very common failure due to sludge build up in the engine. the entire engine had to be replaced. the current and failure mileages were 80,000. | |||
| 05/11/2007 | 80000 | 1 | 02/15/2003 |
| Normal driving then the engine started clanking and quit. service station said the 2.7 v6 is a terrible engine and need to be totally replaced. called chrysler and they said they would not help me. it cost about $4000 to fix. not sure what to do. can't afford that there are thousands of complaints on www.dontbuyone.org with the same complaint.*ak | |||
| 06/10/2006 | 57900 | 1 | 12/29/2002 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 65 mph the vehicle made a knocking noise and stalled. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who determined a rod and crank bearings fractured causing damage to the underside of the engine. the engine will need to be replaced. | |||
| 11/30/2005 | 42000 | 1 | 12/28/2003 |
| I drove to knoxville, tn. i went to a basket ball game. on the interstate the engine started knocking real terribly. i called my mom and she said to check the oil in the morning. i did it was at a perfect level.(i had got the oil changed about a week before this trip.) i had the car towed to a maintenance shop. they said the oil holes are to small to let sufficient oil through to the engine and that the oil was like gummy at the bottom of the engine(how would any one know that) and it ruins your engine. i had another maintenance shop check my car at home in wi. they said the same thing the mechanic said in tn. the car needs a new engine. the car is in my drive way because i have no money to put a new engine in the car. my mom was good enough to drive to tn and rent a uhaul with a trailer and bring my car back. i don't only need at least $3000 for engine i also owe my mom $700 for the towing. *nm | |||
| 11/30/2005 | 42000 | 1 | 12/30/2003 |
| My car needs a new engine. it has ~42000 miles. the mechanics one from knoxville,tn where the engine died and the one in kenosha,wi where i had to have the car brought home, said the oil holes are to small to let sufficient oil thru the engine. the car is still sitting at the mechanics shop because i do not have $3000.00 to have it fixed. *nm | |||
| 12/24/2005 | 80000 | 1 | 06/06/2002 |
| Dodge stratus 2002 2.7 motor failure at 80,000 due to sludge build up caused by water leaking into motor, poor engine design and manufacturer should of advised that this car needed aggressive oil changes with synthetic oil not fossil fuel based oil. stranded wife on highway on christmas eve. dealership will not repair due to poor maintenance. car is still under warranty. said that i did not do enough oil changes. car was maintain to company specs. *nm | |||
| 09/15/2005 | 1 | 09/12/2005 | |
| Water outlet erupted and caused vehicle to run hot. also, the eruption knocked a slight dent in the hood. the part was ordered from the mfr and replaced the next day. *nm | |||
| 09/24/2004 | 1 | ||
| While driving at 35 mph consumer heard a noise coming from the engine. suddenly the engine stalled. vehicle was towed to an independent repair sho, and mechanic determined engine needed to be replaced. dealership was notified. *ak | |||
| 12/26/2003 | 54750 | 1 | 02/20/2003 |
| Engine failed at 54,800 miles on my 2002 dodge stratus se. car was taken to the dealer for a slight engine knock. car had no problem starting. we left the car there for them to diagnose the problem. they called and said that i needed to replace the engine (2.7l dohc 24 valve v-6) at no cost to me that it was under warranty. we agreed and 3 day's later they called and told me that the warranty was canceled and would not tell me why. i gave them all my maintenance records. when we arrived to pick up our car, the service advisor told us that the car may not start because it had been sitting there for 2 weeks. that's bull... he then told us that the car had jumped time and that they would put it back in time for us and split the cost. we agreed yet again and left the car there. he then called us again and said that the car didn't jump time, but that there was so much engine sludge built up that it was starving the car for oil. and that's why it wont start. but the car had no problem starting and running before we dropped it off just a little engine knock at idle. please help me... thank you. *jb | |||
| 12/21/2001 | 51136 | 1 | 10/28/2002 |
| My 2002 dodge stratus se's 2.7 litre v6 200hp engine completely failed. the mechanic at the first shop said my timing belt was bad, and that my engine, even though maintained was sludged. my vehicle is currently being held at a dealership for possible repair. they said that for $5850 i can have a new engine with a 12,000 mile, or 12 month warranty- i am not shelling out near $6000 for a new engine when it has a 12,000 mile warranty.*ak | |||
| 08/26/2003 | 1 | ||
| While driving and accerlerating, car starts to jerk / hesitate - poor gas mileage - tac flutters and engine revs up while car is park or in neutral. *la | |||
| 10/03/2003 | 64000 | 1 | |
| Had parked vehicle. noticed flames coming from under the hood near the engine compartment. fire dept called and arrived to put out flames. cause of fire has not been determined by fire dept. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 01/07/2003 | 5 | 01/07/2003 | |
| I am so dissatisfied with my 2002 dodge stratus se. ever since i bought my car in jan 2003, i have had more problems with this car than any other. my car leaks fluids constantly, my breaks don't work when applied, my car hesitates in all weather circumstances, my windshield makes a crackling noise, my doors squeak along with my trunk lid. not to mention that i get anywhere from 10-15 miles per gallon for gas. i drive for about 40 min and half of my gas is gone!!! this vehicle is a hazard to the road and anyone or thing it comes in contact with :-( i never recommend my car to anyone and am ashamed to say it's mine. dodge is definately one dealer that i wil never ever ever buy another car from!!!!! *ak | |||
| 08/21/2002 | 2 | 07/01/2002 | |
| Drivng approx 40mph when engine just shut off like it ran out of gas (full tank-only 25 miles on that tank used). would not restart, sounded like it wanted to catch, but couldn't. towed to dealer-nothing found. 8 hours later, car idling in driveway when it sputtered and died. restarted after a few minutes, taken to dealer, nothing found. nlm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||
| Defective timing belt tension. ph | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 09/15/2003 | 27000 | ||
| The check engine/transmission light keeps coming on. i brought it in once they replaced a hose. a few days later it came back on we brought it to a differant shop they reset it and blamed me for it. stating that i leave my car run when i put gas in it and that is why it comes on. well the light came back on and we are working on making a 3rd appointment to get it fixed. if its doing all of this now while still under warranty what happens after the warranty!? | |||