2004 Dodge Stratus problems
Owners have filed 196 complaints about the 2004 Dodge Stratus with NHTSA. Suspension accounts for 19.4% of them — the clear leader, ahead of engine and engine cooling at 11.2%.
Complaints196
Crashes27
Fires1
Injuries18
Deaths0
What owners report breaking
Suspension 19.4% · 38
Engine and engine cooling 11.2% · 22
Electrical system 8.2% · 16
Air bags 7.7% · 15
Steering 6.6% · 13
Power train 6.6% · 13
Vehicle speed control 6.6% · 13
Structure 4.6% · 9
Severity
Of those complaints, 27 describe a crash, 1 describe a fire and 18 report an injury.
Reading the numbers
Across the 11 model years of the Dodge Stratus in this data, 2004 sits 8th by complaint volume. 1996 draws the most.
Filing volume has held steady, 7 in the last three years against 8 in the three before.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 61,076 miles.
In owners' own words
Driving over a small bump in the road, the car rear suspension made a clanging noise. Upon investigation, the left rear shock absorber top mount is broken, and the shock is loose and rattling, not performing its function to stabilizer the vehicle over standard road conditions. Loss of suspension during braking maneuver on wet roads could lead to an accident from loss of control of vehicle. Suspension · reported at 80,000 miles
There was a distinctive rattle coming from the right rear suspension. The failure was the upper strut mount. The right and left strut mounts were replaced. The original material was aluminum and the replacement was painted steel. The dealer said a few months ago there was a waiting list of thousands of these parts. Do not have the old parts left at tire store. Suspension · reported at 142,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Dodge Stratus. The contact stated that while traveling at unknown speeds, she heard a loud bang. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was discovered that the driver's side ball joints had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000. Suspension · reported at 100,000 miles
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…