2004 Dodge SRT-4 from North America - Comments

At 400 miles the vehicle was leaking oil and the dealership was unable to find the source.

At 6000 miles, the axle seal went and needed to be replaced.

Some smaller problems occurred, including the windshield weatherstripping coming off, a bracket that wasn't attached underneath the vehicle.

The oil leak continued and I complained to Chrysler at least twice. No fix for it at all... just given the run around.

The check engine light came on around 10,000 or so. The vehicle would stall every time I stopped. I was told it was the IAC sensor, so this sensor was fixed.

About two weeks later the engine light came on again. This time the "source of the problem was frayed wire into the pcm".

The vehicle does not shift smoothly.

The steering wheel began making unusual clunking noises and the entire steering column was replaced.

The steering wheel began clunking again and then it was supposedly a TSB bearing in the column and not the entire column.

The oil leak issue was finally addressed one year after it began at 400 miles, 30,000 miles later mind you. The PCV valve was replaced, which and I quote "probably won't fix the problem". Perhaps Chrysler needs to be told that an oil catch can will fix this issue however I feel that I should not have to fork out nearly $100 for a problem that was not created by me. Also, I was told by the dealership that it leaked oil because I "abused" my vehicle. I am female, also, I guarantee you that in no way was I abusing my vehicle at 400 miles.

The latest two problems include a clunk in the steering area again. It happens when the vehicle is cold. Perhaps it's something that was not replaced when previous repairs were made on the steering area.

And last, but not least, the throttle is sticking. It has it three times now and is extremely dangerous. The dealership refused to come and get me when I was about two miles away, but if I drove my vehicle there, they would have time to check it out. Apparently, it "may have been caused by ice." I find this hard to believe.

Every issue that I have discussed above required me to drive about 40 miles one way to have fixed.

It's a fun car and extremely disappointing to me. I was looking forward to getting an SRT-4, since I currently own three neons, a 99 Plymouth Neon, a 99 Dodge Neon R/T, and a 04 SRT-4.

It would be nice if the workmanship and quality of the vehicle were equal with the vehicles performance.

Your car is obviously a lemon. You should take any legal action necessary since you've experienced way too many problems for it to not be considered a lemon. My SRT-4 performs very well and I punch it almost every time. 12000 miles and no problems other than bad gas mileage. Good luck!

WOW!!! Sounds like you either bought used to save cash or just got a total freaking lemon.. young kids buy these and trash them in a months time..

I bought my 2005 SRT-4 brand new off the show room floor with 1.5 miles on it... paid way too much for it in my opinion, but with 31806 miles on it.

My car only saw the dealer one time, and I think it was my fault cause I didn't have any problems til I put my air intake on. Rubbed a hose and made a weak spot. The dealer fixed the problem and charged me nothing.

I got mass compliments on the way I made the car look with my upgrades.

These cars will smoke many of the 35k plus retail cars with no problem at all.

I loved my SRT-4. I just could not afford 400 bucks a month anymore with the price of gas. It's in good hands... the new owner has had one prior to purchasing mine..

"The oil leak issue was finally addressed one year after it began at 400 miles, 30,000 miles later mind you. The PCV valve was replaced, which and I quote "probably won't fix the problem". Perhaps Chrysler needs to be told that an oil catch can will fix this issue however I feel that I should not have to fork out nearly $100 for a problem that was not created by me. Also, I was told by the dealership that it leaked oil because I "abused" my vehicle. I am female, also, I guarantee you that in no way was I abusing my vehicle at 400 miles."

I don't understand what your gender has with whether or not it is possible that you run your car hard, but if you actually put 29,600 miles on your car in one year it definitely got run a LOT. If you spent much of that time in high RPM driving, it will blow by a bit of oil which will find it's way out of the PCV. You didn't detail where your oil leak problem was, only what the dealership told you what they feel caused it.

If I have misinterpreted any facts that you presented, I apologize. The 2.4 turbo is a motor that can take some abuse, and if you drive it hard it will give you a case of perma grin. It isn't a zero maintenance type of car, Toyota makes fine cars if that is what one is looking for. It is too bad that you didn't enjoy the time that you got out of the car, but it doesn't sound to me like you had anything unusual go wrong, considering the heavy duty use of the engine.

"It isn't a zero maintenance type of car, Toyota makes fine cars if that is what one is looking for."

Another person who thinks Toyota's need no maintenance. This guy will be the one who buys a nice new Corolla and doesn't do a thing to it, and it blows up at 30,000 miles and he blames Toyota for it. Toyota does make excellent vehicles, but THEY DO NEED MAINTENANCE!!

I bought my 2005 SRT-4 new in the summer of 2005. I bought an extended warranty because I was a bit nervous about buying an American car, but the car has been exceptionally reliable. I've spent a total of $300 (parts and labor) for repair costs outside of regular maintenance, including $200 for a leaky thermostat housing and $100 for a new set of ignition wires. Aside from those minor problems, the car has been completely trouble-free for over 48,000 miles. The paint is still in good shape (it's washed and waxed regularly), and the interior has held up quite well.

As far as the driving experience, the SRT-4 is a blast. It's fast, handles well, and has excellent brakes. Yes, the FWD makes it a pain to launch hard from a standstill, but I'm not a drag-racer so that doesn't really matter much to me. From a roll, the Quaife limited-slip differential helps the car put the power down pretty well. The car is relatively lightweight (2,950 lbs), which makes it a lot of fun on tight back-country roads.

Along with its exceptional performance, the SRT-4 comes with a high degree of practicality for a small car. The back seat is usable by adults, and the trunk will fit a decent amount of luggage. I average 20-22 MPG in my daily commute, which includes mostly freeway driving with intermittent heavy traffic. A freeway drive with no traffic can yield 26-28 MPG.

I'll freely admit that owning an SRT-4 means trading some refinement for performance. The SRT-4 was a bit crude when compared to its Japanese rivals in the low-$20K price range (notchy shifter, mediocre sound insulation, poor turning radius for a small car), but it smoked them all when it came to performance. The Viper-inspired seats are a bit tight for some, but I like them. It's not the greatest long-distance car, being a bit loud and bumpy to be ideal for trips over three or four hours.

As far as the "It's nothing but a pimped-up Neon..." talk that you see on these sites, I really couldn't care less. I know what the car can do, and I don't need the cachet of a high-end marque to prove it.