Safe car for a young driver
Air conditioning went, and the front right wheel bearing.
My sister got into an accident in town in her Stratus. All of the damage is cosmetic, and my sister is OK. I trust this car to keep her safe!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 26th July, 2010
Good car, repairs cost WAY TOO MUCH!
Lots of problems with the A/C. Paneling under glove has wires under it that get very hot, not allowing me to use the A/C.
While turning the steering wheel one day, it made a real loud click sound. Since then my cruise control and horn don't work, and the air bag light stays on constantly.
It doesn't get good gas mileage.
To replace a part you can only get it from a Dodge dealer, is from my experience about 10x the amount of a regular car part store.
Very roomy and comfortable.
Not too bad of a price for a used car.
Good handling, and the car can get up and GO when needed.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 7th June, 2010
Crap!
Everything. I have replaced the engine, then had to have a valve job on the new engine.
The transmission slips, bad, I have replaced all the wheel bearings multiple times. The driver side front has been replaced 7 times.
ABS light on, engine light on, timing chain broke and it bent 2 valves, and it's always out of alignment!
By far the worst car I have every owned, and DODGE wants nothing to do with the expenses.
The car is crap, and so isn't Dodge!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 6th February, 2010
Best car ever
Right side speaker went out 60K.
Awesome car most reliable one I had so far, too bad I traded it because of the sludge problem reputation this engine has. I wish I bought the 2.4L instead of the A4 1.8T that I own now.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 6th November, 2006
A great buy: an undiscovered treasure
Needed to replace the clutch at 75,000 and a wheel bearing at the same time. All normal given the wear and tear on NYC roads.
Sporty, fast, agile, comfortable, reliable, room for 4, big trunk, reasonable on gas for a potent V6, a sleeper. I loved this car and it has been more fun to drive than my previous BMW!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 24th January, 2006
Good car with some anxiety
Power set motor, fan belt tensioner, transmission cooling line and power steering pump all within 5000 miles of buying the car and all covered by warranty. Since then, nothing has gone wrong with the car.
I'm worried about what is beginning to be called the 2.7 Club. It seems that many people have had their motors blow up unexpectedly or with only very little warning. For the Stratus, this results in a $3,000 to $7,500 repair.
Those with more knowledge than I say that the oil journals for the timing chain are too small. This results in oil traveling very slowly and it ends up cooking into sludge. The sludge then reduces or stops oil flow to the timing chain causing the tensioner to fail. In addition, the sludge gets into the oil pan and is circulated through the engine causing damage to other components due to a lack of oil pressure.
There are two warning signs and one possible prevention strategy. Observing a flickering oil pressure light at idle or sludge build up under the oil filler cap are the two most common warnings. Once the engine begins to tick, it is too late. The prevention lies in the use of synthetic oil. Synthetic is able to handle higher temperatures than natural base oil and can even remove any sludge that has begun.
Other than my worries about something that may or may not happen, the car has been very reliable. It starts instantly, gets good gas mileage, and has respectable performance. Considering that I went to this car from a Mustang 5.0L, that is a compliment.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 28th February, 2005
Very informative i.e. using synthetic oil. I own a 2002 dodge stratus, showing signs of head gasket problems crossing my fingers at this point.
I think most of the 2.7 complaints came from the Intrepid/Concorde cars. Nothing definitive was ever found. It is hard to tell what the exact problem was.
However, I haven't seen the engine schematics, but I don't agree about your diagnosis to the oiling problem of the Startus. To my knowledge, the belt tensioner doesn't use motor oil and is not part of the oiling system. The tensioner uses a self-sealed unit.
Changing your oil is important, but sludge wouldn't be a problem if you changed your oil even on a semi-regular basis. Not driving for extended trips on not driving enough to get your engine up to normal operating temps would cause sludge.
Lastly, sludge problems aren't an American or Dodge only problem. I know they also exist for Toyota and other manufacturers. Except that people seem to complain more about American cars.
Yep, the 2.7L V6 is a time bomb. It doesn't matter what Chrysler model it is in. It's the same 2.7L V6 in all of them, so they have the same design flaw. Avoid it like a plague. As far as someone saying synthetic oil is thinner is incorrect. Synthetic oil comes in all the same typical viscosities (thickness of the oil) as conventional oil, 10w30, 10w40, 5w30, etc. The chemical compound is simply different and doesn't break down from heat as quickly as regular motor oil, so it protects your motor better for longer. That's the only difference.
19th Jun 2007, 11:44
I hope you are aware that the engine in your current car has an even greater propensity for sludging than does the 2.7 Stratus.