2000 Dodge Stratus ES from North America - Comments

Power steering rack went out and had to be replaced around 100k miles.

General tune-up at 100k included timing belt/water pump/plugs/wires/fuel injection cleaning/all.

An awkward thing is that the "intake" has to be removed to replace the plugs... added cost and labor.

Another weird thing, I go through a fan blower motor resistor about once a year. It's about a $15 part, but I never had a car go through them like this... BUT I use the AC ALL the time in this humidity.

I've had the transmission rebuilt two times.

This car has been a real work horse and I have driven it hard. I bought the car brand new. Now, at 220k miles, I live South of D.C. and travel the treacherous I-95 corridor about 120 miles a day. I have to put my foot into the accelerator, about 3 or 4 times a day, to make clean passes or get out of someone's way (usually 18 wheelers).

I have pushed this car HARD and kept up on the maintenance. ORIGINAL tires and brakes were replaced around 110k miles, who would have thought??? AND I'm STILL ON THE ORIGINAL EXHAUST PIPES and MUFFLER.

The car has only failed once to start, the battery had a dead cell. I jumped it and had to drive 50 miles on the alternator, and I burned it up, but that alternator lasted for 2 days to get me to the car shop. I will stay faithful to my Stratus.

The ES model with the V-6 offers enough luxury with a sporty, tight feel to the steering, and I intend to give it a 200k mile birthday and hopefully get another year out of it. NO smoke from the exhaust, NO oil usage in between oil changes. NO leaks.

All I do is put gas in it... and tires on it.

I LOVE MY STRATUS!!!

Almost a year to the day of my first posting and I still have it...270,000 miles. I have had to replace the alternator again, and need to replace the fan blower motor that's under the dash... that one is cheap... I can get it at a junkyard for 30 bucks. The transmission is slipping a little and is going to need rebuilding soon. IF I decide to do it...I'll keep this car another year.

The blower motor is mounted so that moisture gets into it, if you remove the fan and oil it, as well as drilling the back bearing cover and oil it then cover with silicone than you cure the resistor/fan problem.