13th Jul 2008, 22:48
I bought a 98 Stratus as a second car last December, In 6 months I've...
Replaced front pads/rotors, rear drums/shoes and wheel cylinders.
Battery, head gasket, cam sensor/gasket, can't keep brake fluid in it (all the plastic joints leak), day light running module, all control arm bushings.
This week it started dripping oil, replaced the rear main seal (factory one has a rubber outer seal), well it slid out and wore though the fly wheel.
Today I noticed it dripping again. Upon further inspection it looks like the oil pan gasket is leaking...
I paid $500 for this car and sank over $3000 in to it so far. Just waiting for a fuel leak since every thing else leaks. and I'll add the cigarette butt...
By the way you can change the rear main without dropping the transaxle.
22nd Apr 2009, 02:48
LOL, I just purchased a 1998 Stratus today from a friend, and I just wanted to say that you guys are scaring me. I only paid $500 for it though, so even if I have to put some money into it, it's not too bad... I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
5th Oct 2010, 20:09
I had a 1998 Stratus and it was one of the best cars I ever owned. I bought it with 125000 miles and run it to 185000 miles.
The only thing I did to it was a upper ball joint, and sometimes the gas gauge didn't work right, but other than that it was an awesome car!
5th Jan 2008, 11:26
Granted, routine maintenance is expected on all older vehicles - to think that a car can last forever without tender, loving care isn't practical. But some cars tend to rack up a longer list of problems than others.
For example, I owned a 98 dodge stratus and it served us fine for quite awhile, but after replacement of brakes, tire rod, cylinder firing problems, water pump busting and a crack in the block - it's time to throw in the towel. The problem with Dodge (Chrysler) is that you can expect to have a slew of problems by 100,000 miles - whereas a foreign car can easily last up to 300,000 without massive repairs. Chrysler's cars aren't built to last long - they are built quickly and are disposable. This may explain why Chrysler is close to bankruptcy just a few weeks ago.