1997 Dodge Stratus Base review from North America
"It is what it is, but has known reliability problems"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
I'm just one of the many who have had the head gasket go out on the 2.0L engine. This is an extremely common failure from what I see on web postings. Chrysler was not willing to discuss it, but rather lectured me that if there was a problem, the government would order a recall. I had to explain to her that recalls are typically ordered for safety-related, not reliability-related problems. The local dealer was equally unresponsive. However, I had dealer repair in order to minimize damage and will take Chrysler to small claims court armed with a boatload of Internet-gleaned complaints.
General comments?
Other than that, it's a peppy ("zippy" in my wife's parlance) car that is fun to drive locally compared to my '94 Town Car.
Recommended reviews
| A fun car to drive with great fuel economy |
|
| 1996 - Stratus 2.4L, 4 cylinder. It's a reliable beast! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0 Manual |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 2 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 4 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 3 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 70000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 75000 miles |
| Previous car | Chrysler Grand Voyager |
| Date of Entry | 10th December, 2002 |