1995 Dodge Stratus review from North America
"A total lemon!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The dash and all molding is fading greatly in color.
The rear passenger doors are not functional. The latching mechanism actually stuck closed, and I was unable to close one door at all - I drove to the mechanics with the door flapping all the way.
The factory radio dial turns the unit on and controls the volume, and it also contains a secondary dial function to switch the sound between left and right channels. This sticks, causing the sound to switch between channels when attempting to adjust the volume.
In winter, the side, rear and back windows frost and fog completely, making visibility almost impossible - defrost makes little, if any difference.
The headlights are woefully inadequate, visibility is 50 meters at best - an absolute death trap for night driving.
The door and window seals leak heavily, causing water damage to the interior doors.
When idling, the steering wheel vibrates like a jack hammer.
In a matter of 6 months, the entire rocker panels are rusting out, as well as the edges of all the doors - there was not a spot of rust on the car when I bought it.
The paint picks up stone chips very easily - a bra for this car is a worthy investment!
No amount of lock de-icer would free up the mechanism in the winter, if even a minute amount of water got inside.
The seals for the spark plug casings failed, causing oil to leak onto the plugs. This resulted in sputtering, stalling, and surging of the engine, and cost $400 CDN to repair.
The front wheel bearings need replacing at 131,000 miles, at a cost of $500 CDN to repair.
The trunk release cable broke during the winter, and now the trunk does not open, even with the key.
The seat belts lock inexplicably, even without sudden breaking, and do not retract when removed.
Recommended reviews
| 1995 - Stratus 2.0L 4-cylinder A reliable, practical vehicle |
|
| Avoid this car at all costs |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1995 |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0L 4 cylinder. Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 6 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 9 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 1 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 205020 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 210965 kilometres |
| Previous car | Mazda 323 |
| Date of Entry | 20th April, 2004 |