1996 Dodge Stratus review from North America
"Buy something that wasn't made by Dodge!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
-My oil light started to come on, but everything was OK w/the oil.
-About a week later, my "door" courtesy light started coming on whenever the car was put into gear, so I had to turn my interior light off altogether so it wouldn't stay on.
-Next, my "brights" icon appeared on the dash whenever my lights were on, whether or not the brights were actually on.
-After that my power locks started acting up. I can always unlock, but once the car is started, I cannot lock my doors.
-Then my radio and clock went. Sometimes I can see a single line of light where the clock used to be (like part of a number is there) and my antenna goes up when I turn on the radio, but there's no display and no sound.
-And, of course, my air conditioning died. I'm petrified that my power windows will go too, and with no air, I'll suffocate this summer.
General comments?
I took the car to a Dodge dealer, who said that I need to replace the oil switch, ignition switch, multifunction switch, body controller, and radio, but that might not fix the problem. I can't believe that all of those parts would go bad within a few weeks of each other.
Recommended reviews
| Good car, some issues |
| Would be very good car without electrical gremlins! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 4 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 4 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 2 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 75000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 130000 miles |
| Previous car | Toyota Camry |
| Date of Entry | 30th April, 2004 |