1998 Dodge Stratus review from North America
"Good reliable car for work or travel"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Head gasket began to leak oil at about 125,000 miles. Replaced gasket, serpentine belt and of course coolant and oil change.
Water pump failed at 133,000 miles. Replaced serpentine belt damaged when the pump bearing failed.
Transmission: clutch serviced about 105,000 replaced throwout bearing, replaced automatic adjuster, resurfaced the clutch face.
Rear window defroster lower half works, upper half is out.
Inner tie rod joints replaced about 131,000 miles.
Normal maintenance, brakes, tires, shifter boot, plugs and wires, one battery since I bought it.
General comments?
The 2.0 litre, same as I had in my old Dodge Omni with 3-speed automatic has 138,000+ miles on it. I use high-mileage oil when I change the oil every 3K miles. Once I got the clutch fixed it continued to run great. I have driven this car from Nashville to Dallas and back getting as high as 40 mpg on the highway, 31 city. It starts right up in cold weather, burns about 1/2 qt of oil every 1000 miles now, and runs great. I've had it up to 90+ mph with no trouble and it will pull a light trailer. Plenty of trunk space, leg room, and the stock stereo sounds good for my taste with a new AM/FM/CD/MP3 player.
Recommended reviews
| Generally reliable, fun to drive |
|
| The best 3000 I ever spent |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1998 |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0 litre Manual |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 62400 miles |
| Most recent distance | 138500 miles |
| Previous car | Dodge Omni |
| Date of Entry | 13th February, 2007 |