26 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1998 Dodge Stratus cite power train, 9% of all 284 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 2 recalls on this component.
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE STRATUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFTED FROM PARK WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE KEY BECAME STUCK IN THE IGNITION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V02100 (POWER TRAIN), HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT AFFECTED AT THE TIME AND NO REPAIRS WERE DONE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.”
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE STRATUS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER RECALL # 04V021000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT). THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SHIFT LINKAGE CABLE WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL AND WILL NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE FOR FREE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE PURCHASE DATE AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 189,608.”
“I HAVE A 1998 DODGE STRATUS ES. THE TRANSMISSION WILL PLACE ITSELF IN NEUTRAL AT RANDOM TIMES WHILE AT A STOP. THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE TRANSMISSION WORKING AGAIN IS TO RESTART THE CAR. THE CAR HAS THE POWER-STICK TRANSMISSION. *NM”
“WE WERE JUST DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE TRANSMISSION GAVE OUT (A COUPLE OF JERKS AND THEN NO ACCELERATION ABILITY). WE WERE ALMOST KILLED BY A SEMI WHO ALMOST RAN INTO US WHEN WE SUDDENLY AND DRASTICALLY SLOWED AND HADN'T BRAKED AND HE COULDN'T MOVE TO ANOTHER LANE BECAUSE OF OTHER TRUCKS IN THAT LANE. OUR 98 GRAND CARAVAN HAS ONLY 79K MILES ON IT AND THIS IS THE SECOND TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, (THOUGH I THINK THE FIRST TIME IT WAS REPAIRED RATHER THAN REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF $1000 AND JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS PAST THE YEAR WARRANTY). NOW WE FIND THAT IT WILL BE $3000 TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. WE HAVE IT SERVICED REGULARLY AT THE DODGE DEALER. WE HAVE ALSO HAD THE BATTERY REPLACED TWICE (ONCE WHEN THE FIRST TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WAS MIS-DIAGNOSED AS A FAULTY BATTERY). ALL WORK HAS BEEN OR IS BEING DONE BY THE DODGE DEALER. NOW I SEE ON THE INTERNET THAT THIS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON WITH THIS MODEL. WHY ISN'T DODGE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THIS INSTEAD OF GOUGING THE PUBLIC (NOT TO MENTION PUTTING US IN DANGER)?*JB”
“IN SEPTEMBER OF 2003 MY BROTHER THE ORGINAL OWNER OF THE 1998 DODGE STRATUS SOLD ME THE CAR. AND THEN RIGHT AFTER HE DIED. HE PURCHASED THE CAR 6 MONTHS BEFORE HE DIED IN MARCH 03. WHEN I RECEIVED THE CAR I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP TO GET AN OIL CHANGE AND THE TRANSMIISON FLIUD CHANGED. WHEN I DID THIS THE OIL MAN TOLD ME THAT I HAD NO OIL OR TRANSMISSON FLUID TO CHANGE IT HAD ALL LEAKED OUT. THE OIL MAN TOLD ME TO GET TO A MACHANIC AS SOON AS I COULD. I TOOK THE CAR TO GET IT FIXED AND THE AMCO TRANSMISSON PLACE CHAGED OVER 1,000.00 DOLLARS TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. I SEE THAT IT WAS 3 RECALLS ON THIS CAR AND ONE HAD TO DO WITH THE POWER TRAIN, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSON/LEVEL AND LINKAGE. I CALLED DODGE AT THE NUMBER PROVIDED AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE WARRANTY WAS UP AND THAT IF I HAD AREADY PAID TO GET THESE THING FIXED IT WOULD NOT BE REFUNDABLE.THE TRANSMISSON FLIUD HAD ALL LEAKED OUT THAT I HAD TO ALMOST REDO THE HOLD ENGINE. I DONOT HAVE THE OLD PARTS BUT I DO HAVE THE RECEIPT OF REPAIRS DONE.”
“COMPLAINT REGARDING THE WAITING TIME CONSUMER HAD TO ENDURE WHEN HAVING RECALL REPAIRS PERFORMED ON 1998 DODGE STRATUS. *MR THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP HAD COME ON. THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT. THE 02 SENSOR FAILED. THE 02 SENSOR WAS REPLACED AND RESET AND MAY HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE FOR THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. RECALL CAMPAIGN #04V021000. *SC”
Showing 6 of 26 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FLOOR SHIFTER IGNITION-PARK INTERLOCK MAY FAIL AND ALLOW THE SHIFTER TO BE MOVED OUT OF THE PARK POSITION WITH THE KEY REMOVED. AN INOPERATIVE INTERLOCK MAY ALSO ALLOW THE KEY TO BE REMOVED WHEN THE SHIFTER HAS NOT BEEN PLACED IN THE PARK POSITION.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. THE ADJUSTMENT OF THE CABLE CONNECTING THE CONSOLE SHIFTER MECHANISM TO THE IGNITION KEY CAN CAUSE A TRAPPED KEY CONDITION WHICH CAN RESULT IN A LOW FORCE REQUIRED TO DEPRESS THE SHIFT BUTTON. A COMBINATION OF APPLYING A MIS-ADJUSTED RELEASE BUTTON WITH A LOW FORCE ATTEMPT TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK WITH THE KEY IN THE LOCKED POSITION, CAN BREAK THE CONNECTING PIN IN THE SHIFTER.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.