2000 Dodge Stratus engine and engine cooling problems

“MY SON DROVE MY CAR A SHORT DISTANCE AND PARKED IT AT A RESTAURANT. HE WAS INFORMED WITHIN MINUTES THAT THE CAR WAS ON FIRE AND THE FIRE DEPT. EXTINQUISHED AN ENGINE COMPATMENT FIRE. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. HAPPENED IN AKRON OHIO APPROX. NOV. 2011. *TR”

“AFTER DRIVING MY CAR A FRIEND WENT OUTSIDE AND SEEN SMOKE COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD.SHE CALLED ME AND I RAN TO THE CAR AND I SEEN FIRE UNDER THE FRONT WHEEL'S. FRIENDS SPRAYED WATER ON THE HOOD AND I OPENED IT UP A LITTLE AND THEY SPRAYED THE FIRE AND PUT IT OUT. BY THIS TIME THE TOP OF THE MOTOR WAS BURNT BAD. EVERYTHING ON TOP NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, IT WAS CAUSED BY THE HIGH PRESSURE HOSE ON THE POWERSTEERING. I FOUND OUT THAT IT HAD A RECALL ON THE HOSE SO I CALLED DODGE CORP. AND THEY GAVE ME A CASE # AND TO TAKE IT TO MY DEALER SO I DID. THEN THE CORP. OFFICE CALLED ME TODAY AND SAID IT'S BEEN TO LONG THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE BY THE LAST OWNER AND HUNG UP. I BOUGHT THIS CAR OCT.14 OF THIS YEAR AND THIS HAPPENED ON THE 31. HOW AM I TO KNOW THAT THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN IN 18 DAY'S. I PAID A LOT OF MONEY FOR THIS CAR AND I THINK. THE COMPUTER CAN TELL YOU THE RECALL AND HOW TO GET IT FIXED; BUT YOU TRY TO FIND SOMEWHERE ON HERE ON WHAT TO DO WHEN THERE IS A RECALL AND IT DONE WHAT IT SAID IT WOULD DO AND YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT UNTIL IT DID IT. I NEED HELP I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX IT. I TOOK OUT A LOAN TO GET IT. *TR”

“2000 DODGE STRATUS ENGINE FIRE. AFTER PARKING THE CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY, I BEGAN TO SMELL AND SEE SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE OF THE CAR. DETERMINING THAT IT WAS ON FIRE, I BACKED IT OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY (LUCKILY THE DRIVEWAY WAS SLOPED) TO GET IT A WAY FROM THE HOUSE. *TR”

“2000 DODGE STRATUS, HAD A LEAKAGE IN THE FUEL LINE, IN JUNE 2009 AND HAD IT REPAIRED, THAN TRANSMISSION WAS GOING OUT, NEEDED A NEW ENGINE, CAR WOULDN'T GO PAST 50MPH WITHOUT JERKING AND STILL WAS A GAS-HOGGER, COST MORE TO FIX THE CAR SO HAD TO HAVE IT SALVAGED COULDN'T AFFORD THE REPAIRS, AND MY FRIEND ALSO HAD A DODGE STRATUS SAME YEAR AND HAD THE SAME PROBLEM I DID AND SHE ALSO HAD TO SALVAGED HER CAR. *TR”

“MY SPARK PLUG JUST POPPED OUT OF THE SOCKET WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND IT STRIPPED THE THREADS, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED TO ME. THE FIRST TIME I THOUGHT THAT THE PLUG WAS NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY ON CYLINDER #2, THIS TIME IT HAPPENED ON CYLINDER #3. I'M AFRAID THAT THIS COULD CAUSE AN ENGINE FIRE DUE TO THE VEHICLE STILL SPRAYING THE GAS INTO THE CYLINDER AND THE SPARK PLUG WILL STILL FIRE IGNITING THE FUMES. *TR”

“CAR JUST SHUT DOWN ON INTERSTATE WHILE I WAS DRIVING 65 MPH. AFTER BEING TOWED TO AUTO REPAIR SHOP. THE CAR STARTED BACK UP WITH NO PROBLEM FOR AWHILE, NOW THE CAR IS MAKING NOISE. FOR YEARS PRIOR TO THIS THE CAR DOES NOT STOP OCCASIONALLY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. *TR”