2000 Dodge Stratus service brakes, hydraulic problems

“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”

“IN FIVE YEARS I HAVE PUT ON THREE SETS OF BRAKE PADS AND THREE SETS OF ROTORS AND CALIPERS,I HAVE USED DEALER PARTS AND AUTO STORE PARTS AND I STILL ONLY HAVE MINIMAL BRAKES. *JB”

“AFTER AN ABRUPT STOP, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND BRAKING ABILITY WAS SEVERELY IMPAIRED. I WENT HOME IMMEDIATELY FEARING FOR MY SAFETY. AFTER AN INSPECTION UNDER THE VEHICLE, I NOTICED THAT A LARGE AMOUNT OF BRAKE FLUID IN MY DRIVEWAY. LOOKING MORE CLOSELY I FOUND THE LEAK IN THE BRAKE LINE. IT APPEARS THAT THE PARKING BRAKE CABLE HAD WORN A SPOT ON THE LEFT REAR BRAKE LINE. THIS COMBINED WITH CORROSION HAD CAUSED THE LINE TO RUPTURE. IT LOOKS AS IF THE FACTORY WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THERE WAS A SOFT 3" PIECE OF FOAM RUBBER TUBING OVER THE PARKING BRAKE CABLE WHERE IT CONTACTED THE HYDRAULIC LINE. THIS FOAM RUBBER MAY HAVE ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE CORROSION BY TRAPPING WATER BETWEEN IT AND THE STEEL BRAKE LINE. JUDGING BY THE AMOUNT OF RUST STUCK TO THE FOAM RUBBER I WOULD SAY THIS IS A FAIR ASSESSMENT. CHRYSLER DEALERS AND THE MAIN OFFICE OFFERED NO RECOURSE. AFTER EXPERIENCING ALL THIS AND MANY OTHER PROBLEMS FROM A VEHICLE PURCHASED NEW, I CAN SAY THAT I WILL NEVER PAY FOR ANOTHER CHRYSLER VEHICLE AGAIN. IF SOMEONE GIVES ME ONE, I MAY CONSIDER THE OFFER. P.S. OTHER PROBLEMS INCLUDED: OIL PRESSURE SENDING SENSOR, TRANSMISSION SPEED SENSORS, FRONT…”

“ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AND WHEN I WENT TO LET OFF OF MY BRAKE PEDAL AND I FELT AND HEARD A POP. I DROVE A LITTLE FURTHER AND AGAIN STOPPED AND WHEN I LET OFF THE BRAKE I HEARD AND FELT A GRIND AND A LOUDER POP THAT SHOOK THE CAR. IT DID THIS ONE MORE TIME BEFORE I GOT TO WERE I HAD TO GO, AND WHEN I STOPPED MY DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE WAS SMOKING AND HAD AN AWFUL SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER. THANK GOOD I HAD SOMEONE CLOSE TO AREA TO STOP AND COME HELP. I HAD NO BRAKE ON THAT REAR TIRE, IT WAS METAL TO METAL, THE CYLINDER WAS SO HOT THERE WERE NO RUBBER BOOT LEFT ON IT AND THE HUB HAD SEIZED. I HAD NO INDICATION OF ANY OF THIS, NO SQUEALING OR ANYTHING IT WAS PRETTY SUDDEN. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLE WAS STICKING ON THE DRIVER SIDE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE SPRING ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLE WAS FLAT. ALL THE OTHER BRAKES WERE FINE STILL LOOKED NEW. I'M NOT SURE WHAT DAMAGE THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED BUT I HAVE TWO SMALL CHILDREN WHO RIDE IN THIS CAR ALL THE TIME. I WAS ALSO TOLD BUY THE SELLING DEALER THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS ANTI-LOCK BRAKES, AFTER THIS PROBLEM I HAD SOMEONE LOOKED OVER MY WHOLE BRAKE SYSTEM AND THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT DETECT AN…”

“I HAVE HAD THIS CAR SINCE OCT. OF 2000 AND ABOUT FOUR MONTHS LATER, I WAS IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT THAT WAS THE OTHER VEHICLE'S FAULT. EVER SINCE THEN MY BRAKES HAVE NOT WORKED PROPERLY I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER 4-5 TIMES FOR VEHICLE FAILURE TO NOT STOP IN ENOUGH TIME AND PULSATING. THE FIRST TWO TIMES I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY CLAIMED THE COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING EVEN WITH A TEST DRIVE. THE THIRD TIME THEY CLAIMED MY BRAKES WERE BAD AND REPLACED THE BRAKES AND NOT THE ROTORS. AFTER THAT THE PULSATING WAS NOT AS NOTICEABLE FOR A FEW WEEKS THEN IT WAS BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS BEFORE. I HAD THE DEALER CHECK THEM ONE OR TWO MORE TIMES AND AGAIN THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. SHORTLY AFTER THAT I HAD A SMALL FENDER BENDER DUE TO BRAKES NOT STOPPING MY VEHICLE PROPERLY. I HAVE TO HAVE MY FRONT AND REAR BRAKES CHANGED TWICE A YEAR, THE FRONT BRAKES GO LIKE THEY ARE MADE OF PAPER, THE REAR BRAKES WEAR ON ONE SIDE MORE THAN THE OTHER. MY OUTER TIE ROD HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE BECAUSE THEY WERE BROKEN, THE ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES. FOR THE PAST TWO WINTERS WHEN I FIRST START MY CAR AND TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, IT SCREECHES SO LOUD AND POPS I THINK MY TIRES ARE…”

“OK MY CAR MAKES A HUMMING NOISE WHEN I HIT THE BRAKES HARD. ITS A LOUD HUMMING SOUNDS. I THOUGHT IT JUST MIGHT BE SOMETHING WRONG (EVERYDAY THING) BUT WHEN I GOT ANOTHER CAR THAT DID THE SAME THING IT MADE ME WONDER. . .SOMETHING MUST BE DEFECTED. MY LAST CAR WAS TOTALED. SOMEONE PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME. . AND I SOMETIMES THINK THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM HAD A DEFECT. IT SEEMED LIKE FOR EVER FOR MY CAR TO STOP AT LOW SPEED EVEN. AND THE HUMMING NOISE BOTHERS ME, ITS SCARY. I THINK ITS DANGEROUS AND IT MUST BE ON MORE CARS IF THIS IS MY 2ND CAR WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. 2000 DODGE STRATUS. PLEASE CONTACT ME AND LET ME KNOW. . . PS. . .I RECENTLY GOT THIS CAR (AFTER I FOUND OUT MY OTHER ONE GOT TOTALED) AND I DON'T KNOW OF ANY PAST RECALLS THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN DONE. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME! -ROBERT MCFADDEN PS. . .PLEASE LET ME KNOW SOMETHING!. *NM”