2.9

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
48,306 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2003 Dodge Stratus:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #1

Dec 242005

Stratus 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 48,306 miles
After having my transmission lines repaired due to a leak I decided to take my car out on a test drive on the highway. Well coming into town I began to slow down from 65 mph to 55 mph when all of a sudden my car began to accelerate rapidly. The brakes would not slow it down. The check engine light came on. Fearing for my life I began to gently pull the emergency break which slowed me down to about 20 mph in which I took a turn into a parking lot. When I finally got the car stopped it jerked forward and the engine revved up to approx 600,000 rpms. It stayed like that (parked at home) until several days later when the dealership was finally able to check into it and here is what they "claim". somehow between the time they had it and the few hours that I had driven it since I had it back, they claim that I broke the cover to the idle air temp sensor and that it became lodged in the automatic idle speed motor and would not allow the car to idle down. Now what concerns me is exactly how can I break that cover" I am never under the hood of the car unless I check fluids. The cover to that thing is extremely thick. I believe that the mechanic busted it when he was working on the transmission but they refuse to admit guilt. Also I have heard a crunching sound coming from the rear end in the cold weather. They informed me that the rear control arm bushings are dried and cracked and will need to be replaced. This car is not even 3 years old. Why am I having so many problems with this and putting more money into it then it's worth" it's not fair. And yes I keep up with regular maintenance on it. I have a 4 year old that rides in the car regularly with me. She could of been hurt or killed.

- Garden City, KS, USA