2004 Dodge Stratus - Vehicle starts to fall apart as it gets older
There have been some... Overly ambitious situations shall we say.... That I've put my car through. Like going through flood waters that were starting to go over the hood. It might just be this particular car, but I liked the fact that it is able to make it through some flood waters that drown out lesser cars. A drawback to this is there is a lot of water seepage everywhere when doing this, and even when there is a light rain there are times when water gets stuck in the doors and you can hear is sloshing around.
The car does also tend to fall apart in time - I'm on my third heater and fourth air conditioner in 6 years, and the window motors have been replaced at least once each. As I mentioned in the title, the car does tend to fall apart the older it gets. Just one of the things I've... (more)
There have been some... Overly ambitious situations shall we say.... That I've put my car through. Like going through flood waters that were starting to go over the hood. It might just be this particular car, but I liked the fact that it is able to make it through some flood waters that drown out lesser cars. A drawback to this is there is a lot of water seepage everywhere when doing this, and even when there is a light rain there are times when water gets stuck in the doors and you can hear is sloshing around.
The car does also tend to fall apart in time - I'm on my third heater and fourth air conditioner in 6 years, and the window motors have been replaced at least once each. As I mentioned in the title, the car does tend to fall apart the older it gets. Just one of the things I've typically noticed about doge vehicles.
I have a few times gone into flood waters that approach and cover the very bottom parts of the hood. Not exactly good for the car, but so long as I kept applying the gas I still managed to make it through the flood waters, and got a few middle fingers from stranded motorists on the way. Also nothing like driving past an SUV that drowned out because they went to fast through flood waters!
I have a few times gone into flood waters that approach and cover the very bottom parts of the hood. Not exactly good for the car, but so long as I kept applying the gas I still managed to make it through the flood waters, and got a few middle fingers from stranded motorists on the way. Also nothing like driving past an SUV that drowned out because they went to fast through flood waters!
Vehicle rarely dies, even though it is slowly falling apart. I love the fact that I don't really need to worry about flood waters, and the car is more or less comfortable to drive in.
Vehicle rarely dies, even though it is slowly falling apart. I love the fact that I don't really need to worry about flood waters, and the car is more or less comfortable to drive in.
Car falls apart as it ages. Not only that, replacement parts don't seem to last long, and replacing the battery is a pain, since it is in the wheel well of the driver's side wheel.
Car falls apart as it ages. Not only that, replacement parts don't seem to last long, and replacing the battery is a pain, since it is in the wheel well of the driver's side wheel.
2001 Dodge Stratus - I really like it other than suspension issues
There are a lot of things I like about my Stratus. It's comfortable to drive, there's a lot of room for a mid-size car, it gets good gas mileage, and the styling is nice... it's got a good mix of sportiness and practicality. It's also fun to drive. The handling seems a lot like some smaller cars that I've had. The quality of most everything seems very good. Since it's 13 years old, and I live in NE Ohio, it does have some rust, but that's to be expected. I've usually gone about 4 months in between oil changes, and it doesn't seem to lose any oil. The only thing that I've disliked and that has been a recurring problem is issues with suspension parts. I knew that where the right rear strut attached to the body of the car had been "jerry rigged" when I bought it in 2006, but the salesman ... (more)
There are a lot of things I like about my Stratus. It's comfortable to drive, there's a lot of room for a mid-size car, it gets good gas mileage, and the styling is nice... it's got a good mix of sportiness and practicality. It's also fun to drive. The handling seems a lot like some smaller cars that I've had. The quality of most everything seems very good. Since it's 13 years old, and I live in NE Ohio, it does have some rust, but that's to be expected. I've usually gone about 4 months in between oil changes, and it doesn't seem to lose any oil. The only thing that I've disliked and that has been a recurring problem is issues with suspension parts. I knew that where the right rear strut attached to the body of the car had been "jerry rigged" when I bought it in 2006, but the salesman and a mechanic I had look at it felt that it would be ok for a long time. Within a year any rubber that had been in that strut assembly was gone, and any time I went over even a slight bump it made all kinds of noise. I took it to a mechanic and he said the only problem was the rubber, but it would be difficult to get it to where it was totally quiet, but I had it done. It was better, but not totally quiet after that. Shortly after that the left rear strut broke for the first time. In all since I've had the car I've had to have the right rear strut replaced twice, the right front replaced once, and have had the right rear strut assembly totally redone, which was pretty expensive. I know I had another part in the right front suspension replaced also, but I don't remember what it was. I am starting to look for another car, mostly because of the age of this one, but I'll miss it.
I took a trip to see family about 300 miles away. On my way there I thought I heard a bit of a noise in the right front a couple times. I stopped and looked under the hood, and at what I could see around the tire, but I couldn't see anything wrong. I figured if I heard it again I'd have to stop and have it looked at, but I didn't hear it again, not even on the way back. The first I heard it ag... (more)
I took a trip to see family about 300 miles away. On my way there I thought I heard a bit of a noise in the right front a couple times. I stopped and looked under the hood, and at what I could see around the tire, but I couldn't see anything wrong. I figured if I heard it again I'd have to stop and have it looked at, but I didn't hear it again, not even on the way back. The first I heard it again was about a week later, so I took it to my mechanic. When he asked me how long it had been making the noise I told him I first heard it on my trip. He called me later after he'd had a chance to look at it and asked me where I'd gone, and when I told him he said "You drove all the way down there and back with a broken strut! The next time you're taking it out of town bring it in for me to look at first!" I couldn't believe I didn't have a worse problem with it on my trip because of that!
I've always got pretty good gas mileage with this car. I mostly do in town driving and get an average of about 20 mpg. The two times I've taken it on a trip of about 300 miles I got around 27 or 28 mpg on the highway. I liked the body styling when I first started seeing this model on the road. The inside styling is very nice, and the car has always been comfortable to drive. It has a lot of room for a mid-size car. I'm usually alone when I'm driving, but I have had 3 passengers a couple times and it seemed like there was plenty of room for everyone. I've moved twice since I had it and was ... (more)
I've always got pretty good gas mileage with this car. I mostly do in town driving and get an average of about 20 mpg. The two times I've taken it on a trip of about 300 miles I got around 27 or 28 mpg on the highway. I liked the body styling when I first started seeing this model on the road. The inside styling is very nice, and the car has always been comfortable to drive. It has a lot of room for a mid-size car. I'm usually alone when I'm driving, but I have had 3 passengers a couple times and it seemed like there was plenty of room for everyone. I've moved twice since I had it and was surprised how much stuff I could put in it! The handling is great and it's fun to drive. The controls for the heat/ac are easy to access. Having the cruise control on the steering wheel is also a plus. The only thing I've had to have it in the shop for is the suspension issues, and I did have to have the windshield replace after it got hit by a rock. Other than that it's been very trustworthy. Being front wheel drive it does great in the snow.
The issues I've had with the suspension have been the worst things about the car. There does seem to be more of a blind spot when stopped and looking to the right for oncoming traffic than in some other cars I've had, but I don't really know why since there's not a wide post there. When I first got the car it took me awhile to get used to how low the front of the car is when I was pulling forward into a parking spot or up behind a car at a stop, and the opposite for the back because it's high and makes it hard to judge where the car actually ends. I am a smoker, so I do wish it had an asht... (more)
The issues I've had with the suspension have been the worst things about the car. There does seem to be more of a blind spot when stopped and looking to the right for oncoming traffic than in some other cars I've had, but I don't really know why since there's not a wide post there. When I first got the car it took me awhile to get used to how low the front of the car is when I was pulling forward into a parking spot or up behind a car at a stop, and the opposite for the back because it's high and makes it hard to judge where the car actually ends. I am a smoker, so I do wish it had an ashtray, but I got one of the ones you can put in one of the cup holders. It does seem to take quite awhile for the heat to warm up in the winter. Cleaning the inside of the windshield is a bit hard because of how low it goes down at the bottom where it meets the dash.
2000 Dodge Stratus - It worked for a little while.
My 2000 Dodge Stratus ES came at a minimal price, for that I was happy. Less than $1,800. It was steal gray in color. Its interior was all carpeted and vinyl. It had electric windows and locks. Some tint on the rear window. The car made me feel special. I was really excited to learn that the car pulled with its front wheels. Something like a front-wheel drive vehicle. I had never owned one like that before, and it was work learning to guide it. Eventually, after about one year of ownership, I started having to complete major repairs. The ball joints on both sides of the front went out. That costed four hundred and something dollars. Then other parts started needing replacement like the oil pan cover. I was losing massive oil for a while there. Lately, the car has been giving me hell. T... (more)
My 2000 Dodge Stratus ES came at a minimal price, for that I was happy. Less than $1,800. It was steal gray in color. Its interior was all carpeted and vinyl. It had electric windows and locks. Some tint on the rear window. The car made me feel special. I was really excited to learn that the car pulled with its front wheels. Something like a front-wheel drive vehicle. I had never owned one like that before, and it was work learning to guide it. Eventually, after about one year of ownership, I started having to complete major repairs. The ball joints on both sides of the front went out. That costed four hundred and something dollars. Then other parts started needing replacement like the oil pan cover. I was losing massive oil for a while there. Lately, the car has been giving me hell. The horn stuck on it at the grocery store. I had to have it totally disconnected. The cam shaft sensor went out costing me a couple of hundred dollars. I went broke again replacing a rear brake shoe that was found to be rusted in place, causing the caliper and brake line to need replacing. And last but not least, the shocks and struts have gone kaput and will cost another three or four hundred dollars to fix. At first I enjoyed the car because it ran like a dream with new tires. But now I squeak everywhere I go. I watch all the time for the engine light to come on because I haven't had a chance to give it an oil change.
The only funny story I have is when I was teaching my teenager to drive. She scared the daylights out of me. I felt like she was this little person in control of this big machine.
The only funny story I have is when I was teaching my teenager to drive. She scared the daylights out of me. I felt like she was this little person in control of this big machine.
The positive thing about the car is it fits my whole family in it comfortably. There are four of us. And I like its color. It still looks good when I wash it even though it's making funny noises as I drive down the street.
The positive thing about the car is it fits my whole family in it comfortably. There are four of us. And I like its color. It still looks good when I wash it even though it's making funny noises as I drive down the street.
The cons are that it's an old car. It was old when I bought it, and I guess the previous owners left if sitting up for a year while they traveled out of the country. It's an old car, and I don't care how much money you spend, you can't make it new again.
The cons are that it's an old car. It was old when I bought it, and I guess the previous owners left if sitting up for a year while they traveled out of the country. It's an old car, and I don't care how much money you spend, you can't make it new again.
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