Dodge Stratus Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 2,651 consumer complaints across the 12 model years of the Dodge Stratus (1995–2006) that have at least 5 complaints. 1996 has the most, with 554. Across all years, the part named most often is engine cooling (958 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst Stratus years →
All Stratus model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 74 | 52,000 | 0 | 25 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2005 | 62 | 73,042 | 3 | 32 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2004 | 144 | 66,887 | 3 | 30 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2003 | 75 | 63,500 | 2 | 24 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2002 | 150 | 66,500 | 2 | 21 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2001 | 186 | 70,185 | 10 | 20 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2000 | 216 | 88,000 | 5 | 14 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1999 | 251 | 90,500 | 3 | 14 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1998 | 272 | 75,000 | 3 | 12 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1997 | 349 | 95,000 | 4 | 9 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1996 | 554 | 96,908 | 7 | 8 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1995 | 318 | 97,000 | 7 | 2 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Engine cooling958 35%
- Brakes338 12%
- Steering297 11%
- Transmission and drivetrain296 11%
- Suspension279 10%
- Electrical system250 9.2%
- Air bags193 7.1%
- Fuel system110 4.0%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2003: “The car one once moving and then I stop, and put foot on brake, put gear in reverse and give it a little gas, and the vehicle rocks and shakes, and I was park, and put my foot on brake, put the gear in reverse and gave it a litte gas and it rock and shakes. I did just have new spark plugs put on old plugs and wires, and a new fuel tank filler tube”
NHTSA complaint #10907015, filed 2016-09, 196,000 miles2004: “While making a turn at 5mph, my front right wheel collapsed causing complete separation of the wheel and control arm in turn causing my axle to come out from the transmission at the cv joint. There is a recall for this ball joint issue but not for my VIN specifically.”
NHTSA complaint #11308351, filed 2020-02, 150,000 miles2005: “My seatbelts for my two window seats don't have the safety lock function. I was putting my sons car seat in my car and the seat belt wouldn't lock when I pulled it all the way out like its supposed to. I tried both sides and neither of them worked but both my front seatbelts work.”
NHTSA complaint #11181012, filed 2019-02, 150,000 milesOther Dodge models
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About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology