1997 Dodge Stratus Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report engine head gasket trouble — oil or coolant leaking, overheating, and white smoke — frequently in the 50,000-80,000 mile range. Brake pulsation and soft pedals, automatic transmission shifting problems, and non-deploying airbags in crashes also come up repeatedly in the sampled complaints. Many complaints also mention engine bay fires, though these are scattered across different reported origins.

1. 1
   Engine cooling

   Head gasket leak (oil and coolant)

   • 80 complaints (23%)
   • median 69,981 mi at 7.0 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $650 (median of 13 quotes)
   • filed 1997–2007

   Owners describe oil weeping from the head gasket, often first noticed as spots on the driveway or a steadily dropping oil level, and sometimes coolant mixing into the oil or the reverse. Some report overheating, white smoke and water from the tailpipe, or oil residue inside the oil cap, and a few had the gasket replaced more than once. Mechanics and dealers reportedly confirmed head gasket failure in most of these cases. Mostly reported between roughly 30,000 and 120,000 miles, often noticed during routine servicing or after a gradual oil loss.

   What to check: Check for oil and coolant stains under the car, look for milky residue under the oil cap, and ask whether the head gasket has been replaced and at what mileage.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “As my '97 Dodge Stratus es (2.4l) approaches 58,000 mi, it appears to be self-destructing, of course the engine is leaking oil (1 qt/week) at the infamous head gasket, cooling system is fouled (heater quit, flush+clean didn't solve) , and I just got a check engine light on my to work! I have been a chrysler customer for decades, but having a car that runs fine for 55k and then dies by 60k will make me buy foreign how many complaints about the oil leaks will it take to get a recall? …”

   NHTSA complaint #10008411, filed 2003-03, 56,500 miles

   “A very small drip...drip...drip of oil started around 47k miles. Drip became a gush by 50k miles. Oil was flowing out of the head gasket as fast as I could put it in. (yeah, big surprise, huh?!) thanks, chrysler, for standing behind your product and making good on your screw-ups. Typical american big biz attitude! You can bet my next vehicle will be a toyota! Oh gee! I almost forgot - yes, I'll be sure to tell everyone I know to steer clear of anything chrysler . No pun intended I assure you... …”

   NHTSA complaint #10068460, filed 2004-05, 47,000 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Engine bay fires and electrical faults

   • 64 complaints (18%)
   • median 113,500 mi at 8.5 yrs old (18 state mileage)
   • 31 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1997–2020

   Owners describe fires starting under the hood, some while the car was parked and switched off, and in a few cases traced to a leaking power steering hose contacting the exhaust. Others report electrical faults such as a check engine light that comes and goes, charging problems, and stalling with loss of power that restarts only after a wait. Reported from about 27,000 miles upward, with several parked-vehicle incidents and no single mileage pattern.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Inspect the power steering hoses and the wiring and battery area under the hood for leaks, chafing or scorching, and ask whether any charging or electrical repairs have been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Either the oil light or cruise light will come on and car loses all power. I have to pull off road and put car in park turn it off and sometimes it will just start right back and sometimes I have to wait for about 30 mins for it to start back. I have only had the car since march of 2013 and it has done this 10-12 times since then. I almost got rear ended a few times cause with no power it is hard to get car off the road. I have contacted Dodge but there is no recall for this problem yet.”

   NHTSA complaint #10536772, filed 2013-08, 170,000 miles

   “Drove home from work. Parked car in private lot. Approxamately ten minutes later. Neighborhood kids notified me that the car was smoking. Upon responding. I noticed that the car had flames coming from underneath engine and hood area. Called fire department. The fire department stated that it was an electrical fire. Car was totaled. The power steering hose ( part # 4764-347a / 0777c/ 25517 df 3251 3/8 id # 03067f1) ruptured and leaked onto the exhaust pipe manifold and ignited the power steering fluid stating the fire. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10096362, filed 2004-10, 122,000 miles
3. 3
   Brakes

   Brake pedal soft, pulsating or long stopping distance

   • 32 complaints (9%)
   • median 112,076 mi at 9.0 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1997–2009

   Complaints describe a pedal that pulses underfoot, feels soft, or sinks toward the floor, with stopping distance stretching out; some owners say the pedal only returns after pumping it several times. Others report groaning or squealing front brakes shortly after pad or rotor service. Several owners say the dealer could not reproduce the condition or found nothing wrong. Reported across a wide mileage range, with several cases noted from low mileage upward; conditions are not tied to a particular climate or season in the complaints.

   What to check: Ask when the brake fluid, pads, rotors and master cylinder were last serviced, and test the pedal for firmness and pulsation during a test drive at moderate speed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I had nothing but major problem with my Dodge Stratus it's only a 1997 with 86,582. I bought it used with 23,000 in january of 1999 from a car dealer. I have spent $2,335.30 in repairs in 2002&2003 in may & june of 2003 I spent $1,678.31 & $656.99 in july 2002 starting with brakes being contamied ,water pump ,radiator replaced,and it's being driven locally never been out of this state. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10070485, filed 2004-01, 74,153 miles

   “The brakes go to the rotors without any warning, inspection completed on the brakes and they were fine, however within 17 days the brakes were worn down to the rotors, six repairs completed on the brake system, consumer feels the dealership is not completing the work properly resulting in return visits and repairs.”

   NHTSA complaint #785095, filed 2000-12
4. 4
   Air bags

   Airbags not deploying in a crash

   • 24 complaints (7%)
   • median 117,000 mi at 7.3 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • 22 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1997–2007

   Several owners describe frontal or side impacts in which the airbags did not deploy, including one case where they deployed while the car was parked and switched off. Another report notes the sensors are located behind the headlight area. The complaints generally do not record a dealer diagnosis. Reported in collisions and in one parked-car case, at mileages spanning roughly 80,000 to 150,000 miles.

   What to check: Ask whether the airbag warning lamp works and check that it comes on with the ignition and goes out; a scan for stored airbag codes at a shop is worth doing on a car this age.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “We had frequent electrical problem with the car and took it to the liberty dealership in johnstown, oh to get them fixed until we got to the point that it was going to take more than the care was valued to guarantee the fix. These items were not covered under our warranty. One day after pulling into our driveway after work, I shut the car off, opened the drivers side door while pulling the emergency brake and the air bags deployed, giving me a pretty good shot in the face. The car was sitting still and not running. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10145247, filed 2005-12, 117,000 miles

   “The vehicle was in an accident. The vehicle was traveling about 60 MPH when it was struck broadside. The vehicle ran into some trees and the air bags did not deploy. This incident occurred because the consumer tried to avoid a head on collision. A fire started in the passenger side area.”

   NHTSA complaint #10048614, filed 2004-01, 100,000 miles
5. 5
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Automatic transmission slipping or failing to stay in gear

   • 20 complaints (6%)
   • median 58,000 mi at 8.5 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • filed 1998–2006

   Owners report the automatic transmission hesitating before engaging, slipping out of gear on turns, jerking when it re-engages, leaking fluid, or refusing to shift above a certain gear. In some cases the dealer could not duplicate the problem; in others the transmission was described as failed. Mostly reported in the 40,000-90,000 mile range according to the complaints.

   Recall 04V021000Recall 98V183000

   What to check: Check the transmission fluid level and colour on the dipstick, drive the car through several upshifts and turns, and ask whether the shift interlock recalls were completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Have contacted Dodge/daimler-chrysler several times about transmission on my 1997 Dodge Stratus going out. Hesitation on shifting into gear, slipping out of gear and back in on turns, trans leaks, slipping into gear suddenly and jerking the car, and so on. Car has only 66,000 miles on it now and I got it in 2001 when my father passed away. It had only 53,000 miles on it then. A trans shouldn't be going out at 50-60,000 miles. If Dodge has a bad product they should correct it themselves. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10173208, filed 2006-11, 58,000 miles

   “Automatic transmission would intermittently shift out of drive into neutral while driving 40 MPH or more. Consumer was concerned that the vehicle may be involved in a rear end collision because of this condition. Dealer was not notified.”

   NHTSA complaint #10116972, filed 2005-03, 44,400 miles

Buying note. This model year is old enough that condition and service history matter more than anything else; on a pre-purchase inspection, prioritise head gasket and cooling system checks, transmission behaviour on a test drive, and brake pedal feel. Ask for records of head gasket, brake and transmission work, and confirm which open recalls have been completed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.