2003 Dodge Stratus Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe front and rear suspension problems — worn or broken ball joints, lower control arms and corroded rear strut mounts — along with a broken clockspring behind the steering wheel that puts out the airbag, horn and cruise control. Engine stalling and cutting out, and brake problems such as long stopping distances and warped rotors, also come up. Complaints arrive across a wide mileage range, from a few thousand miles to well over 150,000.

1. 1
   Suspension

   Worn or broken ball joints and control arms

   • 13 complaints (17%)
   • median 88,000 mi at 6.6 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • filed 2005–2023

   Complaints describe ball joints and lower control arms wearing out or breaking, sometimes with the wheel folding in or detaching, and in a few reports the rear strut mounts are corroded through and come apart. Owners describe rattles or a slight bump felt through the wheel before failure, and some had the same parts replaced several times. Repairs were done at independent shops or by the owner; the manufacturer is described as declining assistance, citing mileage or calling the failure an anomaly. Spread from roughly 30,000 to 140,000 miles, with several reports in the 60,000-90,000 mile range.

   What to check: Have a shop check all four ball joints, lower control arms and rear strut mounts for play, cracks and corrosion, and ask for service records showing whether they have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “About two months ago the upper ball joint in my 2003 Dodge Stratus vehicle broke while my boyfriend was driving. We replaced that part, and the car was running fairly normal until this morning when the right rear tire folded in just like last time, the ball joint from that tire malfunctioned again.”

   NHTSA complaint #10339922, filed 2010-06, 125,527 miles

   “The rear strut mounts on our 2003 Dodge Stratus are made of a pot type metal. The car has mid 30k miles and the strut mounts are corroded to the point they fell apart. The shock was actually bound up in the middle of the spring. This fortunately was caught by my wife. This is a safety hazard and could result in an out of control situation. Strut could dig into tire. Car can fall on it's own suspension. How can you control a car if it is on an unstable platform?”

   NHTSA complaint #10230966, filed 2008-06, 38,388 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Clockspring failure (airbag light, horn, cruise)

   • 9 complaints (12%)
   • median 70,097 mi at 5.4 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2003–2017

   Owners describe a pop, snap or cracking sound from the steering column while turning the wheel, after which the airbag warning light stays on, the horn stops working and cruise control quits. Several say they were told the clockspring is the cause, with repair estimates around $200-$350. Some owners note that airbag recalls issued for similar vehicles did not cover their car. Mostly reported between about 25,000 and 90,000 miles, often noticed while turning or backing out of a parking space.

   Recall 15V338000

   What to check: Before buying, turn the wheel and confirm the airbag light is off and the horn and cruise control work; ask whether the clockspring has been replaced and whether any airbag inflator recall applies to the VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was backing out of parking space when I heard a cracking noise when I turned the steering wheel.then the airbag light came on.then I noticed the horn did not work. Upon investigation on the internet I am 100% convinced that the clock spring has broken.further investigation shows there is a recall on chrysler-Dodge clock springs but only on certain year-models which doesn't make sense. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10619168, filed 2014-08, 90,000 miles

   “My car has 41,000 miles. It is a 2003 Dodge Stratus. The past week I have noticed the transmission slipping/knocking. That's problem 1. The second problem is that last wednesday I was backing out of my parking place at work, and I turned my steering wheel. I heard this pop and then the air bag light came on . According to the owners manual the air bag will not deploy. I do have the car in the shop. The technican working on the car says the air bag is not going to be covered. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10104547, filed 2004-12, 41,450 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Engine stalling and cutting out while driving

   • 14 complaints (19%)
   • median 67,000 mi at 3.5 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2003–2019

   Owners describe the engine quitting without warning while driving or at a stop, sometimes with a chug or sputter, and in some cases it restarts right away. Several 2.7L V6 owners report complete engine failure, with one shop attributing it to sludge buildup. Dealers and mechanics variously replaced sensors, the starter or the fuel pump, and some owners say the manufacturer offered no help. Reported from about 20,000 up to over 180,000 miles, appearing at both low and high mileage.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for oil-change records and check the oil for sludge or a low level; have a shop scan for stored misfire codes and confirm the engine holds idle and does not cut out on a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Was stopped at a traffic light and the car chugged and then stalled. It restarted immediately and I passed through traffic. This has happened about 8-10 since it's first occurrence. Last occurrence was in a drive-thru waiting for service and the car sputtered and then stalled. It took several attempts to get the car started again.”

   NHTSA complaint #10512942, filed 2013-05, 88,000 miles

   “I own a 2003 Dodge Stratus and it suffered the same failure of its 2.7 liter engine as many others have experienced. The car does not run due to complete engine failure.”

   NHTSA complaint #10328994, filed 2010-05, 67,000 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   Long stopping distance and warped rotors

   • 7 complaints (9%)
   • median 33,000 mi at 2.8 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2003–2010

   Complaints describe grinding noises when braking, a shaking steering wheel while stopping, pedal travel that requires pumping, and longer than expected stopping distance. Some owners had rotors turned or replaced at very low mileage, and one report describes the brakes failing to slow the car sufficiently in traffic. Dealers are described as unwilling to assist in some cases. Appears from near-new mileage up to about 64,000 miles, with several reports under 20,000 miles.

   What to check: Check rotor and pad condition and pedal feel, and listen for grinding or steering-wheel shake during a firm stop from highway speed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The brakes made a grinding noise when depressed which was either caused by the calipers or the brake hose collapsing per the mechanic. The rotors were turned, however it did not remedy the grinding noise, extended stopping distance and a smell of metal rubbing when braking. Dealership was not willing to assist.”

   NHTSA complaint #10018172, filed 2003-06, 8 miles

   “Dt: the consumer took vehicle to a dealership and repair shop several times for a squeaking noise that came from the left driver's side by the wheel. The source of the squeaking noise was unknown. The engine, a caliber to the steering wheel, air conditioning, brakes, and the flywheel were replaced. There is a still a squeaking noise and consumer does not know where it I comes from. The consumer is concerned about the safety of this vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10135903, filed 2005-09, 33,000 miles
5. 5
   Vehicle speed control

   Unintended acceleration or high idle

   Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the engine speeding up on its own, sometimes while parking or after stopping at a light, with the car trying to move forward and being hard to slow. A few reports describe rapid acceleration at highway speed that brakes could not overcome. In one case the dealer said the cause could not be determined after several attempts. Mostly reported under 60,000 miles, sometimes shortly after startup or at low speeds.

   What to check: On a test drive, note whether idle speed stays steady when stopping or shifting, and ask whether the throttle body and cruise control system have been checked or serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10147395, filed 2006-01, 48,306 miles

   “I have 2003 Dodge status with the 2.4l 4 cylinder engine and automatic transmission. After coming back from a trip, most of which was at freeway speeds, I was stopped at a red light with my foot on the brake when the engine speed suddenly jumped from idle speed to 2000 rpms. The car luched forward causing me to almost hit the car in front of me. At the next 2 stops the engine speed jumped from idle speed to 1400 rpms. For the next week the problem did not happen again during normal around town driving. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10030644, filed 2003-08, 1,500 miles

Buying note. This model year has well-documented wear items: ball joints, control arms and rear strut mounts are the most common complaint, so a pre-purchase inspection focused on the suspension and a check of the clockspring, brakes and idle behavior is worthwhile. Ask for maintenance records and confirm whether any open airbag inflator recall applies to the specific vehicle.

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.