no report yet
Lever and linkage: floor shift
Risk. EITHER CIRCUMSTANCE MAY RESULT IN THE VEHICLE ROLLING AWAY WITHOUT WARNING.
1996 Dodge StratusProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 554 owner complaints about the 1996 Dodge Stratus, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 7 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 4, 2015. Updated daily.
Complaints by system
Where the 1996 Dodge Stratus has problems
554 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
335Engine and engine cooling23 crash/fire/injury
62Service brakes, hydraulic10 crash/fire/injury
60Power train5 crash/fire/injury
42Steering2 crash/fire/injury
36Electrical system
32Suspension
18Air bags
14Equipment
13Structure
8013 other systems10 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and engine cooling | 335 | 23 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 62 | 10 |
| Power train | 60 | 5 |
| Steering | 42 | 2 |
| Electrical system | 36 | 11 |
| Suspension | 32 | 2 |
| Air bags | 18 | 16 |
| Equipment | 14 | 0 |
| Structure | 13 | 0 |
| 13 other systems | 80 | 10 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
7 recalls
1996 Dodge Stratus recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
no report yet
Automatic transmission: park/neutral start interlock switch
Risk. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE "IGNITION-PARK" INTERLOCK SYSTEM WILL BE NONFUNCTIONAL.
no report yet
Control arm: lower ball joint
Risk. SEPARATION OF THE BALL JOINT COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
no report yet
Hood: hinge and attachments
Risk. IF THIS CONDITION OCCURS SIMULTANEOUSLY WITHOUT ENGAGING THE PRIMARY LATCH, THE HOOD WOULD NOT BE RESTRAINED INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Show 3 more recalls
no report yet
Foundation components: master cylinder
Risk. BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE CAN RESULT IN DIMINISHED EFFECTIVENESS OF ONE HALF OF THE SPLIT BRAKE SYSTEM.
no report yet
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Risk. IF EITHER FRONT WHEEL VALVE STICKS, THE VEHICLE WOULD SWERVE FROM A STRAIGHT STOP WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED.
no report yet
Engine: gasoline
Risk. INADEQUATE SEALING AND RETENTION OF THE PLUG CAN RESULT IN OIL LEAKAGE WHICH COULD CAUSE A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Dodge.
Mileage at failure
When do engine and engine cooling problems start?
90kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 23 engine and engine cooling complaints. 65% were reported before 100,000 miles.
Only 7% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.
2under 30k miles15under 100k miles8100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Engine and engine cooling
17 owners mentioned a cost$800median
Middle half: $500 – $1,000
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
1996 vs. every other Stratus year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Stratus median. How we score
'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
1996 Dodge Stratus safety ratings
1996 Dodge Stratus 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
- Stability control: No
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
3 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 1996 Dodge Stratus, and the recalls they led to.
- AUTO TRANS IGNITION-PARK INTERLOCKLed to recall 04V-021
- LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT FAILURELed to recall 97V-201
- SAFETY BELT CINCHING LATCH PLATENo recall
In owners' words
What Stratus owners report
Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
R&R FRONT LEFT WHEEL BEARING FIX, HUB & BEARING ASSEMBLY TOTAL COST $214.55 CLEAN ENGINE TOTAL COST $83.46 ENGINE OIL LEAK, TRIED OIL STOP LEAK & SEEMS TO BE WORKING FOR THE TIME BEING. RADIATOR/ANTIFREEZE LEAK, I'M SPENDING $150 MONTH FOR ANTIFREEZE. PUTTING IN 1-2 BOTTLES A DAY. PROBABLY WILL…
MY CAR HAD THE HEAD GASKET REPLACED AND A FEW OTHER THINGS ON IT. BUT I CAN SMELL BURNING OIL FROM SOME WERE AND THE LIGHT IS ON FOR THE OIL. I ONLY DRIVE SHORT DISTANCES BECAUSE I AM AFRAID OF A FIRE. NOT ONLY THAT IT WELL MAYBE ONLY GO ABOUT 2 MILES BEFORE IT SHUTS DOWN. THEN I HAVE TO WAIT FOR…
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 DODGE STRATUS. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT A GAS STATION, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT HER VEHICLE WAS SMOKING UNDER THE HOOD. SHE WAS ABLE TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT SUFFERED A MELT DOWN. A REPORT WAS…
Own a 1996 Stratus?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.