1998 dodge stratus, reliable?

[Ranger_5.0]

been lookin for something i can drive in the winter since i cant drive my truck, and i need something safe/reliable for my 10 month old son to ride in also. ive found a good deal on a 1998 dodge stratus, 2.4L, power everything, ABS and all that jazz. just curious if anyone here had any real experience with these cars/engines. if there were any common problems i should look out for. i google'd it and i found alot of people with head gasket issues, but i dont know them, for all i know they are 16 and drive the $hit out of it everyday. i value everyone on this sites mechanical ability/knowledge. huge thanks for any input

 

[Danger FX4 Ranger]

"reliability" and "dodge", that's an oxymoron.

 

[Ranger_5.0]

thanks, that helps ALOT

 

[baddis]

"reliability" and "dodge", that's an oxymoron.

i ahve had the same dodge for 3 years and it has 175 k on the clock 45 k i have put on. and the same chrysler for 5 years and 60 k i have put on it with the only problem being a head gasket for both. but both are turbo cars so they are a little harder on the heads.

 

[Hahnsb2]

My dad had a 98 stratus with a 2.4, that was a damn good car, he had over 100,000 miles on it when he sold it in 2003 and was still running great.

 

[JFA_Spyderman]

"I drive a dodge stratus!!" haha. Sorry, i couldn't help it.

 

[lilredtruck]

I have owned a neon for the last 2 1/2 years, still have it (for sale) with 120k miles on the clock and still going strong. I love mopar cars, and that is as unbiased of an opinion as you'll get. My family hates dodge, I gave one a try and loved it. As always, a lot depends on whether the car was taken care of or not. All brands make lemons, and all vehicles will break down if neglected. With Chrysler products I have found quality where it counts (no electrical problems, good engine, decent tranny if you don't abuse it, etc...) but expect to find corners cut in non essential areas (cheap interiors, dash rattles, wind noise, minimal sound insulation compared to other vehicles in class, etc...). My neon did not have an easy life (frequently saw 7000+rpm, power shifts, and a few 5000rpm launches) yet held up well. Only item that needed replacing other than normal maintenance issues was the EGR solenoid, which got blocked off a year later. With the 2.0L engines in the neons, the only things to watch for are headgasket failure, and if the timing belt breaks you will bend valves (interference engine). Headgaskets were faulty from the factory, check between cylinders 1 and 2 on the front side of the engine between the head and block for a metal tab, this signifies the MLS headgasket which is a quality unit. If the car is a '98 or newer, or has over 100k miles it is likely to have the MLS headgaket. The 2.4L DOHC is also a non-interference engine I believe (but don't quote me on that) and uses the same head as the 2.0L DOHC, same bore, but a longer stroke and 1" taller deck height. In my opinion, the 2.4L is a very good engine. Smooth, torquey, and reliable (and you can also make them put out 200+ hp fairly easily). If the car appears to be in good condition, looks like it was well maintained and is at a reasonable price, I would not hesitate to buy it. If you have a way of checking the VIN that might be a good idea... I've found US made Chryslers to be of better quality than the Mexican made ones. Also, you can check the computer for stored codes by flipping the key on-off-on-off-on within 5 seconds (on position only, do not start). If the vehicle has a digital odometer/tripometer the codes will be displayed there. Otherwise the check engine/service engine soon light will flash out a series of two digit codes, with a short pause between digits and a longer pause between codes. Take care of it and it should take care of you.

I apologize if my post was too lengthy.

 

[Danger FX4 Ranger]

To be honest, I know very little about Mopar cars. The contractor I work for has 30+ Dodge trucks and 50+ Fords, GMs and Toyotas. Of the 4 brands, dodge seems to stay in the shop the most. June of 2003 my company bought me a new dodge 2500 cargo van for me to use as a service truck. By that christmas, the van had already been in the shop 3 times for transmission problems (no, the problem was not resloved; I finally took another guy's Ford E150 van after he quit). I also had a v6 Dodge Dakota extended cab prior to having the van. It was a great little truck (the back seat was actualy useable when compared to a ranger's jump seats). But, again, it had transmission problems. My experience with Dodge left a bad taste in my mouth. I will stick to fords and chevrolets.

 

[Hardwareman]

I had a 2000 Stratus with about 65,000-70,000 on the clock when the wife totalled it and it caught on fire!

The whole time I had it, it never gave me problems. I would recommend routine transmission fluid changes however as I've heard this to be the only real problem with the car.

Had great power (I had the 4 banger as well) and ran excellent!




Allen

 

[lilredtruck]

Mopars tend to be touchy about transmission fluid... Pony up the cash for the manufacturer specific fluid, it's cheaper than buying a tranny. I paid $15/quart for the NV-T350 specific fluid for my neon... luckily it only takes two quarts, lol. If the Stratus is an automatic (which I'm guessing it is) use Mopar ATF4, available just about anywhere and relatively cheap.

 

[86ford]

my mom has had 2 dodge stratus's and both have been fairly reliable. my only complaint is that they both tended to be shitty snow vehicles due to they are very light in the rearend and tend to drift off on you easliy similar to a rwd. the only diffrence is it hasent yet come out from under me and spun like a rwd will. it tends to lift the rear and slide when you cross over the humps in the snow that are created on the interstates between lanes durning a heavy snow. now i realize ALL vehicles slip in the snow and slide. i just found my moms stratus's to be worse and not the ideal winter car. i have had much better luck with my 5 speed cavalier. as far as reliability with my mothers stratus's they havent left her stranded yet to the best of my knowlege. they tend to be easy on gas too. if i had the choice between a 2wd pickup with NO weight in the bed and regular all season radials and my moms stratus with all season radials i would take the truck.

86

edit
i live in cleveland so i am not talking about 2 inches of snow here and i have lived here my entire life so i am skilled at winter driving. i am also not talking about one or 2 experiences, those are from many trips driving and riding in the car during significant snow fall.
i am the jackass who takes his 4x4 or 4x2 out at 3 am to go drive in the snow storm for fun so i am not exactly hesitant to drive anything anywrre because of weather conditions. i only say this because i dont want you thinking i am afraid or overly cautious in the snow or flapping my gums over a one time experience.

 

[Hahnsb2]

I have owned a neon for the last 2 1/2 years, still have it (for sale) with 120k miles on the clock and still going strong. I love mopar cars, and that is as unbiased of an opinion as you'll get. My family hates dodge, I gave one a try and loved it. As always, a lot depends on whether the car was taken care of or not. All brands make lemons, and all vehicles will break down if neglected. With Chrysler products I have found quality where it counts (no electrical problems, good engine, decent tranny if you don't abuse it, etc...) but expect to find corners cut in non essential areas (cheap interiors, dash rattles, wind noise, minimal sound insulation compared to other vehicles in class, etc...). My neon did not have an easy life (frequently saw 7000+rpm, power shifts, and a few 5000rpm launches) yet held up well. Only item that needed replacing other than normal maintenance issues was the EGR solenoid, which got blocked off a year later. With the 2.0L engines in the neons, the only things to watch for are headgasket failure, and if the timing belt breaks you will bend valves (interference engine). Headgaskets were faulty from the factory, check between cylinders 1 and 2 on the front side of the engine between the head and block for a metal tab, this signifies the MLS headgasket which is a quality unit. If the car is a '98 or newer, or has over 100k miles it is likely to have the MLS headgaket. The 2.4L DOHC is also a non-interference engine I believe (but don't quote me on that) and uses the same head as the 2.0L DOHC, same bore, but a longer stroke and 1" taller deck height. In my opinion, the 2.4L is a very good engine. Smooth, torquey, and reliable (and you can also make them put out 200+ hp fairly easily). If the car appears to be in good condition, looks like it was well maintained and is at a reasonable price, I would not hesitate to buy it. If you have a way of checking the VIN that might be a good idea... I've found US made Chryslers to be of better quality than the Mexican made ones. Also, you can check the computer for stored codes by flipping the key on-off-on-off-on within 5 seconds (on position only, do not start). If the vehicle has a digital odometer/tripometer the codes will be displayed there. Otherwise the check engine/service engine soon light will flash out a series of two digit codes, with a short pause between digits and a longer pause between codes. Take care of it and it should take care of you.

I apologize if my post was too lengthy.

My dad's stratus didn't rattle or squeak, it was a tight car, the road noise was a bit loud though. All of the engine problems I've heard were from the 2.0s, the 2.4 seemed to be pretty good and I remember it being fairly peppy.

 

[baddis]

Mopars tend to be touchy about transmission fluid... Pony up the cash for the manufacturer specific fluid, it's cheaper than buying a tranny. I paid $15/quart for the NV-T350 specific fluid for my neon... luckily it only takes two quarts, lol. If the Stratus is an automatic (which I'm guessing it is) use Mopar ATF4, available just about anywhere and relatively cheap.

+1ooo on the mopar fluid idk if the stratus uses the 604 but it is very picky on the fluid.

 

[4x4RangerGuy]

When I was in Mexico for study abroad, my friends and I rented a stratus to take a trip to Oaxaca on the coast. The car wasn't bad, except for the SEVERE lack of power. This engine had absolutely no guts to it, and the automatic was constantly shifting. I had to keep the damn thing out of O/D so it wouldn't overheat and blow up. Hopefully yours is American made.

 

[Ranger_5.0]

thanks for all the input guys, i really appreciate it. i've read about the head gasket problems, and was curious if it was dodge or the way people drive them. the car is MINT, very very mint. brand new tires, radiator, fuel pump and alternator. havent test driven it yet, will tonight, just went and saw it late last night. ill be sure to ask why the rad had to be changed. its one owner and he said he has all service records so he will be able to tell me (if hes honest) everything about the car. i dont much care about brand when it comes to a car, as long as its reliable/safe for my son to ride in. thanks again