1999 Dodge Stratus: fire, smoke or burning smell

Filed Jul 31, 2013 · Steering · 168,000 miles · VA · fire

While I was parallel parking my passenger saw heavy white smoke after I turned my steering wheel sharply. My steering wheel locked also. My passenger and I got out of the car and called 911. I believe I turned the ignition off before getting out. The smoke started on the front passenger side and flames were seen under the front of the car. The fire department came and put out the fire. Everything under the hood was burned and the car was a total loss. Afterwards the car (interior and exterior) smelled like burnt power steering fluid. I filed a claim with my insurance company.

Filed Feb 5, 2009 · Steering · 90,000 miles · KY · fire

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 dodge stratus. After parking the vehicle, the high pressure power steering hose failed and caught fire. The fire department extinguished the fire and there were no injuries. A police report was filed. The manufacturer stated that a recall notice was sent to the contact, but it went unacknowledged. Therefore, they will not be responsible for the fire. The federal safety agency campaign id number was unknown. The failure mileage was 90,000. Updated 03/23/09. *lj updated 03/24/09.

Filed Jan 16, 2009 · Steering · 95,000 miles · FL · fire

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 dodge stratus. While driving approximately 5 MPH, the check engine warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. Approximately 30 minutes later, while coming to a complete stop, the contact noticed that her vehicle was on fire. All the passengers exited the vehicle without injuries. The entire front end of the vehicle was completely destroyed. Both a fire and a police report were filed. The dealer stated that the fire may have been due to a recall and would forward the information to the manufacturer. The manufacturer stated that the fire was not due to the federal safety agency campaign id number 06v001000 (steering:hydraulic power assist:hose, piping, and connections). The contact later entered her VIN into the dodge website and discovered that her VIN was included in the recall. The current and failure mileages were 95,000.

Filed Sep 30, 2008 · Electrical · 115,000 miles · GA · fire

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 dodge stratus. While the vehicle was idling for approximately 20 minutes, it burst into flames. The fire department extinguished the underhood fire, but the vehicle was completely destroyed. A firefighter stated that the fire originated from an electrical failure. The manufacturer stated that they issued a recall, the federal safety agency campaign id number 06v001000 (steering:hydraulic power assist:hose, piping, and connections). They would not assume any financial responsibility for the failure. She never received a recall notice from the manufacturer. The contact has pictures of the failure and a copy of the police report. The failure and current mileages were 115,000.

Filed Jul 21, 2008 · Engine · 54,000 miles · FL · fire

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 dodge stratus. While parked at a store parking lot, the vehicle's hood caught fire. The puerto rico police department filed report number 200835803237. The failure was not diagnosed. The manufacturer advised the contact to have her insurance company investigate the failure and forward them the report. The current and failure mileages were 54,000.

Filed Dec 12, 2007 · Steering, Transmission · 140,000 miles · AL · fire

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 dodge stratus. The vehicle caught fire while parked in a parking lot. The vehicle was smoking approximately one month before the fire. The vehicle was destroyed and both a police and fire report were filed. The dealer stated that the smoke was due to power steering fluid entering the engine. There were two safety recalls on the vehicle: the federal safety agency campaign id number's 04v021000 (power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:floor shift), which was previously performed on the vehicle and 06v001000 (steering:hydraulic power assist:hose, piping, and connections), which was scheduled to be repaired. The purchase date and powertrain were unknown. The current and failure mileages were 140,000.

Filed Nov 2, 2007 · Electrical · 100,000 miles · TN · fire

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 dodge stratus. On october 31, 2007, while driving approximately 35 MPH, the contact heard a faint clicking sound coming from the steering wheel. She pulled into a parking lot and parked the vehicle. She then noticed a faint puff of smoke rising from the vehicle; however, she did not think it was a serious concern because the smoke was so faint. The vehicle eventually caught fire. The contact noticed sparks coming from underneath the vehicle and huge puffs of black smoke. The fire department arrived at the scene. They opened the hood and the engine was engulfed in flames. The fire department extinguished the fire and the contact believed a report was filed. The fire department was uncertain of the cause of the fire, but stated that it may have been electrical. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact was uninsured and the dealer informed her that she was still responsible for making her payments. The VIN, purchase date, engine size, and powertrain were unknown. The current and failure mileages were approximately 100,000.

Filed Sep 12, 2007 · Steering · 148,946 miles · IL · fire

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 dodge stratus. On september 12, 2007, the contact received a recall notice regarding the high power steering hole failure that her vehicle was experiencing. She stated that the vehicle caught fire on april 6, 2005. The fire originated under the hood of the vehicle while the contact was still inside. The contact stated that the power steering fluid leaked and caused the fire. She was referred to a repair shop and brought in the vehicle for repair. The contact believed that the repair shop never repaired the vehicle. A police report was filed and she has the repair invoices. The vehicle is presently not in her possession. The recall number was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 148,946.

Filed Sep 11, 2007 · Steering · 120,000 miles · OH · fire

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 dodge stratus. On june 30, 2007, the contact was notified that her vehicle caught fire a couple of minutes after being parked. The under hood fire destroyed the vehicle. The fire department filed a report. On september 11, 2007, the contact received the federal safety agency campaign id number 06v001000 (steering:hydraulic power assist:hose, piping, and connections). The purchase date and dealer information were unknown. The current and failure mileages were 120,000. Updated 12/12/07

Filed Sep 10, 2007 · Fuel system · 68,000 miles · WI · fire

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 dodge stratus. The contact stated that the vehicle caught fire while parked and was caused by the fuel pressure pump underneath the hood. The fire and police departments extinguished the fire. The vehicle was destroyed and a police report was filed. The failure occurred before he received a recall notice. The vehicle is currently at the junk yard. The federal safety agency recall number was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 68,000.

Filed Sep 6, 2007 · Steering · 83,000 miles · MI · fire

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 dodge stratus. The contact stated that the power steering began to leak, however, the vehicle caught fire before it could be repaired. The fire department extinguished the fire. He received the federal safety agency recall id number 06v001000 (steering:hydraulic power assist:hose, piping, and connections). The current and failure mileages were 83,000.

Filed Jul 30, 2007 · Steering · 156,000 miles · AR · fire

I bought my 1999 dodge stratus 2.4l in september 2006 from the original owner with 145,000 miles. In may 2007, I had the valve covers and cam sensor wiring replaced due to oil leakage and rotted wiring (unrelated to one another). The car seemed to slowly leak power steering fluid but the mechanic was unable to identify a problem. On 7/29/2007 after a 50 mile drive, the car caught fire under the hood in front of the driver's passenger compartment after being parked for a short time. The vehicle is a total loss.