The internal water pump failed. This caused water to leak into the oil pan. The water got hot enough on a 600 miles trip from florida to mississippi that it boiled and caused the oil to turn into sludge (molasses like consistency). This caused a lack of lubrication of the dual camshafts which in turn burned up. End result was engine failure.
2002 Dodge Stratus: engine failure
20 of the 150 complaints about the 2002 Dodge Stratus describe engine failure.
- owner complaints
- 20
- of this car's complaints
- 13%
- typical repair cost reported
- $4,900
- typical mileage
- 82,000
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 7 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Engine failure by model year
What owners say
On my way to work one morning, the car stopped in the middle of the street. It was two blocks from the house. I had 2 neighbors push the car back to the house. I eventually took it to the mechanic, who told me the problem was the engine. He took out the parts trying to rebuild the engine and noticed there was sludge throughout the parts. He then told me it was not safe to try and clean it out, because there is no guarantee how far into the engine it had gone. I would have to purchase an whole new engine. He looked for engines but could only find those with high mileage. He was not sure if the engine would stand-up for long or eventually cause me to have to change it again. The car is still waiting for an engine. I have not been in a financial situation to afford it. I recently started to look again to get an idea of when I may be able to work on this again. I remember hearing there was an issue with the stratus' but when I called two local dealers for information, they told me they did not know anything about it.
The timing chain broke causing bent valves and the need to rework the top end of the engine. In doing research it was found out about the issues with the 2.7l v6 and the fact that this issue likely causes catastrophic engine failure.
Dodge stratus 2.7 liter trans replaced on 5-1-06 oil sludge engine failure on 1-2-10.
I was driving my 2002 dodge stratus on the interstate when the engine dies. I coasted to the bottom of the exit ramp and attempted to start the car. All it would do is click. A call to aaa and the car was toed to the dealer. I call from the dealer later in the day revealed a seized engine. My husband confronted the dealer and asked to have the engine opened up for inspection. Sure enough large deposits of oil sludge. I asked the deal where we go from here and he said a replacement engine is $4900.00 after all the years of taking the car to the dealer for repairs and scheduled oil changes I must know replace the engine. How can chrysler not be aware of this problem with all the attention it is getting.
Noticed increased oil usage with no leaks although oil was changed every 3 months or 3000 miles. At approx. 122000 miles, engine threw a rod. Several dodge/chrysler mechanics stated this was due to "oil sludge" buildup, saying this is a very common problem with the 2.7l v6 engine regardless of the type of oil used or frequency of oil changes.
2.7l engine failure. Tensioner for primary timing chain failed to extend. 2 o rings missing on tensioner . Oil sludge in engine. Oil passages almost plugged.
Oil sludge caused catastrophic engine failure causing the engine to stop working on the ca-110s.
While on 495 long island expressway the car made a load knocking sound and died. When towed to our mechanic he said it was engine failure. This happened in nov. 2007(the car was purchased new in august 2002), and there were no funds to fix it which has caused transportation/financial difficulties in regard to work from nov. 2007 until the present,june 2008. The daimler chrysler rep. Said they weren't responsible because we didn't bring the car to them for our oil changes. I just received an estimate to replace the engine with a jaspar engine for 4,500 to 5,000 dollars.
The engine stop working and I replace the engine and it did the same thing. Its the 2.7l v6 engine that has been given people a lot of problems.
Oil light came on and the engine seized. Nothing has been done, the car is currently sitting untouched.
Always changed the oil every 3,00 miles. And the engine seized. It knocked for less than a minute prior to total failure with the correct amount of oil in the engine. The public should be warned and anyone this has happened to should be reimbursed the amount to fix the problem through dodge.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Service
- Valve Body
- Incorrect oil filter usage. also includes 2005 sebring and stratus. tt
- Irregular engine snapping sound. tt
- A vehicle may exhibit low or no cabin heat, engine overheating and / or coolant bottle damage after...
- Subject regarding low or no cabin head, engine cooling system system fill procedure. tt
- Some vehicles may exhibit moderate to severe high way speed 45-60 mph vehicle surge. tt
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2002 Dodge Stratus engine failure
Is engine failure a common problem on the 2002 Dodge Stratus?
20 of 150 owner complaints about the 2002 Dodge Stratus (13%) mention engine failure. The model year with the most reports is 2002.
How much does it cost to fix engine failure on the 2002 Dodge Stratus?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $4,900 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2002 Dodge Stratus?
There are 0 recalls and 7 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2002 Dodge Stratus
Ball joint 17Knocking 9No deployment 7Jerking 7Check engine light 6Fire or smoke 6Hesitation 6Transmission failure 6Stalling 5
VIN decoder
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