Car was owned by school govement it has been worked on several times for bad suspension.and documented.ball joint bad suspension front and back.back dating 2 or 3 years.no accidents just bad suspension
2003 Dodge Stratus suspension problems
15 complaints (20% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 110,900.
- owner complaints
- 15
- of this car's complaints
- 20%
- typical mileage
- 110,900
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Rear7
- Front: control arm: lower ball joint3
- Front: control arm: upper ball joint1
- Front1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Dodge Stratus suspension problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Dodge Stratus suspension
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2003 Dodge Stratus owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge stratus. While at an intersection, the contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle jerked and lost power without warning. The contact managed to veer to the shoulder of the road. Once the vehicle was turned off and restarted, it resumed normal operation. Also, when the vehicle struck a bump in the road, it veered to the right intermittently. An independent mechanic replaced the starter; however, the failure recurred. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,037. The VIN was unknown.
Ball joints and control arms recall. They failed as I was driving on the highway causing me to complete an almost 1,000 dollar repair for replacements.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge stratus. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH the vehicle became difficult to control. Upon further investigation, the contact found that the rear passenger's side ball joint failed, causing the wheel to move 45 degrees. The manufacturer was notified and informed the contact that the failure was considered an anomaly. The contact replaced the ball joint himself. One year later, the rear driver's side ball joint failed while the contact was driving 20 MPH. The contact replaced the ball joint. The failure mileage was 140,000 and the current mileage was 160,000. Updated 3/27/13
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge stratus. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, the front driver side wheel detached from the vehicle. The contact mentioned that the failure had occurred once before on the front passenger side. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who diagnosed that the bolt joint was fractured. As a result, the lower control arm and cv axle needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 90,000 and the current mileage was 120,000.
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.
The rear strut mounts to the body are made of aluminum and are corroded and powdery. They have broken and I can see they are no longer holding anything.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge stratus. Within a period of 4 years, the ball joints and lower control arm were replaced a total of 3 times. Recently, she was advised the ball joints and lower control arm would need to be replaced a 4th time. The manufacturer was contacted and advised they would not assist due to high mileage of the vehicle. The vehicle was outside of factory warranty. The failure mileage was 86,000 and the current was 120,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 dodge stratus. The contact heard a rattling sound in the rear of the vehicle. She took the vehicle to a local mechanic and they informed her that the rear strut mounts on both sides of the vehicle had fallen off due to corrosion. The mechanic will replace both at the cost of $460. The manufacturer stated that there are 3,000 of these parts currently on back order. The failure and current mileages were 112,000. Updated 09/10/08 *bf updated 09/15/08
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?
Questions about the 2003 Dodge Stratus suspension
Does the 2003 Dodge Stratus have suspension problems?
Owners have filed 15 complaints about the suspension of the 2003 Dodge Stratus, 20% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2003 Dodge Stratus suspension problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 110,900 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Dodge Stratus suspension?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Dodge Stratus have bad suspension?
The Dodge Stratus model years with the most suspension complaints are 2001 (41 complaints), 2004 (38 complaints) and 1996 (32 complaints).
Other 2003 Dodge Stratus problems
Airbags 15Electrical 10Engine 10Acceleration 8Fuel system 8Brakes 7Steering 7Body 6Transmission 6Driver assistance 1Seat belts 1Seats 1Tires 1Visibility 1Wheels 1
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