I bought a 2004 Status SXT earlier this year, and I was wondering if anyone here has had serious problems with the model or a Stratus in general. I'm financing it for 6 yrs since I'm broke.. and I don't want to pay for a car that is gonna end up dying in 2 years.

Oh, and please don't say Dodge sucks, I have a 1500 Ram that kix ass. :-p

Thanks.

[Edited on November 13, 2005 at 1:39 PM. Reason : .]

11/13/2005 1:37:23 PM

Make sure you change your transmission fluid every 30k miles, because Chrysler can't build an automatic worth a damn, and preventative maintenance is one way to make sure it lives.

11/13/2005 1:38:48 PM

ehehe thats no prob, I'm a bit conscious over things like that, I only have 22,000 miles on the car and I've already changed the trans fluid.

oh I thought about buying that oil that you change every 5,000 miles... is it really worth it?

I usually change the oil every 2500 but ya kno...

11/13/2005 1:41:25 PM

Mobil 1 every 6000 miles is about the best thing you could do for an engine, now that you're past the break-in period.

11/13/2005 2:17:08 PM

keep an eye on the thermostat and other cooling elements. seems chryslers have more issues than most with overheating

11/13/2005 2:23:28 PM

If this is your car, you just bought yourself a 3rd generation eclipse

11/13/2005 2:27:03 PM

^ that would be an R/T

11/13/2005 2:32:58 PM

actually that looks exactly like my car other than the front of course because that is the R/T as above has said.. except mines Burgundy - and yeah I noticed the similarities with the Eclipse.. wish I had enough money to buy an eclipse lol

more like..




I like it :-) better than the Cavalier I had thats for sure

[Edited on November 13, 2005 at 2:44 PM. Reason : .]

11/13/2005 2:41:19 PM

I DRIVE A DODGE STRATUS

11/13/2005 2:47:17 PM

have you had any problems with it?

11/13/2005 2:50:59 PM

no it's still a 3G eclipse, it's just the SXT is a 4 cylinder model. Back in the day the Stratus used to be like a family car or something but since 2000 I'm pretty sure it's only come as rebadged Eclipse.

11/13/2005 2:51:45 PM

^There is a four door version as well.

11/13/2005 2:53:51 PM

they're probably all still built in Normal, Illinois though. That's where the galant platform has always been built.

11/13/2005 2:55:41 PM

Quote :

"Mobil 1 every 6000 miles is about the best thing you could do for an engine, now that you're past the break-in period."

normal oil, such as havoline or chevron, can be used until 5k. changing mobil 1 out at 6k is overkill.

11/13/2005 3:03:22 PM

ok explain this to me.. and yes I dont too much about cars.. but why are all of my parts mitsubishi? does this have to do with the eclipse? do they not make chrysler/dodge parts for the car? im not really understanding that (yes.. typical girl)

11/13/2005 3:26:32 PM

stratus coupe is a mitsubishi with different body panels, basically.

status sedan is a dodge product.

the two companies had an agreement similar to the old DSM days.

[Edited on November 13, 2005 at 4:09 PM. Reason : ]

11/13/2005 4:08:27 PM

i had read that somewhere but i just dont understand why a dodge doesnt use dodge products.. i mean they could just call the dodge stratus a mitsubishi stratus?? i dunno.. im sure other companies do the same but its just weird to me

[Edited on November 13, 2005 at 4:13 PM. Reason : .]

11/13/2005 4:12:27 PM

huge money saver, dodge didn't have to build a chassis and retool a factory to make the two seat car when mitsubishi already had that car that dodge wanted to use. Those two companies had been doing it for a long time and it brings in buyers who don't want to drive a japanese car.

Ford and Mazda have done it for a LONG time also with their pickups and SUVs. GM does it now with their US trucks and Saab and they used to do it with Subaru and Saab, before they sold their stake in Subaru a month ago.

Honda and Isuzu did it also with the Rodeo and Trooper.

11/13/2005 4:42:58 PM

no more saabaru?

11/13/2005 5:00:15 PM

well atleast that makes sense.. but arent the mitsubishi parts typically more expensive since they are foreign?

11/13/2005 5:05:16 PM

^^nope, saabaru is no more. There is a Saabrolet though.

^ not always, I've seen some replacement parts be much less expensive for japanese cars than for domestics.

11/13/2005 5:21:34 PM

^^ I don't know if they're expensive, but the Eclipse has always been built in Normal, Illinois. Only some of the parts come from Japan.

11/13/2005 8:24:32 PM

oh.. one more question

is it a bad idea not to get the extended warranty on it? i didnt really want to because i dont think my transmission or engine is gonna screw up in the next 30000-60000 miles... so is $2000 worth it?

should I just wait it out?

[Edited on November 13, 2005 at 11:32 PM. Reason : ]

11/13/2005 11:32:08 PM

i personally wouldn't get it

11/13/2005 11:40:39 PM

Why did you buy a car thats made for people 40+?

11/14/2005 12:18:38 AM

i dont think it looks like its for old people.. yeah its a family car - im married and im hoping to have kids after i get outta college... but semi-sporty.. just doesnt have too much power to it, the inside is comfortable and i like it

[Edited on November 14, 2005 at 12:57 AM. Reason : ]

11/14/2005 12:46:33 AM

I thought the coupe was the Dodge Avenger? When did they change the name for the coupe to be the same as the sedan?

Or am I just way off here?

11/14/2005 8:54:22 AM

the avenger was dropped and the stratus coupe replaced it, I think. Should have kept the avenger name but they wanted to tie the looks together and that meant using the same name, too.

11/14/2005 9:28:56 AM