1997 Dodge Stratus problems & reliability
349 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Dodge Stratus, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
20 complaints report injuries (23 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 158 | 45% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 42 | 12% |
| Power Train | 36 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 31 | 9% |
| Air Bags | 24 | 7% |
| Steering | 21 | 6% |
| Suspension | 19 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 18 | 5% |
| Unknown OR Other | 15 | 4% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 10 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 97,500 miles (middle 50% between 67,457 and 127,750 miles), based on 46 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Notice a smell from under the hood while driving open the hood fire put the fire out notice power hose had leak in it I feel dodge should be held accountable for this malfunction”
Steering · filed Oct 4, 2020
“Takata recall, horn don`t work, millage don`t work ,gas light comes on and neddle moves up and down alot”
Electronic Stability Control (esc) · filed Aug 4, 2018
“Either the oil light or cruise light will come on and car loses all power. I have to pull off road and put car in park turn it off and sometimes it will just start right back and sometimes I have to wait for about 30 mins for it to start back. I have only had the car since march of 2013 and it has done this 10-12…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Aug 22, 2013
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- AUTO TRANS IGNITION-PARK INTERLOCK
Engineering Analysis EA03011 · opened Jul 17, 2003 · closed Jan 30, 2004 · led to recall 04V021000
- SAFETY BELT CINCHING LATCH PLATE
Preliminary Evaluation PE02082 · opened Nov 6, 2002 · closed Apr 23, 2003
- LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA97016 · opened Sep 29, 1997 · closed Nov 20, 1997 · led to recall 97V201000
Technical service bulletins
81 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Dodge Stratus. The 10 most recent:
Charging System, Battery Diagnostic Tools and Warranty This information only bulletin discusses using the correct test equipment for testing batteries and charging systems, and also warranty reimbursement when battery…
08-049-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 22, 2020
Use of Aftermarket Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of aftermarket parts.
3100519 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Use of Salvage/Recycled Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of recycled or salvage parts.
3100319 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Repair Parts Used For Structural Repairs This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to structural repair parts usage.
3100619 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Use of Aftermarket Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of aftermarket parts.
31-005-19 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Use of Salvage/Recycled Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision repair industry awareness regarding the use of recycled or salvage parts.
31-003-19 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Repair Parts Used For Structural Repairs This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to structural repair parts usage.
31-006-19 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2019
Valve Body. These may cause over drive cycling.
R2118796A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 26, 2016
Child Seat Tether Anchor Installation This bulletin describes procedures to install Child Seat Tether Anchors based on Customer Request. Retrofits are subject to part availability. Vehicles in the following list that…
23-014-15 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 23, 2015
Seat belt cinch bar service for various models including 2004 models. *tt
0801003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 25, 2003
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1997 Dodge Stratus has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1997 Dodge Stratus?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 97,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.