Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Dodge Stratus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Dt*: the contact stated while exiting the interstate white smoke came from under the hood and engine compartment. Although the temperature gauge remained at a normal level the smoke persisted and the contact continued to drive home. Once pulled over the hood was opened and flames shot out of the engine. The contact closed the hood. The fire department came, but the closed hood already extinguished the fire. A fire report was taken, but did not identify a source of ignition. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The dealer did not replace the engine, but repaired the parts of the engine that were damaged by the fire. Over a year later, under the same driving conditions, the contact noticed white smoke coming from the seam of the hood and fender. The contact immediately pulled over and called the fire department. …
My Dodge Stratus 2000, 65,071 mileage, caught fire in the engine compartment. Everything under the hood "melted." the fire did not reach the inside compartment of the car. The firefighters were speedy at putting out the fire. There was smoke coming out from under the hood after about 10 min. Of driving. And a burning smell which I thought was engine oil. I took it to a Dodge dealer for repair. They replaced the transmission pan, the valve cover gasket, spark plugs and belts. The car continued to smoke and, as I told my husband, I thought there was like sooty ashes being deposited on top of the hood. I assumed it was burning off the old oil that had spilled on the engine. After two days of driving I called the Dodge dealer in the morning when I confirmed that the car was still leaking transmission fluid and oil and still smoking. They said to bring it back on Monday. …
Tl*- the contact stated that on 07/30/06 the 2000 Dodge Stratus was parked in a parking garage. After parking the vehicle it became engulfed in flames. There were no warning lights or any indication of a failure. She stated that the fire department came and extinguished the fire. The fire department was not able to tell the contact what caused the fire due to the extent damage. The contact didn't have any reports for the cause of the fire. The fire damaged another vehicle that was parked next to her vehicle. She stated that she had no insurance on her vehicle, and had to pay for the damage of the other vehicle out of pocket. The contact stated that she will be able to obtain the insurance claim from the other vehicle owner. The current and failure mileage were both 87000.
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle caught fire while parked in a parking lot. The contact noticed a smell of burnt plastic inside the vehicle and the power door locks stopped working prior to the incident. The contact went to school and returned to inspect the vehicle a couple hours later. The radio did not turn on and white smoke was noticed coming from the power mirror controls. A 6 inch flame erupted 2-3 mins later. The contact poured water on the flame near the power mirror controls, which extinguished the fire. The fire or police department was not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance, and refused to take a safety complaint.
Started car and lowered window (power). Minutes after I started to drive, the power mirrors on both sides began to move by themseves. Minutes later smoke started coming out of the driver side door panel. Minutes after that flames shot out of top of door panel. I pulled over and got out of car. The fire was put out by someone with a fire extinguisher. The body shop ewald Chrysler mayfair on mayfair road in wawatosa wi replaced the door. To my knowledge no fused had to be replaced. I don't know if parts are available.
Dt: car burned in driveway. Was driving the car and the car started to smoke. The smoke stopped after the consumer got home. About 20 minutes later, the car caught on fire under the hood. The car was a total loss. Had the car towed to a body shop. The manufacturer's investigators came, and consumer's claim was denied. The vehicle was totaled. The dash lights were flickering and the power steering made a lot of noises prior to the fire incident.
While driving the car,noticed white smoke I pull over to look under the hood noticed that smoke was coming from behind where the spark plugs are just to the right of the power steering cap(while looking at engine with the hood up). Smoke subsided continued to drive noticed smoke 2 other ocassions the same day same area of engine, pulled car into driveway and approximately 15 minutes passed my 2000 Dodge Stratus was in flames from under the hood.
I owned until last night a 2000 Dodge Stratus, well now I am another fire victim I guess. Car was parked had ignition in the aux position to listen to music while I was cleaning up our storage area. Got into car to start it up and boom. First heard a pop followed by immediate engulfing fire under hood engine compartment. Whole thing burnt to the ground in less than five minutes. I have pictures if you need them. Thanks terri
Tl contact owns a 2000 Dodge Stratus. The contact was informed by neighbors that her vehicle was on fire. The vehicle had been parked for only five minutes. The fire and police department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed back to her residence. The weather was approximately 75-78 degrees and cloudy. The # of cylinders was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 144,000.
Tl* - the contact stated that the 2002 Dodge Stratus got stuck in mud. Contactb went to get help when she returned approximately 15 minutes later the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The vehicle was towed to a junk yard. The contact stated there were no warning indicators. She had not had any recent repairs.
Electrical complaints in other Stratus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2000 Dodge Stratus?
NHTSA has 30 complaints about the electrical system of the 2000 Dodge Stratus, 14% of the model year's 216 complaints. The component named most often is wiring › front underhood (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Dodge Stratus electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2000 Dodge Stratus, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2000 Dodge Stratus electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 110,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 18 fires and 3 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.