Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Dodge Stratus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
2001 Dodge Stratus. Loss of control. Resulting in 2 separate crashes. I did sustain injury in the last incident. I was trying to turn left into a parking lot, wheel turned only partially. I could not get it to move the correct direction, and I ran into a tall (15in.) curb. Sustained whiplash and a large knot on my head. The 1st incident was while trying to turn left and my car would not go that way. I ended up hitting yet another tall curb,due to loss of control. It May be worthy to note I have replaced the lower control arm on the drivers side, but am still getting periods of having a hard time turning my wheel. This occurs whether in motion or just starting my car and turning the wheel to leave . I also had to replace right side due to failure of the wheel to turn right as well. I actually was going about 30mph and barely made my turn, almost broadsiding a sitting vehicle. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Dodge Stratus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the contact drove over a bump in the roadway and without warning, the front strut tower fractured and went through the driver's side hood. The vehicle was towed to the residence where it remained awaiting repairs. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact went to c.r. Motors of hudson (518 s meridian rd, hudson, mi 49247, [phone]) and requested information on repairing the vehicle. The contact was informed that the part needed to repair the vehicle was not available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that parts were not available. The failure mileage was approximately 193,000.
On 7-12-08 my wife was driving the car home and got less than 1/4 mile away, going around a curve at 45mph. She heard a noise pop and then a rub. She proceeded to the drive and into the garage. She came into the house, got me and I looked at the rear of the vehicle. What I found was the upper strut mount on the rear right side is rotted out because it was made of aluminum (which reacts with steel and road salt). The strut broke free and rubbed a 3/16" groove into the tire. Also looking at the left side it is also rotted or corroded. I am pretty upset about this for two reasons. First, if she were traveling down interstate 69 at 70 MPH and it broke free, the tire would of been cut in half. Probably sending the car into a spin into the ditch, other cars, or a guard rail. This would of been disastrous let alone having some kids in the car. …
First off, I bought this car from my sister...the ball joint broke on me within a month...probably not her fault. However the car was making a lot of noises and clanks and creaks, I was told it was just the bushings, guess I found out it wasn't the hard way. About a month after the ball joint was replaced the rear strut broke and was rubbing the inside of the rear passenger tire. After that was fixed, about 3 weeks later I was driving home from work and heard an odd grinding sound started to sound like a flat, pulled over to discover that all of my lugnuts had been pushed off somehow and the rim had grinded down the posts. It was only holding on by 1 lugnut and it was almost off too. Most recently the car keeps overheating, replaced the thermostat, and checked all fluids none of which were leaking. Still haven't figured that one out...all the fans are running also. …
2001 Stratus se heard a grind after going over a bump on the way home from work. Looked under car and saw driver side strut mount was broken. Took to mechanic and was told both mounts are broken and needed repair. These parts are made of cheap aluminum which is horrible material for salt corrosion. Was told part was on national backorder 2-3 weeks. Not believing hem, I called Dodge directly and was told basically told sorry, 1000 were shipped 7/3 but there was another 7,600 backorder!!! Now it will be end of July before I get parts. All they would do was get me a priority for if a dealer in oh gets some I can have them. (and a case number). Very disappointed in Dodge making a suspension piece that sees heavy corrosion conditions out of aluminum pot metal and then has a month backorder. Seems like this is a major issue with this car. …
Regarding our 2001 Dodge Stratus, lower control arm ball joint failure. Originally on October 25th of 2005 we had the left front control arm/ball joint assembly replaced because of severe squeaking during suspension movement. This was caused by lubrication failure. There is no way to re-lube this joint on this design. The assembly was replaced with the only available part at the time from Dodge. For the past couple of weeks I had noticed that during abrupt braking the vehicle would pull strongly to the left, then recover when the brakes were released. I had scheduled for inspection appointment on 11/10/2009. Then on11/2/2009 the same exact ball joint failure occurred to the left side when my 16 year old son was driving the vehicle. I had read the NHTSA campaign # 09e-056 regarding the qualis failure and wondered if it could be related somehow. Please advise.
Dodge Stratus 2001: severe squeaking during suspension movement: the car was having problems with squeaking noises during movement. Then while driving my daughters and their friends to the skating rink, I heard a loud pop, then grinding noise coming from under the car while making a left turn into the parking lot. I checked to see what was wrong and the left rear tire was bent outward and almost detached from the car. I had it towed to the closest repair station and was told it was the ball and joint, and that both left and right ball and joints would have to be replaced at a cost of $1000. As a single parent I can not afford this. I would like to know about the national recall and if I am entitled to repair cost under the recall. Thank god we were not injured and that I was traveling less than 10 miles per hour during this failure.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Dodge Stratus. While attempting to park the vehicle, the contact placed the vehicle in reverse with the brakes engaged, he noticed that the front end of the vehicle fell while making a clicking noise and would not shift into any gear. He looked inside of the front right wheel and noticed that the control arm and wheel bearing failed without warning. He noticed liquid coming from the wheel bearing housing and two small fragments on the ground. The dealer was contacted and stated that no major repairs had been performed on the vehicle. The contact did not inform the manufacturer nor had the vehicle been repaired or the failure diagnosed. The current and failure mileages were approximately 100,000. The VIN was unavailable. Updated 05/04/11 updated 12/30/11
I have had my car for a little over 3 years now. First it was the passenger side ball joint. Then a year later it was the ball joint on the driver side plus the control arm. Then it was the brakes and rotors. Then right after that I find out the ball joint I had just replaced on the passenger side needs replaced again! Now my oil light comes on at idle after the engine has warmed up. Had the oil changed as always between 2000 and 3000 miles as I should. Had the oil sending unit replaced and still have a oil light on with a full engine of oil. Now my steering column just today made a cracking sound as I was backing up with the wheel turning to the left. Then the airbag light came on and wont go off. Now my steering is stiff. Talked to a mechanic and it is a safety issue.
Front lower right ball joint and control arm failure. This resulted in catastrophic damage to the brake lines, control arm, loss of control, steering, tie rods, upper ball joint, cv axle severed, and bent frame. Chrysler told me that because of my VIN number I wasn't eligible for the recall repair, yet the 2001 Dodge Stratus, 2.4l sedan has been recalled by Chrysler for this same problem, with lower control arm and ball joint failure. Had I been notified of a recall, this could of been avoided. What if I was on the highway and this happened? And why wasn't my vehicle recalled????
Suspension complaints in other Stratus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2001 Dodge Stratus?
NHTSA has 42 complaints about the suspension of the 2001 Dodge Stratus, 19% of the model year's 218 complaints. The component named most often is rear (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Dodge Stratus suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 2001 Dodge Stratus, though it has 10 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 2001 Dodge Stratus suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 73,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to suspension 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.