Acceleration complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Dodge Stratus. He stated that while driving at speeds of 10 MPH, the vehicle accelerated causing him to crash into the vehicle in front. The vehicle sustained minor damages. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The dealer was unable to duplicate or determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure and current mileages were 49,000. Updated 7/26/10 updated 08/03/10
The throttle on this car is so poorly designed that when you want to proceed from a stop, the car will not do so slowly, but rather peels out or accelerates so suddenly it is dangerous. Two dealers have looked at it and say it is performing as designed. A technician at the ca state garage almost crashed the car when trying to put it into the car wash when it suddenly accelerated on him. The car only has 2500 miles on it and it has only had me as the driver, even though it is owned by the state of ca. This has been happening since I was assigned the car and it had only 10 miles on the odometer.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Dodge Stratus. The contact started the vehicle and placed it into drive. There was an unusual increase in engine rpms and the vehicle immediately accelerated to speeds of 40 MPH without warning. The contact attempted to brake, but the brakes would not engage. The consumer hit two pedestrians as well as another vehicle. The vehicle continued accelerating and the contact engaged the emergency brake. He continued to depress the brake pedal and maneuvered the vehicle over a curb. The contact then attempted to reverse the vehicle off of the curb and the vehicle then abnormally accelerated in reverse. The contact was able to stop the vehicle. The ambulance and police arrived at the scene. Two pedestrians, the contact and the passenger in the contact's vehicle were seriously injured and transported to the hospital via ambulance. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Dodge Stratus. The contact stated that while in traffic at a complete stop, the brake pedal was engaged and suddenly the vehicle lunged forward. As a reslut, the contact crashed into the proceeding vehicle. There was no personal injury suffered. A police report was not filed regarding the incident. The contact's vehicle sustained front end damage. The vehicle was driven from the scene to the dealer, who was unable to locate a failure. The failure occurred five different times. The manufacturer was not made aware of the unintended acceleration. The approximate failure mileage was 103,000. Updated10/13/11 updated 11/02/11
While driving my 2003 Dodge Stratus, I was in the process of turning and I heard a kind of snap and then I felt and heard a grinding in my steering wheel. For about a week whenever I had to make a turn there was this noise list a spring was caught and almost would get caught and I would have to quickly jerk the steering wheel so it wouldn't get stuck and keep me from turning. My airbag light came on and stays on, so it won,t deploy in an accident, my horn doesn't work, and I lost function of my speed control. I was told this is my clockspring. This faulty clockspring was recalled in many Dodge vehicles but has yet to be recalled in my vehicle. See safety recall no. B24 (11/01/2002) for 1998 Dodge vehicles but Dodge continued to use these faulty clocksprings that in fact should have a lifetime warranty.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Dodge Stratus. The contact stated that the vehicle's horn had no functionality and the vehicle speed control did not function. In addition, the air bag warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer and the dealer were not notified of the failures. The failure mileage was approximately 178,000. The VIN was not provided.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Dodge Stratus. The contact stated that there was an abnormal noise from the dashboard as the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the air bag needed to be replaced. In addition, the horn and the cruise control failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,000 and the current mileage was 69,000. Updated 09/02/14
Dt*: the contact stated four times since purchase, the vehicle revved out of control while stopped. The brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle was shifted into neutral. The vehicle restarted and was taken to the dealership, who was unable to determine a problem. Updated 10/18/2006 - the irs time this happened the dealer noticed that the intake was very black and that the throttle was possibly sticking, causing the iac motor to overcompensate.
Frequently asked questions
Which Dodge Stratus years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1997 (18), 2004 (13), 1996 (12), 2001 (12) and 1995 (11) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 5% of all complaints for the 1997.
Is there a recall for Dodge Stratus acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for any Dodge Stratus model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Dodge Stratus acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 76,000 miles; 41% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the cruise control (13 mentions), followed by the accelerator pedal (11).
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.