1998 Dodge Stratus: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 1998 Dodge Stratus. The newest campaign is 04V021000. NHTSA received the report on 13 Jan 2004. The NHTSA record gives the component Power Train / Automatic Transmission / Lever and Linkage / Floor Shift. NHTSA has 263 complaints on file for this model year. 2 NHTSA investigations name this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 04V021000, in the NHTSA record

Dealers will install a new load-limiting push rod into the floor shifter lever of the affected vehicles. Owner notification began on june 14, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.

NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 29 Mar 2018. Recall file through 30 Sep 2026.

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

3 campaigns, newest first. 3,367,276 units in total.

04V021000Received 13 Jan 2004. 2,315,768 units.
Power Train / Automatic Transmission / Lever and Linkage / Floor Shift
Defect, in the NHTSA record
On certain passenger vehicles, the floor shifter ignition-park interlock may fail and allow the shifter to be moved out of the park position with the key removed. An inoperative interlock may also allow the key to be removed when the shifter has not been placed in the park position.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Either circumstance may result in the vehicle rolling away without warning.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will install a new load-limiting push rod into the floor shifter lever of the affected vehicles. Owner notification began on june 14, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Report filed by DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION. Manufacturer campaign number C45. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 14 Jun 2004.
99V244000Received 15 Sep 1999. 366,508 units.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Foundation Components / Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The right rear brake tube can contact the exhaust system clamp and wear a hole in it.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Daimlerchrysler recall no. 843. If this happens, the tube could leak, reducing the effectiveness of one-half of the diagonally split braking system, and resulting in longer stopping distances.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will inspect the brake tubes for visible evidence of contact with the exhaust system clamp. If the tube shows evidence of contact, it will be replaced. If no evidence of contact exists, the tube will be fastened with a clip.
Report filed by DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION. Manufacturer campaign number 843. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 22 Nov 1999.
98V183000Received 6 Aug 1998. 685,000 units.
Power Train / Automatic Transmission / Park/Neutral Start Interlock Switch
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. The adjustment of the cable connecting the console shifter mechanism to the ignition key can cause a trapped key condition which can result in a low force required to depress the shift button. A combination of applying a mis-adjusted release button with a low force attempt to shift out of park with the key in the locked position, can break the connecting pin in the shifter.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
If this happens, the "ignition-park" interlock system will be nonfunctional.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will inspect for proper operation of the system. Any vehicles that are not functional after the inspection will have the shift mechanism and cable replaced with a "self-adjusting" design.
Report filed by CHRYSLER CORPORATION. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 26 Oct 1998.

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

263 complaints, 319 component mentions.

A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. The figure per 1,000 component mentions shows how many of each 1,000 mentions name the component.

1998 Dodge Stratus
All 1998 vehicles

1998 Dodge Stratus: complaints by component, per 1,000 component mentions
Component	1998 Stratus	All 1998 vehicles	Stratus, all years	Mentions
Engine and Engine Cooling	385.6	131.3	310.7	123
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	181.8	114.6	119.8	58
Power Train	72.1	94.3	92.2	23
Steering	56.4	55.6	81	18
Air Bags	53.3	49.3	47.2	17
Suspension	47	81.5	65.5	15
Seat Belts	34.5	22.9	18	11
Unknown or Other	31.3	20.3	22.7	10
Vehicle Speed Control	28.2	44.2	31	9
Electrical System	25.1	79.1	72.6	8

The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 20.

Complaints that report a crash: 24
Complaints that report a fire: 16
Injuries in the complaints: 18
Deaths in the complaints: 0
Date of the newest complaint: 16 Sep 2009

These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.

Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.

Complaints about the 1998 Dodge Stratus, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 2002, with 43 complaints.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 1998 Dodge Stratus
Number	Type	Subject	Component	Opened	Closed	Campaign
EA03011	Engineering analysis	AUTO TRANS IGNITION-PARK INTERLOCK	Power Train / Automatic Transmission	17 Jul 2003	30 Jan 2004	04V021000
PE02082	Preliminary evaluation	SAFETY BELT CINCHING LATCH PLATE	Seat Belts	6 Nov 2002	23 Apr 2003

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

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Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 1998 Dodge StratusThe recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 1998 Dodge Stratus: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/dodge/stratus/1998/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 30 Sep 2026.

Sources

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence: US government work, public domain
Recall file through: 30 Sep 2026
Complaint file through: 29 Mar 2018
First complaint in the file: 1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file: DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 1998 Dodge Stratus?: 3,367,276 units in 3 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Dodge Stratus have for all model years?: NHTSA lists 27 recall campaigns for the Dodge Stratus, model years 1992 to 2006. 3 of them name the 1998 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 1998 Dodge Stratus name most often?: Engine and Engine Cooling: 123 of 319 component mentions, or 385.6 per 1,000. For all 1998 vehicles the figure is 131.3 per 1,000.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 1998 Dodge Stratus open?: No. Each of the 2 investigations that name this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.