1998 Dodge Stratus Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 121 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Dodge Stratus, 44% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 65,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “head gasket” (62% of reports).
- 121engine and engine cooling complaints
- 65,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,400typical repair cost reported by owners
- 38%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Head gasket: mentioned in 75 of 121 complaints (62%)
- Oil leak: mentioned in 24 of 121 complaints (20%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the 1998 Dodge Stratus at $1,400, and half of them between $780 and $1,450.
Based on 14 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2001–2004), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 33 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 121 complaints, 4 a fire, 1 an injury.
Dodge Stratus engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 Stratus | 14 | 19% | 44,000 |
| 2005 Stratus | 14 | 23% | 63,008 |
| 2004 Stratus | 22 | 15% | 36,500 |
| 2003 Stratus | 6 | 8% | 33,000 |
| 2002 Stratus | 48 | 32% | 80,000 |
| 2001 Stratus | 58 | 31% | 65,000 |
| 2000 Stratus | 23 | 11% | 105,500 |
| 1999 Stratus | 53 | 21% | 65,500 |
| 1998 Stratus | 121 | 44% | 65,000 |
| 1997 Stratus | 158 | 45% | 70,000 |
| 1996 Stratus | 335 | 60% | 90,000 |
| 1995 Stratus | 106 | 33% | 137,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 1998 Dodge Stratus. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
1998 2.7 v-6 engine in dodge stratus vehicle. Oil light came on and then the engine quit running. When attempting to obtain information on cost of repairs, i was told by many individuals that this engine has failed in this same manner for all of the vehicles. The oil was changed every 3000-5000…
Well i have had to replace my oil pressure sensor about 6 times already, it seems like i replace it ever 6 months or so, it has been leaking out of the electrical end of the sensor but never leaks out of the threaded end that goes into the block, it almost caused me to blow up my motor that last…
Throttle cable frayed and stuck in cable housing not letting the engine to idle down. *tr
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Dodge Stratuss have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 121 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 1998 Dodge Stratus (44% of the 272 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Dodge Stratus engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 65,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Dodge Stratus?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,400 (half paid between $780 and $1,450), from 14 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Dodge Stratus?
The most frequent phrase is “head gasket”, in 75 of 121 complaints, followed by “oil leak” (24).
See all 1998 Dodge Stratus problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Stratus years.