2003 Dodge Stratus Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Stratus years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 10th of 13 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 75 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Dodge Stratus. That ranks 10th out of 13 Stratus model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (15 complaints, 20%), typically at around 57,775 miles. Complaints mention 7 crashes, 7 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 75owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 7complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Dodge Stratus problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 15 | 20% | 57,775 | — | — |
| Suspension | 15 | 20% | 88,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 10 | 13% | 39,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 11% | 48,306 | — | — |
| Steering | 7 | 9% | 48,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 8% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 6 | 8% | 48,306 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 8% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 6 | 8% | 38,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 7% | 81,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 4 | 5% | 155,019 | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 5% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 4% | 123,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 3% | 23,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | 196,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | 200 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | 23,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Dodge Stratus recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Problem: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2000-2005 Eclipse vehicles manufactured April 5, 1999, to December 17, 2004, 2001-2005 Eclipse Spyder vehicles manufactured January 19, 2000, to March 18, 2005, 2001-2005 Chrysler Sebring vehicles manufactured April 17, 2000, to February 21, 2005, and 2001-2005 Dodge Stratus vehicles manufactured April 17, 2000, to February 22, 2005. In the affected vehicles, the passenger side sun visor may be folded down in such a position that, if the passenger frontal air bag deploys, the passenger side sun visor may detach.
Risk: If the passenger side sun visor detaches and is propelled rearward, there is an increased risk of occupant injury.
Fix: MMNA will notify their owners, and Chrysler will notify the Chrysler and Dodge owners. Dealers will install a tether strap to retain the passenger sun visor, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2015. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-15-005. Chrysler and Dodge owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R30.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the fuel return line hose fitting on the electric fuel pump may be restricted, causing excessive fuel pressure to build up in the fuel injection system. Excessive fuel pressure may result in a leak in the fuel return hose.
Risk: Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the fuel pump pressure. Those vehicles exhibiting higher than normal fuel pump pressure will receive fuel pump modifications. Owner notification began on december 15, 2003. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-992-1997.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Safety belt cinching latch plate (PE02082) — opened Nov 6, 2002, closed Apr 23, 2003.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The problem is not with the tire itself, but with the lug nuts holding the tire on the car. In the past year I have had at least six lug nuts fail. I have had a rash of flat tires, mostly related to nails. In attempting to remove the tires to put on the spare, the chrome caps on the nuts have come…
Car was owned by school govement it has been worked on several times for bad suspension.and documented.ball joint bad suspension front and back.back dating 2 or 3 years.no accidents just bad suspension
When replacing the Clock Spring I noticed the Airbag serial number matched numbers from other vehicles for recall but my vehicle was not listed in recall.Vin number [XXX] 2003 Dodge Stratus Sedan INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge stratus. While at an intersection, the contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle jerked and lost power without warning. The contact managed to veer to the shoulder of the road. Once the vehicle was turned off and restarted, it resumed normal…
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…
Other Dodge Stratus years
← 2002 Stratus · 2004 Stratus →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 Stratus | 2 | 0 |
| 2006 Stratus | 74 | 0 |
| 2005 Stratus | 62 | 3 |
| 2004 Stratus | 144 | 3 |
| 2003 | 75 | 2 |
| 2002 Stratus | 150 | 2 |
| 2001 Stratus | 186 | 10 |
| 2000 Stratus | 216 | 5 |
| 1999 Stratus | 251 | 3 |
| 1998 Stratus | 272 | 3 |
| 1997 Stratus | 349 | 4 |
| 1996 Stratus | 554 | 7 |
| 1995 Stratus | 318 | 7 |
See all Dodge Stratus problems by year, every Dodge model, or the Dodge VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Dodge Stratus?
Owners most often report air bags, suspension, electrical system problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 15 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Dodge Stratus?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 Dodge Stratus a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Stratus model years, the 2003 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.