Used 1996 Dodge Stratus

"Me likey!"

"My wife bought it when new when we were dating because I would not let her buy a minivan. She complied, so I married her. Other than a faulty AC hose when newish, and a total auto trans failure ($2000 at 60K miles), this car has been very solid. The autostick trans is great. MPG is good with the 2.5 L V-6 (25+). I do most maint on car myself, and it is simple, but for the rear 3 plugs (must remove intake manifold). Handles terrifically. I removed the plastic factory front shock tower installation guides (white) and pushed the towers fully inwards to maximize camber. This helped with the tendency for outsides of front tires to wear prematurely, as well as increasing the cornering G limit. DO THIS YOURSELF WITH CAR ON JACKS! I would not mind another 40 HP like the next generation Stratus has, but then the MPG would suffer. It is no slouch, though, especially if you use the autostick and keep revs where you want them (3000+). I have 100K miles on it, and have experienced minimal brake pad/rotor wear. Doesn't burn oil excessively. I would reduce interval for changing coolant though, as it comes out WAY ROTTEN if you wait till the recommended intervals. The leather seats have not held up at all, but the paint has done great. No other simple problems with car. I intend to keep car until it drops, but I may reconsider depending on if/when trans dies again."

"good car"

"I have owened this car for 9 years. I bought it with 16,000 and it now has 182,000.The only bad thing about this car is where the battery is if you needed to replace it. You have to take the front driver tire off and take the inside of the fender well off to just get to the battery. What a pain.. One of the best things about this car is it hardly uses oil. I have had minor things worked on like the heater does not put out much heat. No matter what has been done to the heater is still won't produce heat..but I can live with that.. It has been a great work car and will run it till it dies."

"This car has been amazing."

"Owning this car has been a great experience. It has performed flawlessly for 235,000 miles even though I have not always provided the proper care it needed. No major problems. For 11 years it has been my "work horse", always ready to meet the challenge, and now that it's time to get a new work vehicle, it's kinda sad to say goodbye. I know it's just a machine, but having a vehicle this reliable and trustworthy, you can't help but develop an attachment, like an old friend."