Engine Oil Leaking problems of the 1996 Dodge Stratus - part 1

My Dodge Stratus 1996 leaks oil like a siva. I believe this to be a global issue with this vehicle and the v6 engine used in it. I have cared for this care very well and it has been maintained better than recommended by Dodge.

Consumer states vehicle caught fire while driving. Dealer diagnosed fire was result of the engine cylinder head plug being loose. This caused oil to leak which resulted in engine fire. Related recall 96v006000, consumer's v. I. N. Not included. Ts.

Blown head gasket, twice, massive oil leak.

While driving and without warning oil would leak from vehicle, and consumer would have to refill oil several times.

Mfr# 671 & NHTSA# 96 v 0006 000/engine: consumer states that the vehicle leaking oil from the galley plug seal. Dealer contacted and informed that the vehicle VIN# was not cover under that recall. Nlm.

My 1996 Dodge Stratus has 37,000 miles. In February 2002 I took it to sears for an oil change. Also asking them to see where oil was leaking (noticed oil on concrete in garage). They said valve cover gasket so I got that fixed for about $72. 00 all along thinking that there were not that many miles driven. And to bad the warranty had just expired. I think it was 5 years or 25,000 miles. Within the next 2 months oil was leaking again. Took it in and end up paying $702. 00 because the head gasket was bad. The mechanic showed it to me and jokingly said isn't it funny how this can be so cheap that it almost was deteriorated and the warranty 5yrs is up. Even though I had not drove 25,000 miles yet. Well the final blow , on oct 10,2002 I kept hearing a clunk when I made left or right turn. Took it to the rhoden Dodge. We were told that right & left tie rod ends were loose & sway bar links worn & loose(2 tie rods,& 2 ball joints) I asked them to perform an alignment and transmission flush ,totaling $779. 00 because what else will break. Well in Jan. 2003 the brakes were on medal another $190. 00. I'm afraid to take it in to the garage. There is only 37,000 miles driven and I am hearing another noise when I turn left and right. When the brakes were fixed they told me they test drove it and heard nothing . Some how it seems that 5 yrs or 25,000 miles is telling me that I should have sold it before that because I think the company knew things would start happening. Is there anything you can do to help me. Please, this car is a lemon with only 37,000 miles.

Temperature gauge was registering hot. Vehicle was leaking oil. Dealership was aware of problem.

Vehicle was parked in driveway noticed a large puddle of oil on ground. Had vehicle towed to dealer. Informed by mechanic that engine cylinder head was leaking. Galley plug failed to seal properly. Had engine head galley plug repaired.

Oil leak caused engine to overheat. There is recall 96v006000, but this vehicle is not affected by recall due to VIN.

Engine is leaking oil and is not considered to be under recall 96v006000 for this type of vehicle. Please provide any additional information/attachments.

Vehicle was leaking oil, and consumer took vehicle to an independent mechanic. Mechanic stated that head gasket was cracked. Problem was remedied by mechanic. The transmission was leaking.

Vehicle was leaking oil. Had taken vehicle to the dealer, and the dealer stated that head gasket was defective. But they were unwilling to do anything about it.

My car stopped on me on the highway, 12/21/00, the car constantly leaks oil, and I put oil in it every three weeks. The cars motor is knocking, now it starts up but stops anywhere on the street. It just cuts off, I called crysler and they said it was not on recall for the engine. But I found out it was on your recall database, the engine recall 96v006000.

There was an oil leak. Took vehicle to dealer, and they stated that engine cylinder head needed to be replaced. Recall 96 v 006 000 on engine did not include this vehicle due to VIN although it dealt with same problem. Please provide any further information.

The car caught fire while parked. The temperature gauge never went up, nor did the check engine light come on. My mechanic said that there was an oil leak in the engine. It was supposed to go to the shop on Monday, September 25 to have the engine looked at. The car caught fire the Saturday before.

Vehicle was leaking oil from underneath vehicle. Leak was coming from oil plug. Consumer took vehicle to the dealership, and the dealership was waiting for the part.

Vehicle had started to leak oil onto the engine. Took to mechanic & informed vehicle needed to go to dealership for repairs. Mechanic at dealer's indicated the engine cylinder head was leaking oil from the galley plug. It caused a little smoke to appear. Vehicle not on recall.

Consumer took vehicle into repair shop for oil leak, and found out from mechanic that vehicle was recalled. However, Chrysler confirmed that consumer's vehicle was not affected by recall 96v006000/ engine due to VIN although it had the same defective part.

Excessive engine oil leakage occurs from head gasket - had to replace with mls gk.

Recall 96v006, engine head gasket. While driving vehicle caught on fire in engine compartment due to an oil leak. There was a recall, and dealer did fix the problem at manssas Chrysler Jeep, 8100 centerville road, manssas, va 703-368-5300, but the problem has reoccurred.

There is an oil leak at the cylinder head and oil galley plug, causing a fire hazard. Also, there is recall 96v006000/manufacturer's recall 671. But this vehicle not included in the recall. Consumer has contacted dealer, parts has yet to be replaced. Please provide any further details.

Noticed a pool of oil in the driveway. Leaking 3 quarts of oil every two days coming from the back side of the motor. Mechanic said it was a faulty plug.

Oil leaks may start fire. Blown head gaskets common on Stratus and neon models due to defective gasket material used during manufacture of engine.

While driving noticed oil leaks. Taken to independent repair shop, and was informed of a blown head gasket. Dealer notified.

The car was leaking oil so I had it checked out and was told the head gasket was 'pumping oil' and the estimate to fix it was $600. The mechanic told me to check with Chrysler to see if they would do anything for me, even though the car is not under warranty anymore. I decided to search the internet for similar problems and found numerous examples for the same type of car. I feel that Chrysler should be held accountable for this type of mass problems with their automobiles.

Oil leak from cylinder head gasket area and rear camshaft sensor seal was detected. I am lodging a complaint because upon searching complaints site of ntsa, I have found that there are more than just a few complaints. I originally took the vehicle to a repair shop other than a Dodge dealer and was told at that time that the problem with the head gasket is "common" among the Stratus. My search on the internet confirmed the statement. I just paid over $1000 in repair bills because of this problem. I noticed that there was a recall of 1996 Stratuses due to a similar problem before my car was made. Was the problem really solved with the earlier manufactured dates? my fear is that this problem will come up again in an "unsafe situation" and the lives of my children and myself will be jeopardized. This complaint may be taken lightly by the manufacturer but the problem with the head gasket troubles me a lot because there have been quite a few complaints about this problem. I hope they are not waiting for another disaster similar to "Ford and the pinto" before they do something about the problem.

Engine cylinder head oil galley plug does not seal properly, causing oil to leak. Dealer was notified about the problem. Owner was told that vehicle was not included in recall # 96v006000 Chrysler/engine, and could not be serviced free of charge. Problem has not been corrected. Please provide any further details.

Vehicle parked. Left vehicle & few minutes. Later was informed vehicle was on fire. Contacted fire & police departments who refused to come out, indicating vehicle was on private property. Prior to fire, vehicle was inspected for leakage in "o" rings which was replaced. Vehicle's engine was cleaned. Oil proceeded to leak again. There was a recall #96v006000.

Engine head gasket problem, leaks oil.

Parked in garage noticed massive oil leaks. Took vehicle to local mechanic. He diagnosed that there was an engine head gasket problem. Contacted dealer, and dealer stated that the material the gasket was made from warped and it popped the head gasket.

Engine has severe oil leak from head gasket, possible fire hazard.

Rear engine oil leak,dealership found blown engine head gasket,cost 679. 00 to repair, is there a recall on this that I'm unaware of????.

Engine suddenly leaks oil after driving only 5 miles on highway. . . Strong odor of oil from engine. . . Had to replace one and one half quarts. . . Garage mechanic warned of possible engine fire if not fixed. . . Reported to manufacturer, citing NHTSA campaign number 96v006000 for reference as it describes the problem exactly. Was informed that my vehicle was not a part of any recall by that number. . . . Have pulled many customer complaint reports about vehicle which cite the exact same problem I am having. . . . . Cannot drive the car at highway speeds. . .

This engine leaks 2 to 3 quarts of oil a week at head gasket, and has since last October (1999).

Was driving vehicle & it started leaking oil. Took vehicle to dealer & was informed by mechanic leak came from top of engine to wires. Had it repaired. Started leaking again. Took vehicle back to dealership when engine blew out. At dealership, mechanic informed owner that engine head galley plug blew out, causing loss of oil. Needed to replace engine head galley plugs & head gaskets.