general problems of the 2002 Dodge Stratus

Speaker in the back cargo area started smoking and caught fire and stereo shorted out.

I had smelled a burning smell in my car while I drive it. My husband had tried his best to find where the smell is coming from. We could not find it and now my radio doesn't work, the dome light don't work and the locks don't work. In order to lock my car I have to push the locks down. Can you please help me with what could be the possibility of what's wrong with my car? I haven't been driving it.

Noticed slight gear slippage travelling 35-45mph. All fluids checked, at proper levels. A week later, engine 'jerked' when coming to complete stop, check eng light illuminated. Progressively worsened. Once engine warmed up, started hearing a 'whirring' noise from lower-middle area of engine. Stopped @ local repair shop, they checked fluids and vac hoses, noise stopped, but noticed coolant in reservoir side 3/4 full & boiling, temp gauge on dash 'normal'. Next day, while cold, I checked coolant level in reservoir (left side) still full, (hadn't flowed back thru system once cool). I added water to 'fill line', checked condition of pressure cap (looked fine), placed & tightened, started engine, let run a few minutes, loosened 'air bleeder' on top of coolant bleeder hsng. Then I slowly shifted thru all gears, w/foot on brake, let air bleed til solid stream of liquid and shut car off. Waited an hour, started up and drove. Ck eng lt= off. Fine for a few days, same issues started up again. Louder 'whirring', like a belt or band slipped. Irratic shifting, trans never failed. Ran both code tests on dashcluster=no dtcs. Jan 2014-drove to Dodge dealership: disposition: replace mopar 41te trans. My lost wages / loss of veh use(Dec/Jan) + burden of a loan to replace the transmission = more than I paid in full to buy the car barely 6 months ago. Unfair to customers: ongoing computer and pcm/transmission failure since 1999. The 'oops' tech spec-correct trans fluid atf+4 how many damaged & failed transmissions? refused to honor powertrain warranty!! and continued placing. Shame on all of the corporate executives & engineers that got rich from robbing the consumers. You were 'successful failures' mopar, Chrysler-Dodge-daimer-iacocca, etc. 90+ tsbs, no recalls. Class actions dismissed! time for the consumers to prevail. Time for a California class action!!.

In the past eight months the check engine stays on. I had the computer code read and reset twice. After being reset the light returned within 1-2 days. The third time it came on the dealer said the car had a vacuum leak and replaced a cracked hose. On the second day after getting the cat back the check engine light popped back on and stayed on again. They say that there is no short to the sensor or light on the dash yet the light will not go off. A year ago the main computer died and had to be replaced. The car is a 2002 Dodge Stratus with only 37,000 miles on it. The dealer is stumped, I am out several hundred dollars , and the problem remains. The car has been well maintained.

Service engine soon light keeps coming on. Car was running at extremely high rpms at times. Gas mileage was significantly lower than in the past. Dodge stated originally that the problem was the spark plugs. Replaced all spark plugs. Light came back on two weeks later. They then stated it was a problem with the pulley on the end of the crank shaft that was causing the engine to misfire and trigger the light to come on. After 10 additional days in the shop, they replaced the part. Today the light came on again and as of now are unsure what the problem is. Today is the 18th day it has been in the shop in the past 6 weeks.

Within one week of purchase the consumer had to have a new transmission installed. Now the brake lights illuminated when the vehicle made turns. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but the consumer was told that they will not look at it because the vehicle was not under warranty. The consumer wants to know what she can do.