Hello all.

I just bought my girlfriend a 2002 Dodge Stratus R/T. It's a sedan that both of us can use and I love that it's peppy unlike her pos jetta. It's automatic with 55k miles onthe 3.0 v6 motor.

Anyway, when test driving the car, I noticed that the car shifts firmly. It's not abrupt, but with moderate acceloration (not horsing it) it shifts less smooth than your typical sedan. Is this because it has some sort of 'performance' package?

Additionally, the next morning after the purchase, I noticed an odd noise while warming the car up. The car was idling for a good 4 or 5 minutes. I went to move the shifter from park to reverse and heard some sort of mechanical noise. Not a metallic clanking type noise, but more of a solenoid or electric-powered unit activating. It's a similar sound to my buddy's 89 mustang that has a fuel pump you can audibly hear engadge before the car starts. Is this normal? Everything runs smoothly, I just HEAR a noise I'm not familiar with. No drop in RPMS. No vibration or surging. I heard this noise shifting between park/reverse/drive and back and forth between them. After about 20 minutes of driving I parked the car and bought groceries. I didn't hear the noise again.

I'm deeply concerned. Thank God I got a 36k extended warranty.

I'm going to be requesting a transmission oil flush and fill from the dealer. I'll also be requesting detailed/itemized maintenance records if they have any. What kind of maintenance should be done once this car turns 60 or 70k miles? (Other than your obvious plugs, wires and filters).

 

60,000 maintenance (per owners manual):

1) The above you mentioned
2) Check drive belts condition
3) Replace timing belt (for California, Massachusetts & Vermont)(otherwise 100,000)
4) Check fuel hose
5) Change engine coolant
6) Inspect brake system
7) Inspect ball joint/steering linkage
8) Inspect drive shaft boots
9) Check exhaust sytem
10) Check fuel system for leaks
11) Check emission control system
12) Change oil
13) Rotate tires