Already posted this on other Stratus related sites, but figured I'd post it here also, just in case someone might have the same luck.

I was reading this site last week and noticed in one of the threads someone talking about the previous recall on 96 Stratus' Lower Control Arm/Ball Joints, and the fact that it's possible to get them replaced a second time if they are bad and you are lucky.

So I went out to my car and checked my lower control arms out. I noticed that on the drivers side, the lower ball joint had a tear in it. I had been trying to figure out what was making my front end creak when going over a bump and/or when turning and I couldn't figure out what it was. I had been spraying white lithium grease on everything on my front end for days and for whatever reason I never noticed this. Well, that is what it turned out to be.

Well, I decided to go to the Chrysler dealer nearest me(Bald Hill Subaru/Dodge) and asked if this had been performed on my car yet, and if it was possible to have this replaced under the recall. I was told that it had indeed been done, but if it was shown that it was indeed the same part that had failed again, then I could get it done under the recall again because it was a safety issue. She did say that if it was shown not to be the same part, or that it was something other than a defective part, that they would not be responsible, and I would have to pay for the diagnostics.

They did say that I had an open recall for a shift interlock or something and said that the mechanic could probably check out the ball joint while he was fixing that without the diagnostic charge. We made me an appointment to have it checked out on the 8th.

When I got there on the 8th, they did the open recall and gave me my keys. They told me that the ball joint was indeed torn, but that it wasn't normal wear and tear or a defective part, but probably road debris that ripped the b/j boot, and that they could not get Chrysler to cover that. I left.

I came back five minutes later, after I had a few minutes to think about it and asked them what exactly the recall wording was. We looked it over for a few minutes and in my opinion, the wording was such that it could go either way. I pretty much just asked if they could just give it the benefit of the doubt and do it for me. The guy went into the back room and came back five minutes later and said that they would do it if the part was in. It wasn't, but they made me an appointment for the 12th.

I got the lower control arm/ball joint put in yesterday, free of charge. I am ecstatic about it because I definitely couldn't have afforded to have it done, especially after I just bought the car two weeks ago and two days after buying it the fuel pump went and had to be replaced.

I just want to say that everyone at Bald Hill Dodge in Warwick, Rhode Island went above and beyond for me, and that I will definitely be a repeat customer. They were not in any way obligated to repair this for me, and they did.

Sorry for the long winded response, but I just wanted to share this. Who knows, maybe this will help someone get theirs replace for the bubble.

John-Paul.