Hello, I'm new to the forum here. Pics aren't the exact car but it's pretty much the same. Subtle gold with beige interior.

It only has 25k miles on it and I'm getting it for about $4,900. Not my favorite color but to me it seems like a good price with that low of miles and the fact that it looks and feels almost brand new. Looks brand new in person. An older lady drove it 25k miles in 10 years. Regular services were done during that time. I test drove it and it seems to run perfectly fine. Again, not the exact car in these pics but it looks just like this:





Thoughts and opinions? Do you think I got a good deal or got ripped off? What should I expect as a Stratus owner in terms of mpg, reliability, and any common problems? It's the 4 cylinder btw. I've read reviews but have got a mixed bag of opinions, would like to hear from other owners and Dodge drivers, thanks all!

 

What engine do you have? 2.4DOHC? 2.7 V6?

I drive an 02 with a 2.4DOHC engine (4 banger). MPG, in mixed driving for me is 26mpg. Car seems to love to cruise at 75mph for the best gas mileage on the highway.

Plugs: Use the stock copper champion plugs. Don't know why, but it loves normal champion plugs. Oh, plugs are so easy to do on the 2.4DOHC.

Transmission: NEVER EVER EVER use anything in the transmission other than ATF+4 transmission fluid. If you do, have fun with the repair bills. I also recommend at every 40k miles, dropping the pan, swapping the trans filter, putting on a new gasket and adding 4 quarts of ATF+4. It isn't hard to if you are 1/2 way mechanically inclined. It will take you about an hour (tops) to do with a cordless drill (using an adaptor to loosen/take off the transmission pan bolts).

Car runs fine on 87 octane, no need to pay for more. I do run Lucas fuel treatment through it twice a year and use good gas (can't stress that enough).

If you have any questions, feel free to post up. I do all the work on my stratus and it currently has 159k miles on it and runs like a champ. Just maintain the car in good running shape and you'll be good to go.

 

Nice! Thanks for the reply bro. I got the 02' 2.4 also. I'm feeling like it was a good purchase. Thanks for letting me know about what measures I can take to keep it in good shape. I don't know how to do all of it but I need to learn anyway. I'm sure I'll have more questions eventually so it's great to know there are people with the same car and that have knowledge about them.

And 26 mpg? That's awesome!, I'd love if I could get somewhere in that ballpark. Good to hear yours is still running smooth. Thanks man,
-IP11

 

You're welcome. I've had some interesting issues witht he car but so far, they've all been easy fixes outside of the timing belt (although not overly difficult if you are mechanically inclined and have a place to work on it, btw, it's easy as pie to check it's condition too).

Great thing about the 2.4 DOHC is it is a non-interference engine, so when the timing belt does snap, you do NOT have to rebuild the heads with new valves like some other engines out there.

Yes, 26mpg. I admit it's probably 60/40 highway/city driving, but proper inflation of the tires, using good oil, keeping the plugs/wires in good shape and not flooring the hell out of the car and it will return good mileage. First, it usually shifts between 3.5-4k and the rest of the shifts are at 3k or less while in town. The stratus really likes to cruise at 75mph on the highway. That's where it seems to return the best fuel mileage.

If you need anything that I can help with, feel free to PM me.