2002 Dodge Stratus — 2.7L V6

The 2002 Dodge Stratus sits in the declining portion of this generation's complaint arc, which peaked at 639 complaints in 1996 and trended downward through the early 2000s. Compared to 2001's 192 complaints and unusually high 14 recalls, the target year shows improvement with 174 complaints and recalls cut to 6, suggesting that some of the prior year's recall actions may have addressed carrying-over issues, though the data does not specify root causes. The 2003 model year saw complaints drop further to 91, but 2004 ticked back up to 144, making 2002 a relatively stable midpoint rather than the generation's best performer. For 2002 specifically, Engine & Engine Cooling dominates the complaint profile at 47 reports, followed by Suspension (22), Power Train (16), and Air Bags (15), with 14 crash complaints and 5 fire complaints in the federal record. TSB coverage remained robust at 72, indicating manufacturer awareness of service concerns. Overall, 2002 is a reasonable but not standout year to buy within this generation — it benefits from post-2001 recall activity and avoids the 2004 complaint rebound, but the concentration of engine and cooling complaints warrants a thorough pre-purchase inspection of those systems.