2002 DODGE INTREPID Complaints

IMPENDING FAILURE OF 2.7L ENGINE INSTALLED IN 2002 DODGE INTREPID. ACCORDING TO A MECHANIC A BEARING(S) LOSES ITS PLATING AND CAUSES METAL FLAKES TO BLOCK OIL GALLERIES LEADING TO OIL STARVATION AND EVENTUAL FAILURE OF THE ENGINE. THIS COULD LEAD TO A MVA IF THE FAILURE OCCURS IN TRAFFIC. MINE IS STARTING TO FAIL AND ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH INTREPIDS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE INTREPID. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WENT THROUGH THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 149,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AND NOTICED THERE WAS NOT HEAT. THE FAN WAS BLOWING, BUT THE AIR WAS NOT WARM. THE DAY BEFORE, THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE. I PULLED OVER AND CALLED MY HUSBAND IMMEDIATELY. I ASKED ME IF THERE WERE ANY NOISES, SMOKE, STRANGE SMELLS, AND IF THE TEMPERATURE WAS FINE. I SAID NO TO ALL AND THAT THE TEMPERATURE WAS FINE. HE SAID TO DRIVE A LITTLE FURTHER AND SEE. I DROVE NOT EVEN 1/2 MILE DOWN THE ROAD (MYSELF AND MY DAUGHTER WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE) AND NOTICED SMOKE. I PULLED OVER AND CALLED MY HUSBAND AGAIN. HE ASKED ME IF THERE WAS ANY WATER COMING OUT OF THE EXHAUST, NO THERE WAS NOT. HE ASKED ME TO LOOK UNDER THE HOOD AND CHECK THE WATER/ANTIFREEZE RESERVOIR. THE RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY. HE CAME OUT IMMEDIATELY AND BY THE TIME HE GOT THERE, THE MOTOR WAS ALL COOLED DOWN. HE PUT 2 GALLONS OF WATER IN THE RESERVOIR, WHICH SEEMED TO DISAPPEAR. HE CHECKED THE OIL, AND THERE WAS WATER IN IT. THERE WAS NOT WARNING! I HAVE MAINTAINED MY CAR WELL AND HAVE HAD 90% OF ALL MY WORK DONE AT THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT. I HAVE DONE ALL THE RECOMMENDED WORK WHEN THEY HAVE WORKED ON MY CAR. I EVEN HAD THE RADIATOR FLUSHED, TRANSMISSION FLUSHED, AND THE SERPENTINE BELT REPLACED BECAUSE THEY SAID IT NEEDED IT. *TR

DRIVING AROUND DOING ERRANDS, HEADING TO THE NEXT TOWN (15 MILES) TO FINISH MY ERRANDS AND MY ENGINE STARTED TO OVERHEAT. I TURNED AROUND AND WENT TO THE SERVICE STATION THAT WAS ONLY ABOUT 1/2 MILE AWAY AND HAD THEM LOOK AT THE CAR. I HAD NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH IT OVERHEATING. IT ENDED UP BEING A CRACKED BLOCK. I NEEDED TO GET A DIFFERENT ENGINE BECAUSE IT WAS TO EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR THE ORIGINAL ONE. *TR

FIRST WAS A FUNNY CLICKING NOISE WHEN THE CAR STARTED. IT STARTED TO GET WORSE VERY QUICKLY AND I HAD IT LOOKED AT. THE PROBLEM COULDN'T BE FOUND AT THAT TIME. SHORTLY THERE AFTER IT BROKE DOWN. THIS TIME I AM TOLD THAT THE ENGINE HAS A SLUDGE BUILD UP PROBLEM WHICH IN TURN CAUSED THE TIMING CHAIN TO BREAK. NOW I'M TOLD THAT THE BEST THING TO DO IS SPEND BETWEEN $4,500 AND $5,000 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. IT HASN'T BEEN REPAIRED YET (12-11-2007). *TR

I BOUGHT A 2002 DODGE INTREPID IN JULY OF 2007. 10,000 MILES LATER ON DECEMBER 5TH, 2007 MY CAR BREAKS DOWN AND MY OIL AND ENGINE LIGHT TURN ON. I HAD MY OIL CHANGED AS SCHEDULED SO I KNOW ITS NOT MY FAULT. I FEW DAYS LATER I GET MY CAR LOOKED AT BY A PROFESSIONAL AND HE BEGINS TO EXPLAIN TO ME THAT ITS MY TIMING CHAIN, HYDRAULIC TENSIONER. IN OTHER WORDS, I'M REQUIRED TO BUY ANOTHER ENGINE OR GET MINE FIXED. BOTH MY OPTIONS SEEM A LITTLE UNFAIR AND PRICEY. IM ALSO TOLD THAT CHRYSLER WAS THE ORIGINAL CREATOR OF THE 2.7 LITER ENGINE FOUND IN MY 2002 DODGE INTREPID MODEL. THROUGH FURTHER INVESTIGATING I'VE FOUND NUMEROUS WEBSITES DEALING WITH THE SAME COMPLAINTS. AM I REALLY EXPECTED TO PAY 5,000$ ON A NEW ENGINE FOR SOMETHING THAT'S NOT MY FAULT? *TR

BRAKE PEDAL HAS REPEATEDLY STUCK AND HAS TO BE MANUALLY UNSTUCK, SO THAT WHEN ACCELERATOR IS PRESSED THE CAR MOVES. HAS COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES. LAST NOV THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED. HAVING PROBLEMS AGAIN AND NOW THE DEALER SAID THE MASTER CYLINDER AND THE CALIPERS RIGHT AND LEFT HAS TO BE REPLACED. *TR

I WAS RECENTLY INSTALLING MY BRITAX REGENT AS DIRECTED. AND USED THE CARSEAT BELT FOR MY DAUGHTER WHO IS NOW ABOUT 55 LBS. WHILE INSTALLING I SAW HOW IF WE WERE IN AN ACCIDENT THE GEN 3 SEAT BELT ACCEPTOR WOULD FAIL WHEN IT MADE CONTACT WITH HER CARSEAT. SO MY CHILD WOULD NO LONGER BE PROTECTED. IN ORDER TO INSTALL HER SEAT I HAD TO TWIST THE CONNECTOR ABOUT 8-10 TIMES TO KEEP IT AS FAR AWAY FROM THE SEAT AS POSSIBLE. I TWISTED THE CONNECTOR UNTIL IT COULD NOT TWIST ANY FURTHER. I AM STILL DO NOT WANT TO HAVE MY CHILD RIDE HERE BUT I HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE. I WILL BE REPLACING THE CONNECTOR AS SOON AS I CAN. I WANT TO HAVE DAIMLER CHRYSLER REPLACE MY SEAT BELT CONNECTORS WITH EITHER GEN 2 OR GEN 4 CONNECTORS. ALL GEN 3 SEAT BELT CONNECTORS NEED TO BE RECALLED AND REPLACED! NOTE FOR BELOW NUMBERS. I HAVE NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN A CRASH YET. *TR

2002 DODGE INTREPID ENGINE FAILURE FROM OIL SLUDGE. DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND THE CAR STARTED MAKING KNOCKING SOUND AND STARTED BOGGING OUT. TOOK IT TO DEALER WHO SAID THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WHICH WILL COST $6100.00. CHRYSLER SAID THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY A $2500.00 DEDUCTIBLE SINCE THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. WE BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2003 WITH 19,000 MILES ON IT FROM A DEALER AND THE CAR NOW ONLY HAS 53,000 MILES ON IT. CHRYSLER NEEDS TO OWN UP TO THIS. THERE IS HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE MAKE THEM ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS 2.7L ENGINE. TOYOTA DID WITH LESS COMPLAINTS. *TR

WHILE GETTING AN OIL CHANGE AND HAVING THE WATER PUMP REPLACED, MY MECHANIC FOUND OIL SLUDGE UNDER THE VALVE COVERS. HE SAID THIS IS VERY COMMON IN THE CHRYSLER 2.7L ENGINES. HE CLEANED IT OUT AS BEST HE COULD WITH SOLVENT AND RAGS. THE COST WAS OVER $200.00 FOR JUST THE CLEANUP, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MORE SLUDGE IS IN THE LOWER PART OF THE ENGINE. ENGINE FAILURE COULD BE COMING SOON. *JB