2002 DODGE INTREPID Complaints

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, ON CLEAR DAY AND ROAD CONDITIONS WERE GOOD THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME STIFF. THE CONTACT SAID THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO PULL VEHICLE OVER AND TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HAD IT TOWED TO BIG -O TIRES IN TOPEKA, KS. BIG-O TIRES TOLD HER THAT THE ENGINE SEIZED, AND THAT THE INTREPID 2.7 LITER ENGINES WEREWELL KNOWN FOR THIS HAPPENING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THE OIL WAS NOT GOING TO THE ENGINE PROPERLY WHICH CAUSED A SLUDGE TO BUILD UP. *AK

PURCHASED DEC 2001 WITH MAXIMUM ADDED CARE PROTECTION PLAN FOR 6YR/60K MILES. PERFORMED ALL VEHICLE REQUIRED MAINTENANCE AND NEVER HAD AN ISSUE UNTIL 12/11/06 WHEN THE VEHICLE STOPPED IN MOTION PRESENTING A CLICKING SOUND. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER AS WE THOUGHT TO REPAIR AN ALTERNATOR OR BATTERY. HOWEVER THE DEALER STATES THAT OUR VEHICLE'S MOTOR CEASED AND IT HAS SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE AS WHEN THEY OPEN THE OIL CAP, SLUDGE IS CLEARLY EVIDENT. WE ARE STILL ATTEMPTING TO GET THE SERVICE AGREEMENT TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR AS WE FEEL THAT IT IS NOT OUR FAULT SINCE PROVIDING REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND THE VEHICLE IS PRESENTLY UNDER SUCH WARRANTY COVERAGE. OUR INTERNET RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF 2.7 LITER ENGINE OWNERS HAVE SUFFERED THE SAME ISSUE WITH DAIMLERCHRYSLER ACCEPTING NO FAULT BUT ACKNOWLEDGING THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT HOWEVER DCX REFERS THAT CONSUMERS DID NOT FOLLOW REGULAR MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES. DEALER COST TO REPLACE/REPAIR ENGINE $8900 AS QUOTED ON 12/11/06 BY CUETER DODGE YPSILANTI, MI. *NM

I WAS DRIVING WITH MY DAUGHTER ( SHE WAS DRIVING MY CAR A 2002 DODGE INTREPID WITH 2.7 LITER ENGINE), AND WITH NO WARNING THE THERMOSTAT BEGAN TO RISE. IT WAS A CERTIFIED USED CAR AND I DID NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR UNTIL THIS OCCURRED. THE CAR BEGAN TO STEAM UNDER THE HOOD AND CUT OFF. MY DAUGHTER STEERED THE CAR OVER TO THE CURB OF A VERY NARROW STREET HOPING IT WOULD START. I CALLED A NEARBY GARAGE TO TAKE THE CAR THERE IF IT STARTED, AFTER THE ENGINE COOLED WE CREPT THE CAR TO THE GARAGE. MY DAUGHTER REMINDED ABOUT HER CHRYSLER SEBRING WITH THE 2.7 LITER DEFECTIVE ENGINE AND HOW IT STOPPED DEAD ON SHE AND HER HUSBAND AT NIGHT AT A GREEN LIGHT BECAUSE OF SLUDGE. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE GARAGE, THE OWNER LOOKED AT THE CAR AFTER IT COOLED. HE SAID THAT THE ENGINE WAS ABOUT TO GO AND THAT I NEED TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE PEOPLE WHO I MADE IT TO HAVE THEM FIX IT OR TRADE IT. I ASKED IF THE PROBLEM WAS FROM ENGINE TAMPERING, AS I HAD TRIED TO TRADE IT EARLIER AT ANOTHER DEALER AND THE TECH SAID THAT THE ENGINE HAD BEEN TAMPERED WITH BEFORE I BOUGHT THE CAR AT KERNERSVILLE CHRYSLER DODGE. HE DID NOT KNOW, BUT THAT IN HIS OPINION SHORT OF THEM PUTTING IN A NEW ENGINE, THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. KERNERSVILLE CHRYSLER DODGE REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY RESPONSIBILITY AND WOULD NOT TRADE THE CAR NOR OFFERED TO REPAIR IT. I AM A 65 YEAR OLD WOMAN WHO HAS HAD OPEN HEART SURGERY THIS YEAR AND DO NOT NEED THE AGGRAVATION. I AM PAYING FOR INSURANCE AND MAKING CAR PAYMENTS ON A CAR THAT CANNOT BE USED AND SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY. NEED THE STRESS. NO BODY WANTS THIS CAR AS A TRADE. IF I SELL IT MYSELF THE BANK SAID THEY WOULD STILL CONSIDER IT A REPO. CHRYSLER DODGE CAN HAVE THE CAR BACK, BUT I DO NOT THINK IT IS FAIR OR RIGHT FOR ME TO BE PENALIZED FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE ENGINE. THEY SHOULD TAKE THE CAR AND CALL IT EVEN. THE CHRYSLER DODGE COMPANY AND TIM MITCHELL AT KERNERSVILLE CHRYSLER DODGE SHOULD BE ASHAMED. *NM

MY VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED FOR A HEAD-GASKET LEAK. THE DODGE DEALER SERVICING MY VEHICLE ADVISED ME TO GET RID OF THE VEHICLE QUICKLY BECAUSE IT HAS SLUDGE BUILDUP THAT CANNOT BE REMOVED AND THAT IT RUNS A HIGH RISK OF SEIZING UP, WHICH ITSELF CAN RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT AND INJURY. *JB

CAR WAS RUNNING FINE, THEN ONE MORNING ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. CAR WAS TAKEN TO SERVICE CENTER. MECHANIC STATED THAT TIMING CHAIN MUST BE REPLACED AND ENGINE WAS FULL OF SLUDGE. $2400 FOR REPAIR WAS PAID. APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS LATER, ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN. SAME SERVICE CENTER STATES NEW TRANSMISSION IS NEEDED. $2200 FOR REPAIR WAS PAID. DO NOT KNOW IF OLD PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. CAR IS 4 YEARS OLD WITH APPROXIMATELY 94600 MILES. GO FIGURE! *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY UNDER NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE HEATER STARTED TO BLOW COLD AIR AND THEN STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THAT A VALVE, CONNECTED WITH THE TIMING CHAIN BLEW OUT AND THAT THE ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT FOUND SIMILAR COMPLAINT VIA THE WEB. COMPLIANT # 10099639 ABOUT THE ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED OR REPAIRED.

CAR BEGAN TO OVERHEAT AND LOSE ANTI-FREEZE. TOOK INTO A LOCAL NAPA TO GET THERMOSTAT AND UPPER INTAKE HOSED REPLACED(600). WATER PUMP FAILED, TOOK CAR TO DEALERSHIP, GOT TIMING CHAIN KIT AND WATER PUMP FIXED(1200). THEN OIL LIGHT WOULD NOT GO OFF, REPLACED OIL SENDING UNIT AND CLEANED SLUDGE (300). THEY HEARD KNOCKING AND REPLACED STARTER (500). NOW NEED ENGINE AN ESTIMATED(4000). *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH ON A CITY STREET, A RATTLING NOISE CAME FROM THE ENGINE FOLLOWED THE ENGINE STALLING WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART, AND WAS PUSHED TO A NEARBY INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO DETERMINED THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE TIMING BELT SNAPPED ON THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH. THE CONTACT STATED THE BELTS WERE OFTEN CHECKED FOR WEAR AND TEAR. THE SERVICE DEALER DETERMINED THE VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE HAD A NEW TIMING BELT.

THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT ON MY 2002 DODGE INTREPID COMES ON WHEN THE CAR IS FULLY WARM AND IDLES BELOW 700 RPM. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TODAY AND LEARNED THAT THE 2.7 LITER ENGINE CONTAINS SLUDGE. THIS SLUDGE WILL CAUSE THE ENGINE TO FAIL WITHIN 10000 MILES. THE CAR HAS BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED. MANY MANY PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM. HE ENGINE WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. *JB