2002 DODGE INTREPID Complaints

WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED. IT WASN'T UNTIL AFTER THE CAR STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD THAT ANY OF THE GAUGES SEEMED TO INDICATE ANY PROBLEMS. THERE WAS NO WARNING! THIS WAS A COUNTRY ROAD SO THERE WASN'T MUCH TRAFFIC, BUT HAD THERE BEEN, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. THE WATER PUMP SUDDENLY QUIT WORKING. IN ORDER TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, I AM CURRENTLY SPENDING $1,000 TO REPLACE THE PUMP! THE CAR ONLY HAS 67,000 MILES! *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THERE WAS A KNOCKING NOISE HEARD IN THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE CONTINUALLY WOULD NOT START. EVENTUALLY, THE ENGINE FAILED TO START. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE ENGINE WAS BAD DUE TO OIL SLUDGE BUILD-UP AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED.

IT ALL STARTED WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS JUST A BROKEN WATER CONNECTOR ON THE TOP OF THE CHRYSLER 2.7 LITER ENGINE IN OUR 2002 DODGE INTREPID. I REPLACED THE PART MYSELF AND THOUGHT THAT IT WAS JUST A SIMPLE ISSUE. BUT THE VERY NEXT DAY MY WIFE WENT TO WORK AND GOT STRANDED WHEN THE CAR OVERHEATED AGAIN BUT THERE WAS LEAK THIS TIME JUST AN EXTREMELY HOT ENGINE. AFTER THE ENGINE COOLED DOWN AND I WAS ABLE TO START IT AGAIN IT WAS CLEAR TO ME THAT THE ENGINE HAD CRATERED AND THAT IT WAS ALL DUE TO AN INTERNAL OIL PROBLEM FROM THE BEGINNING. AS I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE IT HAS BECOME VERY CLEAR THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE AND WHEN WE TOOK IT TO A DODGE DEALER THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM UNTIL I TOLD THEM ABOUT IT. AFTER TEARING THE ENGINE DOWN THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE PROBLEM WAS THE SAME AS THEM OTHERS DESCRIBED IN THE WEBSITES, OIL SLUDGE CAUSING THE INTERNAL LUBRICATION TO FAIL. THE DEALER GAVE US $800.00 TRADE IN FOR A CAR WORTH $4000.00 WHICH WE HAD WORK VERY HAD TO PAY OFF EARLY. THE ONLY OTHER RECOURSE WAS TO HAVE A USED OR REBUILD INSTALLED AT A COST OF $5500 TO $8500.00 WITH NO GUARANTEE THAT IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. SO NOW WE HAVE A NEW USED CAR AND A MONTHLY PAYMENT AGAIN FOR SOMETHING THAT CHRYSLER KNOWS IS A PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT. *NM

I TOOK MY 2002 DODGE INTREPID TO DEALERSHIP TO CHECK OUT A VIBRATION IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE AND TO HAVE SOME OTHER SERVICE PERFORMED. I TOLD THEM THE FRONT END (WHEELS, STEERING) VIBRATED AT CERTAIN SPEEDS AND WHEN BRAKING. SERVICE WAS PERFORMED AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE VIBRATION WAS A "TIRE PROBLEM". AS I DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME THE VIBRATION PROCEDED TO GET WORSE. WHEN I CHECKED THE VEHICLE IT TOOK ALL OF 5 MINUTES TO FIND THAT THE RIGHT INNER TIE ROD END WAS WORN OUT AND THE SOURCE OF THE VIBRATION. I HAVE SUBSEQUNTLY FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM IS ENDEMIC OF THE INTREPID, AND AS SUCH SHOULD HAVE BEEN READILY VISIBLE TO A DODGE MECHANIC

SUBJECT: MASTERCRAFT TIRE TREAD SEPARATION COMMENTS: IN MARCH, 2003, I PURCHASED A 2002 DODGE INTREPID USING EBAY. THE CAR HAD 8,000 MILES AND CARFAX SHOWED NO ACCIDENTS. WHEN THE CAR ARRIVED, I NOTICED IT HAD TWO NEW MASTERCRAFT SENSY TIRES ON THE FRONT, UNUSUAL FOR THAT LOW MILEAGE. UPON INSPECTION, I FOUND THAT THE RIGHT TIE ROD END HAD BEEN BENT AND NOT REPAIRED, THE LIKELY CAUSE OF THE NEW TIRES. I THEN REPLACED THE RIGHT TIE ROD END AND HAD ALL FOUR WHEELS ALIGNED. AS THE TIRES HAD A TREAD WEAR RATING OF 620, I FIGURED THERE WERE GOOD FOR MANY MILES. IN LATE JULY, 2006, THE CAR HAD 32K MILES. I WAS HEARING A LOUD "SLAPPING" SOUND ON THE FRONT END. TAKING THE CAR TO A COSTCO CAR CENTER, THEY DETERMINED THAT BOTH TIRES HAD TREAD SEPARATION, REQUIRING IMMEDIATE REPLACEMENT. THE TIRES HAD LESS THAN 25K MILES ON THEM. THE CAR HAS A LIFETIME FOUR-WHEEL ALIGNMENT POLICY FROM FIRESTONE EVER SINCE I PURCHASED IT, AND THE FRONT END ALIGNMENT HAS BEEN CHECKED ABOUT EVERY 3-4K MILES. THESE TIRES APPARENTLY HAD A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THEIR IDENTIFICATION IS MASTERCRAFT SENSY 01, 225 60 R16 M&S 98T, DOT 3DX3 FMW 3302, NOT AS DESCRIBED BY YOUR FORM BELOW WHICH HAS INCOMPLETE INFO USE ONLY THE INFO IN THIS PARAGRAPH TO DESCRIBE MODEL, SIZE AND DOT NUMBER. I SUGGEST THIS DEFECT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. THE TIRES WERE LEFT AT COSTCO AND ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE, BUT I HAVE THEIR WRITTEN STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM. YOUR COMMENTS PLEASE. THANK YOU. *JB

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE BACK WINDOW OF THE CAR FLEW OFF IN ONE PIECE AND SHATTERED ON THE ROAD. THERE WAS NOTHING ABOUT THE WINDOW THAT WAS UNUSUAL OR DAMAGED PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK, WITHOUT THE KEYS IN THE IGNITION, THE CONTACT'S UNATTENDED GRANDCHILD SHIFTED THE COLUMN SHIFT AND THE VEHICLE ROLLED DOWNHILL AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MODERATE DAMAGE TO THE REAR AND LEFT SIDE PANEL AREA. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE DEALER WAS ALERTED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND ONE MINUTE LATER SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DETERMINE A SEAL ON THE DISCONNECTED EMITTING FLUID WHICH CAUSED THE SMOKE.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE TRANSMISSION DROPPED INTO FIRST GEAR WHEN TRAVELING 65 MPH WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON 6 OCCASIONS. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.

THE INTREPID HAS A HISTORY OF TRANSMISSION FAILURE, THIS CAN BE DEADLY AT ANY GIVEN TIME. ONCE I WAS DRIVING ON ROUTE 22 AND THE VEHICLE WAS JUST TRYING TO CUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF STEPPING ON THE GAS. THAT'S A TRAGEDY WAITING TO HAPPEN. CAR IS CURRENTLY IN DEALER WAITING FOR THE TRANSMISSION TO BE REPAIRED. *JB