2002 DODGE INTREPID Complaints

I BOUGHT MY CAR (2002 DODGE INTREPID) IN FEB 2005. I HAD AN OIL CHANGE IN APR 05, MAY 05, AUG 05, AND OCT 05. THE CAR BROKE DOWN IN DURHAM NC ON A TRIP THAT ORIGINATED IN ACWOTH GA. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO MORGON DODGE/ JEEP OF DURHAM NC. THE MECHANIC'S DIAGNOSIS WAS ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO SLUDGE BUILD-UP IN THE ENGINE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THIS ONLY HAPPENS WHEN A PERSON DOESN'T HAVE THE OIL CHANGED. HE STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE DAMAGE TO MY CAR WAS BASED ON SLUDGE BUILD-UP OF OVER A YEAR AGO. I'VE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR 7 MONTHS. I ALSO HAVE THE OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS FOR THE ABOVE MENTIONED OIL CHANGES SINCE I'VE HAD MY CAR. *JB

DT:THE CONTACT STATED THE TIMING CHAIN CAME LOOSE AND DAMAGED THE TOP VALVE COVER OF THE ENGINE. WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STALLED , AND HAD TO BE TOWED. HE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THIS PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WILL BE INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC. DEPENDING ON WHAT THE MECHANIC WILL REPORT THE VEHICLE WILL EITHER BE REPAIRED OR SALVAGED. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD NOISE AND STOPPED. THE ENGINE DIED AFTER SHE HEARD THE NOISE. THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW IF THERE WERE ANY WARNING INDICATIONS SUGGESTING THERE WAS A PROBLEM. THIS HAPPENED WHILE SHE WAS OUT OF TOWN AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HER HOME. SHE COULD NOT PUT THE CAR INTO GEAR TO TAKE IT TO A SERVICE DEALER OR REPAIR SHOP. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT. *AK

AFTER HAVING OUR 2002 DODGE INTREPID SERVICED FOR TRANSMISSION FAILURE. WE NOTICED ENGINE STARTING TO KNOCK. WASN'T SURE IF IT WAS TRANSMISSION OR ENGINE. RULED OUT TRANSMISSION,TOOK TO DEALER, DEALER SAYS SLUDGE BUILD UP IN PAN CAUSING ENGINE FAILURE,NORMAL OIL CHANGES DONE,AT 3400 MILES AVERAGE. MANUAL CALLS FOR 7500 MILE OIL CHANGES, ENGINE BEARINGS BAD, REPLACEMENT COSTS UPWARDS OF 5000.00 WORKING WITH DEALER NOW ON GETTING IT REPLACED, ENGINE SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED THIS SOON. *NM

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2002 DODGE INTREPID. LET ME FIRST START BY SAYING THAT BECAUSE I AM A FEMALE THAT IS ON THE ROAD ALONE FREQUENTLY, I AM VERY CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT ENSURING THAT MY VEHICLE IS PROPERLY MAINTAINED, AND I HAVE ALWAYS HAD MY OIL CHANGED BETWEEN 3000-4500 MILES. LAST WEEK WHILE TRAVELING FOR WORK, MY VEHICLE STARTED TO MAKE A VERY LOUD KNOCKING SOUND WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. I WAS VERY NEAR AN EXIT WITH A SERVICE STATION, SO I IMMEDIATELY DROVE THERE AND CHECK MY OIL. I WAS NOT LOW ON OIL. BACK ON THE INTERSTATE ONCE AGAIN, I CONTINUED TO TRY TO DETERMINE WHERE THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM. WITHOUT WARNING, MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND MY CAR WOULD NOT RUN. IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, SURROUNDED BY MANY INTERSTATE TRUCKS ON I-77, I ATTEMPTED TO TRY TO GET TO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE ROAD, NARROWLY BEING MISSED BY FAST MOVING TRAFFIC SEVERAL TIMES. AFTER GETTING MY VEHICLE TO THE SHOP, I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A MECHANIC THAT MY ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THIS COULD BE POSSIBLE AS I HAVE BEEN SO EXTRAORDINARILY CAREFUL IN MAKING SURE MY VEHICLE WAS PROPERLY MAINTAINED SO THAT IT WOULD LAST AND I WOULD HAVE MINIMAL PROBLEMS. FORTUNATELY, I WAS NOT INJURED AND I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. IT CERTAINLY COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE. THE WORSE THAT HAPPENED IS THAT NOW I HAVE A $4000-$5000 REPAIR BILL ON A VEHICLE THAT I STILL OWE $9000 ON. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO EVEN FIND A USED ENGINE FOR MY CAR, AS ALL OF THE ENGINES GO BAD ON THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. SINCE RESEARCHING MY VEHICLE AFTER THIS INCIDENT, I HAVE SEEN HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR SITUATIONS HAPPENING TO PEOPLE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. IF THERE IS A DEFECT WITH THIS VEHICLE, I AM HOPING THAT THE MANUFACTURER TAKES ACTION AND CORRECTS THE PROBLEM. I ONLY WISH I WOULD HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THIS PROBLEM OR IT COULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTED BEFORE SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ME ON THE HIGHWAY. *NM

DT: VEHICLE OVERHEATED WHILE GOING DOWN THE ROAD. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER THEY CHANGED THE OIL, THERMOSTAT AND HOUSING. THEN A WEEK LATER WAS DRIVING THE HIGHWAY AND THE MOTOR BLEW OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS BACK AT THE DEALER. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER WHO WOULD NOT ASSIST IN THE COST OF THE REPAIR. THIS HAPPENED ON AUGUST 4, 2005. *AK *JB

ENGINE FAILURE. ENGINE FAILED DUE TO WATER UMP ALLOWING WATER TO ENTER ENGINE VIA OIL PAN. SLUDGE PROBLEMS CAUSED TIMING CHAIN TO BE EXCESSIVELY TIGHT THEREBY CAUSING TOO MUCH PRESSURE ON WATERPUMP BEARINGS. WATERPUMP BEARINGS FAILED THEREBY LETTING WATER FLOW DIRECTLY INTO ENGINE. OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED IN THIS CAR REGULARLY. THIS IS ENTIRELY A DESIGN FLAW. I STILL OWE A LOT ON THE CAR AND CAN'T AFFORD A NEW ENGINE OR EVEN A USED ONE.*AK

HELLO I OWN A 2002 DODGE INTREPID, THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN GIVING ME SERIOUS PROBLEMS SINCE IT REACHED 60,000 MILES. IT ALL STARTED WITH THE OIL LIGHT FLICKERING ON AND OFF AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD ALSO DO THE SAME THING. THEN THE WATER PUMP AND THERMOSTAT WENT OUT. NEXT THE WATER OUTLET HOUSING STARTED LEAKING. NOW THE TRANSMISSION IS ACTING UP AND THE CAR MAKES BIG JERKING MOTIONS WHEN DRIVING AND THE RPM RISES UP. MY WIFE HAS BEEN IN THE CAR WITH OUR CHILDREN AND THE CAR WOULD JUST STALL, WHILE DRIVING. FINALLY I HAD ENOUGH THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY IS NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. IT SEEMS DODGE OWNERS AROUND THIS COUNTRY ARE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE. MY NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS ARE TELLING THE SAME STORY. THESE VEHICLES NEED TO BE RECALLED, DUE TO ENGINE DEFECTS. I HAVE SPENT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS ALREADY IN REPAIRS. EVERY FAMILY DESERVES A VEHICLE THAT IS SAFE FOR THEIR FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND NEIGHBORS. THE DODGE INTREPID'S NEED TO BE RECALLED, BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. IT SHOULDN'T HAVE TO TAKE A DEATH TO RECALL THESE VEHICLES. PUT AN END TO THIS ENGINE FAILURES AND DEMAND A RECALL. WE NEED YOUR HELP TO SOLVE THIS SAFETY HAZARD, WITH THESE ENGINES. I HAVE PARKED THE VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH I STILL OWE 4,900 DOLLARS BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO TRADE THE CAR IN AND PUT ANOTHER FAMILY, IN DANGER. MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED ANOTHER VEHICLE, HAS OVER 70,000 MILES AND RUNS REALLY WELL. PLEASE RECALL THE DODGE INTREPIDS, HELP KEEP ARE STREETS AND HIGHWAYS SAFE, FROM DEFECTED ENGINES. WENT OUT AND THE WATER OUTLET HOUSING LEAKS. *JB

HAVE HAD 2002 DODGE INTREPID IN THE DEALERS SHOP IN VARIOUS OCCASIONS RE: THE TRANSMISSION NOT GOING INTO GEAR OR SHIFTING HARD AT THE WRONG SPEEDS. WE HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE GEARS SINCE THE DAY WE BOUGHT IT '2003. WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY TOLD NOTHING IS WRONG THAT THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE ACTION. LAST MONTH IT WOULDN'T GO INTO GEAR OR WHEN IT DID IT MOVED SLOWLY THEN THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. WE WERE TOLD ONCE AGAIN THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. RECENTLY 8/8/05 IT BEGIN KICKING AND BUCKING WHILE DRIVING ON 8/9/05 THE SERVICE TECH TOLD US IT IS SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT A "CAM SENSOR" THAT THEY "THINK IS POSSIBLY BAD OR MORE INTERNAL ISSUES WITH THE ENGINE." ALL THROUGH IT THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE WHAT WE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON NOW AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON YET, THEY CANNOT SEEM TO REPAIR THESE. WE HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE CAR YET, WE FEEL THE DEALERSHIP IS BEING DISHONEST WITH US. WE ALSO FEEL THAT WE HAVE BEEN SOLD A LEMON. WE HAVE RECORD OF EACH TIME THE CAR WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAVE A JOURNAL OF ALL VISITS IN THEIR DATABASE. WE HAVE KEPT THE CAR WELL MAINTAINED AND AT 49K MILES IT SHOULD NOT BE HAVING THESE ISSUES. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 60-65 MPH AND HEARD A CLANKING NOISE. THEN, VEHICLE WENT OUT OF GEAR AND WENT DOWN TO 15-20-MPH. THE TACHOMETER WAS UP TO 4 MPH, BUT THE MILEAGE WAS DOWN 5-10- MPH. DID NOT WORK EVEN WHEN PUTTING FOOT ON THE GAS. SHE HAD TO SHUT THE CAR OFF IN ORDER TO GET IT INTO THE RIGHT GEAR. IT FELT LIKE THE GEARS WERE STUCK. THE DEALER TOLD HER THAT VALVES IN THE TRANSMISSION WERE STUCK. THE CONTACT HAD TO CUT THE CAR OFF 10 TIMES A DAY IN ORDER TO GET IT TO GO INTO GEAR. *AK