2000 DODGE INTREPID Complaints

I HAVE A 2000 DODGE INTREPID WITH A 2.7 ENGINE. I BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW AND HAVE BEEN THE PRIMARY DRIVER EVER SINCE. I HAVE MAINTAINED THE VEHICLE AND THERE ARE ONLY 60,000 MILES ON IT. THE CAR HAD BEEN DRIVING FINE, TIL ONE DAY ALL OF A SUDDEN IT STARTED TO MAKE A TERRIBLE TAPPING SOUND FROM THE ENGINE. I MANAGED TO GET HOME AND AFTER HAVING A MECHANIC INSPECT IT, HE SAID THE ENGINE NEED TO BE REBUILT THAT THE TIMING CHAIN GUIDE LET GO AND THAT ALL THE GUIDES, GASKETS, TIMING CHAIN, GEARS, AND CRANKSHAFT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT A NEW ENGINE OR A REBUILT ONE WOULD NEED TO BE DONE ON A CAR OF THIS AGE AND SUCH LOW MILEAGE. I'VE HAD A CONCERN WITH THE OIL LIGHT COMING ON PERIODICALLY, BUT EVERYTIME WE'VE HAD IT CHECKED, THE OIL WAS FULL AND NO PROBLEM FOUND, THOUGHT TO BE AN ELECTRICAL CONCERN. NOW, I FIND OUT AFTER SOME RESEARCH THAT THIS YEAR VEHICLE HAD A DEFECTIVE ENGINE THAT CAUSED SLUDGE TO BUILD UP AND CAUSE THIS LIGHT TO GO ON AND CAUSE ENGINE FAILURE. SHAME ON CHRYSLER FOR MAKING THIS ENGINE. I THINK SOMEONE AT CHRYSLER SHOULD CONTACT ME AND ASSIST WITH THIS REPAIR. I HAVE BEEN BUYING CHRYSLER FOR THE LAST 12 YEARS. MY HUSBAND AND I HAD A NEON, JEEP CHEROKEE, AND CURRENTLY A GRAND MINIVAN. MY FATHER IN LAW IS A PROUD RETIRED CHRYSLER AUTOMAKER. IF CHRYSLER KNOWS THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THESE ENGINES, THEN I SHOULD BE GIVEN SOME CONSIDERATION. I HAVE ALWAYS INTENDED TO BUY CHRYSLER PRODUCTS, BUT AFTER THIS, I DON'T KNOW IF I WILL EVER BUY ONE AGAIN, AND I WILL TELL EVERYONE I KNOW OF THIS DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. *NM

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON 02/05/07 THE 2000 DODGE INTREPID HAD ENGINE FAILURE. WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH AND PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND SMOKED STARTED COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATOR LIGHTS, THE ENGINE DID NOT HAVE ANY PERCEPTIBLE FAILURES. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A DODGE DEALERSHIP, AND THE SERVICE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS OIL LEAKING ALL OVER, BUT HE COULDN'T FIND THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK. THEN, THEY CALLED AND INFORMED HIM THAT THE HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED HE WAS INFORMED BY THE SERVICE MECHANIC THAT THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FREEZING UP WAS DUE TO A SLUDGE BUILDUP. *AK

I HAVE A 2000 INTREPID WITH A 2.7 L ENGINE. I WAS DRIVING ON MAIN STREET AND ENGINE SEIZED. DEALERSHIP SAYS TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND I NEED NEW ENGINE. I HAVE 72,000 MILES ON CAR. ON A PREVIOUS VISIT TO THE DEALER SHOP, I SPECIFICALLY ASKED ABOUT THE TIMING CHAIN, THEY SAID IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR 120,000 MILES. AT THAT VISIT THEY TOLD ME I HAD OIL SLUDGE AND THEY FLUSHED THE OIL, GAS AND TRANSMISSION LINES OUT. I HAVE SPEND THOUSAND OF DOLLARS KEEPING THIS CAR IN GOOD MAINTENANCE CONDITION AND NOW IT'S WORTHLESS. *JB

OUR 2000 DODGE INTREPID EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FAILURE THAT RESULTED IN LOSS OF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT WOULD BE MORE EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR THAN IT WAS WORTH. WE HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED AND THE REPAID TECHNICIAN ALERTED US TO THE FACT THAT THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE WAS KNOWN BY CHRYSTLER TO HAVE ENGINE OIL SLUDGE PROBLEMS DUE TO FAULTY DESIGN. DODGE SHOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. THIS WAS OUR FIRST AND ONLY CHRYSTLER PRODUCT WE WILL EVER PURCHASE... WE ARE GOING TO PURCHASE OUR FIRST FOREIGN MADE VEHICLE, A HONDA THIS TIME!!! *NM

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN APPROXIMATELY JANUARY OF 2006 HE DEVELOPED A CRUSTY, FOGGY FILM ON BOTH HEAD LIGHTS OF HIS 2000 DODGE INTREPID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS INHIBITS THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT. THE DEALER SAID THIS CONDITION CAME FROM THE HEAT ON THE HEADLIGHTS AND THEY HAVE A PROCESS TO CLEAN THE HEADLIGHTS. THE CONTACT STATED HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR AND DOES NOT FEEL THAT THIS IS REASONABLE. . *JB UPDATED 2/16/2007 -THE LIGHT OUTPUT HAS BEEN REDUCED BY ABOUT 50% OF THE ORIGINAL OUTPUT AND CONTINUES TO GET WORSE OVER TIME. *NM

I HAVE A 2000 DODGE INTREPID WITH A 2.7 ENGINE. AT 96000 MILES I HAVE EXPERIENCED ENGINE PROBLEMS. THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I TOOK IT TO BE REPAIRED SAID THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE 2.7 ENGINE AND SAID THAT I SHOULD HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED AT A COST OF $5000.00. THEY DID NOT ADVISE ME TO TRY TO FIX THE EXISTING MOTOR BECAUSE OF A PROBLEM WITH OIL SLUDGE BUILD UP. *NM

ANOTHER INTREPID 2.7 L ENGINE FAILURE. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND IT DID STOP RUNING WITHOUT ANY WARNINIG. I JUST CAME OUT OF A TWELVE HUNDRED DOLLAS TRANSMISSION REPAIR. I KNOW BIG CHANCES ARE I WILL BE IGNORED BY CHRYSLER PEOPLE, BUT I WILL DO EVERYTHING I HAVE TO DO TO STOP MY RELATIVES AND 20 GENERATIONS AHEAD, FROM BUYING ANY CHRYSLER PRODUCT. *NM

ON CHRISTMAS DAY, I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 5 IN CALIFORNIA ON MY WAY TO DISNEYLAND WITH MY FAMILY AND VERY QUICKLY MY ENGINE OVERHEATED AND STALLED IN THE FAST LANE, THANK GOODNESS IT WAS CHRISTMAS DAY AND THERE WERE'NT VERY MANY VEHICLES ON THE HIGHWAY. WE MADE IT TO THE SHOULDER AND HAD A TOW TRUCK PICK UP THE VEHICLE FOR $120. MY VEHICLE ARRIVED AT MY MECHANIC AND AFTER A DAY OF REVIEWING MY VEHICLE HE CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT THE TIMING BELT FAILED AND I BROKE 2 PISTON VALVES. I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. THE COST OF THE ENGINE IN $3,000 THIS IS NOT A COST THAT IS REASONABLE FOR A WELL MAINTAINED VEHICLE REPAIR. *NM

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT ENGINE RAN AS IF IT HAD NO OIL. HE PERFORMED ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON THE VEHICLE. THE OIL HEATED UP AND THE ENGINE FAILED. HE CALLED THE DEALER, AND THEY HAD KNOWN ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO GIVE HIM $200.00 FOR THE VEHICLE ,BUT,HE HAD SPENT OVER $6000.00 TO FIX THE ENGINE BEFORE AND IT SEIZED FOR THE SECOND TIME. HE RECENTLY PURCHASE D THE CAR. THE MILEAGE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WAS 65000 OF WHICH 52,000 MILES WERE ON THE ODOMETER WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE DEALER DDID NOT WANT TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. HE TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP ,AND THEY TOLD HIM THEY WOULD NOT FIX THESE TYPES OF CARS BECAUSE OF THE INHERENT PROBLEMS. BEFORE IT SEIZED THE SECOND TIME THE DEALER HAD HIM BRING IN THE VEHICLE. THEY RAN DIAGNOSTIC TESTS FOR A FEW DAYS AT WHICH POINT HE WAS ASKED TO PICK UP THE CAR AND THE ENGINE FAILED AGAIN. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, A NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE ENGINE. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS TO ALERT THE CONTACT. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE, THE ENGINE STALLED AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO DETERMINED THE TIME BELT HAD FRACTURED, AND THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, WHO INFORMED THE ENGINE WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 36000 MILES. THE CONTACT WAS VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE THE ENGINE HAD ONLY 97000 MILES.