2001 DODGE INTREPID Complaints

WHILE DRIVING MY 2001 DODGE INTREPID ON A MAIN ROAD IN ERIE, THE CAR JUST DIES ON ME, WHILE TRYING TO MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, A CAR CAME WITHIN INCHES OF HITTING MY CAR WHILE HE WAS DOING APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES AN HOUR, BECAUSE WHILE TRYING TO GET MY CAR OUT OF THE WAY, I WAS STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, AND THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN FOR THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC. GETTING MY CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND OUT OF EVERYONE'S WAY, I HAVE THE CAR TOWED OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANICS, WHO IN TURN FINDS OUT THAT THE TIMING CHAIN IS BROKE DUE TO A FAULTY ENGINE, WITH THE SLUDGE BUILD-UP WHICH IN TURN HAS CAUSED ALL OF THIS PROBLEM. ALSO APPARENTLY DODGE/CHRYSLER FEELS THAT SO MANY AMERICANS ARE CAUSING THIS PROBLEM, BY NEGLECTING OUR VEHICLES, AND NOT PROPERLY MAINTAINING OUR RIDES. I AM APPALLED THAT THIS IS OKAY, AND SO MANY OF US ARE GETTING RIPPED OFF BY THE COMPANY. IT IS AMAZING THAT I ALMOST WAS IN AN ACCIDENT, BECAUSE OF THIS FAULTY VEHICLE. IS IT GOING TO TAKE ALL OF US TO DIE ON THE ROAD WHILE DRIVING FOR SOMETHING TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS? THANK HEAVENS MY CHILD WHO HAS CANCER WAS NOT IN THE CAR, AND THAT I WASN'T ON THE THRUWAY TRYING TO GET HIM TO PITTSBURGH FOR HIS CHEMOTHERAPY. *NM

ENGINE FAILURE. DEALERSHIP SHIP SAYS THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.EVEN TO REPLACE THE ENGINE IS TWICE AS MUCH AS OTHER ENGINE REPLACEMENT. I OWN A 2001 MODEL. *NM

STEERING BECAME VERY PROBLEMATIC STARTING IN JULY 2006. WHEN TURNING THE CAR, THERE WERE CATCHES WHEN TURNING IN EITHER DIRECTION AND THE PROBLEM HAS GROWN WORSE. THE CAR WAS SERVICED IN EARLY AUGUST WHEN THE SHOP DIAGNOSED IT AND REPLACED THE TIE RODS. THAT DID NOT FIX IT AND WAS THEN TOLD THAT THE STEERING GEAR RACK ALSO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL NEAR-MISSES AS THE STEERING LOCKS WHEN MAKING TURNS IN PARKING LOTS OR TIGHT SPACES. *NM

I HAVE A 2001 DODGE INTREPID THAT SUFFERED A SUDDEN ENGINE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT EXCESSIVE OIL SLUDGE WAS AT FAULT IN THE ENGINE. ABOUT 6 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE ENGINE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION AND WAS TESTED BY THE DEALER ONCE THE BODY WORK WAS DONE AND WAS FOUND 100% SOUND. LESS THAN 2 WEEKS AFTER RETRIEVING THE CAR FROM THE BODY SHOP, THE ENGINE FAILED AND THE DEALER STATED THAT IT WOULD BE CLOSE TO $6000 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. *NM

ENGINE BEGAN KNOCKING QUIETLY AND WAS CHECKED. I WAS ASKED IF THE OIL WAS CHANGED REGULARLY AND I INFORMED THEM IT WAS. THE OIL WAS AT THE PROPER LEVEL. A WEEK LATER IT BEGAN KNOCKING VERY LOUDLY AND THEN JUST QUIT. I HAD AAA BRING IT HOME AND AFTER A FEW DAYS HAD A MECHANIC CHECK IT OUT. HE SAID THE ENGINE FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACING. THIS WOULD COST ROUGHLY 3800.00. IT CRANKED UP BUT WOULD NOT MOVE OVER A FEW FEET. I BACKED IT INTO MY GARAGE AND IT STILL SITS THERE WHILE I FINISH PAYING THE 3,000.00 THAT I STILL OWE BEFORE I CAN FIX THE PROBLEM. I HAVE DONE MUCH RESEARCH AND FOUND MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM. I FOUND YOUR INFORMATION ON AUTYBYTELS SITE ABOUT THIS ENGINE. *NM

MY ENGINE BEGAN TICKING, I PULLED OVER POPPED THE HOOD AND SMOKE ROLLED OUT, I CHECKED THE FLUID LEVELS AND TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR, IT WOULDN'T START, I WAITED A FEW MINUTES TRIED STARTING IT AGAIN AND IT WORKED, I DROVE 3 MILES HOME AND THE ENGINE DIED AS I TURNED DOWN MY STREET, ONCE AGAIN THE ENGINE WAS SMOKING SO I POPPED THE HOOD AND FLAMES SHOT UP, I PUT THE FLAMES OUT AND THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY SINCE. I HAVE DONE NOTHING TO REPAIR IT SINCE APPARENTLY IT'S A DESIGN OF DODGE AND CHRYSLER'S 2.7 V6 ACCORDING TO MANY OTHER OWNERS. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH ON NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED OFF THE ROAD AND TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO DETERMINED THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO SLUDGE. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED, AND THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. UPDATED 11/063/06. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST SPEED, AND STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE WATER PUMP HAD FAILED, CAUSING WATER AND ANTIFREEZE TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE.

2001 DODGE INTREPID W/ 2.7L ENGINE - PER MECHANIC: SLUDGE BUILD UP CAUSED ENGINE FAILURE AFTER ONLY 63,000 MILES. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT HAD NO CONTROL OF THE STEERING AND BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO DETERMINED THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THERE WERE NO PARTS FOR THE 2.7 LONG BLOCK ENGINE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC ALSO MADE THE SAME DIAGNOSIS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AND CONCURRED WITH THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE ENGINE REPLACEMENT DUE TO NON-AVAILABILITY OF THE ENGINE COMPONENTS. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MANUFACTURER NOT COMPLYING WITH THE OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY PARTS TO PERFORM THE VEHICLE REPAIRS.