2001 DODGE INTREPID Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35MPH THE ENGINE STALLED AND OPERATED AT A REDUCED SPEED. A BANGING NOISE CAME FROM THE ENGINE FOLLOWED BY WHITE SMOKE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A FIRE. NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED TO INDICATE A FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT REMOVED THE OIL PAN AND DETERMINED THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

VEHICLE'S OIL LIGHT FLICKERED AND APPROX. 20 MINUTES LATER, THE CAR BEGAN TAPPING LOUDLY. OIL WAS CHANGED ABOUT A MONTH EARLIER. CAR WAS TOWED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN DUE TO ENGINE SLUDGE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE MAKING A TURN THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE STEERING RACK WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 4/14/2006 - THE STEERING PROBLEM BEGAN ON 1/05 AND FLUCTUATED BETWEEN BEING STIFF WHEN MAKING TURN TO BEING VERY LOOSE WHEN MAKING TURN. EVENTUALLY THE STEERING LOCKED UP ON 3/28/05. *NM

I WAS DRIVING THE CAR WHEN IT SUDDENLY STARTED RUNNING ROUGH. IT WAS IN THE AFTERNOON ON A MODERATELY BUSY STREET. BEFORE I HAD A CHANCE TO STOP AND SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE CAR DIED. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND WAITED IN TRAFFIC FOR THE TRUCK TO COME AND TAKE ME TO THE MECHANICS. THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WE WERE ABLE TO FIND A USED ENGINE BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT IT'S ANOTHER INTREPID ENGINE - SO, IS THE SAME THING GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN. OUR CAR IS A 2001 AND HAD ONLY APPROX. 73000 MILES. IT WAS A NEW CAR PURCHASE AND WE STILL OWE MONEY ON THIS CAR. NOW WE OWE MORE. *NM

AFTER PURCHASING 2001 INTREPID IN JANUARY OF 2006 EIGHT DAYS LATER ENGINE MADE LOUD SCARY NOISES WHILE VISITING FAMILY 250 MILES AWAY- I DROVE HOME AND TWO DAYS LATER ENGINE FAILED- WAS TOWED TO THE USED AUTO DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED IT. LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE, THE ENGINE HAD NEW CHAIN, TENSIONER GUIDES, CLEANED INTAKE VALVES, COVERS ETC. APPROXIMATELY $1100.00 IN REPAIRS. I GOT THE VEHICLE BACK IN FEBRUARY OF 06. ON MARCH 22, 2006 THE ENGINE BLEW WHILE I WAS GOING TO WORK. THE WARRANTY COMPANY WILL NOT TOUCH IT- THE FIRST TIME THEY REFUSED AND THE SECOND TIME IS YET TO BE DETERMINED- I AM WITHOUT A VEHICLE AND AM PURSUING LEGAL OPTIONS INCLUDING OPTING IN TO A CLASS ACTION, PA ATTORNEY GENERAL, CONSUMER PROTECTION BUREAU, PRIVATE ATTORNEY SINCE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON WHEN I DROVE THE VEHICLE OFF THE LOT IN THE FIRST PLACE ( A COLD WINTER NIGHT, I HAD TWO OF MY CHILDREN WITH ME AND HAD TO GET THEM HOME, I CALLED THE DEALER UPON MY ARRIVAL HOME TO INFORM HIM OF SAME). *NM

ENGINE FAILURE. AS I WAS STOPPED AND ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE, THE MOTOR SUDDENLY MADE A VERY LOUD CLANKING SOUND. THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY ONLY 72,200 MILES ON THE CAR. I JUST BOUGHT IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR AND EVEN A FEW DAYS AFTER THE INITIAL PURCHASE, I HAD RETURNED IT TO THEM INFORMING OF THEM OF TROUBLE AND THE SALES MGR ASSURED ME HE WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT. THEY WOULD RETURN IT TO ME UNTOUCHED AND NOT INVESTIGATED UNBEKNOWNST TO ME AT THAT TIME. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE MGR, HE WAS ADVISED BY THE SALES MGR NOT TO EVEN LOOK AT IT. THEY HAD THE CAR IN THEIR POSSESSION MORE THAN I DID UNTIL RECENTLY WHEN THIS OCCURRED. *JB

MY 2001 DODGE INTREPID LOST HEAT, SMOKE WAS POURING OUT OF BACK OF CAR,ALL DASH GAUGES WERE NORMAL AND CAR STOPPED RUNNING. ALL OF THESE THINGS HAPPENED WITHIN SECONDS. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT IN 2001. SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID ENGINE WAS BAD AND NEED TO REPLACE FOR $6500. I AM DISABLED AND STILL HAVE TO PAY FOR CAR AND INSURANCE THAT'S SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY. ALSO I PAID FOR AN EXTENDED WARRANTY,THEY WILL NOT COVER ANYTHING! *JB

IN MAY 2005, MY 2001 INTREPID WITH THE 2.7L ENGINE LEFT US STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD DUE TO OVERHEATING. THE HEATER ALSO WOULD BLOW HOT AIR ONLY HALF THE TIME. I WAS UNAWARE OF THE 2.7L ENGINE PROBLEM. THE CAR ALSO HAD AN OIL LEAK. TOWED THE CAR TO AN AUTHORIZED CHRYSLER DEALER. THIS DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK ON THE CAR AND FOUND QUITE A FEW THINGS WRONG. CONTACTED THE 'EXTENDED' WARRANTY COMPANY AND THEY ADVISED I NEEDED TO TAKE THE CAR TO 'THEIR' AUTHORIZED DEALER. HAD THE CAR TOWED THERE ALSO. THE 'WARRANTY' DEALER ALSO RAN A DIAGNOSTICS ON THE CAR AND ONLY FOUND ABOUT HALF OF THE THINGS WRONG WITH THE CAR. AFTER FIGHTING WITH THE EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR 10 DAYS WITHOUT A VEHICLE, THEY AGREED TO AUTHORIZE THE WORK. THE DEALER FIXED THE HEATING PROBLEM AND REPLACED THE WATER PUMP. THEY ALSO FIXED THE OIL LEAK AND REPLACED A COUPLE OF GASKETS. THE DEALER CALLED US AND INFORMED US THAT THE ENGINE HAD SLUDGE BUILDUP AND THAT A DE-SLUDGING WAS RECOMMENDED. THIS OF COURSE NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. WE DECIDED TO DO THE DE-SLUDGING AT A $300 COST. WE RECEIVED THE VEHICLE BACK ON JUNE 14TH. WELL, ON APROX. MARCH 2ND, 2006 I WAS DRIVING BACK FROM NIGHT SCHOOL ON INTERSTATE 10 WHEN MY ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING. I WAS DOING 60 MPH. I STOPPED AND CHECKED THE OIL AND IT WAS NORMAL. SO I WENT ON HOME. THE NEXT DAY, THE CAR WOULD NOT EVEN START SO I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE SAME DEALER AS BEFORE. THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTICS CHECK AND SAID I NEED A NEW ENGINE. APROX COST $6400. I OWE 7K ON THIS CAR STILL. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WILL NOT AUTHORIZE THIS WORK SINCE THEY CLAIM THAT THE DE-SLUDGING VOIDED THE WARRANTY. THE DEALER RECOMMENDED IT AND THE WARRANTY HAD SAID THEY WOULDN'T PAY FOR IT BUT NOTHING EVER CAME UP ABOUT VOIDING THE WARRANTY. I'M STUCK WITHOUT A VEHICLE AGAIN, IN A RENTAL CAR OF MY OWN EXPENSE AND NO $$ TO FIX IT AT THIS TIME!!! *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 35MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED DUE TO SLUDGE BUILDUP. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER WAITING REPAIR.

BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY MY 01 DODGE INTREPID MADE AN AWFUL NOISE AND QUIT AFTER BEING TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WE ARE TOLD THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER ENGINE....$6,000 - $8,000,JUST FOR THE ENGINE FROM CHRYSLER WHILE STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON THE CAR I AM CURRENTLY IN SEARCH OF A REPLACEMENT ENGINE THAT DOESN'T COST MORE THAN THE CAR IS WORTH. *JB