2000 DODGE INTREPID Complaints

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT VEHICLE WAS MAKING A RATCHETING SOUND. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATING, INDICATING THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION, A LOCAL MECHANIC FOUND THERE WAS MASSIVE SLUDGE BUILD-UP IN THE ENGINE. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE TIMING CHAIN, TIMING CHAIN COVER, AND THE OIL PAN. THE ENGINE MAY HAVE TO BE REPLACED, BUT AT THIS TIME THEY WERE GOING TO TRY TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THERE HAS BEEN ROUTINE MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE.*AK UPDATED 1/11/2006. THE REPLACEMENT PARTS DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM AND THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. *NM

I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON A BUSY HIGHWAY WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO MAKE A KNOCKING NOISE. IT STALLED 2 TIMES AND THEN JUST DIED. I AM DISABLED, A SINGLE MOTHER OF 2 AND THE CAR BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE FOR ME TO GET IT OFF TO THE SIDE. WE DRIFTED DOWN THE ROAD TILL WE STOPPED AT A BETTER LOCATION. I CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK AND HELP TO GET ME AND MY 2 SONS HOME. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO BROWN DAUB DODGE WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED NEW. THEY SAID THE ENGINE FAILED AND IT WOULD COST ANYWHERE FROM 5,000 TO 8,000 TO REPAIR. THEY BLAMED IT ON MAINTENANCE. THE CAR HAD BEEN VERY WELL MAINTAINED. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME YOU HAD TO USE A SPECIAL OIL (5W30) INSTEAD OF 10W30 BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS WITH THE 2.7L ENGINES. I CHECKED MY RECORDS AND DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD I TOOK THE CAR TO THEM EVERY 3,000 MILES AND THEY WERE USING 10W30 . THE REPAIR SHOP WHERE I TOOK MY CAR TO AFTER THE WARRANTY WAS OVER WAS USING 5W30 THE CORRECT OIL. I AM LIVING ON SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS TO SUPPORT MYSELF AND MY 2 SONS. I HAVE NO MEANS OF COMING UP WITH THIS MONEY AND SHOULD NOT HAVE TOO. CHRYSLER SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE NOTORIOUS ENGINE/TRANSMISSION FAILURES IN THESE CARS. I HAVE A FRIEND WHO USE TO WORK FOR CHRYSLER AND SAID HE COULDN'T WORK FOR A COMPANY WHERE THE WERE TOLD TO "SAY NOTHING" BUT WHAT THE TOLD HIM TO TELL PEOPLE IN THESE SITUATIONS. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A POTENTIALLY DEADLY ACCIDENT FOR US. BROWN DAUB WILL ACCEPT NO LIABILITY FOR USING THE WRONG OIL AND I CONTACTED CHRYSLER AND THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING EITHER. I AM KNOW UNDER THE EMOTIONAL STRESS OF BEING STRANDED WITHOUT A CAR AND HAVE TO RELY ON WHATEVER HELP I CAN FIND TO GET MYSELF TO MY DOCTOR APPTS. TO FOLLOW UP ON MY DISABILITY AND GET MY CHILDREN WHERE THEY NEED TO BE. *NM

DT: CAR WAS RUNNING FINE UNTIL A FAILURE OCCURRED. NO LIGHTS OR WARNINGS PRIOR TO FAILURE. AT THE INTERSECTION, DRIVER STOPPED AND VEHICLE SHUT OFF, AND WOULDN'T START. NO TURN OVER OF ENGINE. ELECTRIC SYSTEM WAS STILL WORKING, BUT THERE WERE NO LIGHTS OR CODES TO INDICATE TO DRIVER WHAT COULD BE WRONG. VEHICLE WAS REGULARLY MAINTAINED WITH SERVICE RECORDS AVAILABLE.*AK *JB

2000 DODGE INTREPID LOW OIL WARNING LIGHT ON EVEN AFTER ENGINE FLUSHING AND NUMEROUS OIL CHANGES. *NM

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, I WAS AROUND 700 MILES FROM HOME FOR MY SON'S WEDDING IN MAY AND THE ENGINE STARTED TO KNOCK, MY HUSBAND WHO IS A CERTIFIED AUTO MECHANIC BY THE STATE OF OHIO FOR OVER 25 YEARS LOOKED IT OVER AND FOUND NOTHING. THE NEXT DAY WE WERE DRIVING BACK HOME AND THE KNOCKING STOPPED . THE CAR DROVE FINE AFTER THAT AND DID NOT MAKE THE NOISE AGAIN. WE ALWAYS HAD THE OIL CHANGED EVERY 3000 MILES AND WE HAVE ALWAYS USED SYNTHETIC OIL IN THE CAR. 1 MONTH LATER ON MY WAY TO WORK I WAS DRIVING ON STATE ROUTE 571 WHEN THE CAR STARTED JERKING AND STOPPING THEN STARTING AGAIN I ALMOST GOT REARENDED BY A SEMI TRUCK BEFORE I COULD GET THE CAR OFF THE ROAD. I CALLED MY HUSBAND TO TELL HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED I WAS VERY SHOOK UP SCARED OUT OF MY MIND I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE RAN OVER BY A SEMI. HE TOLD ME TO DRIVE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD UNTIL I COULD TURN OFF ON A SIDE ROAD SO I DID. I WAS ABLE TO NURSE IT HOME AND TAKE ANOTHER CAR TO WORK THAT DAY. WE TOOK IT DOWN TO THE CHRYSLER DEALER IN TOWN AND THEY TOLD US THERE WAS SLUDGE IN THE OIL AND TOLD US IT WOULD BE 7200 DOLLARS TO FIX THE CAR I DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY LAYING AROUND SO THE CAR IS SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY WHILE I TRY TO COME UP WITH THE MONEY TO FIX IT. *JB

TRAVELING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 55 MPH AND CAR STARTED MISSING AND JUST DIED AS WE WERE GOING DOWN THE ROAD. WE BARELY MANAGED TO GET IT OFF OF THE HIGHWAY. *JB

2000 DODGE INTREPID WITH 60,000 MILES STARTED KNOCKING, THEN CHANGED OIL (HAD RUN SYNTHETIC LIFE OF CAR) AND IT WAS SLUDGE. THEN, A FEW WEEKS LATER CAR DIED AND SHOWED OIL LIGHT WHEN OFF; MAKING LOUD ROD KNOCKING NOISE. CANNOT DRIVE. NEEDS $5,000 ENGINE, AND STILL OWE CHRYSLER FOR 3 YEARS. *JB

AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES TO WORK THE CAR WAS PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE AND WHILE STRAIGHTENING THE WHEELS A LOUD POP WAS HEARD AND THE CAR HAD NO STEERING. THE INSPECTION REVEALED THAT (2) TWO 1/2 INCH THREADED BOLTS (THAT BOLT THE TIE RODS TO THE STEERING RACK HAD SHEARED OFF. ONE OF THE TIE ROD BUSHINGS WAS GONE AND THE AREA THE BUSHING WAS IN WAS EXTREMELY WORN, REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. THE RACK AND PINION WAS REPLACED ON THIS VEHICLE AT 20,000 MILES UNDER WARRANTY. THE CAR WAS REPAIRED BY REMOVING THE RACK, BACKING OUT THE OLD BOLT ENDS AND INSTALLING NEW BOLTS. THE ONE TIE ROD WAS REPLACED. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER CORPORATION CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY OFFERED NO HELP ON THE REPAIR. THE DISTRICT REP WAS ASK TO HELP AND HE DENIED ANY HELP. (HE DID NOT EVEN LOOK AT THE DAMAGE. I WAS TOLD THAT HE WOULD NOT OVER RULE DETRIOT). *JB

MY ENGINE HAS SLUDGE BUILD UP. MY EX-HUSBAND AND MY 2 MECHANICS HAVE ALL TAKEN CLASSES OFFERED BY DODGE BECAUSE OF THE DEFECTS IN THEIR 2.7L ENGINE. THEY WERE TOLD BY A CHRYSLER INSTRUCTOR DURING A TRAINING CLASS FOR 5 STAR MECHANICS/DEALERSHIPS THAT CHRYSLER HAS IDENTIFIED 8 ITEMS NEEDING UPGRADES IN REGARDS TO THE 2.7L ENGINE AND THAT THE ENGINE WAS FAULTY FROM THE MANUFACTURER. I HAVE LIFETIME OIL CHANGES WITH THE DEALERSHIP THAT I BOUGHT MY CAR FROM. I TAKE IT IN REGULAR ACCORDING TO MY OWNER'S MANUAL. TWO DAYS BEFORE I PARKED IT (ONE WEEK AFTER MY ROUTINE OIL CHANGE) MY CAR HAD A RATTLING SOUND FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC, HE TOLD ME THE ABOVE INFORMATION. I WENT TO MY OTHER MECHANIC AND MY EX-HUSBAND AND ALL AGREED WITH THE ABOVE INFORMATION. *JB

TRAVELING AT 70 MPH WHEN A LIGHT TAPPING FOLLOWED BY AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER AND STEERING CAUSING AN EMERGENCY PULL OFF FROM THE PASSING LANE OF THE HIGHWAY. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT A RESTART RESULTED IN A SOUND LIKE BOLTS IN A COFFEE CAN. ENGINE OIL FILLER TUBE SHOWING SEVERE SLUDGE DEPOSIT. THIS CAR HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. *NM