2000 DODGE INTREPID Complaints

I OWN A 2000 DODGE INTREPID WITH A 2.7 LETTER ENGINE. ON JUNE 16 2005 WHEN RETURNING FROM VACATION MY CAR WHILE I WAS IN TRANSIT DEVELOPED A CRACKLING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE WHICH THEN LED TO THE INSTANTANEOUS FAILURE OF THE ENGINE. BEFORE I EVEN HAD THE CHANCE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD THE ENGINE WAS DEAD AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL IN MOTION. THE FOLLOWING WEEK MY DODGE INTREPID WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DODGE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. SIMPLY LOCATING THE PROBLEM ENTAILED DISASSEMBLING THE ENGINE WHICH COST $700 ALONE. I WAS THEN INFORMED THAT A ROD BEARING HAD COME DISLODGED CAUSING IT TO FALL IN THE OIL PAN. THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM I WAS TOLD WAS THE RESULT OF OIL SLUDGE BUILD UP WHICH CAUSED A LACK OF OIL FLOW IN THE ENGINE. THE REPAIRS WERE QUOTED AT COSTING $6,900 FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE. MY CAR HAS RECEIVED OIL CHANGES AT THE RECOMMENDED INTERVALS WHICH I HAVE RETAINED DOCUMENTATION OF AND AT THE TIME OF THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS JUST DUE FOR AN OIL CHANGE.

MY 2.4L 4 CYL ENGINE IN MY DODGE INTREPID FAILED WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT. APPARENTLY THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED WHICH LEADS TO THE VALVES BEING CRUNCHED AND THE RODS BENT BECAUSE OF THE CLOSE TOLERANCES USED IN THIS ENGINE. THE CAR HAD TO BE PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND IT WAS INORPERABLE, AND THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED AT CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE.

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE INTREPID. AFTER RUNNING THE CAR FOR JUST UNDER 5 YEARS WITH LESS THAN 78,000 MILES THE ENGINE BROKE DOWN WITHOUT WARNING. AFTER TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN INDICATED THE ENGINE WAS FILLED WITH SLUDGE, AND REPAIRS WOULD COST $7000. THE CAR WAS ADEQUATELY MAINTAINED ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDATIONS. CHRYSLER REFUSED TO HELP WITH THE COST OF THE ENGINE. INDIVIDUALS SPOKEN WITH AT NATIONAL CENTER, AND DEALERSHIP WAS SURPRISED THAT THE CHRYSLER MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT COVER COST OF ENGINE.*AK

DT: WHILE DRIVING I NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL WAS OFF SET. THE STEERING LOCKED UP. AFTER DRIVING HOME THE WHEEL LOCKED UP AGAIN. TOOK VEHICLE TO MECHANIC, AND THEY SAID THE RACK AND PINION WAS COMPLETELY BROKEN. ALSO, THEY SAID THAT IT WOULD BE DANGEROUS TO DRIVE THE CAR. CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY SAID THAT THEY COULD DO NOTHING. THIS WAS GOING TO COST CONSUMER ABOUT $900.00 TO REPAIR.*AK

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WHEN, ALL OF A SUDDEN, I HEARD A NOISE, MY ENGINE AND OIL LIGHTS CAME ON, AND MY CAR QUIT RUNNING. FORTUNATELY, I HAD ENOUGH MOMENTUM GOING TO PULL OFF ON THE SIDE OF THE BUSY HIGHWAY.

WHILE DRIVING, MY DODGE INTREPID STARTED TO SHUDDER. AFTER PULLING OVER AND TURNING OFF THE CAR, IT WOULD NO LONGER RESTART. IT WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE STATION AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE 2.7 ENGINE WAS SHOT DUE TO SLUDGE. I WAS SHOCKED SINCE THE CAR WAS 5 YEARS OLD, HAD ROUGHLY 78K MILES, AND WAS WELL-MAINTAINED. SO FAR CHRYSLER HAS BEEN UNRESPONSIVE TO MY PROBLEM.

DT: CONTACT STATES VEHICLE QUIT RUNNING WHILE BACKING UP TO PARK. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE WHICH CAUSED NO OIL IN THE ENGINE.*AK

DT: CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A SMALL AMOUNT OF SLUDGE IN THE OIL SYSTEM, CAUSING THE TIMING CHAIN TO BREAK, CAUSING THE VALVES TO COLLAPSE. *AK

DT: CONSUMER WAS DRIVIING ON THE FREEWAY AND THE BACK SEAT JUST FELL DOWN. *AK

2.7 V6 ENGINE BEGAN TO MAKE NOISES LIKE THE VALVE TRAIN WAS STARVING FOR OIL. LOUD CLATTER. TOOK TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO TRIED TO REPAIR THE ENGINE BY REPLACING THE TIMING CHAINM TENSIONER. ENGINE WAS NEVER CORRECT AFTER THAT AND FAILED. WILLIAM T. PRITCHARD DODGE'S SERVICE WRITER TOLD ME TO GET RID OF THE CAR AND THAT THE 2.7 V6 DAIMLER CHRYSLER ENGINE WAS NOTHING BUT JUNK!