2000 DODGE INTREPID Complaints

DT: ENGINE SEIZED. CONSUMER READON RALPH NADER'S CENTER FOR AUTO SAFETY THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM: "BROKEN TIMING CHAINS AND SLUDGE BUILD UP". TOOK TO A CHRYSLER DEALER, AND THEY SAID THERE WAS SLUDGE AND THEY DON'T COVER THAT. TOOK TO ANOTHER MECHANIC AND THEY REPLACED THE ENGINE FOR $6000.00.*AK *TT *NM

DT: WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER HEARD A CLATTERING NOISE THEN THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AMERICAN ENGINE OF BATON ROUGE. SLUDGE BUILD UP CAUSED THE OIL SCREEN TO BECOME CLOGGED AN RESULTED IN A BLOWN ENGINE. SERVICE MECHANIC STATED OIL SCREEN WAS DEFECTED. *NM WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP ALONG WITH THE BRAKES. THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECT IN THE OIL PAN. THE VEHICLE HAD GONE OFF THE ROAD. *SC *JB

IT STARTED WITH A "SMALL" NOISE IN THE RIGHT FRONT END. THE DEALER SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING. AFTER 2 YEARS OF LISTENING TO THE "SMALL" NOISE, THE STEERING STARTED ACTING STRANGE. WHEN MAKING A TURN, IT WOULDN'T GO BACK TO THE CENTER. THEN IT STARTED LOCKING UP AND WOULD NOT RETURN TO THE CENTER POSITION UNLESS I USE ALL THE STRENGTH I HAVE. I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP BUT "THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING". I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THEY DETERMINED THE ENTIRE RACK AND PINION STEERING IS SHOT AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT SOMEWHERE AROUND $1000.00. SO AS IT STANDS, I HAVE A 2000 DODGE INTREPID WITH 35,000 MILES, NO WARRANTY, AND NO HELP FROM DODGE EITHER.

DT: WHILE DRIVING IN A SNOW STORM THE ENGINE FAILED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. ONE MONTH PRIOR TO THIS ENGINE FAILED WHILE GETTING AN OIL CHANGE. THE MECHINCE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS SLUDGE IN OIL. HAD IT TOWED HOME, AND CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE ENGINE WAS TOO SMALL FOR THIS CAR. *AK

2000 DODGE INTREPID 2.7 ENGINE DEVELOPED A KNOCKING DEALER STATED SLUDGE BUILD UP IN ENGINE, DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO A GOOD PERCENTAGE OF THEASE ENGINES. MUST BE A DESIGN FLAW. DAUGHTERS CAR, FATHER IS RETIRED ARMY MOTOR SGT, FATHER MAINTAINED THE CAR, WITH THE LARGE NUMBER OF THESE INSTANCES, WHY ISN'T THE GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATING?

2.7L LONG BLOCK FAILURE IN 2000 DODGE INTEPID. HAVE DONE ALL OIL CHANGES AND OTHER MAINTENANCE AT PROPER SCHEDULE. WITHOUT WARNING ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING TERRIBLY. NOTICED SLUDGE UPON CHECKING OIL. TOOK TO WESTGATE DODGE DEALERSHIP IN PLAINFIELD, IN AND THEY SAID IT NEEDED A NEW LONG BLOCK. I HAVE NOT YET REPLACED AND VEHICLE REMAINS AT MY HOME. VARIOUS QUOTES FOR REPAIR FROM $4000 TO $6600 DEPENDING UPON USED OR NEW PARTS.

I HAVE A 2000 DODGE INTREPID THAT I BOUGHT IN OCTOBER OF 2003, IN SEPTEMBER OF 2004 THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULDN'T GO OFF. AFTER SPENDING $900.00 AND 2 TOWING BILLS THE DODGE DEALER FINALLY GOT THE LIGHT TO STAY OFF BY REPLACING THE CAM AND CRANK SENSORS. APPROX 6 1/2 MONTHS LATER IN APRIL OF 2005 WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MILES PER HOUR THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING A LOUD CLICKING NOISE. I TOOK IT TO MY REGULAR MECHANIC THAT TOLD ME A ROD HAD BLOWN IN THE ENGINE.HE TOLD ME IT WOULD PROBABLY RUN ME AROUND $5000.00 TO REPAIR. HE ALSO SAID HE'S HEARD ABOUT ALOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THESE ENGINES. I THINK DODGE SHOULD BE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THIS ESPECIALLY AFTER I SEE BY YOUR COMPLAINT LIST I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE. I STILL OWE ALMOST AS MUCH AS THEY SAY IT WILL COST ME TO REPAIR IT.

KNOCKING SOUND IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT AT 65000 MILES. TOLD BY LOCAL DODGE DEALER THAT I HAD A CASE OF CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE - PRICE FOR NEW ENGINE & LABOR $6500. HAD A LOCAL MECHANIC REPLACE ROD BEARINGS AND SO FAR, IT IS HOLDING TOGETHER, BUT I AM CONCERNED WITH THE NUMBER OF ENGINE FAILURES I HAVE SEEN. CHECK OUT "DONTBUYONE.COM"

WHILE DRIVING ON A BACK ROAD AT 30 MPH VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. AFTER TOWING THE VEHICLE HOME, MADE CONTACT WITH THE TOW DRIVER, AND WAS TOLD THAT ENGINE BLEW OUT. *AK HAVE NOT HAD CAR REPAIRED DUE TO COST ON A NEW MOTOR AND LABOR. THERE ARE NUMBEROUS REPORTS OF THE DODGE INTREPID THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM BLOWN MOTORS, BUT DODGE DOESN'T WANT TO FIX THEM. *BF *NM

MY 2002 DODGE INTREPID STARTED TO MAKE A KNOCKING SOUND. MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR SERVICE/REPAIR WIYH MY LOCAL MECHANIC. APPT WAS FOR MAY 5, 2002. MY CAR NEVER MADE IT TO THE APPOINTMENT. ON MAY 4, 2002, I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM A DR. APPT @ ABOUT 4:30 P.M. & MY CAR LITERALLY SHUT OFF WITH NO WARNING. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC IN A NO PASSING ZONE APPROACHING A METAL GRATE BRIDGE WIDE ENOUGH FOR TWO CARS TO PASS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. I WAS ABLE TO COAST OVER THE BRIDGE SAFELY & HAD TO PULL OVER ONTO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD (RT#322 HEADING WEST-FROM WEST CHESTER, PA. APPROX. 1 MILE OUTSIDE OF DOWINGTOWN, PA.) & WALK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD (NO SIDEWALKS) FOR APPROX. 1/4 MILE WITH CARS WHIZZING BY ME, TO NEARBY WAWA STORE. HAD THE CAR TOWED ($45.00 PAID BY ME) TO MY MECHANIC WHO PROMPLTY TOLD ME THAT THE TIMING BELT HAD SNAPPED & GONE THROUGH THE TOP OF MY ENGINGE. UNFIXABLE! CONTACTED THE DEALER WHO SOLD ME THE CAR - "CARSENSE" LOCATED AT 21 POTTSTOWN PIKE, UWCHLAND, PA 19480. THEY SAID TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED UP TO THEM ($85.00 PAID BY ME AGAIN). FINALLY THE NEXT DAY THE SERVICE REP TOLD US THE CAR WOULD NEED TO HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF $5,600. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 42,000 MILES ON IT! I HAVEN'T EVEN HAD THE CAR FOR 3 YEARS YET. I STILL OWE $7,000 ON THE CAR. CAR SENSE WILL NOT BEAR THE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBLITY FOR THE REPAIRS. DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET BY TYPING IN THE SEARCH WORDS: DODGE INTREPID ENGINE PROBLEMS & LOCATED MANY SITES DESCRIBING THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENED TO ME. CAR QUITS WITH BARELY A WARNING & DEALER WILL NOT PAY FOR REPAIRS, BUT INSTEAD, BLAMES THE "LACK OF PROPER MAINTAINANCE" ON THE OWNER. WEBSITES SHOW ME OTHERWISE. ALSO KNOW OF 2 PEOPLE PERSONALLY, WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE THE SAME SCENARIO. THESE CARS ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE & I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW MANY PEOPLE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO. THIS PROVES A REAL SAFETY HAZZARD FOR MANY DRIVERS OF THIS CAR & OTHER DRIVERS NEAR THIS CAR WHEN IT QUITS.