1999 DODGE INTREPID Complaints

OUR 1999 DODGE INTREPID SUDDENLY EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE WHILE TRAVELING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY IN JULY 2004 AT 60MPH. OUR CAR HAS JUST OVER 65.000 MILES. OUR CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND DETERMINED TO HAVE FAILED DUE TO SLUDGE BUILD-UP IN THE ENGINE. OUR CAR WAS WELL CARED FOR AND THE OIL AND FILTERS CHAGNED EVERY 3000 MILES (OR LESS). THE ESTIMATED REPAIR WAS +$7500.00 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE, AS THE ORIGINAL WAS NOT SALVAGABLE. WE RECENTLY RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM DODGE REGARDING A TRANSMISSION RECALL, BUT CAN'T HAVE THE REPAIR PERFORMED BECAUSE THE CAR ISN'T DRIVEABLE. LUCKILY MY HUSBAND WAS ABLE TO SAFELY MANEUVER THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT INJURY OR DAMAGE.*AK

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN ON THE ENGINE AT 55310 MILES FOR A COST OF $2,372.28. NOW THE OIL LIGHT IS ON AND I HAVE A KNOCKING IN THE ENGINE DO TO OIL SLUDGE . I HAVE HAD TWO MECHANICS TELL ME THAT THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE EITHER REPLACED WITH A USED ENGINE(WHICH WILL RESULT IN THE SAME PROBLEM AT A COST OF $3,000) REPLACE THE ENGINE WITH A JASPER ENGINE (SUPPOSEDLY HAS ENGINE ENGINEERING PROBLEM RESOLVED AT A COST OF $6,000) OR A CRANK SHAFT AND BEARING JOB AT A COST OF $3,000 WHICH WILL STILL RESULT IN THE SAME PROBLEM DOWN THE LINE. *JB

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO DEALER, AS WELL AS CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND NEITHER WAS WILLING TO ASSIST CONSUMER UNLESS CONSUMER PAID OUT OF POCKET. VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. *AK

ON 7/30/04 WHILE DRIVING TO WORK MY CAR SEEMED TO BEGIN IDLING HIGH. WHILE TAKING OFF FROM A STOP SIGN, MY WHOLE CAR JERKED AND MADE A LOUD "CLUNK" SOUND. MY SPEEDOMETER QUIT WORKING, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND MY CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF HIGH. I MADE IT TO WORK AND CALLED THE CLOSEST DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A SENSOR. MADE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, TO HAVE CAR CHECKED AND WAS TOLD IT WAS DEFINATELY THE SENSOR. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT I HAD THE BEST WARRANTY AND WOULD BE "NO PROBLEM". ALSO TOLD THEM THE PASSENGER WINDOW IN THE FRONT ONLY WORKED OCCASIONALLY AND I HAD RECEIVED RECALLS. ALSO EXPLAINED THAT WINDSHIELD WASHER BOTTLE WAS BROKEN. ENDED UP PAYING OVER $380.00 TO HAVE CAR REPAIRED AND DECLINED FIXING THE WINDSHIELD WASHER BOTTLE BECAUSE THAT WOULD COST AN ADDITIONAL $200+. I FEEL THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, SINCE SPEEDOMETER QUIT WORKING AND ENGINE WAS STUCK IN HIGH. DEALERSHIP ACTED LIKE NO BIG DEAL AND I AM STILL UPSET AT PAYING OVER $380 AND HAVING "THE BEST WARRANTY. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AND SITTING AT AN INTERSECTION VEHICLE OVERHEATED. THE LIGHT REGISTERED HOT ON THE DASHBOARD. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE COOLING FAN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO WORN OUT PART. CONSUMER INFORMED THE MECHANIC THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED MORE THAN ONCE AND HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT SHOP, AND TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. CONSUMER NAVIGATED THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND FOUND TOO MANY COMPLAINTS ON SAME SUBJECT. WHEN WILL NHTSA RECALL THIS VEHICLES WITH 2.5 ENGINE.*AK

IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED TWICE BECAUSE THE WIRING HARNESS WAS DEFECTIVE. ALSO, RADIATOR MOTOR AND FAN DID NOT WORK PROPERLY, CAUSING THE INDICATOR TO GET TO THE RED ZONE. *AK

VEHICLE HAD EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF MOTOR SLUDGE FOUND AT THE BASE OF THE ENGINE. THIS CAUSED THE ENGINE TO COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE LESS THAN A YEAR AND ALREADY THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO HAVE THE MOTOR REPLACED. VEHICLE HAD BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH VEHICLE STALLED, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE, AN DIT WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT TO 3RD GEAR. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE VEHICLE HAS A TRIPTRONIC SHIFT WHICH ALLOWS THE DRIVER TO DRIVE FULLY AUTOMATIC OR MANUALLY SHIFT WITH JUST A TOUCH. WHEN THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED BELOW TWENTY DEGREES THE SHIFTER BECAME FROZEN SOLID AND THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK UNTIL THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOVE FREEZING. BECAUSE OF THIS FEATURE THIS MALFUNCTION THE TRIPTRONIC FEATURE IS NO LONGER ACCESSIBLE. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAS AIR CONDITIONING PROBLEMS THAT LIMIT IT'S ABILITY TO COOL THE VEHICLE ON DAYS WITH HIGH HUMIDITY. *NM