1999 DODGE INTREPID Complaints

THIS IS A VEHICLE THAT WAS LEASED FROM THE TIME IT WAS NEW BY A COLLEAGUE AND THEN WAS SOLD TO ME. IT WAS IMPECCABLY MAINTAINED. WITH NO WARNING VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT AND ENGINE RAN UNDER STRAIN. CAR HAS LESS THAN 74,000 MILES ON IT BUT TWO INDEPENDENT MECHANICS HAVE DECLARED THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION UNUSABLE. NO REPAIRS UNDERTAKEN TO DATE BECAUSE OF VALUE ANALYSIS. *LA

ON OUR WAY BACK FROM A SMALL VACATION ON JUNE 6, 2004 THE OIL LIGHT OF MY 1999 DODGE INTREPID CAME ON. WE (MY HUSBAND ,MYSELF AND OUR 2 SMALL CHILDREN) PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND OUR CAR QUIT. WE CHECKED THE OIL (WHICH WAS FULL) AND WE TRIED TO START THE ENGINE BUT IT WOULD NOT START. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO CALL OUR AAA NUMBER AND WAITED FOR A TOWTRUCK. WHEN WE CONTACTED THE GARAGE THE NEXT DAY TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, THEY TOLD US THAT OUR OIL PUMP MALFUNCTIONED WHICH IN TURN LED TO THE ENGINE FAILURE. WE WERE TOLD THAT OUR ENGINE WAS NOT SALVAGEABLE AND THAT WE WOULD NEED TO REPLACE IT. UP UNTIL THIS POINT WE THOUGHT WE HAD JUST HAD SOME INCREDIBLY BAD LUCK, BUT THEN WE STARTED LOOKING AROUND FOR A USED ENGINE AND FOUND IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. WE TALKED TO SEVERAL MECHANICS THAT WERE VERY AWARE OF A COMMON PROBLEM OF THE DODGE 1999, 2.7 OIL PUMPS FAILURE. WE FOUND THIS VERY INTERESTING. WE FOUND IT EVEN MORE INTERESTING WHEN WE CALLED THE DODGE COMPANY AND WERE TOLD THAT THEY WERE UNAWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH OIL PUMP FAILURE IN THE SLIGHTLY OLDER MODELS BUT YET WE HAVE HAD NO LUCK FINDING A REPLACEMENT ENGINE . WE WERE TOLD THAT WE MAY HAVE A NEWER STRATUS ENGINE ON THE WAY BUT ARE STILL UNSURE OF THAT. SO BASICALLY WE NOW HAVE A CAR THAT HAS A $4000 PROBLEM THAT WE ARE HAVING A TERRIBLE TIME FINDING A CURE FOR. GRANTED MY CAR HAD 71,000 MILES ON IT BUT IN THIS DAY IN AGE I WOULD EXPECT A CAR TO LAST A LITTLE LONGER THAN THAT. AND EVEN IT IT DIDN'T ,I WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO BE ABLE TO FIND A REPLACEMENT FOR THE PROBLEM AND NOT BE TOLD "GOOD LUCK!" OR "MAN,NOT ANOTHER ONE!" BY MECHANICS THAT ARE CERTAINLY AWARE OF THIS COMMON PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THE DODGE COMPANY IS NOT, OR SO THEY SAY. WE WERE TOTALLY UNAWARE OF THIS PROBLEM UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE AND WILL END UP COSTING US APPROXIMATELY $4000. AT THIS POINT WE OUR STILL WITHOUT OUR VEHICLE AND STILL HAVE NOT SECURED A REPLACEMENT ENGINE. *LA

MY HUSBAND BOUGHT ME A 1999 DODGE INTREPID IN NOVEMBER OF 2003 WITH A 2.7 ENGINE AND THE OIL SLUDGES UP IN THE MOTOR NO MATTER HOW OFTEN IT IS CHANGED CAUSING PROBLEM. IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR PROBLEMS BEGAN TO BECOME APPARENT BECAUSE OF THE SLUDGING. THE TIMING CHAIN GUIDES WERE CHEWED UP INSIDE OF THE ENGINE CAUSING DAMAGE AND COSTING $450.00 THE MECHANIC SAID THAT, BECAUSE OF THE OIL SLUDGE, THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN THE 2.7 ENGINES. THREE MONTHS, THIS JUNE, LATER THE ENGINE BEGINS MAKING MORE NOISE NOW THE ROD BEARINGS ARE SHOT BECAUSE OF THE SLUDGING PROBLEM, THE MECHANIC HAS TO REBUILD THE ENGINE COST AN APPROXIMATELY $1200.00. I AM WITHOUT A CAR AND A CLUE OF HOW TO PAY FOR THE ENGINE REPAIR AND STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON THE CAR. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH SINCE THESE PROBLEMS AND HAVE READ MANY STORIES ABOUT PEOPLE LIKE ME IN THE SAME SITUATION. I HAVE CONTACTED CHRYSLER ABOUT MY PROBLEMS AND RECEIVED NOT COMPENSATION FOR MY TROUBLES. THEY HAVE A FILE ON ME AND STATED THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY WILL DO. *LA

MY 1999 DODGE INTREPID'S ENGINE SLUDGED UP AT 80,000 MILES. I HAVE ALL THE RECORDS OF OIL CHANGES, MAINTENANCE ON THIS VEHICLE. CHRYSLER CORPORATION SAID IT COULDN'T HELP ME BECAUSE OF THE WARRANTY EXPIRATION. CLAIMED IT WASN'T THERE PROBLEM. NOW, I'M STUCK PAYING THE BALANCE ON THIS CAR AND THE OTHER VEHICLE THAT I HAD TO PURCHASE TO GET TO WORK! SOMEONE ONE NEEDS TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM.*AK

LOUD NOISE COMING FROM ENGINE THEN STALLED. DEALER SAID NEW ENGINE WAS NEEDED AT A COST OF $8,000. NO WORK WAS DONE DUE TO THE COST. *NM

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER RESTARTED VEHICLE, AND IT WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE WAS DEFECTIVE, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. THERE WERE NO BRAKES, NOR POWER STEERING, AND VEHICLE COASTED TO A STOP. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER NOTICED A LARGE AMOUNT OF SMOKE COMING FROM REAR OF VEHICLE. DEALER SERVICED ENGINE TWO MONTHS LATER. UPON ATTEMPTING TO START VEHICLE IT DID NOT START. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, AND TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS SLUDGE INSIDE ENGINE. *AK

WELL, I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR SINCE I HAVE HAD IT. FIRST IT WAS LITTLE THINGS LIKE THE WINDOW ONLY GOING UP OR DOWN WHEN IT FELT LIKE IT, THE OIL LIGHT FLASHING ON AND OFF FOR NO REASON, THE DRIVER SEAT RECLINING FOR NO REASON, ALL THE WEATHER STRIPPING COMING OFF OF THE DOORS. NOW MY WHOLE ENGINE IS SHOT AND I BELIEVE IT IS BECAUSE OF DEFECTIVE PARTS. I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY THE OTHER DAY WHEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN MY CAR WAS MAKING A NOISE ANY TIME I TRIED TO ACCELERATE. I CHECKED ALL MY GAGES AND EVERYTHING LOOKED OK, SO I TURNED OFF MY CRUISE CONTROL THINKING MAYBE THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. SOMEONE DROVE PAST ME AND MOTIONED THERE WAS A PROBLEM, SO I STOPPED AND MY WHOLE CAR FILLED WITH SMOKE. I LIFTED MY HOOD AND THERE WAS A PIECE THAT GOES ON TOP OF MY RADIATOR THAT WAS OFF AND STEAM AND WATER AND COOLANT WAS EVERYWHERE. I HAD JUST CHECKED THE WATER BEFORE I HAD LEFT, AND MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE NEVER MOVED FROM ITS USUAL SPOT SO IT WAS ODD THAT MY CAR WOULD OVERHEAT. THE TOW TRUCK CAME AND SAID THAT 2 DAYS BEFORE HE HAD THE SAME EXACT CAR SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED. THE PIECE THAT IS ON TOP OF THE RADIATOR IS SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY SHOULD BE BOLTED DOWN, BUT IS ACTUALLY GLUED ON WITH A RUBBER SEALANT. ONCE THAT RUBBER GOT SO HOT, IT SEEMS THAT IT MELTED AND CAME OFF AND WITH ALL THE PRESSURE THE RADIATOR BLEW AND NOW I HAVE A BLOWN HEAD GASGET AMONG OTHER ENGIN DAMAGE. THE 1ST ESTIMATE I HAVE GOTTEN IS 2,500 WHICH IS OUTRAGEOUS, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THEY HAD JUST USED A BOLD AND NOT RUBBER GLUE ON A HOT RADIATOR.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM UNDER VEHICLE, AND VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER PULLED VEHICLE OVER TO INSPECT UNDER HOOD, AND FOUND THAT TIMING CHAIN CRACKED. *AK