2001 DODGE INTREPID Complaints

RECALL NO.#03V035000, SEAT BACK RECLINER BOLT: THE RECALL WAS DONE ON THE VEHICLE BUT NOW THE SEAT MOTOR HAS DROPPED DOWN UNDER THE SEAT. THE CONSUMER CLAIMED THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEMS WITH THE SEAT MOTOR BEFORE THE RECALL. *JB *NM

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND TOOK IT TO AUTO SHOP THEY SAID IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE GAS CAP BEING LOOSE. AFTER PURCHASING A NEW GAS CAP THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS. RECENTLY CAR WOULD NOT START HAD TOWED TO TWO PLACES THEN TO DEALER WHO SAID THE TIMEING JUMPS AND THERE WAS SLUGE IN THE ENGINE QUOTED A PRICE OF 7000+ FOR REPAIRS THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE FLUSH AND REBUILT. *AK

MY 2001 DODGE INTREPID WITH 52,000 MILES JUST SUDDENLY CAME UP WITH A CLOGGED EGR VALVE, WAS BURNING OIL, AND HAD A ROD KNOCK. I THOUGH THIS WAS STRANGE FOR A CAR WITH SO FEW MILES UNTIL I SAW THE GREAT NUMBER OF WEBSITES DESCRIBING SIMILAR BREAKDOWNS AND EXPLAINING THE DESIGN FLAWS THAT CAUSE THIS PREMATURE ENGINE BREAKDOWN. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT THE MANUFACTURER DOES NOT DEAL WITH CUSTOMERS ON THIS ISSUE AND THE GENERAL CONCENSUS SEEMS TO BE THAT THE DEALER IS WILLING TO LIE AND CHEAT TO AVOID DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE AND EVEN HAS THE NERVE TO CONTINUE RELEASING VEHICLES WITH THE SAME DEFECTS. OUR DEALER LOOKED AT THE OIL PROBLEM, MENTIONED THE KNOCK AND SENT US ON OUR WAY AS IF IT WAS NO BIG DEAL, THE CAR CODED OUT (CHECK ENGINE LIGH) SOON THERE AFTER AND I BROUGHT IT BACK AND THEY JUST ACTED MATTER OF FACTLY AND SAID IT NEEDS $9500 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE THAT HAS ONLY $52K ON IT. THIS WAS A BLOW AND THEN I FOUND OUT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURANCE. *LA

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE IT WOULD NOT START. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED. *AK

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND VEHICLE HAD DIFFICULTLY ACCELERATING QUICKLY. *PH

ENGINE FAILED AT 54,000 MILES WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER STATED THAT ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REBUILT. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED CONSUMER HEARD A TAPPING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. CONSUMER USED ENGINE ADDITIVES TO STOP THE NOISE, WHICH HELPED FOR A SHORT TIME. EVENTUALLY, THE TAPPING NOISE BECAME LOUDER, AND THE VEHICLE STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY. THE DEALER HAD ALREADY REPLACED TWO ENGINES ON THIS VEHICLE, AND ANOTHER ONE WAS NEEDED.*AK *JB

THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2001 DODGE INTREPID FLASH BRIGHT & DIM ON BOTH HIGH AND LOW BEAM. THE LIGHT BEHIND THE SPEEDOMETER, FUEL GAUGE, ETC. ALSO FLASHES AT THE SAME TIME. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THE HEADLIGHTS WILL HAVE TO FAIL BEFORE THEY CAN START REPLACING PARTS. *AK

OIL LIGHT COMES ON UPON IDLING AFTER DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ALSO HAVE NOTICED OIL LEAKING. A POOL OF OIL ON GROUND WHERE CAR IS PARKED. TOOK TO DODGE DEALERSHIP TO EXAMINE. CAR STILL UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY UNTIL DEC 2004. UPON EXPECTION DODGE ADVISES THEY NEED TO REPLACE OIL PRESSURE SWITCH (UNDER WARRANTY) & GASKET IN OIL PAN. I AUTHORIZED THOSE REPAIRS. ALSO ADVISED REPLACING OIL FILTER & 1 BOTTLE OF OIL. CAME OUT PAYING $82.00. ONCE I GOT HOME AND LOOKED AT MY RECEIPT THEY ALSO ROTATED MY TIRES (NOT SURE WHY I JUST HAD THAT DONE IN JAN. 04), REPLACED POWER STEERING BELT. A WEEK LATER STILL NOTICE OIL LIGHT COMING ON & OIL LEAK IS WORSE. TOOK CARE BACK TO DEALERSHIP & UPON INSPECTION THEY HAVE ADVISED I HAVE A "SLUDGE" BUILD UP FROM USING 10W30 OIL. ENGINE NEEDS TO BE FLUSHED ESTIMATE $287. I REFUSE AND TAKE CARE HOME. I HAVE FRIEND FLUSH ENGINE FOR FREE. NO SLUDGE WAS VISIBLE UPON FLUSH. OIL LIGHT STILL COMES ON & OIL LEAK STILL PRESENT. THIS TIME I DECIDE TO TAKE IT TO A MECHANIC INSTEAD OF THE DEALERSHIP. UPON THEIR INSPECTION THEY SEE A MAJOR LEAK COMING FROM TIMING CHAIN COVER. THEY ALSO REMOVED OIL PRESSURE SWITCH & HOOKED MANUAL GAUGE AND RAN TESTS. OIL PRESSURE WAS GOOD IN ALL CONDITIONS THEY SAW NO PROBLEM WITH PUMP OR ENGINE BEARINGS. THEY CONTACTED MY WARRANTY WITH ESTIMATE TO REPAIR TIMING COVER OIL LEAK. WARRANTY APPROVED REPAIRS. UPON REMOVING TIMING COVER THEY REPLACED BAD GASKET AND REPLACED CRANK SEAL. TOTAL CHARGES $223.73 WARRANTY PAID $206.26. NO FURTHER PROBLEM WITH OIL LIGHT OR OIL LEAK AT THIS TIME. I CHANGE MY OIL EVERY 3000 MILES. CONSIDERING THE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR OKLAHOMA, 10W30 OIL IS SATISFACTORY, MY CAR ONLY HAS 55,000 MILES ON IT. LUCKILY I PURCHASED THE EXTEDED WARRANTY WHEN I BOUGHT IN 2 YEARS AGO. I WILL DEFINITELY BE LOOKING TO SELL THIS CAR BEFORE THE END OF THIS YEAR AFTER REVIEWING ALL THE SAME COMPLAINTS ON THE DODGE 2.7L ENGINE. *AK

AFTER OWNING VEHICLE FOR THREE YEARS ENGINE FAILED DUE TO OIL SLUDGE BUILD UP. HOWEVER, DEALER STATED THERE WAS NO DEFECT. *AK