2001 DODGE INTREPID Complaints

I HAVE A 2001 DODGE INTREPID WITHOUT ANY WARNING MY CAR'S ENGINE STOPPED WORKING CAUSING MY POWER STEERING AND BRAKES TO GO. LUCKLY I WAS TRAVELING AT SLOW SPEED, AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER WITHOUT CAUSING ANY ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES. ALTHOUGH I AM OK MY CAR IS NOT. THIS IS A NEW VEHICLE THE ENGINE SHOULD HAVE NOT GONE, BUT IT DID. I AM PAYING FOR A NEW CAR THAT DOES NOT WORK AND CHRYSLER DOES NOT ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY SINCE THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED.

ENGINE BUILDS UP SLUDGE IN THE OIL WELLS AND DOES NOT LUBRICATE THE ENGINE PROPERLY. EVEN THOUGH PROPER MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN PREFORMED.

PURCHASED THE CAR IN NOVEMBER OF 2002. HAD THE OIL CHANGED AT TIME OF PURCHASE. TOOK FOR ANOTHER OIL CHANGE IN APRIL AND THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THERE WAS SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE AND THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE THE ENGINE FLUSHED. I HAD THAT DONE AND 2 DAYS LATER THE MOTOR HAD BLOWN. MY CAR IS STILL SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY BECAUSE THE ESTIMATED COST FOR REPAIR IS ANYWHERE FROM $4000.00 TO $8000.00.

THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE CRANK BEARING COMING APART AND DAMAGING MAJOR PARTS OF THE ENGINE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

UPON COMING OFF THE INTERSTATE AND MAKING A RIGHT TURN ONTO THE HIGHWAY VEHICLE STALLED DUE TO SLUG BUILD UP IN THE ENGINE. ALSO, TIMING CHAIN BROKE. *AK POLICE OFFICER HAD TO DIRECT TRAFFIC UNTIL TOW TRUCK ARRIVED. THERE WAS NO ADVANCE WARNING PRIOR TO FAILURE. *PH

DEC 1, 2003 OUR 2001 DODGE INTREPID HAD ENGINE FAILURE WITH NO WARNING WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING TO WORK. AFTER STRUGGLING TO GET THE CAR UNDER CONTROL AND SAFELY OFF THE ROAD, WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A SERVICE CENTER WHERE THEY REFERRED US TO THE DEALER WHERE WE BOUGHT THE CAR. THE SERVICE CENTER INFORMED US THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED BY THE DEALER. WHEN TOWED TO THE DEALER, THEY WANTED $500.00 TO TAKE APART THE ENGINE BECAUSE AS THEY SAID THE CAR HAD NO OIL. AFTER TAKING THE ENGINE APART THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED US THE CAR DID HAVE OIL, BUT WAS BLOWN DUE TO SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. THE CAR ONLY HAS 36,363 MILES, HAS HAD THE OIL CHANGED AS THE OWNERS MANUAL RECOMMENDED. UNFORTUNATELY, WE WERE TOLD BY THE DEALER THE CAR WAS "OUT OF WARRANTY". THEY QUOTED $9900.00 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. WE WERE ALSO INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY ANYWAY BECAUSE IT WAS DUE TO "OWNER MAINTENANCE AND NEGLECT, EVEN THOUGH WE PROVIDED THE RECEIPTS FOR THE OIL CHANGES. I WAS INFORMED THAT HAD THEY PROVIDED THE SERVICE, DODGE/CHRYSLER WOULD HONOR THEIR WORK AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, BUT SINCE IT WAS PERFORMED ELSEWHERE I WAS ON MY OWN. I CALLED ANOTHER DEALERSHIP ACROSS TOWN AND WAS INFORMED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE AND THEY SEE SEVERAL A MONTH. THE SECOND DEALERSHIP QUOTED $5500.00 DOLLARS. AFTER GETTING THIS INFO FROM THE SECOND DEALERSHIP, WE DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THIS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE'S ENGINE (THE 2.7L ENGINE). I EVEN FOUND A LETTER FROM MITSUBISHI, WHO DESIGNED THIS ENGINE FOR CHRYSLER,R STATING THE ENGINE RUNS TOO HOT FOR THE OIL CHRYSLER RECOMMENDS TO USED. THE LETTER STATES THIS WILL HAPPEN BECAUSE OF HIGH ENGINE HEAT AND RECOMMENDS USING A SYNTHETIC OIL INSTEAD OF THE 10W/30 CHRYSLER RECOMMENDS IN THE OWNERS MANUAL. *LA

MUTIPLE REOCCURING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 2001 DODGE INREPID THAT I PURCHASED NEW. TRANMISSION HAD AN OIL PAN LEAK FIRST, THEN WAS LEAKING AGAIN SIX MONTHS LATER FROM THE "WEEP" HOLE. DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS GOING TO REQUIRE THE TRANMISSION BE REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE AND REPAIRED. THE CAR HAS ONLY 38,000 MILES ON IT. ALSO HAD A MULTITUDE OF OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE INCLUDING: BEEN IN THE SHOP 3 TIMES FOR AN OIL PAN LEAK BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR A LEAKING AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR SWAY BAR LINKS AND BUSHINGS THIS IS A VERY POOR QUALITY AUTOMOBILE AND CONSUMERS ARE BEING CHEATED BY DODGE.

ON 11/30/03, ON MY WAY TO WORK, MY CAR STARTED MAKING A TICKING & KNOCKING SOUND. AS I PULLED OFF OF THE EXIT, IT CUT OFF. I HAD MY MECHANIC LOOK AT IT & HE SAID IT WAS THE ENGINE -- THE CAR ONLY HAD A LITTLE OVER 86,000 MILES ON IT; & IT'S ONLY 2 YEARS OLD! I CALLED THE DODGE'S CUSTOMER CARE LINE; THEY SAID TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER TO CHECK OUT ($65 TOW, $80 DEALER DIAGNOSTIC). BEFORE THE SERVICE PERSON LOOKED AT IT, HE ASKED IF I HAD PROOF OF MY OIL CHANGES, I SAID I DID NOT -- BUT THAT I DID HAVE THEM DONE EVERY 3,000 MILES. NATURALLY, IT TURNED OUT THAT THERE WAS SLUDGE IN MY ENGINE (MY INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DID NOT SEE ANY EVIDENCE OF IT) & THAT IT WOULD COST $6900 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE! IT SEEMS TO ME THAT DODGE IS RUNNING A SCAM. I HAVE NOW DISCOVERED ON VARIOUS WEBSITES THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE 2001 INTREPID. THERE ARE 20 SUCH COMPLAINTS ON YOUR WEBSITE ALONE! I HAVE 4 YEARS LEFT TO PAY ON THIS CAR! IT IS RIDICULOUS & UNACCEPTABLE THAT DODGE IS ALLOWED TO IGNORE & REFUSE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR INSTALLING FAULTY ENGINES IN THE INTREPID!*AK

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH. UPON IMPACT THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED SPINAL INJURIES. *AK

I PURCHASED MY DODGE INTREPID JANUARY 2001, I HAD A LITTLE PROBLEM, I THOUGHT WITH THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING, BUT THAT PROBLEM STOP IMMEDIATELY. I DID WORRY ABOUT IT THEN I NOTICED-- I WAS LOW ON OIL FROM TIME TO TIME BETWEEN OIL CHANGES. I HAD IT CHECKED WHEN I CHANGED MY OIL, BUT THEY COULDN'T TELL WHERE IT WAS BURNING FROM. THEN THE WORST HAPPENED NOV 25, 2003 THE CAR START BURNING OIL AND SMOKING LIKE CRAZY, STILL COULD NOT FIGURE IT OUT, NOW I DO BELIEVE THAT MY MOTOR IS GONE. I CAN NOT AFFORD TO PAY A CAR NOTE AND PAY REPAIR BILLS OR REPLACE A MOTOR AT THE COST OF $2000-6000 AND STILL OWE A $10,0000 BALANCE ON THE CAR. I HAVE MADE TWO COMPLAINTS ON OTHER SITES AND HOPE THAT THIS WILL HELP ALL OF US THROUGH THIS ORDEAL. I NEED TRANSPORTATION AND AS OF RIGHT NOW I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY DOWN ON ANOTHER CAR. I WILL HAVE TO FIND SOMETHING IN REASON FOR THE SAME COST OF THE REPAIR. *JB