1997 DODGE INTREPID Complaints

DODGE INTREPID '97 WITH V6 3.5 L ENGINE - FAILED WATER PUMP REQUIRING COMPLETE REPLACEMENT FOR THIRD TIME SINCE PURCHASED NEW. 1ST - 42000 MI / 2ND - 55000 MI / 3RD - 64000 MI. PUMP IS INTERNAL DRIVEN BY TIMING BELT AND SO DIFFICULT AND EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR. ALWAYS USED MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDED COOLANT. *LA

MY 18 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS KILLED IN AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT INVOLVING A DODGE INTREPID. WE ARE INVESTIGATING TO SEE IF THERE WAS A STEERING FAILURE. SHE WOULD HAVE LIVED HAD HER SEAT BELT NOT FAILED. HER SEAT WAS RECLINED AND AS A RESULT SHE SLID UNDER THE SEAT BELT CAUSING HER INJURIES. WHY IS THERE NO WARNING THAT THIS FAILURE CAN OCCUR? KIDS DO NOT READ THE OWNER?S MANUAL! WE FEEL THAT THE CASE MAKER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HER DEATH BUT NO ONE WANTS TO HELP BECAUSE OF THE COST. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP US? SINCERELY, CONSUMER COMPLAINANT STATED DURING A FOLLOW UP CALL THAT BOTH BELTED FRONT OCCUPANTS DIED AS A RESULT OF REAR ENDING A PARKED TRAILER WITH AN IMPACT SPEED OF APP. 40-45 MPH ACCORDING TO THEIR INVESTIGATOR. BOTH FRONTAL AIRBAGS DEPLOYED IN THE CRASH. THE MALE DRIVER'S HEAD IMPACTED THE TRAILERS SAFETY BAR RESULTING IN AN OPEN HEAD WOUND. THE FEMALE PASSENGER SLID UNDER THE SEAT BELT RESIDING ON THE FLOOR BOARD WITH AN INTERNAL HEAD WOUND AND A LACERATED HEART. IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE PASSENGER'S BELT WAS BUCKLED AFTER THE CRASH. THE ANGLE OF THE PASSENGER'S SEAT WAS BETWEEN 1-2 O'CLOCK. THE DRIVER WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD A THE SCENE AND THE PASSENGER DIED THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE TRAILER WAS PARKED AT A WEIGHT STATION ON RAMP WHEN IT WAS STRUCK ON A SUNNY AFTER NOON AT ABOUT 4:00PM. THE POSTED SPEED ON THE TWO LANE HIGHWAY WAS 70 MPH. THE ROAD WAS STRAIGHT AND KNOWN TO THE DRIVER. DRUGS OR ALCOHOL WERE NOT A FACTOR. EYE WITNESS SAYS THE DRIVER WAS AWAKE AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT. IT IS NOT KNOWN WHY THE CRASH OCCURRED. THERE IS SPECULATION THAT THERE WAS A STEERING PROBLEM BECAUSE THE CONSUMER HEARD THAT THE INTREPID HAD STEERING PROBLEM. THE COMPLAINANTS LAWYER IS INVESTIGATING THIS ISSUE. ACCORDING TO LAWYER THE PASSENGER'S SEAT WAS RECLINED FURTHER BACK THAN WHAT WAS STATED BY COMPLAINANT. EYEWITNESS STATED AS SUCH. CW. *LA AN INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE WAS PERFORMED, HOWEVER THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS THAT THE ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY A STEERING OR BRAKING PROBLEM. *JB

CONSUMER STATED WHEN TURNING CORNERS THERE WAS A LOUD CLUNKY NOISE AT WHICH TIME THE FRAME CRACKED. *AK

STARTED VEHICLE PUT IT IN REVERSE AND THE ACCELERATOR WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE WENT BACKWARD FULL SPEED. *LA

STRONG SMELL OF ELECTRICAL FIRE WHILE DRIVING, AS WELL AS STRONG GASOLINE ODOR. WHEN CAR WAS PULLED OVER IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FABRIC COVERING THE CEILING OF THE CAR WAS BURNING. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP, BUT THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. THEY REMOVED FUSE THAT CONTOLS INDOOR LIGHTS AND CRUISE CONTROL. WE HAVE HAD NOT SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM AS YET.

I STARTED SMELLING GAS AND WAS GOING TO GET IT FIX THE NEXT DAY THE VERY NEST DAY WHILE DRIVING TO WORK MY CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE. I STILL OWE ALMOST 3,000 DOLLAR ON IT AND JUST FOUND OUT THAT THE DEALER SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN IT FIX BEFORE HE SOLD IT TO ME. BY IT BEING MY FIRST TIME BUYING A CAR I REALLY WASN'T AWARE OF THESE THINGS. I'M NOT SURE IF THERE IS REALLY ANYTHING I CAN DO I JUST THOUGHT I WOULD SEE IF I HAVE A COMPLAINT AND IF THERE IS SOME WAY TO RECTIFY THIS SITUATION. I WASN'T AWARE OF THE RECALL. AND THEY SHOULD THE CAR TO ME AS IS. NO LETTER OR STATEMENT OF ANY RECALL OR DAMAGE WAS GIVEN TO ME. I HAVE HAD MINOR WORK DONE ON THE CAR BUT I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THIS WAS A PROBLEM. *PH

VEHICLE OVER-HEATED TOOK TO MY MECHANIC. FLUSHED SYSTEM, CHANGED THERMOSTAT AND CHECKED WATER PUMP. VEHICLE STILL OVERHEATS MECHANIC THEN ADVISED ME OF HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS. *JB

ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DASHBOARD AIR BAG COVER IS CURLING UP, AND IN THE UPPER LEFT CORNER, AIR BAG CAN BE SEEN. *AK

PURCHASED CAR IN SEPT.2002 RAN GREAT TILL JUNE 2003. CAR SHUTS OF WHEN DRIVING. I WILL BE DRIVING ON THE BELTWAY 55MPH AND CAR WILL JUST SHUT OFF NO WARNING NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NOTHING. IT HAS BEEN TOWED 4 TIMES TO 3 DIFFERENT GARAGES. NO ONE CAN FIND ANYTHING WRONG. HAVE REPLACED BATTERY, ALTINATER, 2 SENSORS SOFAR. NO CODES ARE SENT TO COMPUTER WHEN CAR ACTS UP. I FEEL THIS IS A HAZARD AND AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.*AK

CONSUMER STATES REAR BRAKES ARE LEAKING FLUID. DEALER STATED, CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK