2001 DODGE INTREPID Complaints

WHILE IN ROUTE TO WORK, I STARTED SMELLING GAS FROM AIR VENTS. I MADE IT TO WORK & WHEN I WENT ON LUNCH BREAK MY CO-WORKERS SAID THAT THEY SMELT GAS AROUND MY CAR. I LEFT WORK THAT MORNING WHEN TO A REPUTABLE MECHANIC TO FIND OUT WHY I WAS SMELLING GAS & RAPIDLY STARTED LOSING GAS MILEAGE. HE INFORMED ME THAT MY CAR(DODGE INTREPID 2001) HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL RAIL & THAT I SHOULD LOOK INTO CONTACTING &/OR LOOKING UP VEHICLE RECALLS ON MY CAR. CONTACTED DODGE/DAIMLER CHRYSLER & HAD ABSOLUTELY "NO RESPONSE" AS OF YET. *TR

OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR LIGHT BEGAN FLICKERING APPROXIMATELY 3 WEEKS PRIOR TO ENGINE FAILURE. OIL CHANGED ON 2 OCCASIONS DURING TIME FRAME AND RESULT SAME, LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY FLICKERED AND THAN BECAME CONTINUOUSLY SOLID RED WITH LIGHT TICKING NOISE OBSERVED FROM UPPER VALVE COVER. APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES LONGER OF DRIVING TO SAFELY LOCATE THE DODGE INTREPID WITH 2.7 LITER ENGINE TO RESIDENCE, ONCE PARKED IN DRIVE WAY THE TICKING WAS SPORADIC AND CAR HAS BEEN PARKED SINCE DUE TO INABILITY TO OPERATE SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY WITHOUT FURTHER CREATING TOTAL LOSS TO VEHICLE AND ENGINE COMPONENTS! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE INTREPID. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED. THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED. THE CONTACT COULD NOT AFFORD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE, SO HE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,000.

SEEMS THAT THERE IS A THING CALLED A CLOCK SPRING---IN THE STEERING MECH-(SORTA A REPLACEMENT FOR THE OLD HORN CONTACTS)---SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM---WHEN IT FAILS IT TURNS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT--YOU LOOSE YOUR HORN AND ALSO THE CRUISE CONTROL--NO RECALL ON THIS MODEL YET--BUT SOME OTHER SAME MFG. PRODUCTS ARE UNDER RECALL. *TR

HUSBAND DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AT THE BUSIEST TIME OF THE DAY CAR ACTED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO TURN OFF AT A STOP LIGHT. HE TURNED OFF THE BUSY RODE AND THE CAR JUST SUDDENLY TURNED OFF. STARTED SMOKING HE OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW THAT FLUIDS HAD LEAKED OUT. NEARBY WAS A MECHANIC SHOP WITH HELP PUSHED IT THERE. WAS PUT ON A DIAGNOSTIC AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THE ENGINE WAS GONE RESULT OF A OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM WHICH CAUSES ENGINE FAILURE. ESTIMATED COST FOR NEW ENGINE $5372. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM AND WOULDN'T EVEN CONSIDER PUTTING A NEW ENGINE IN THIS CAR. *TR

WITHOUT ANY WARNING THE ENGINE JUST QUIT AND WOULD NOT START AGAIN WHILE WAITING FOR A STOP LIGHT. UPON TAKING IT TO AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE HAD FAILED AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS OIL SLUDGE. A REBUILT ENGINE WAS PURCHASED AND INSTALLED AT A COST OF $5,000.00. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE INTREPID. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT HAD A CHILD SEATED IN A CHILD SEAT AT THE TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE MOTOR WAS CLOGGED WITH OIL SLUDGE AND A NEW ONE WAS NEEDED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 36,000.

I HAD SET UP AN APPT. TO TAKE MY 2001 DODGE INTREPID IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND TO HAVE THE ENGINE LIGHT CHECKED BECAUSE IT HAD RECENTLY COME ON. WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF MAKING THAT APPT., MY OIL LIGHT STARTED COMING ON EVERY TIME ON PUT THE BRAKES ON. I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE CAR IN EARLIER. WE HAD TO RENT A VEHICLE FOR THE WEEKEND WHICH WE COULDN'T AFFORD. BY THE TIME THIS WAS ALL SAID AND DONE, OUR MECHANIC TOLD US WE HAD AN ANTI-FREEZE LEAK AND AN OIL LEAK. THEY REFUSE TO REPAIR EITHER ONE BECAUSE THE LAST TIME THEY FIXED AN OIL LEAK ON A DODGE INTREPID, THE CAR STILL BROKE DOWN AND THEY GOT SUED. THEY CAN'T GET TO THE ANTI-FREEZE LEAK WITHOUT TAKING THE ENGINE OUT WHICH IN TURN WILL CAUSE MORE PROBLEMS WITH OUR ENGINE. WE'RE CONSTANTLY PUTTING OIL IN IT AND ANTI-FREEZE. WE'RE STILL PAYING ON THIS CAR. WE'RE NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF CLASS ACTION LAW SUITS OUT THERE AND CHRYSLER SHOULD GIVE PEOPLE THEIR MONEY BACK. WE HAVE A CHILD IN THE LATTER STAGES OF KIDNEY FAILURE AND THIS IS SUPPOSE TO BE OUR RELIABLE VEHICLE TO GET HER BACK AND FORTH TO ALBANY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE INTREPID. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD BANG AND NOTICED SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. HE PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND THE ENGINE EXPLODED. THE DEALER STATED THAT IT WOULD COST $5,000 TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VIN, PURCHASE, DATE, AND ENGINE SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 95,000.

OIL SLUDGE HAS BUILT UP IN THE ENGINE, LEAVING THE ENGINE WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO CIRCULATE OIL THROUGH THE BLOCK TO LUBRICATE THE PARTS. A MECHANIC HAS DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AND NOTED THAT DRIVING THE CAR WILL CAUSE PARTS TO BREAK AND THE ENGINE TO FAIL. THE MECHANIC TOOK PHOTOS OF THE INSIDE OF ONE OF THE VALVE COVERS TO SHOW HOW THICK THE OIL SLUDGE IS. WHERE THE INSIDE OF THE VALVE COVER SHOULD BE CLEAN AND SHINY, IT IS COATED WITH A HALF-INCH OF SLUDGE. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AT ABOUT 121,000 MILES. I NOTICED THAT THE OIL-PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT CAME. A CHECK OF THE OIL SHOWED IT WAS FULL AND CLEAN. BEFORE THIS INCIDENT, I HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. IT PERFORMED VERY WELL. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THIS SIGNIFICANT ENGINE PROBLEM, THERE ARE NO OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR -- NO ACCIDENTS, NO DENTS OF BODY DAMAGE, NO RUST, CLEAN INTERIOR AND EVERYTHING ELSE WORKS. CONSEQUENCES ARE THAT AN OTHERWISE PERFECTLY GOOD CAR CANNOT BE DRIVEN. IT HAS BEEN PARKED FOR TWO MONTHS WHILE I CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER, FILE REPORTS WITH THE APPROPRIATE AGENCIES, INCLUDING THE NHTSA AND THE CENTER OF AUTO SAFETY, AND RESEARCH WHAT CAN BE DONE AND AT WHAT COST. MY PREFERENCE, OF COURSE, WOULD BE THAT THE MANUFACTURER, DAIMLERCHRYSLER, PAY TO REBUILD OR REPLACE THE ENGINE. HAVING THE MANUFACTURER ADMIT TO A KNOWN DESIGN FLAW, AS ALLEGED IN HEBERT V. DAIMLER CHRYSLER, WOULD BE NICE, BUT NOT ESSENTIAL. GETTING THE CAR BACK ON THE ROAD AT NO COST OR MINIMAL COST TO ME IS MY GOAL. *TR