2000 Dodge Intrepid

BOUGHT THIS CAR BRAND NEW IN 2000 AND AT 3 YEARS OLD WITH JUST UNDER 80,000 MILES IT IS SHOT! DID ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND CHANGED THE OIL ON A REGULAR BASIS AT 3,000 TO 4,000 MILES EVEN THOUGH OWNER'S MANUAL STATES OIL CHANGES AT 7,500 MILES. IN OCTOBER, 2003 THE DAY AFTER I HAD MY OIL CHANGED, I STARTED HEARING A SLIGHT KNOCKING NOISE AND TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC. MECHANIC PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT MY ENGINE HAD SLUDGE BUILD UP IN IT AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF BETWEEN $4K - $6K. MECHANIC ALSO TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON AND "KNOWN" PROBLEM WITH THE INTREPID 2.7L V6 ENGINE BUT THAT SO FAR DODGE HAS REFUSED TO RECALL THE ENGINE. TOLD ME THAT OIL SHOULD ACTUALLY BE CHANGED AT LEAST EVERY 2,500 MILES RELIGIOUSLY AND THAT WE SHOULD USE SYNTHETIC OIL (OWNERS MANUAL DOES NOT SAY THIS - WHY?!?). MECHANIC WAS VERY SYMPATHETIC AND SAID "DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT DO AN INTERNET SEARCH FOR INTREPID ENGINE SLUDGE AND SEE WHAT COMES UP". FOLLOWED HIS SUGGESTION AND WAS ABSOLUTELY SHOCKED AND DISGUSTED AT WHAT I FOUND! THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS WE ARE IS JUST SHAMEFUL! MY WIFE AND I PAID APPROX. $22K FOR THIS CAR AND NOW, 3 YEARS LATER, THE COST TO REPAIR THE CAR IS MORE THAN WHAT IT IS VALUED AT! FINALLY, JUST THIS WEEK, WE ALL BUT GAVE AWAY OUR 3 YEAR OLD CAR FOR $2,000 BECAUSE THAT IS THE BEST OFFER WE HAD. MY WIFE AND I HAVE WORKED HARD FOR EVERYTHING WE HAVE AND WE FEEL CHEATED AND BETRAYED BY DODGE FOR PUTTING OUT SUCH A LOUSY PRODUCT AND THEN CONTINUALLY REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS DEFECT DESPITE PLENTY OF EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY! PLEASE, DO SOMETHING TO STOP THIS!!!*AK

MY 2000 INTREPID WITH ONLY 77,000 HAS A BLOWN ENGINE. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHTS, AND ONLY DRIVING 15 MINUTES LOUD KNOCKING NOISES OCURRED WHICH I PULLED OVER TO INVESTIGATE AND THEN COULD NOT RESTART THE CAR. AFTER TOWING TO MY MECHANIC, HE ADVISED ME MY ENGINE WAS SO HOT HE DIDN'T KNOW HOW IT DIDN'T START ON FIRE. THE REPAIR COST IS $6000 WHICH I STILL OWE $5000 FOR THE CAR. WE DID ALL THE REQUIRED MAINTENACE SUCH AS OIL CHANGES, FILTER CHANGES, ETC. THERE IS NO REASON FOR SUCH A VAULTY MOTOR TO BE ALLOWED AND WITH 89 COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEB SITE ALONE PLUS ALL THE MOTORS COMPLAINTS THERE MUST BE OUT THERE,SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE HERE. I AM SURE IF SOMEONE CONTACT EVERY CHRYSLER'S CUSTOMER OF THESE 2.7 LITER MOTORS I AM SURE THERE WOULD BE A CLASS ACTION SUIT. PLEASE ADVISE ME ON HOW TO HAVE MY MOTOR REPAIRED BY CHRYSLER. *AK

SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING VEHICLE IT STARTED EXPERIENCING ENGINE PROBLEMS. CONSUMER SAID THAT IT WAS MAKING WEIRD RATTLING NOISES. AFTER A NUMBER OF INSPECTIONS BY A MECHANIC, THE SOUND WAS DUE TO LACK OF OIL PRESSURE. *LA THE ENGINE STARTED RACING AND MAKING A LOUDER NOISE. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT IT WAS THE TENSIONER WHICH WAS REPLACED. ON ANOTHER OCCASION THE VEHICLE CHUGGED AND WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER AND WOULD BARELY MOVE. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. THERE WERE OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE SAME ENGINE PROBLEMS. *SC *JB