2000 Dodge Intrepid

ENGINE IN 2000 CHRYSLER INTREPID STARTED TAPPING NOISE AT 58017KM BROUGHT TO DEALER WITH COMPLAINT, TOLD THEY WOULD NOT TAKE ENGINE APART TO CHECK NOISE. I TOLD THEM I HAD BEEN TOLD THAT THE 2.7 ENGINE HAD PROBLEMS WITH SLUDGE THAT PREVENTED THE OIL FROM CIRCULATING PROPERLY. THEY STILL REFUSED TO CHECK ENGINE. AT JUST OVER 62000 KM ENGINE BECAME NOISY. BROUGHT IT BACK TO DEALER WHO KEPT THE CAR FOR TWO WEEKS, THEN TOLD ME ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $6500.00 AND THERE WOULD BE NO WARRANTY COVERAGE OR GOODWILL. I GAVE THEM A COMPLETE HISTORY OF MAINTENANCE RECORDS SHOWING THAT PROPER MAINTENANCE WAS DONE WITH IN THE REQUIRED MILEAGE AND TIME. THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT THE INVOICES DO NOT CLEARLY IDENTIFY MY 2000 BLACK INTREPID AND THAT IT COULD OF BEEN ANOTHER CAR. I ONLY OWN ONE 2000 INTREPID. THE INVOICE SHOWS THE WORK THE MILEAGE AND MY NAME AND DATE. NEXT ME THEY TOLD ME THE INVOICE NUMBERS WERE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER. THE WORK WAS DONE AT FOUR DIFFERENT GARAGES. THEN THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS SLUDGE THAT SHOWED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PROPERLY MAINTAINED. THEN THEY ASKED ME THE BRAND OF OIL THE GARAGES USED AS IT MAY HAVE BEEN FAULTY. END RESULT IS THAT THEY REFUSE TO CHANGE THEIR POSITION IN REGARDS TO WARRANTY COVERAGE OR GOODWILL REPAIRS AND I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE AN ENGINE THAT WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW IN MAY 2001. I AM FRUSTRATED AND DO NOT KNOW WHERE TO TURN. ANY ASSISTANCE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR ON OCTOBER OF 1999, I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER 31 TIMES TO FIX THINGS. I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT A CAR 100 DAYS. I HAVE PAID OUT OF POCKET $3,137.64. I AM NOW ON AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. I STILL OWE $8,000.00 ON MY CAR. IT HAS 60,000 MILES. I HAVE MAINTAINED IT EVERY 3,000 MILES AS SUGGESTED IN THE OWNERS MANUAL. I ONLY USE 97 OCTANE GAS. I AM A VERY CAUTIOUS DRIVER. I TAKE CARE OF THE CAR BUT THE CAR HAS LEFT ME STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF HIGHWAYS PUTTING MY LIFE AND THE LIVES OF MY PASSENGERS IN DANGER. I NEVER KNOW WHEN THE CAR IS GOING TO BREAK DOWN AGAIN AND WHERE SO I AM ALWAYS UNDER TERRIBLE STRESS. I PRAY AS I DRIVE THAT I MAKE IT TO MY DESTINATION. THIS CAR HAS BEEN A LEMON SINCE I BOUGHT IT. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THE ENGINE BLOWING. MY BROTHER IN LAW WAS DRIVING AND I WAS THE PASSENGER ON SOUTH DIXIE HIGHWAY (US1) IN SOUTH MIAMI WHEN WE WERE AT A RED LIGHT AND THEN STARTED TO GO WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING LIGHTS, NOISES, OR ANYTHING THE CAR STOPPED RUNNING. IT DIED IN THE MIDDLE LANE. WE HAD TO PUSH IT TO THE SIDE. IT WAS RUSH HOUR AND THIS HIGHWAY IS FILLED WITH VERY AGGRESSIVE DRIVERS. THEY WERE ALL CURSING, BEEPING, SIGNALING, AND DRIVING SO CLOSE TO US AS TO ALMOST TOUCH US. I WAS PETRIFIED. I THOUGHT A CAR WAS GOING TO HIT US. I PAID FOR THE ENGINE REPAIR OUT OF MY POCKET, BECAUSE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COMPANY TOLD THE DEALER THEY COULD NOT COVER IT BECAUSE THERE WAS SLUDGE BUILD UP. THEY SEND AN ADJUSTOR WHO REPORTED IT TO THEM. THE DEALER TOLD US TO FIGHT IT BECAUSE THE SLUDGE WAS NORMAL FOR THAT TYPE OF ENGINE. WE PROVIDED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ALL THE RECEIPTS FOR THE MAINTENANCE THAT WE RELIGIOUSLY DID ABOUT EVERY 3000 MILES. WE ALSO HAD ANOTHER MECHANIC GO IN AND LOOK AT THE CAR. THE OTHER MECHANIC SAID THAT THESE TYPES OF ENGINES ALWAYS HAD THE PROBLEM OF SLUDGE BUILD UP AND THAT IT WAS NORMAL FOR THE ENGINE AND THAT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY SHOULD COVER IT.

NOVEMBER 2002 TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP TO REPLACE CAM POSITION SENSOR. JUNE 2003 TAKEN TO DEALER FOR CAM POSITION SENSOR. COMPLAINED TO DEALER OF TICKING NOISE. DEALER TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE TIMING BELT AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN PERFECT RUNNING CONDITION. AUGUST 2003 LOUD NOISE FROM ENGINE. TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER CLAIMS VEHICLE NEEDS NEW ENGINE IF THEY ARE AVAILABLE FOR A COST OF $7000.

THIS CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP MORE THAN THE ROAD, AND NOW WE ARE TOLD THAT THE ENGINE IS BEYOND REPAIR, THAT WE WILL HAVE TO PURCHASE A NEW OR REBUILT ENGINE. CONSIDERING THAT I OWE $9000, TO SPEND $4000 TO REPAIR IS BEYOND MY MEANS. WE ORIGINALLY STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS IN 2002 WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON, AND ACCORDING TO THE DODGE DEALER IN OUR AREA, THE CODE WAS FOR THE LEAK DETECTION SENSOR. THIS LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND STAY ON FOR A WHILE, AND WE WERE TOLD NOT TO WORRY UNTIL IT STARTED FLASHING. MYSTERIOUSLY, THE LIGHT WOULD THEN GO OFF. WE HAD SEVERAL OTHER REPAIRS AFTER THAT FOR THE SAME CODE AND SENSORS/MODULES REPLACED, THEN WE WOULD HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. WE WERE ULTIMATELY TOLD IT WAS A BROKEN WIRE UNDER THE SEAT?. EVENTUALLY, IN JUNE 2003, MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WHEN THE ENGINE JUST SEIZURE, ALMOST CAUSING A REAR-END COLLISION AND HIM SWERVING TO AVOID ONCOMING CARS AND ULTIMATELY ALMOST GOING IN THE DITCH IN FRONT OF A BUSY GAS STATION. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP SINCE, ENGINE SENT TO MACHINE SHOP, AND WE ARE TOLD IT CANNOT BE REPAIRED, AND IF THEY ATTEMPT TO, THEY CANNOT GUARANTEE FOR EVEN A DAY. THE VALVES ALL HAVE TO BE REPLACED, AND THERE ARE LARGE INDENTATIONS IN THE CYLINDER HEADS. EVERY TIME THAT SOMETHING WENT WRONG WITH THIS CAR, IT WOULD DIE IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. IT IS A HAZARD AND A LEMON!

I HAVE ONLY HAD THE CAR LESS THAN A YEAR. REGULAR OIL CHANGES. NEVER ANY PROBLEMS. IT IS A 2.7 ENGINE. WITH 80,000 MILES. WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE HIWAY AND THE ENGINE SEIZED. NO LIGHTS CAME ON. NO WARNING. MECHANIC SAID THAT THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN THE PISTONS PUSHED UP THROUGH THE HEADS. WE CHANGED OUR OIL AT A SERVICE CENTER REGULARLY. THE MECHANIC SAID IT HAS HAPPENED TO PEOPLE ALL OVER WITH INTREPIDS.

STEERING DEVELOPED 'PLAY' IN LATE 10/03. BY 11/12/03 IT WAS CLUNKING, WHEEL WAS COCKED TO THE RIGHT. STEERING WHEEL WOULD STICK/LOCK UP. CONTACTED DEALER IN SANTA ROSA, CA. WAS QUOTED $175 ESTIMATE. LATER, SAME DAY LEARNED THAT RACK WAS BROKEN AND PUMP WAS LEAKING AND COST WOULD BE A MINIMUM $2000 TO REPAIR. I OPTED TO GO TO ANOTHER MECHANIC AND HAD THE CAR TOWED AWAY FROM THE DEALER SHOP.

I HAVE ALSO REPLACED FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR. NOW THE DRIVER SIDE BACK LOCK ACTUATOR IS GOING OUT. I HAVE NOT FIXED THE RADIO, DASH LIGHTS OR DOME LIGHTS. I AM OUT OF MONEY FOR THE TIME BEING. I HAD TO REFINANCE AND ADD $4900. TO GET MOST OF THE REPAIRS DONE. MY ENGINE BLEW DUE TO SLUDGE AND I NOW HAVE A USED REBUILT ONE THAT WILL PROBABLY DO THE SAME THING.