2000 Dodge Intrepid

WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING CAR WOULD NOT START AFTER STOPPING TO GET GAS. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD SHATTERED SENDING SLIVERS OF METAL THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE CAUSING COMPRESSION PROBLEM, DAMAGING PISTONS, AND CAUSING WATER PUMP TO SEIZE UP. NEEDLESS TO SAY I'M NOW LOOKING TO BUY ENGINE FOR A CAR THAT I'VE HAD FOR UNDER 24MONTHS AND STILL HAVE 36+MONTHS TO GO ON MY NOTE WITH THE ENGINE ONLY HAVING 65K. NOTE THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BACK DID BREAK AND I'VE HAD TO HAVE SPEED SENSOR REPLACE ALL OF THIS WITHIN THE LAST 17 MONTHS.*JB

THE OIL LAMP CAME ON WHILE SITTING AT A STOPLIGHT, THE ENGINE TACHOMETER READ BELOW 500RPM AND THE VEHICLE WAS UP TO TEMPERATURE. ONCE THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED THROUGH THE LIGHT THE OIL LAMP TURNED OFF. AT THE NEXT STOPLIGHT THE OIL LAMP AGAIN CAME ON UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS. AFTER THIS THE VEHICLE SEEMED OK. A FEW DAYS LATER THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS. AN APPOINTMENT WAS THEN MADE TO HAVE THE VEHICLE SERVICED. BEFORE TAKING THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP THE ENGINE WAS STARTED AND MADE A LIGHT TICKING NOISE. THIS NOISE DID NOT CONTINUE AFTER THE ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF AND ALLOWED TO COOL DOWN OVERNIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR FEAR OF DAMAGING THE ENGINE FURTHER. THE DEALERSHIP FOUND THAT THE OIL SENDING UNIT WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY, AND ALSO WAS LEAKING OIL. THEY FOUND NO PROBLEMS WITH THE OILING SYSTEM AND ASSURED ME THAT THE OIL PRESSURE AND VOLUME WAS WITHIN CHRYSLER'S SPECIFICATIONS. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE OIL SENSOR FOR TIME AND MATERIAL BEING THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARANTY. ON THE WAY HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING A VERY LOUD KNOCKING SOUND ALTHOUGH THE OIL LAMP WAS NOT ON. THE CAR WAS THEN TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER WAS FOUND TO BE STUCK ALLOWING SLACK IN THE TIMING CHAIN. AFTER REPLACING THE TENSIONER WITH A NEW TENSIONER FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND REASSEMBLING THE ENGINE, THE KNOCKING NOISE WAS NOTICIBLY QUIETER BUT STILL INDICATED A PROBLEM. (NOTE: THE ENGINE MADE NO KNOCKING NOISE AT ALL WHEN COLD, IT ONLY KNOCKED WHEN UP TO TEMPERATURE) THE REPAIRMAN CONTACTED A CONTACT AT A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP AND WAS INFORMED OFF OF THE RECORD THAT THEY ALSO HAD AN INTREPID IN FOR THE SAME THING, AND THEY HAD TO ALSO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN AND TIMING CHAIN GUIDES TO RID THE VEHICLE OF THE KNOCKING SOUND WHEN UP TO TEMPERATURE. THE VEHICLE IS CURENTLY AT THE REPAIR SHOP WAITING FOR THE ADDITIONAL PARTS TO SEE IF THIS REMIDIES THE PROBLEM.

TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND VALVES WERE DAMAGED, WHICH (ACCORDING TO MECHANICS) VIRTUALLY IS UNHEARD OF ON SUCH A LATE MODEL CAR. NOT ONLY ARE MECHANICS REFUSING TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM (BECAUSE OF THE TYPE OF ENGINE), THEY ARE SAYING I WILL PROBABLY NEED A NEW ENGINE (UPWARDS OF $3500 IN COST). SEVERAL MECHANICS EXPRESSED THAT THEY HAVE SEEN SEVERAL PEOPLE WITH THIS PROBLEM WHO HAVE THE 6 CYLINDER, 2.7 LITER ENGINE ON THIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL OF CAR. BASICALLY, I WAS TOLD THAT WORKING ON THIS PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF CAR IS A BIG HEADACHE, AND "THEY WON'T TOUCH IT". WHY HASN'T THIS PROBLEM BEEN RECALLED?

DEDEMBER 2002 STARTED CAR AND ENGINE MAKING TERRIBLE NOISE. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THE ENGINE HAD WENT OUT. THEY HAD TO RE-DO THE ENGINE THAT COST ME $1350.00. I HAD BEEN HEARING A KNOCKING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR AND THE STEERING WAS LOOSE. WHEN I TYRNED THE WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT IT WOULD STICK AND I HAD LOUD POPPING FROM THE STEERING. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND IT WAS THE RACK AND PINION. THAT WAS ON JANUARY 21, 2003. IN THE SAME WEEK I NOTICED OIL LEAKING. THE OIL LIGHT WAS BLINKING ON AND OFF. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS LEAKING DUE TO THE OIL SWITCH. TO FIX THE RACK AND OIL LEAK IT COST ME ANOTHER $1300.00. I AM TRYING TO GET THE DODGE COMPANY TO FESS UP AND PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CAR HAS BEEN WELL MAINTANENCED AND ONLY 51,000 MILES.

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHILCES OIL LIGHT CAME ON, THEN THERE WAS A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE, THEN THE VEHICLE DIED OUT. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE SERVICED BY THE DEALERSHIP WHO INDICATED THAT THE 2.05 ENGINE HAD BLOWN AS A RESULT OF AN OIL LEAK. THEY ALSO INDICATED THAT THE PART IS HARD TO GET DUE TO THIS BEING A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS.