2000 Dodge Intrepid

I HAVE A 2000 DODGE INTREPID BOUGHT ALMOST A YEAR AGO.HAD A SHORT IN THE IGNITION HAD TO WIGGLE KEY TO GET SOMETHINGS TO KICK ON.THEN A MTH AGO.I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT STARTED TO TAKE OFF IT VIBRATED REALLY BAD AND NOW IT'S STUCK IN LOW GEAR.THEN IT HAD A PROBLEM STARTING, SOMETHING DRAINS THE BATTERY.CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON.2 MACHINICS LOOKED MY CAR IT WON'T READ DIAGNOSTICS BECAUSE THERE'S A SHORT IN ELECTRONICAL SYSTEM.

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.

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 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.

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.

I HAVE ONLY MADE 4 PAYMENTS ON THIS CAR, AND I AM SCHEDULED FOR MY 7TH REPAIR ATTEMPT ON 12/3/02. TO DATE, I HAVE HAD 2 STEERING PUMP REPLACEMENTS, 1 RACK & PINION REPLACEMENT, A COMPLETE STEERING FLUID CHANGE WITH FLUID SUPPOSEDLY SPECIFIED BY DODGE, 1 APPOINTMENT THAT ENDED UP BEING A TEST DRIVE ONLY-WAS ADVISED TO TAKE CAR HOME PENDING RESPONSE FROM DODGE ON HOW TO PROCEED WITH REPAIRS..(WAS TOLD RESPONSE "DIDNT REALLY PERTAIN TO MY CAR.."), 1 VENT WIRE AND OIL SENDER UNIT REPLACED, AND IN AUGUST 02, I HAD A 1 MONTH AUTO CHECK UP. THESE REPAIRS, WHILE NOT ALL IN SEQUENCE, TOOK PLACE BETWEEN 9/17/02-11/20/02.MY STEERING PROBLEM RETURNED IN FULL FORCE 11/25/02. THE STEERING IS LOUD AND DOES NOT QUIET WHEN DRIVING. I AM TERRIFIED TO DRIVE THIS CAR FOR FEAR OF CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THIS CAR, IN MY OPINION, IS VERY DANGEROUS! OF LATE, DODGE IS COVERING IT'S INABILITY TO REPAIR THIS CAR WITH ARROGANCE, AND I'M FRIGHTENED ENOUGH OF THIS CAR THAT I INTEND TO START A LEMON LAW ARBITRATION. AS YOU MAY NOTICE, I WAS UNABLE TO ANSWER SOME OF THE MECHANICAL QUESTIONS ON THIS FORM, SO I LEFT THEM AS THEY WERE. DT

I PURCHASED MY 2000 DODGE INTREPID WITH ONLY 26,000 MILES IN NOV. 2001. SINCE THEN I HAVE REPLACED MY INPUT/OUT TRANSMISSION SENSORS, AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT I MUST NOW REPLACE MY RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY DUE TO STEERING PROBLEMS. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS PREMATURE FAILURE IS VERY COMMON AND AN ON GOING PROBLEM WITH DODGE INTREPIDS. THE MANUFACTURE SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUTABLE AND FORCED TO RECALL ALL VEHICLES HAVING THESE AND OTHER COMMON PROBLEMS WITH DEFECTIVE PARTS. THE PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING DEFECT ON THIS VEHICLE IS A VERY DANGEROUS AND WILL COST LIVES IF NOT ADDRESS BY NHTSA. MR