2000 Dodge Intrepid

INITIALLY MY 2000 DODGE INTREPID BEGAN MAKING A CLANKING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD AS I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 30MPH. I HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED REGULAR OIL CHANGES OF 3000 MILES OR LESS, BUT WHEN I CHECKED THE OIL, IT WAS ABOUT A QUART LOW (WHICH IT HAD NOT EVER BEEN LOW BEFORE.) WHEN I OPENED THE CRANKCASE TO ADD OIL, THE CAP WAS FULL OF SLUDGE. I TOOK THE CAR IN TO HAVE THE ENGINE FLUSHED WITH OIL, REPLACED THE OIL AND FILTER, AND ALSO HAD LUCAS ADDED TO THE ENGINE. THE NOISE CONTINUED. I THEN TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER HAD TO BE REPLACED. ALL PARTS WERE ORDERED DIRECTLY FROM CHRYSLER. LESS THAN 125 MILES LATER, THE NOISE BEGAN AGAIN. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO MY MECHANIC. HE CONTACTED CHRYSLER, THEN, PER CHRYSLER, ADDED TWO SEPARATE ADDITIVES TO THE CRANKCASE. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO MAKE THE TENSIONER WORK PROPERLY. HOWEVER, THE NOISE CONTINUED TO GET WORSE IN THE FEW DAYS THAT FOLLOWED. (I WAS TOLD TO DRIVE THE CAR TO SEE IF THESE ADDITIVES WOULD WORK.) THE ENGINE STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. HE EVENTUALLY WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE ENGINE FAILED DUE TO LOW OIL PRESSURE. AFTER NOTIFYING CHRYSLER, I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR A DIAGNOSTICS. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THE ROD BEARINGS WERE BAD AND THE ENGINE HAS TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS IT WILL BE $5400 FOR A NEW ENGINE. I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO GET THIS FIXED. I HAVE ALREADY SPENT $1300 ON THE ENGINE PLUS THE COST OF TWO TOWS. I STILL OWE ON THIS CAR AND CANNOT USE IT. THE CAR ONLY HAS 39K MILES ON THIS ORIGINAL ENGINE. I WILL NEVER DRIVE, RENT, OR OWN ANOTHER DODGE OR CHRYSLER VEHICLE AGAIN BECAUSE I TRULY BELIEVE THAT CHRYSLER KNOWS THAT THEY HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THESE ENGINES AND HAVE NO INTEGRITY TO MAKE IT RIGHT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE INTREPID. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING LOUD NOISES AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 20 MPH. THE VEHICLE THEN SHUT COMPLETELY OFF AND HAD TO BE TOWED. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED. APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS LATER, THE SECOND ENGINE FAILED. THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 167,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000. UPDATED 06/03/08. *LJ UPDATED 05/30/08

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE INTREPID. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE ENGINE FAILED AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND STEERING ABILITY. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WILL HAVE TO BE TOWED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 82,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE INTREPID. AFTER A FEW MONTHS OF OWNING THE VEHICLE, IT BEGAN TO MAKE RATTLING NOISES WHEN DRIVING BEYOND 40 MPH. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE TENSIONER SNAPPED DUE TO BUILT UP OIL SLUDGE. HE LATER DISCOVERED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON FAILURE AMONG THAT MAKE AND MODEL OF VEHICLE. THE DEALER OFFERED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE WITH THE SAME TYPE OF ENGINE, BUT THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD EVENTUALLY RECUR. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT HIS RESIDENCE AND HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE INTREPID. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE ENGINE HESITATED, BUT DID NOT STALL. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. SHE HAD TO MAKE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS IN ORDER TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. ONCE IT WAS STARTED, SHE COULD NOT DRIVE FAR BECAUSE THE VEHICLE STALLED ONCE MORE. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED AND WAS TOWED TO HER RESIDENCE. A MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS COMMON WITH THAT VEHICLE, BUT IT HAS YET TO BE INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC OR DEALER. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE CONTACT'S HOME AND HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000.

I HAVE A 2000 DODGE INTREPID THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 80,000 MILES THE CAM CENSOR WENT OUT, THEN ABOUT 10,000 MILES LATER THEN CRANK CENSOR WENT OUT. WHEN THE CAR HAD 106,000 MILES ON IT MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK WHEN SHE HEARD LOUD KNOCKING COMING FROM THE ENGINE, TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP TO FIND OUT THE ENGINE SEIZED DUE TO SLUDGE. THIS CAR HAS HAD THE OIL CHANGED EVERY 3,000 MILES. THE MECHANIC SAID IT WOULD ABOUT $4,000 TO REPLACE. NOW I COME TO FIND OUT THAT CHRYSLER KNOWS THEY HAD A PROBLEM WITH THESE ENGINES AND WON'T FIX THEM. I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW AND NEVER EXPECTED THAT CHRYSLER WON'T STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. *TR

I HAVE A 2000 DODGE INTREPID AND I BOUGHT IT FROM EXTREME DODGE IN JACKSON MI IN 2001. IN JUNE 2005 I WAS DRIVING AND IT STARTED MAKE THIS AWFUL NOISE SO I PULLED OF INTO A PARKING LOT AND TURNED IT OFF CALLED MY HUSBAND AND WHEN HE GOT THERE THE CAR WOULDN'T START SO WE HAD THE CAR TOWED HOME AND HAD OUR MECHANIC COME OVER TO CHECK IT OUT AND HE TOLD US THE TIMING CHAIN WHEN OUT. SO WE BOUGHT THE PARTS AND HAD HIM TAKE CARE OF IT. THEN I DROVE IT FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN SO THIS TIME WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND HAD THEM FIX IT THIS TIME. AGAIN DROVE IT FOR ABOUT 18 MONTHS AND NOW IT IS BROKE DOWN AGAIN SAME THING. I CANT AFFORD TO KEEP PUTTING TIMING CHAINS IN THIS CAR EVERY 8 TO 10 MONTHS AT 1,800 TO 2,300 DOLLARS A POP. AND I HEAR SO MANY PEOPLE SAY HOW BAD THE INTEREPIDS ARE KNOWN FOR THIS PROBLEMS. WELL I WISH I WOULD HAVE KNOW THIS BEFORE I BOUGHT THE CAR BECAUSE I NEVER WOULD HAVE BOUGHT IT. *TR

CAR WAS EXITING HIGHWAY AND WHILE ON EXIT RAMP A POPPING SOUND WAS HEARD IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. CAR WAS IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE RAMP AND ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR GARAGE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT ONE CYLINDER HAD NO COMPRESSION AND THE TOP OF THE ENGINE WAS DISASSEMBLED. THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE PISTON WAS DETACHED/BROKEN FROM THE CRANKSHAFT AND WOULD REQUIRE A MAJOR ENGINE OVERHAUL OR ENGINE REPLACEMENT. *TR

THE SPECIFIC REFERENCE I HAVE IS A 2000 DODGE INTREPID. THE ISSUE IS THE PLASTIC COVER FOR THE HEADLAMPS HAVE UNDERGONE A MATERIAL FAILURE?THEY HAVE A SERIES OF MICRO-STRUCTURED CRACKS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PLASTIC COVER THAT SCATTERS A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE LIGHT FROM LAMPS PREVENTING NORMAL FUNCTION AND GOOD VISION FOR THE DRIVERS. PLASTICS DO NOT CRACK ON THEIR OWN AND THIS EVENT IS NOT FROM AN ACCIDENT OR OTHER UNIQUE EVENT ON THIS CAR. I HAVE A PH.D. IN CHEMISTRY FROM HARVARD UNIVERSITY AND MY EXPERTISE IS IN MICRO/NANO-TECHNOLOGY. THIS EDUCATION WHICH IS UNIQUE HAS ENABLED ME TO INVESTIGATE THE REASON OF A ?HAZY? HEADLAMP COVER. THE DEALERSHIP MIS-DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AND INITIALLY SOLD A ?COSTLY? ($50 PLUS LABOR) CLEANER KIT. MICRO-CRACKS CANNOT BE FIXED BUT SUCH A METHOD AND WHEN I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP BACK TO EXPLAIN THE THIS WAS NOT DIRT OR A HAZE BUT CRACKS; THEY ADMITTED THEY DID NOT LOOK CLOSELY AT THE PROBLEM AND DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO AND SUGGESTED CALLING CHRYSLER DIRECTLY. I CONTACTED CUSTOMER SERVICE AT CHRYSLER WHO BASICALLY IGNORED MY COMMENT, SAID THAT THEY WOULD DO NOTHING ABOUT SUCH A CLAIM, AND TOLD ME SINCE THE CAR WAS TOO OLD I HAD TO PAY ALL EXPENSES OUT OF MY POCKET. I TURN TO YOU BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO SEE IF THIS IS A LARGER PROBLEM; WHICH FROM MY EXPERIENCE WITH MATERIALS BELIEVE IT HAS TO BE. UNLIKE WITH BRAKE PADS OR OTHER CONSUMABLE/WEAR-DOWN ITEMS IN A CAR, THE PLASTIC COVERS FOR LIGHTS SHOULD NOT FAIL OVER TIME. SINCE THE CAR STILL RUNS AND THE LIGHTS ARE TECHNICALLY ON ALTHOUGH THE VISIBILITY IS GREATLY DIMINISHED, THEY MIGHT NOT REALIZE THEIR SAFETY IS AT RISK WITH DIMINISHED VISIBILITY. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT CRASH INVESTIGATORS DO NOT LOOK AT THE QUALITY OF THE PLASTIC COVERING THE HEADLAMPS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF MICRO-CRACKS LIMITING VISIBILITY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME IN READING MY COMMENTS. SINCERELY, ADAM WINKLEMAN, PH.D. *TR