2000 Dodge Intrepid

I OWN A 2000 DODGE INTREPID. THE ENGINE FAILED TO RUN WITH JUST OVER 75,000 MILES. I HAD THE ENGINE DIAGNOSED AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS SLUDGE THAT CAUSED THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER TO FREEZE AND KNOCK THE TIMING CHAIN OFF WHICH IN TURN CAUSED A COMPLETE FAILURE DUE TO THIS BEING A INTERFERENCE ENGINE. I WAS SURPRISED WHEN MY LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE 2.7 LITRE ENGINE. I CALLED JASPER ENGINES, WHO IS THE NATIONS LEADING SELLER OF REMANUFACTURED ENGINES, AND THEY TOLD ME THE DESIGN FLAWS IN THE ORIGINAL ENGINE. I FEEL THAT IF I WAS ABLE TO LEARN THE TRUTH, THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO. *JB

AUTO PURCHASED IN 2/2003. IN 6/2003, ENGINE STARTED MAKING HORRIBLE NOISE. CONTACTED A MECHANIC. HE TOLD US NOT TO DRIVE CAR; HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED 300 MILES HOME. SEVERAL MECHANICS HAVE LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE AND TRIED TO SOLVE PROBLEM UNSUCCESSFULLY. BETWEEN JUNE AND FIRST OF NOVEMBER, WE HAD THE CAR IN FOR REPAIRS ABOUT 11 TIMES. WERE FINALLY TOLD IN 11/2003 THAT CAR NEEDED NEW ENGINE (AT A COST OF $8000) BECAUSE OF DESIGN FLAW. THIS IS A 2.7 LITRE ENGINE IN A 2000 DODGE INTREPID. ENGINE DOES NOT MAINTAIN OIL PRESSURE CAUSING DAMAGE TO BELTS, PULLEYS, AND TENSIONER. THIS ALSO CAUSES THE CAR TO STALL, WHICH COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS ACCIDENTS. SERVICE MANAGER AT ONE LOCAL DEALERSHIP HAS 4 CARS WITH SAME PROBLEM, ALL NEEDING NEW ENINGES, SITTING IN HIS LOT. HE HAS TRIED TO GET CHRYSLER TO RESOLVE THIS; THEY REFUSE. IF THERE ARE 5 CARS JUST IN THIS AREA NEEDING NEW ENGINES FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM, HOW MANY ARE THERE NATIONWIDE? CAR ONLY HAS 60,000 MILES ON IT, SO THERE MUST BE SOMETHING THAT CHRYSLER CAN DO TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. ANY ASSISTANCE YOU CAN PROVIDE IS APPRECIATED.*AK

MY 2000 INTREPID HAS A STEERING PROBLEM THAT CAUSES THE STEERING WHEEL TO LOCK-UP INTERMITTENTLY, ESPECIALLY IN COLD WEATHER. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT. DODGE SERVICE TOLD ME THE CAR NEEDS A STEERING RACK, ALONG WITH STABILIZER LINKS AND BUSHINGS COSTING $1,500. THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY ( AND I DO NOT HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANT) BUT IT AS LESS THAN 25,000 MILES. I CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE (CASE # 12074847)AND SPOKE TO DAMON WHO SAID THAT HE COULD OFFER NO ASSISTANCE. HE SEEMED TO BE FIXATED ON THE FACT THAT SEVERAL DAYS AFTER MY PURCHASE, I DROPPED MY EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE. IN MY MIND, THIS DOES NOT CHANGE THE FACT THAT I HAVE NO EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE, AND IT SHOULD NOT MATTER WHEN I MADE THE DECISION NOT TO HAVE THIS COVERAGE. I DROPPED IT BECAUSE I WAS RELYING ON DODGE STANDING BEHIND A QUALITY PRODUCT AND THAT THE CAR WOULD LAST WITHOUT A MAJOR REPAIR FOR AT LEAST 50,000 MILES. I DID NOT PLAN ON KEEPING THE CAR MUCH LONGER THAN 5000-0 MILES. MON REFUSED TO CONSIDER PROVIDING ME WITH ANY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WITH THIS REPAIR. I WOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPY WITH 50% OF THE COST OF THE PARTS. STILL FRUSTRATED THAT A 3 YEAR OLD CAR WITH UNDER 25K MILES SHOULD NEED THIS KIND OF SAFETY-COMPROMISING REPAIR, I CALLED THE NHTSA AND LEARNED THAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY INVESTIGATING STEERING RACK PROBLEMS ON THIS CAR AND THAT THEY WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN INSPECTING STEERING RACK THAT FAILED PREMATURELY. SO I'VE ASKED THE SERVICE MANAGER TO KEEP IT FOR ME. THEY DID NOT AND SAID THE CORE HAD TO RETURNED FOR REMANUFACTURING. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT DODGE IS NOT WILLING TO DO THAT RIGHT THING AND ACCEPT SOME OF THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS REPAIR. *AK

I HAVE A 2000 DODGE INTREPID WITH A 2.7L ENGINE. MY WIFE, WITH MY DAUGHTER, WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING EXTREMELY ROUGH AT A STOP LIGHT. THE CAR WOULD BARELY MOVE CAUSING HER GREAT DIFFICULTY IN GETTING OUT OF THE INTERSECTION. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE JEFF SACH'S DEALERSHIP IN FRANKFORT, KY FOR REPAIR. WE WERE THEN TOLD THAT THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE ENGINE TYPE.THEY SAID THAT THEY COULD RE-BUILD THE ENGINE BUT COULD NOT GUARANTEETHAT THE ENGINE WOULD LAST A WEEK. THIS VEHICLE HAS 80,000 MILES ON IT AND IS HALF PAID FOR AND CHRYSLER SAYS THAT THE DESIGN CAUSES IT TO BE REPLACED ONCE IT GOES BAD. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED US THAT CHRYSLER KNEW IT WAS A POOR DESIGN BUT THAT WAS THE TRADE OFF FOR MORE POWER OUT OF A SMALLER ENGINE. WE CALLED CHRYSLER AND WERE INFORMED THAT IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY SO THERE WAS REALLY NO NEED TO CALL THEM. IN A DAY WHERE TUNE UPS ARE NOT REQUIRED FOR THE FIRST 100,000 MILES ON MOST VEHICLES,ONE WOULD SEEM TO EXPECT AN ENGINE THAT DID NOT FAIL BEFORE THEN EITHER. I HAVE SINCE DISCOVERED THAT THIS PROBLEM IS EXTREMELY COMMON. FORTUNATELY MY WIFE WAS STOPPED AND NOT DRIVING IN TRAFFIC WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED. IF THAT HAD BEEN THE CASE SHE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD POWER STEERING OR BRAKES WITH WHICH TO CONTROL THE CAR.

WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THEN, STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY. DEALER THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS THE TIMING CHAIN. *AK THE HYDRAULIC TENSIONER FAILED DUE TO OIL SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE ACCORDING TO THE DEALER. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED. THE DRIVER DOOR LATCH WAS NOISY AND INOPERATIVE. THE DOOR LATCH WAS REPLACED. *SC