2000 Dodge Intrepid

A FEW MONTHS AGO I PURCHASED A 2000 DODGE INTREPID WITH 84,000 MI AND A WEEK LATER WHILE EXITING THE HIGHWAY ON AN OFF-RAMP, THE ENGINE STALLED. IT WAS RUNNING GREAT ONE SECOND AND THE NEXT SECOND IT JUST QUIT WITH NO WARNING! I HAD IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC FOR SERVICE AND WAS INFORMED THAT MY ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE TALKED TO A LOCAL SALVAGE PARTS DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THESE ENGINES IS IN VERY HIGH DEMAND. AFTER DOING A LITTLE RESEARCH ON MY OWN REGARDING THE 2.7 LITER ENGINES, I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM IS MORE COMMON THAN NOT. I HAD MY ENGINE REPLACED LAST WEEK AND IT COST ME OVER $3500.00. *LA

I PURCHASED A 2000 DODGE INTREPID 2 YEARS AGO. IN NOV 2001, AFTER 1 YEAR OF OWNING THE CAR, THE ENGINE SLUDGED, STARTED KNOCKING, & QUIT. IT HAS BEEN SITTING IN A GARAGE FOR 1 YEAR BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE THE $5000 TO GET IT REPLACED, BUT I AM STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON IT. I CHANGED THE OIL REGULARLY ALSO, BUT AFTER SPEAKING WITH NUMEROUS MECHANICS, THEY ALL SAID THE SAME THING. DODGE ENGINES ARE TERRIBLE, & UNLESS YOU USE HIGH QUALITY SYNTHETIC OIL, & CHANGE THE OIL CONSISTENTLY EVERY 3000 MILES, IT WILL SLUDGE AND BREAK DOWN. THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED THIS CAR FROM DID NOT INFORM ME OF THIS. I HAVE ALSO READ NUMEROUS REPORTS REGARDING THE PROBLEMS WITH THIS ENGINE. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT DODGE HAS NOT RECALLED THIS ENGINE. I UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN YOU GET THE ENGINE REPLACED NOW, IT COMES WITH A KIT TO BE INSTALLED TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING. *LA

ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON DURING A ROAD TRIP WITH MY DAUGHTER TO WOODFIELD,OH FROM COLUMBUS. MECHANIC SAYS I'M LUCKY THE ENGINE DIDN'T BLEW UP BEFORE I GOT THERE. MECHANIC SAYS THERE WAS ONLY A PINT OF OIL IN MY CAR YET I SAW NO SIGNS OF OIL BURNING OR LEAKING AND AN OIL CHANGE HAD BEEN DONE EARLIER IN THE YEAR. MECHANIC PUTS NEW OIL IN, SCANS AND RESETS THE CAR SO THE ENGINE LIGHT DOESN'T STAY ON. AFTER THAT, I STARTED MY TRIP BACK HOME AND EVERYTHING SEEMS FINE, THEN 10-15 MINUTES IN THE TRIP THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES BACK ON SO I TURN AROUND AND HEAD BACK TO THE MECHANIC. ON THE WAY BACK I COULD FEEL THE ENGINE KICKS BACK AND ALMOST STALL OUT. AGAIN, I WAS LUCKY TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE MECHANIC. WHILE CAR IS PARKED AND ENGINE IS RUNNING, YOU COULD HEAR THE ENGINE REVVING UP AND THEN IT WOULD IDLE BACK DOWN. IT WOULD DO THIS A FEW TIMES AND THEN STALL OUT. MECHANIC DOES ANOTHER EVALUATION AND DETERMINES THAT A NEW ENGINE IS NEEDED AND THE CAR CANNOT BE DRIVEN. A WEEK LATER I GOT MY CAR TOWED BACK TO COLUMBUS (THE CAR BROKE DOWN IN WOODSFIELD, OH) AND HAD IT CHECKED AGAIN BY A MECHANIC IN COLUMBUS. THEY TOLD ME THE SAME THING THAT THE ENGINE NEEDS REPLACED BECAUSE THE WATER PUMP HOUSING IS DAMAGED AND THERE IS NO COOLANT IN THE OVERFLOW AND FELT THAT I COULD NOT HAVE PREVENTED THIS. SO I CALLED AROUND TO GET ESTIMATES ON REPLACING THE ENGINE AND EVERY PLACE I CALLED, THEY SAID THAT THEY'VE HAD LOTS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE DODGE INTREPID'S 2.7 LITER ENGINE. THEY SAY THAT THE OIL IS NOT GETTING TO THE TOP OF THE ENGINE. ONE PLACE TOLD ME THEY REPLACED THIS ENGINE ALMOST ONCE A WEEK. SO NOW I'M STUCK WITH HAVING TO COME UP WITH SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS TO REPLACE A FAULTY ENGINE. THE FACT THAT THE SAFETY OF MY DAUGHTER AND I WAS JEOPARDIZED BECAUSE THIS IS BECOMING A COMMON PROBLEM, AND THAT THERE ISN'T EVEN AN INVESTIGATION GOING ON, LEAVES ME VERY UPSET. I HOPE SOMETHING WILL BE DONE ABOUT THIS SOON. *LA

VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER IN NOVEMBER OF 2002, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. TOLD ME THEY NEEDED TO PUT ON COMPUTER TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM. REPLACED CAM POSITION SENSOR FOR $ 100.00 JUNE 2003, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, VEHICLE KEPT STALLING. I TOLD DEALER THOUGHT IT MAY BE CAM POSITION SENSOR. WAS TOLD NO DIAGNOSIS COULD BE MADE WITHOUT PUTTING IN ON COMPUTER. TOLD BY DEALER CAM POSITION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. REMINDED DEALER IT WAS REPLACED PREVIOUSLY. TOLD DEALER THERE WAS A TICK NOISE IN ENGINE, WAS TOLD IT WAS THE TIMING BELT AND "WOULD SETTLE DOWN." AUGUST 2003, VEHICLE MAKING LOUD NOISE, TOWED TO DEALER. WAS TOLD VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. CONTACTED DODGE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THAT A FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE WOULD NOT INVESTIGATE AND THAT DEALER INDICATED VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. DEALER NOR MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT EVEN LOOK IN TO REASON FOR FAILURE UNLESS I WAS WILLING TO PAY FOR ADDITIONAL COSTS. *LA