2000 Dodge Intrepid

ON MAR 29TH, 2003 MY 2000 DODGE INTREPID CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN STALLING. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL GARAGE. AFTER PLACING IT ON THEIR COMPUTER, I WAS TOLD THE VEHICLES' CAM SENSOR NEEDED REPLACED. I ALSO HAD THE MECHANIC CHANGE THE SPARK PLUGS. BOTH OF WHICH HAD TO BE ORDERED THROUGH THE DEALER. $200 DOLLARS LATER, I PICKED THE VEHICLE UP AND DROVE APPROX. 5 MILES BEFORE THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE GARAGE WHO ADVISED ME THAT I SHOULD HAVE THE DEALERSHIP LOOK INTO IT. ONCE AT THE DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD I NEED A CRANK SENSOR. ANOTHER $200 DOLLARS LATER, MY WIFE PICKED THE VEHICLE UP, DROVE IT NO MORE THAN 2 BLOCKS FROM THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT STALLED ON HER AND MY TWO CHILDREN IN THE MIDDLE OF US 52 IN OHIO. NOW, AFTER NOT HAVING MY VEHICLE FOR ALMOST A MONTH, I AM TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THE TIMING CHAIN MIGHT NEED REPLACED WHICH WILL EASILY COST $300 LABOR FOR 6HR OF WORK, AND AT LEAST $200 FOR THE NEW TIMING CHAIN. IN LESS THAN A MONTH I WILL HAVE SPENT AT LEAST $900 ON A PROBLEM YET TO BE ACTUALLY VERIFIED AS THE PROBLEM NEEDING FIXED. *NLM

LAST WEEK I WAS EXITING THE HIGHWAY ON AN OFF-RAMP AND NOTICED THE ENGINE HAD 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. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT IT LOOKED LIKE A BOMB WENT OFF IN MY ENGINE AND HE WAS NOT SURE OF THE CAUSE BUT IT WAS MOST LIKELY BECAUSE THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE. *JB

STEERING RACK PROBLEMS IN A 2000 DODGE INTREPID WITH LESS 40,000 MILES. READ ON WEBSITES THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS MAKE/MODEL. WHY NOT A RECALL? ACCIDENT POTENTIAL AS WELL AS SOME REPORTED. COSTLY REPLACEMENT FOR CONSUMER. THIS HAS TURNED ME OFF TO CHRYSLER PRODUCTS AND I AM VERY UPSET. I AM A SINGLE PARENT WITH TWO KIDS AND CAN'T AFFORD COSTLY REPAIR BILLS. THIS IS OBVIOUS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT WITH SO MANY COMPLAINTS. WHY ISN'T SOMETHING BEING DONE TO HELP US CONSUMERS? WE NEED SAFE, RELIABLE VEHICLES TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION FOR OUR FAMILIES. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM HERE?! *JB

ENGINE BLOWN AT 48,500 MILES. WAS TOLD IT WAS THE 2.7 ENGINE THAT SLUDGE HAD BUILT UP IN IT EVEN THOUGH WE MAINTAINED IT REGULARLY. COST ABOUT $6,000 WHEN WAS SAID AND DONE. WE CONTACTED CHRYSLER AS WE HEARD THEY WERE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THIS ENGINE AND THAT THEY ARE AWARE BUT REFUSED TO HELP IN ANYWAY. RUDE! WE WERE TOLD THIS ENGINE NEEDED OIL CHANGED EVERY 1,500 - 2000 MILES TO KEEP FROM SLUDGING UP.. THIS IS NOT RIGHT... *NLM

CONSUMER HEARD A "TAPPING" NOISE COMING FROM THE MOTOR AND FRONT WHEEL AREA. DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS NO OIL ON DIP STICK AND MOTOR OIL LEVEL WAS LOW. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AND PROBLEM RESOLVED. AFTER DRIVING FOR 5 DAYS THE "TAPPING" NOISE RETURNED AT SPEEDS OF 65 MPH. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE BACK THE TO DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT OIL SLUDGED WAS IN THE MOTOR AND THE RODS WERE BURNED ON THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF MOTOR WITH METAL SHAVINGS IN MOTOR. THE DEALER STATED THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. *JB