2000 Dodge Intrepid

WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING CAR WOULD NOT START AFTER STOPPING TO GET GAS. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD SHATTERED SENDING SLIVERS OF METAL THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE CAUSING COMPRESSION PROBLEM, DAMAGING PISTONS, AND CAUSING WATER PUMP TO SEIZE UP. NEEDLESS TO SAY I'M NOW LOOKING TO BUY ENGINE FOR A CAR THAT I'VE HAD FOR UNDER 24MONTHS AND STILL HAVE 36+MONTHS TO GO ON MY NOTE WITH THE ENGINE ONLY HAVING 65K. NOTE THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BACK DID BREAK AND I'VE HAD TO HAVE SPEED SENSOR REPLACE ALL OF THIS WITHIN THE LAST 17 MONTHS.*JB

THE FRONT DRIVER'S DOOR AND THE REAR RIGHT PASSANGER'S DOOR ACTUATOR FOR THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS ARE GOING BAD (VERY LOUD BUZZING NOISE WHEN THEY ENGAGE AT 11 MPH). THE SERVICE MANAGER SAYS THAT IF NOT FIXED THE ACTUATORS MAY RENDER THE DOOR UNOPENABLE IF THE UNIT GOES IN A NEUTRAL POSITION. THE VEH IS A 2000 DODGE INTREPIND SE PURCHASED IN MAY OF 2000.

DEFECTIVE POWER DOOR LOCKS. LOCKS PRODUCE A LOUD SCREECHING NOISE UPON LOCKING OR UNLOCKING. DOORS THEN FAIL TO UNLOCK WHEN THE DOOR HANDLE IS PULLED. THIS CAN CREATE A SAFETY CONCERN WHEN DRIVER AND PASSENGERS ATTEMPT TO EGRESS VEHICLE IN AN EMERGENCY. THIS IS A 3 TIME RECURRING PROBLEM WHICH FIRST HAPPENED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND HAS AGAIN OCCURRED IN JANUARY 2003

THE OIL LAMP CAME ON WHILE SITTING AT A STOPLIGHT, THE ENGINE TACHOMETER READ BELOW 500RPM AND THE VEHICLE WAS UP TO TEMPERATURE. ONCE THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED THROUGH THE LIGHT THE OIL LAMP TURNED OFF. AT THE NEXT STOPLIGHT THE OIL LAMP AGAIN CAME ON UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS. AFTER THIS THE VEHICLE SEEMED OK. A FEW DAYS LATER THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS. AN APPOINTMENT WAS THEN MADE TO HAVE THE VEHICLE SERVICED. BEFORE TAKING THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP THE ENGINE WAS STARTED AND MADE A LIGHT TICKING NOISE. THIS NOISE DID NOT CONTINUE AFTER THE ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF AND ALLOWED TO COOL DOWN OVERNIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR FEAR OF DAMAGING THE ENGINE FURTHER. THE DEALERSHIP FOUND THAT THE OIL SENDING UNIT WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY, AND ALSO WAS LEAKING OIL. THEY FOUND NO PROBLEMS WITH THE OILING SYSTEM AND ASSURED ME THAT THE OIL PRESSURE AND VOLUME WAS WITHIN CHRYSLER'S SPECIFICATIONS. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE OIL SENSOR FOR TIME AND MATERIAL BEING THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARANTY. ON THE WAY HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING A VERY LOUD KNOCKING SOUND ALTHOUGH THE OIL LAMP WAS NOT ON. THE CAR WAS THEN TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER WAS FOUND TO BE STUCK ALLOWING SLACK IN THE TIMING CHAIN. AFTER REPLACING THE TENSIONER WITH A NEW TENSIONER FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND REASSEMBLING THE ENGINE, THE KNOCKING NOISE WAS NOTICIBLY QUIETER BUT STILL INDICATED A PROBLEM. (NOTE: THE ENGINE MADE NO KNOCKING NOISE AT ALL WHEN COLD, IT ONLY KNOCKED WHEN UP TO TEMPERATURE) THE REPAIRMAN CONTACTED A CONTACT AT A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP AND WAS INFORMED OFF OF THE RECORD THAT THEY ALSO HAD AN INTREPID IN FOR THE SAME THING, AND THEY HAD TO ALSO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN AND TIMING CHAIN GUIDES TO RID THE VEHICLE OF THE KNOCKING SOUND WHEN UP TO TEMPERATURE. THE VEHICLE IS CURENTLY AT THE REPAIR SHOP WAITING FOR THE ADDITIONAL PARTS TO SEE IF THIS REMIDIES THE PROBLEM.

TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND VALVES WERE DAMAGED, WHICH (ACCORDING TO MECHANICS) VIRTUALLY IS UNHEARD OF ON SUCH A LATE MODEL CAR. NOT ONLY ARE MECHANICS REFUSING TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM (BECAUSE OF THE TYPE OF ENGINE), THEY ARE SAYING I WILL PROBABLY NEED A NEW ENGINE (UPWARDS OF $3500 IN COST). SEVERAL MECHANICS EXPRESSED THAT THEY HAVE SEEN SEVERAL PEOPLE WITH THIS PROBLEM WHO HAVE THE 6 CYLINDER, 2.7 LITER ENGINE ON THIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL OF CAR. BASICALLY, I WAS TOLD THAT WORKING ON THIS PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF CAR IS A BIG HEADACHE, AND "THEY WON'T TOUCH IT". WHY HASN'T THIS PROBLEM BEEN RECALLED?