2001 Dodge Intrepid

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE INTREPID. THE CONTACT WAS APPROACHING A STOP SIGN WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO OVER HEAT AND STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TIMING BELT AND THE WATER PUMP WERE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THIS IS THE ONLY INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED. THE CONTACT DIDN'T AUTHORIZE THE DEALER REPAIR THE VEHICLE. SHE IS UNABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. *NM UPDATED 2/27/2007 - THE WATER PUMP FAILED AND WAS LEAKING. THE OIL PRESSURE SWITCH WAS BAD AND THE ENGINE HAD SLUDGE BUILD UP. *NM

I HAD JUST GOTTEN MY 2001 DODGE INTREPID OUR OF THE DEALERS REPAIR BAY WHERE THEY REPLACED 6 PARTS ON THE CAR THAT WERE WORKING BEFORE DISCOVERING THAT THE TIMING BELT HAD BROKEN. WE TESTED ALL OF THE PARTS LATER AND THEY WORKED. THIS COST 1,400 DOLLARS. 2 WEEKS LATER I WAS IN MY CAR ON I-75 IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA WHEN I SUFFERED CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AT 75 MILES PER HOUR. THE ENGINE SEIZED AND I LOST ALL POWER STEERING AND HAD TO FORCE THE CAR OFF OF THE HIGHWAY ACROSS 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO THE SHOULDER. AFTER PAYING A 200 DOLLAR TOWING BILL I FOUND OUT THE ACCUMULATION OF OIL SLUDGE IN THE TOP OF THE ENGINE HAD CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE CAR HAS NOW BEEN ON A TRAILER IN MURRAY COUNTY GEORGIA FOR 8 MONTHS AND I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. AFTER CONTACTING DODGE THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD NOT HELP WITH THE REPAIRS. THEY BLAMED IT ON ME SAYING I DIDN'T CHANGE THE OIL ENOUGH THIS CANNOT BE TRUE BECAUSE WE HAVE RELIGIOUSLY CHANGED THE OIL EVERY 3000 MILES. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH ON THE TOPIC AND HAVE FOUND MANY OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME FAILURES. DODGE SHOULD BE FORCED INTO REPAIRING THESE PROBLEMS. SO HERE I SIT THIS PROBLEM HAS ALMOST KILLED MY BUSINESS BECAUSE I CANT AFFORD A NEW CAR THAT IS NICE ENOUGH TO TAKE CLIENTS AROUND IN SO I HAVE TO DRIVE A PIECE OF JUNK. YOU WOULD THINK THAT THESE COMPANIES WOULD CARE ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS BUT ONCE AGAIN DAIMLER/CHRYSLER PROVES THAT THEY DON'T GIVE A DARN ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THEM PROFITABLE. UNLESS THIS IS RESOLVED I WILL NEVER HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH A DODGE, CHRYSLER, OR MERCEDES EVER AGAIN AND I SWEAR I WILL TELL EVERY PERSON I COME IN CONTACT WHAT THESE PEOPLE ARE DOING TO THEIR CUSTOMERS I MAY EVEN START A NEGATIVE AD CAMPAIGN AGAINST DODGE. I WILL TAKE THIS TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH BEFORE I LET ANYONE I KNOW RUN THE RISK OF LOSING THEIR LIVES DUE THE INCOMPETENCY OF THESE MONEY HUNGRY SHARKS. *NM

TL*- WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STARTED LOSING POWER AND STARTED SMOKING. THE CONTACT PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY. AT THE REPAIR FACILITY THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED. THE CONTACT TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP ,) AND THEY STATED AS WELL THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CONCERNED BECAUSE AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE, SHE HAS SEEN MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. *AK

I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN I HEARD A METAL ON METAL GRINDING NOISE. BEFORE I COULD PULL THE CAR OUT OF TRAFFIC THE CAR STALLED, THE VEHICLE BECAME ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. I GOT IT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD & HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO START IT SINCE. I WAS TOLD JUST TODAY THAT THE WATER PUMP BROKE INTO PICES, & THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I CALLED THE CHRYSLER CORP. & INSPITE OF THE FACT THAT THIS CAR HAS LESS THAN 68,000 MILES ON IT, THEY INFORMED ME THAT I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENTIRE $1,500.00+ REPAIR BILL. *JB

HEATER WOULD COME AND GO OF LATE, OIL LIGHT WOULD FLICKER AT STOPS AND GO OFF UPON ACCELERATING. ON TRIP FROM TX TO NC OIL LIGHT CAME ON, STAYED ON. HAD THE FILTER CHANGED, OIL LIGHT WENT OFF, UNTIL THE ENGINE TOTALLY SEIZED THE FOLLOWING DAY SHORTLY AFTER THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON. WAS QUOTED 6000.00 TO REPLACE AN ENGINE FOR A CAR WORTH WELL LESS THAN THAT. GAVE IT TO A FORD DEALER AND BOUGHT A FORD TAURUS. *JB

PURCHASED A 2001 DODGE INTREPID SE IN OCT. 2006 FROM USED CAR DEALER. ON DEC. 29,2006 CAR BEGAN TO MAKE GURGLING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. HAS 119,200 MILES ON CAR. TOOK CAR TO MECHANIC AND HE SAID HE HAD JUST FINISH ENGINE REPAIRS ON A 1998 AND 2000 DODGE INTREPID WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. NEED TO CHANGE OIL PUMP, OIL PAN, LIFTERS AND GASKETS. LOOKING AT $500 TO $1000 FOR REPAIRS PLUS $60 TO PUT IT ON THE DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE. ONLY PAID $2500 FOR CAR. THIS IS MY ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION TO WORK AND SCHOOL. IF I HAD KNOWN THAT THIS CAR WAS SO JACKED UP I WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT IT. THERE SHOULD BE SOMEONE FILING A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CAR MANUFACTURER. SIGN ME UP!!! *NM

TL* - WHILE DRIVING A 2001 DODGE INTREPID AT 45 MILES PER HOUR, THE ENGINE STARTED TO MAKE A KNOCKING SOUND. THE CAR DID NOT STALL. THE ODOMETER READ 100,000 MILES AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE OIL IN THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN CHANGED AFTER THE INCIDENT. THE CONTACT FOUND INFORMATION ABOUT SIMILAR INCIDENTS AT : WWW.DATATOWN.CHRYSLER.COM. THE WEBSITE STATED THAT IF THE VEHICLE FAILS THE OWNER ISN'T PERFORMING PROPER MAINTENANCE ON THE VEHICLE.

WHILE TURNING INTO MY SUBDIVISION MY 2001 DODGE INTREPID, 2.7L, V-6, 83,000 MILES, DIED AND I LOST ALL POWER FOR STEERING AND BRAKING. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT SHOP TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. THE INITIAL PROBLEM WAS THOUGHT TO BE A CRACKED PLENTIUM, BUT AFTER REPLACEMENT ($1,000), THE CAR DID NOT START AND THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I THEN HAD THE CAR TOWED TO AN ENGINE SPECIALTY SHOP FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS. THIS SHOP INFORMED ME THAT THE ENGINE WAS WATER AND/OR OIL LOCKED AND THAT INDEED THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THEY RESEARCHED THE ENGINE AND FOUND THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PLACES THAT WOULDN'T EVEN SALE THE 2.7L, V-6 DUE THE GREAT NUMBER OF ENGINE FAILURES THAT HAVE OCCURRED. ADDITIONALLY, JASPER ENGINES (A LEADING MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTOR OF ENGINES) STATED THAT THESE ENGINES HAVE A VERY HIGH FAILURE RATE AND SUGGESTED UPGRADING TO THE 3.2L ($4,500 ENGINE + $1,000 FOR THE UPGRADE PARTS AND PIECES NEEDED BECAUSE IT'S A DIFFERENT ENGINE = $5,500). THEY EVEN SUGGESTED I GO ON THIS SITE TO SEE HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. BASED ON WHAT I READ THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD OWN UP TO AND MAKE THE APPROPRIATE FIXES. I FOR ONE HAVE OWNED A NUMBER OF DODGES AND ALL HAVE HAD SOME TYPE OF PROBLEM ASSOCIATED WITH THEM, SPECIFICALLY, TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. HAS ANYONE HAD ANY LUCK WITH CHRYSLER GIVING THEM RELIEF OR A DEALER STEPPING UP? *NM