2001 Dodge Intrepid

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE HAD SIGNIFICANT SLUDGE BUILDUP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTO SHOP FOR A REGULAR SCHEDULED OIL CHANGE ON 05/10/06 WHO DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE HAD THIS PROBLEM. A FEW WEEKS LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN OVER A POT HOLE AND HEARD A RATTLE NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON 07/05/06 WHO DETERMINED THAT IT WAS UNSAFE TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 07/06/06 TO PURCHASE A NEW VEHICLE, HOWEVER IT WOULD NOT RESTART WHEN LEAVING THE DEALER. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT THE STARTER OR THE BATTERY WAS NOT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE RESIDENCE. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS OF INTREPID ENGINES SUFFERING FROM SLUDGE BUILDUP.

I HAVE A 2001 DODGE INTREPID, ON JUNE 1 2006 I WAS ON THE EXPRESS WAY IN DETROIT MI. AND MY ENGINE JUST LOCKED UP I LOST ALL POWER STEERING, I MAD IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD LUCKILY THERE WAS LIGHT TRAFFIC. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE A CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND I WAS INFORMED THAT MY ENGINE FAILED AND THAT IT WAS DO TO SLUDGE BUILD UP. THE SHOP WANTS 5,500 DOLLARS TO FIX THE CAR WITCH I DON'T HAVE, AND I MIGHT LOSE MY JOB-THAT WAS MY ONLY CAR. *NM

WE WERE DRIVING DOWN A MAJOR HIGHWAY AND SUDDENLY THE CAR LOST POWER AND ALL OF THE LIGHTS CAME ON, LUCKILY WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OFF THE BUSY HIGHWAY WITHOUT CAUSING A MAJOR PILE UP. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO A GARAGE WHERE WE WERE TOLD THAT IT NEEDED A NEW ENGINE! THE GARAGE CHECKED EVERYTHING, ALL FLUID LEVELS WERE NORMAL, THE GUY SAID THAT THERE WAS NO "EXPLAINABLE" REASON WHY THIS OCCURRED. A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THIS MY TIMING BELT WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER ISSUES (TO THE TUNE OF $800) AND IT HAD JUST HAD ONE OF THE BIG CHECK UPS. THE LAST 6 MONTHS OR SO MY OIL LIGHT WOULD COME ON INTERMITTENTLY. I HAD THIS CHECKED NUMEROUS TIMES, THE OIL WAS ALWAYS FINE (AND ALWAYS MAINTAINED EVERY 3000 MILES). THE GARAGE AT THAT TIME COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHY THE OIL LIGHT KEPT COMING ON AND FOR LACK OF ANYTHING ELSE SAID IT WAS PROBABLY A SHORT IN THE LIGHT. MY CAR IS ONLY A 2001 AND NOW IS IN NEED OF A $6000 ENGINE! *NM

IN FEBRUARY OF 2006 WE PURCHASED A 2001 DODGE INTREPID FOR OUR DAUGHTER TO DRIVE. IN MAY OF 2006 SHE WAS DRIVING THE INTREPID SOUTH ON US-131 JUST PAST THE I-94 EXCHANGE WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING. THE OIL LIGHT OR CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS NEVER CAME ON. THE CAR SLOWED DOWN AND CAME TO A STOP. THANK GOD SHE WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD SAFELY BEFORE THE ENGINE QUIT. SO AFTER A $192.00 TOWING BILL AND BEING TOLD THE CAR WAS A PIECE OF JUNK, WE ARE MAKING PAYMENTS ON A $5,000. DEAD HORSE IN OUR DRIVEWAY. *NM

I HAVE BEEN HAVING A PROBLEM WITH MY ENGINE OIL LIGHT FLASHING AT RANDOM. ALSO THE OIL JUST SEEMS TO DISAPPEAR INTO THIN AIR. I HAVE HAD THE OIL SIGNET UNIT REPLACED AND I FOLLOW REGULAR OIL CHANGE SCHEDULES. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE AUTO MECHANIC ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS DUE TO SMALL OIL LEAKS. I HAVE HEARD HORRIFYING STORIES CONCERNING THE 2001 DODGE INTREPID AND THEIR ENGINE FAILURES. I HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE TRUE BECAUSE AS OF RIGHT NOW TWO OF MY CO-WORKER'S 2001 DODGE INTREPIDS ARE SITTING ON OUR COLLEGE CAMPUS DUE TO ENGINE FAILURES. I AM SO TERRIFIED OF DRIVING THIS CAR. MY JOB REQUIRES THAT I DO A LOT OF TRAVELING AND I ONLY HAVE THIS ONE VEHICLE. BASED ON MY RESEARCH IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS THAT CHRYSLER IS WELL AWARE OF THIS MAJOR DEFECT AND SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH THE OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO JERK AND THEN STALLED. THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND ABS. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO THE CONTACTS HOME FOR INSPECTION BY A LOCAL MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE ENGINE HAD OIL SLUDGE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALTHOUGH THE DEALER WAS ALERTED NO FURTHER INSPECTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN ALERTED.