2001 Dodge Intrepid

2001 DODGE INTREPID SE, 2.7 LITER ENGINE, V6, PURCHASED IN DECEMBER 2006, WE HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED THE DAY BEFORE MOTHERS DAY 2007, MOTHERS DAY 2007, I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM OUR LOCAL MALL, I STOPPED AT THE STOP SIGN, STARTED TO GO AND THE CAR JUST STALLED AS IF I WERE OUT OF GAS, I HAD A FULL TANK, I TRIED TO START THE CAR, IT WOULD NOT START. I WAS TOLD BY THE CHRYSLER DEALER NEARBY AFTER WE HAD IT TOWED THAT IT WAS ENGINE FAILURE. I HAD NO WARNING, THE ENGINE LIGHT NEVER CAME ON, NO OIL LIGHT, NO SMOKE FROM THE ENGINE NO WARNING WHAT SO EVER, AND HERE I AM A YEAR LATER WITH CAR THAT DOES NOT RUN AND OUT THE MONEY WE PAID FOR THE CAR IN THE FIRST PLACE. WE HAVEN'T HAD THE CAR REPAIRED BECAUSE WE ARE HOPING THEY WILL RECALL THIS ENGINE. *TR

MY CAR SEIZED ON ROUTE 3 IN PA ON MY WAY TO TAKE DAUGHTER TO SEE SURGEON ON HER FIRST TRIP ALLOWED TO BE SITTING IN A CAR TO GET HER STAPLES REMOVED AFTER MAJOR BACK SURGERY. THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND WITHIN 2 SECONDS THE CAR SHRUGGED TWICE AND DIED. WITH NO WARNING BESIDE THE 2 SECOND INTERVAL OF THE OIL LIGHT I LOST ALL STEERING AND BRAKING ABILITIES TO GET MY CAR SAFELY OFF ROADWAY. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY SCARY BECAUSE IT WAS THE FIRST DAY SHE WAS ALLOWED TO SIT IN A CAR AND ONLY TO SEE HER SURGEON. I AM TOLD BY MY MECHANIC THAT MY TIMING CHAIN IS BAD AND IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO REPLACE, THEY ARE ON BACK ORDER BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. MY DODGE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THEY ARE UNAWARE OF ANYONE ELSE HAVING A PROBLEM WITH TIMING CHAINS AT ALL. MY CAR IS UNDRIVABLE, USELESS, CRUSHING BLOW FOR A SINGLE PARENT OF 3 KIDS. *TR

ON THREE TIMES IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER ON MY 2001 DODGE 2.7L. THE FIRST TIME THE LOCAL DEALER DID THE REPAIR THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD AT THAT TIME BY THE DEALER THAT I HAD ENGINE SLUDGE AND THAT THIS REPAIR AND FUTURE REPAIRS WOULD NOT BE COVERED. THE LAST TIME THE I HAD A FAILURE ON THE HIGHWAY AND HAD TO LIMP 2 MILES TO GET OFF, THIS CAUSED MAJOR INTAKE VALVE DAMAGE AND HAS IS COASTING ME ABOUT $1,200.00 TO FIX MYSELF. *TR

I PURCHASED THE CAR USED IN DECEMBER 2007, IT HAD 147,000 MILES ON IT. SINCE I PURCHASED IT I HAVE HAD THE OIL CHANGED TWICE. ON THE MORNING OF MAY 7, 2008, I CHECKED THE OIL PRIOR TO A LONG TRIP AND FOUND IT TO BE 1 QUART LOW. I ADDED ADDITIONAL OIL TO BRING THE LEVEL TO FULL. ABOUT 5 MILES INTO THE TRIP, WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 70 MILES AN HOUR, I BEGAN HEARING A VERY LOUD KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. AS I BEGAN CHANGING LANES, I FOUND THAT ONCE I SLOWED DOWN SLIGHTLY, I WAS UNABLE TO PICK UP SPEED AGAIN, AND I WAS SLOWLY LOOSING SPEED. AS I ENTERED THE OFF RAMP THE OIL LIGHT BEGAN TO FLICKER. AT THE END OF THE OFF RAMP, MY CAR DIED AT THE STOP SIGN, AND WOULD NOT START AGAIN, LEAVING ME IN A VERY UNSAFE PLACE. I PLACED THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND ATTEMPTED TO PUSH IT INTO A PARKING LOT FROM THE DRIVERS DOOR IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL OR APPLY THE BRAKES IF NEEDED. I WAS UNABLE TO PUSH FROM THAT POSITION, SO I WAS FORCED TO TAKE THE RISK OF PUSHING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. BY SHEER LUCK THE CAR ROLLED BETWEEN A STREET SIGN AND A PARKED VEHICLE, AND CAME TO A STOP WHEN IT HIT A BUSH JUST BEFORE ROLLING INTO THE DITCH. I WAS INFORMED BY MY MECHANIC THAT THE ROD KNOCK WAS CAUSED BY A SEVERE BUILDUP OF OIL SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. I WAS OFFERED 2 OPTIONS TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE; 1) HAVE A REMANUFACTURED 2.7 L ENGINE INSTALLED THAT HAD BEEN MODIFIED TO COMBAT THIS PROBLEM, OR 2) HAVE A 3.2 OR 3.5 L ENGINE FROM ANOTHER INTREPID OR CONCORD INSTALLED, WHICH WOULD INVOLVE NO MODIFICATIONS SINCE THE TRANSMISSION AND EXHAUST SYSTEMS FOR ALL THREE OF THE ENGINES WERE IDENTICAL. TO MY SURPRISE, THE ESTIMATE FOR INSTALLING THE LARGER ENGINE WAS LESS THAN INSTALLING THE SAME SIZE ENGINE, EVEN CONSIDERING THE PERIPHERAL PARTS SUCH AS AIR CONDITIONING, POWER STEERING, ETC. THAT WOULD NEED TO COME ALONG WITH THE LARGER ENGINE! ALL TOLD, I WILL HAVE SPEND $3000 TO PURCHASE THE CAR AND NEARLY THE SAME AMOUNT TO REPAIR IT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE INTREPID. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A VERY LOUD CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, THE MOTOR STOPPED RUNNING AND WHITE SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE EXHAUST. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. A MECHANIC ADVISED HIM TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE MOTOR. THE VEHICLE IS STILL AT THE CONTACT'S HOME AND HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 110,000.

OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR LIGHT BEGAN FLICKERING APPROXIMATELY 3 WEEKS PRIOR TO ENGINE FAILURE. OIL CHANGED ON 2 OCCASIONS DURING TIME FRAME AND RESULT SAME, LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY FLICKERED AND THAN BECAME CONTINUOUSLY SOLID RED WITH LIGHT TICKING NOISE OBSERVED FROM UPPER VALVE COVER. APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES LONGER OF DRIVING TO SAFELY LOCATE THE DODGE INTREPID WITH 2.7 LITER ENGINE TO RESIDENCE, ONCE PARKED IN DRIVE WAY THE TICKING WAS SPORADIC AND CAR HAS BEEN PARKED SINCE DUE TO INABILITY TO OPERATE SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY WITHOUT FURTHER CREATING TOTAL LOSS TO VEHICLE AND ENGINE COMPONENTS! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE INTREPID. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED. THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED. THE CONTACT COULD NOT AFFORD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE, SO HE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,000.

HUSBAND DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AT THE BUSIEST TIME OF THE DAY CAR ACTED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO TURN OFF AT A STOP LIGHT. HE TURNED OFF THE BUSY RODE AND THE CAR JUST SUDDENLY TURNED OFF. STARTED SMOKING HE OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW THAT FLUIDS HAD LEAKED OUT. NEARBY WAS A MECHANIC SHOP WITH HELP PUSHED IT THERE. WAS PUT ON A DIAGNOSTIC AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THE ENGINE WAS GONE RESULT OF A OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM WHICH CAUSES ENGINE FAILURE. ESTIMATED COST FOR NEW ENGINE $5372. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM AND WOULDN'T EVEN CONSIDER PUTTING A NEW ENGINE IN THIS CAR. *TR