2001 Dodge Intrepid

201 DODGE INTREPID: INNER TIE RODS WORN AT APPROX. 70,000 MILES. ALONG WITH RACK AND PINION LEAKING FLUID. CAUSED SEVER PROBLEMS WITH STEERING AND CAR CONTROL. TOOK CAR TO DEALER AND THEY SAID I SHOULD NOT BEING DRIVING CAR BECAUSE OF POTENTIAL STEERING CONTROL LOSS. SET APPOINTMENT TO HAVE INNER TIE ROD ENDS REPLACED AND RACK AND PINION AND WOULD NOTIFIED THAT IT PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR WEEKS. 1999 CHRYSLER CONCORD: SAME EXACT PROBLEM EXCEPT THAT ONLY COMPLETE STEERING BOX RATHER THAN RACK AND PINION WAS REPLACED WITH REPLACEMENT OF INNER TIE ROD ENDS. ALSO, BOTH DRIVER SIDE REAR BRAKES PREMATURELY WORE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. PASSENGER SIDE WAS FINE. *NM

CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE TAIL PIPE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, WHO DETERMINED THAT VACUUM HOSE DISENGAGED. MECHANIC PLACED THE VACUUIM HOSE BACK ON. A FEW DAYS LATER. THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER,WHO DETERMINED THAT ENGINE HAD SLUDGE BUILD UP IN IT. *AK

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE TAIL PIPE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO A MECHANIC, AND MECHANIC STATED THAT THE VACUUM HOSE HAD COME LOOSE. THE MECHANIC PLACED THE VACUUM HOSE BACK ONTO THE VEHICLE. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THAT'S WHEN THE CONSUMER FOUND OUT THERE WAS SLUDGE BUILD UP IN THE ENGINE. *AK

NASTY SMELL FROM A/C, SUSPENSION/AXLES AND OTHER PROBLEMS WITH DODGE INTREPID. *BF THERE WERE SCRATCHES ON THE COVER OF THE RADIO PROGRAM, PROBLEMS WITH THE WINDOW AND DOOR LOCK, THE RIGHT PASSENGER FRONT HAD PIN HOLES, THE FRONT END WAS LOUD GRABBING AND KNOCKING, THE DRIVER DOOR WINDOW DISPLAYED A THUMP NOISE AND THE MOTOR ON THE WINDOW CONTINUED TO RUN EVEN AFTER THE WINDOW WAS CLOSED, THE PASSENGER SEAT COVER HAD A BIG GAUGE WHICH WAS MADE ON THE CONSOLE AND THE GLOVE BOX COVER DOOR, THERE WERE SPOTS ON THE INTERIOR OF THE FRONT HEAD LIGHT INSIDE OF THE GLASS, THE ENGINE WOULD SURGE, THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR MADE SQUEAKING NOISES, AIR BAG LIGHT WAS INTERMITTENT, SPEAKER DAMAGE, THE RIGHT AND LEFT FRONT WINDOWS SQUEAKED MOSTLY ON THE LEFT SIDE MOTOR, THE RIGHT WINDOW DID NOT WORK AT ALL, THE LEFT REAR ANCHOR COVER WAS BROKEN, THE BRAKES WERE NOISY, THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS INTERMITTENT, THE TIRE EXPERIENCED EXCESSIVE WEAR, AND THERE WAS A GRABBING ON RIGHT TURNS. RECALL#03V035000. *SC

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE CONTAINED SLUDGE BUILD UP AFTER HAVING THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER CHANGED. THE CONSUMER HAD THE ENGINE FLUSHED TWO TIMES TO IMPROVE THE SLUDGE PROBLEM. AFTER THAT, THE VEHICLE STALLED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BLOWN AND CAUSED ENGINE DAMAGE. THE TIMING CHAIN WAS CHANGED AT THE DEALER WHO CHANGED THE TIMING TENSIONER. THE CONSUMER FOUND THAT THERE WERE NUMEROUS CASES OF THIS PROBLEM IN CHRYSLER VEHICLES. (THE TUBE THAT BRINGS THE OIL UP INTO THE ENGINE CLOGS UP, RESULTING IN AN UNDER-OILED ENGINE, SHOWING THE FAULT BEING THE OWNERS) THE CONSUMER REQUESTED THAT CHRYSLER COVER THE COST OF THE ENGINE REPLACEMENT. ALSO, THE BRAKES PULSATED AND THE TRUNK LOCK WAS BROKEN. *SC *JB

I HAVE A 2001 INTREPID, BOUGHT IT WITH 7,995 MILES ON IT. FROM THE TIME I PURCHASED THE CAR I HAD A VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL. I HAD THE CAR BACK IMMEDIATELY AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE TIRES AND CAUSED NO SAFETY RISK. THIS BECAME WORSE, I TOOK IT BACK AGAIN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, ONLY NOW WORSE ESPECIALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THEY NOW TOLD ME THAT THE ROTORS WERE WORN AND NEEDED TO BE TURNED DOWN. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS NOT COVERED SINCE THE WARRANTY WAS ONLY GOOD FOR 15,000 MILES AND THIS HAD BEEN EXCEEDED. WELL THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED, AND NOW I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS. THIS PROBLEM CONTINUES AND NOW 2 YEARS LATER HAVE TO REPLACE THE ROTORS, BRAKE PADS, AND SOME TELL ME TO CHANGE TO BRAKE HOSES AND THE CALIPERS ALONG WITH THIS. MY DEALER DOES NOT WANT TO WORK WITH ME, BUT CAN STAND THERE AND TELL ME THAT THIS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE INTREPID, CONCORDE, LXI, 300M --- AND THE KICKER IS THAT THEY ARE NOT CONCERNED WITH THIS BECAUSE THE WARRANTY IS UP. I HAVE ONLY 7,000 MILES ON THE NEW ROTORS, BRAKE PADS AND BRAKE HOSES AND NOW THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. I PAY ENOUGH FOR THIS PIECE OF '!@#$%, AND EVERY THREE MONTHS I HAVE TO PUT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS INTO THE BRAKING SYSTEM. I HAVE NEVER BEEN THIS UNHAPPY WITH A VEHICLE, AND I HAVE OWNED MANY NEW VEHICLES. *NLM

THE BRAKE LINES THAT RUN BETWEEN THE MASTER CYLINDER AND PROPORTIONING VALVE ARE ROUTED PAST THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD HEAT SHIELD RETAINING CLAMP. THE RETAINING CLAMP HAS A BOLT THAT PROTRUDES UP AT ABOUT A 75 DEGREE ANGLE FROM HORIZONTAL. THE BRAKE LINES WERE ROUTED PAST THIS BOLT AND SO CLOSE THAT THEY WERE RUBBING UP AGAINST IT. OVER A PERIOD OF TIME(14,050 MILES) THIS CONTACT CAUSED BRAKE FAILURE DUE TO A HOLE WORN IN THE BRAKE LINE TUBING FROM CONSTANT FRICTION. THERE HAS BEEN NO REPAIRS OR MODIFICATIONS OF FACTORY INSTALLED EQUIPMENT OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM OR ANY OTHER SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NOT A ACCIDENT CAUSED BY THIS INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THIS COULD BE A POTENTIAL SAFETY RECALL ISSUE ON THIS VEHICLE. *JB