2001 Dodge Intrepid

ON JAN. 27,2006, I , INELL FOYE WAS DRIVING MY 2001 DODGE INTREPID INTREPID WHEN SUDDENLY THE ENGINE FAILED. ON JAN. 30,2006 I HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT THE CAR. HE DETERMINED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE. AS A RESULT, THE PISTONS AND VALVES WERE DAMAGED. NOW I NEED A NEW ENGINE IN WHICH I CANT AFFORD. BY THE WAY,ITS A 2.7L ENGINE. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT MANY OF THESE CARS HAVE THESE PROBLEMS. I FOUND OUT THE HARD WAY. HOPEFULLY I WILL BE FULLY COMPENSATED. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING ON A PAVED ROAD THE CHECK OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING, THE TEMPERATURE INCREASED. UPON INSPECTION THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THE OIL PRESSURE HAD DROPPED. THE OIL PUMP WAS REPLACED AT A LATER DATE. AFTER SIX MONTHS THE CHECK OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED. UPDATED 3/3/2006 - *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE NOISES COULD BE HEARD COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN FOR A PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP. DIAGNOSTICS TEST WERE PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE AND THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN FOR ONE YEAR BEFORE THE ENGINE FAILED; THE VEHICLE IS NOW PARKED WITHOUT REPAIRS BEING MADE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED.

GOOD MORNING, MY NAME IS [XXX] AND I LIVE IN HAMILTON OHIO. I AM THE OWNER OF THE 2001, DODGE INTREPID. ON JANUARY 28, 2006 MY WIFE WAS DRIVING DOWN A RURAL ROAD WHEN THE ENGINE OF THE CAR STARTED TO TICK AS SHE WAS SLOWING TO GO AROUND A BEND IN THE ROAD. SHE LOOKED AT THE GAUGES TO FIND NOTHING REAL ABNORMAL. WHEN SHE GOT ALMOST AROUND THE BEND AND TRIED TO SPEED UP A LITTLE THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE WHEELS ENDED UP LOCKING BEFORE FINISHING THE CURVE, AND SHE SLID OFF THE ROAD. MY WIFE HAD TO GET OUT OF THE CAR IN A DANGEROUS PART OF THE ROAD AND WALK QUITE A DISTANCE TO GET TO A PHONE TO CALL ME. WE HAVE FOUR CHILDREN AND ONE OR ALL COULD HAVE BEEN WITH HER AT THE TIME. IF THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE STOPPED SOONER SHE COULD HAVE GOTTEN REALLY HURT. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP IN FAIRFIELD, OHIO, AND THEY HAVE SINCE INFORMED ME THAT THE WHOLE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER TALKING VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC, HE INFORMED ME OF THE PROBLEMS OF THIS ENGINE. THIS ENGINE DID HAVE SLUDGE BUILD UP IN IT. WHEN I WOULD TAKE IT TO GET ITS REGULAR OIL CHANGE I WOULD HAVE TO GET THE ENGINE FLUSHED TO GET THE SLUDGE OUT, COSTING MORE MONEY. ALSO HAVING PROBLEMS WITH HEATING SYSTEM. BUT, I ASSOCIATED THAT WITH SOME SORT OF HEATING ELEMENT NOT WORKING. IT WOULD WORK FINE MOVING DOWN THE ROAD, BUT WHEN I WOULD STOP AT A SIGN OR A LIGHT IT WOULD GET COLD. I HAD ALL THE SIGNS I HAVE DISCOVERED FROM YOUR WEB SITE AFTER THE ENGINE WENT OUT. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP OR INFORMATION YOU COULD PROVIDE. *AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I OWN A 2001 DODGE INTREPID SE WITH THE 2.7 LITER ENGINE AND 88,000 MILES ON IT. I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP YESTERDAY BECAUSE IT SUDDENLY STARTED SOUNDING LIKE A DIESEL ENGINE. THE SHOP CALLED ME LATER THAT MORNING TO INFORM ME THAT ENGINE HAD SLUDGE IN IT, AND THE SOUND I WAS HEARING WAS DAMAGE TO THE TIMING CHAIN , AND THE ENGINE WILL EVENTUALLY BLOW. THE ONLY THING HE CAN DO IS REPLACE THE ENGINE AT A COST OF OVER $6200.00. AT 42,000 MILES I TOOK CAR TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE BECAUSE HEATER WAS BLOWING COLD AIR WHEN I CAME TO A STOP LIGHT BUT WOULD BLOW HOT AIR WHEN I WAS DRIVING. THEY SAID THAT I HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AND REPLACED IT BECAUSE IT WAS UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. NOW THIS HAPPENS. I CALLED CHRYSLER AND STRONGLY VOICED MY DISPLEASURE ABOUT THEIR PRODUCT. THEY TOOK MY INFORMATION AND PROVIDED ME WITH A CASE NUMBER AND SAID THAT I CAN BRING IT TO AN AUTHORIZED DODGE DEALERSHIP FOR THEM TO INSPECT. IF THEY DETERMINE THAT THIS WAS NOT DUE TO NEGLECT THEN THEY "MIGHT" PARTICIPATE IN THE COST OF REPAIR. I WOULD NEED TO PROVIDE THEM WITH ALL OF MY RECEIPTS FOR OIL CHANGES (WHICH I ONLY HAVE THE LAST ONE FROM 3 WEEKS AGO). ALSO, I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THEM TAKING THE ENGINE APART ($700.00). ONLY AFTER THEY TAKE IT APART AND HAVE AN INSPECTOR LOOK AT IT WILL THEY DETERMINE IF THEY WILL PARTICIPATE IN ANY OF THE COSTS. I CAME ACROSS YOUR WEB SITE FROM SEVERAL FORUMS WHERE IT APPEARS THAT MANY INDIVIDUALS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. MY QUESTION HAD TO DO IF I HAD ANY RECOURSE IN THIS MATTER? *AK

DT*: THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION. THE LOCAL MECHANIC DISCOVERED THE ENGINE WAS FILLED WITH SLUDGE AND THE PISTONS WERE WELDED TOGETHER IN THE HEAD GASKET. THE LOCAL MECHANIC STATED THERE WAS NO OIL IN THE ENGINE, ALTHOUGH 1 QUART OF OIL WAS ADDED THE WEEK BEFORE THE FAILURE. THE LOCAL MECHANIC RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE ENGINE. *JB

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