2001 Dodge Intrepid

ON JUNE 13, 2005, MY 2001 DODGE INTERPID 2.7 L ENGINE FAILED ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THE CAR WOULD NOT START AGAIN. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DODGE DELAERSHIP WHERE IT WAS TO BE LOOKED AT. THE MECHANIC SUPERVISOR INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE AND THAT THE ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED--COSTING SEVERAL THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. HE TOLD ME THAT THE DELAERSHIP HAD REPLACED FOUR OR FIVE 2.7L DODGE ENGINES ALREADY. I WAS TOLD THAT THE 2.7L HAS LOTS OF FLAWS AND DEFECTS THAT I WAS NOT TOLD OF UPON PURCHASING. I STILL OWE MONEY ON THE CAR AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO TRADE A VEHICLE IN WHEN IT WON'T EVEN START. RIGHT NOW, I AM OUT A VEHICLE AS WELL AS MONEY.

DT: PROBLEM BEGAN ABOUT ONE MONTH AGO, THE STEERING WAS LOOSE. WHEN MOVING THE STEERING WHEEL ABOUT 5-10 DEGREES IN EITHER DIRECTION, THE STEERING SYSTEM DOES NOT RESPOND. THEN, THE VEHILCE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC, WHO DETERMINED THAT RACK AND PINION STEERING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE OWNER WAS ATTEMPTING TO GET HELP FROM CHRYSLER, BUT THEY WERE NOT OFFERING HELP. OWNER NOTICED UPON INVESTIGATION THAT THERE WERE OTHERS WITH THIS CONCERN. *AK

DT: TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ABOUT MONTH AGO. JUST HAD TRANSMISSION REDONE, HOWEVER, VEHICLE OVERHEATED. TOOK TO A MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED 2 FANS WERE WORKING PROPERLY. NEXT DAY WAS STUCK IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WHEN THE CAR OVERHEATED. TRIED TO MANEUVER THROUGH TRAFFIC AND ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING. PARKED CAR IN PARKING LOT, AND STEAM BEGAN TO POUR OUT. DID NOT OPEN HOOD. CALLED MECHANIC AND TOW TRUCK, AND WAS INFORMED THAT, ENGINE WAS TOTALLY SHOT. IT WAS POORLY DESIGNED. CALLED DODGE WITH NO SUCCESS, THEY OFFERED NO REMEDY. *AK

DT: CONTACT STATES WHILE HIS WIFE WAS DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED, THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THERE WERE NO POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. THE SERVICE DEALER SAID THE MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS FOUND THAT A PLASTIC PART OF THE WATER PUMP BROKE OFF. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REGULARLY MAINTAINED.*AK

DT: CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND VEHICLE STALLED. ENGINE WAS BAD. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER BEFORE STALLING, AND DEALER SAYS NOTHING WRONG. AFTER STALLING CONSUMER TOOK CAR TO ANOTHER GARAGE, AND WAS TOLD ENGINE WAS BAD. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED REGULARLY. VEHICLE HAS BEEN LOSING OIL PRESSURE, CAUSING IT TO CUT OFF. INTERIOR LIGHTS CAME ON FOR NO APPARENT REASON.*AK

DT:CONSUMER WAS DRIVING 60-65 MPH IN 2001 DODGE INTREPID WHEN HE HEARD A NOISE LIKE A HOSE BURSTING OR BREAKING. IMMEDIATELY LOOKED AT TEMPERATURE GAUGE ,AND IT WENT TO HOT. CONSUMER TURNED ON THE HEATER, AND THE VEHICLE TEMPERATURE WENT BACK TO NORMAL. CONSUMER PULLED OFF THE ROAD, AND LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD, AND SAW THAT WAS OIL LEAKING. CONSUMER PARKED THE VEHICLE AT THAT POINT AND THERE WAS A STEADY FLOW OF OIL, AT SOME POINT IT DID STOP. CONSUMER WAS HAVING THE VEHICLE TOWED. *AK

2001 DODGE INTREPID, 2.7 LITER, BOUGHT IN JULY 2001 FROM DODGE AND WAS A ONE PERSON OWNER. IT HAD, WHEN WE BOUGHT IT, 28,000 AND STILL UNDER FACTORY WARRENTY. WE BOUGHT THE EXTENDED WARRENTY OF 100,000 7YEARS. ENGINE TAPPING, TOOK TO THE DODGE DEALERSHIP AND WAS BLAMED ON NOT CHANGING OUR OIL PROPERLY. HAD TO GET IT FIXED. WE TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC THAT WORKED ON IT ENOUGH TO WERE WE COULD DRIVE IT AND AT THE TIME THOUGHT IT WAS FIXED FOR GOOD. COME TO FIND OUT THIS WAS ONLY A TEMP FIX. AT THE TIME WE WERE NOT AWARE OF THE ALL THE PROBLEMS THE 2.7 LITER ENGINES WERE HAVING. JUST RECENTLY STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH IT AGAIN AND THIS TIME IT IS SO BAD WE CANNOT DRIVE IT. DODGE REFUSED TO HONOR THEIR WARRENTY AND ME AS A CUSTOMER AM OF THE OPION THAT THIS IS WRONG. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT CRYSLER/DODGE HAVE ADMITTED TO THE PROBLEM AND MODIFIED THE ENGINE. WELL, IF THEY ADMITTED TO THE PROBLEM THEY SHOULD BE FIXING THEIR CARS.

CONSUMER STATES: ENGINE MALFUNCTIONED. CALLED CHRYSLER AND REPLACED TRANSMISSION 9 MONTHS AGO. THE ENGINE JUST SHUT DOWN, THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE. NO LIGHTS CAME ON WHEN THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. ACTED LIKE IT WANTED TO CUT OFF, IT STARTED SHAKING ,AND JUST DIED AND WOULDN'T START BACK. IT ACTED LIKE IT WANTED TO TURN OVER, MAKING A NOISE. MECHANIC SAID INTERNAL ENGINE DAMAGE CAUSED BY TIMING CHAIN, AND FLUIDS GOT MIXED IN WITH THE OIL. JUST HAD OIL CHANGED WEEK PRIOR TO THIS.*AK