2001 Dodge Intrepid

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE INTREPID. WHILE AT A RED LIGHT, THE ENGINE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO RESTART. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WERE THREE FAULTY COILS AND THREE FAULTY SPARK PLUGS. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THE VALVE TRAIN IS FAULTY. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND BLUISH-GRAY SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE TAIL PIPE, WHICH WAS AN INDICATION OF ENGINE FAILURE. IN ADDITION, THE FUEL CONSUMPTION INCREASED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 88,600.

2001 DODGE INTREPID SE - 2.7L, LOST POWER ON THE WAY TO WORK. OIL LIGHT BEGAN FLICKERING (HAD SCHEDULED OIL CHANGE COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE) AND COASTED OFF THE ROADWAY. HAD CAR TOWED IN TO THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. DIAGNOSED "CATASTROPHIC INTERNAL ENGINE FAILURE." MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALL PAST REPAIR WORK HAD BEEN COMPLETED BY THE LOCAL DODGE DEALER. THEY HAVE REPLACED TWO OF THE MAIN BRAINS IN THE CAR (@ 40K & 55K - BOTH COST $850 EA.), OIL PAN GASKETS (@ 35K, 45K, & 60K), GENERATOR (@ 60K), RADIATOR (@ 65K), TRANSMISSION RADIATOR (@ 65K), REBUILT TRANSMISSION (@ 98K), AND NOW THE MOTOR HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A JASPER REBUILD. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE INTREPID. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A POPPING NOISE IN THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE LOST COMPLETE POWER AND HAD TO BE PLACED INTO NEUTRAL AS IT COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE CONTROLLED. THE ENGINE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND THEN TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT A PISTON ROD BLEW A HOLE IN THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE REPAIR WOULD COST $5,750. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD PAY $1,000 TOWARDS THE REPAIR COST. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE DOES NOT HAVE THE MONEY FOR THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000. UPDATED 04/16/09.*JB

I PURCHASED THIS CAR IN APRIL OF 2002 FROM A DODGE DEALER. IT WAS A PROGRAM CAR AND HAD ABOUT 16,000 MILES ON IT. THE CAR WAS NEVER RUN HARD WHILE I DROVE IT AND OIL WAS CHANGED APPROXIMATELY EVERY 5,000 MILES. THIS CAR WAS GREAT AND RAN LIKE A TOP FOR 2 1/2 YEARS. IN THAT TIME, THE ONLY CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE REQUIRED ON THE CAR WAS MINOR BRAKE WORK IN SEPTEMBER 2004. OCTOBER 8, 2004: NOTICED A SLIGHT KNOCKING FROM ENGINE, SO I DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO JIFFY LUBE FOR AN OIL CHANGE. THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS SOME OIL DEPOSIT BUILD-UP AND THEY WOULD FLUSH THE ENGINE BEFORE REPLACING THE OIL. CAR STILL KNOCKED AFTER THE OIL CHANGE, SO I CALLED A LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP IN DANVILLE IN TO INQUIRE ABOUT SERVICE. I WAS TOLD TO BRING THE CAR IN ON THE FOLLOWING MONDAY (OCT. 11) FOR TESTS. I DID NOT DRIVE THE CAR THAT WEEKEND. MONDAY MORNING, I STARTED THE CAR, AND IT SOUNDED AWFUL, BELCHING SMOKE. I WAS UNABLE TO MOVE THE CAR OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, SO I CALLED A WRECKER SERVICE AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE NEXT DAY, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CALLED AND INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS EXCESSIVE OIL-SLUDGE BUILDUP IN THE ENGINE "DUE TO NOT CHANGING THE OIL EVERY 3,000 MILES." I WAS QUOTED A COST OF $4,560.00 TO REPAIR THE ENGINE, OR $7,700.00 TO REPLACE IT. I DON\'T CLAIM TO HAVE RELIGIOUSLY CHANGED MY OIL; LIKE I SAID, ABOUT EVERY 5,000 MILES. BUT THIS IS NO DIFFERENT THAN EVERY OTHER CAR (13) I HAVE OWNED AND THEY ALL LASTED WELL OVER 100,000 MILES OR AT LEAST UP TO THE TIME THAT I SOLD THEM. I STILL HAVE 30 MONTHS LEFT TO PAY ON MY 60-MONTH LOAN, AND OWE $8,100.00. DEALERS WILL ONLY GIVE ME $500.00 IN TRADE. I'VE DECIDED TO REFINANCE THE CAR OVER 72 MONTHS, WHICH HAS CUT MY PAYMENTS IN HALF, AND JUST YESTERDAY PURCHASED ANOTHER CAR THAT I WILL ALSO BE PAYING FOR THE NEXT SIX YEARS. I FIND IT IRONIC THAT I HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THIS ENGINE, BUT NOW EVERYONE I TALK TO IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY HAS LONG KNOWN ABOUT JUST WHAT JUNK CHRYSLER HAS PUT OUT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN MY ENGINE STARTED MAKING A CLANKING NOISE. AS I PROCEEDED TO GET OVER INTO THE FAR LANE TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY I LOST SPEED AND THE CAR TURNED OF. I BARELY MADE IT ACROSS THE LAST TWO LANES OF HIGHWAY SAFELY COASTING ONTO THE EXIT RAMP. LONG STORY SHORT, I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY ENGINE HAD DIED DO TO SLUDGE AND THE REPAIR WOULD BE, FOR ME, VERY COSTLY. SO NOW MY BEAUTIFUL RED DODGE INTREPID SETS IN MY DRIVEWAY WITH A $4,000 BALANCE THAT I CAN NOT AFFORD TO PAY OR REPAIR. *TR

WHILE IDLING AT A STOP LIGHT AN OFFICER OF THE LAW WAS BEHIND ME AS THE LIGHT CHANGE I MADE MY WAY TO MY DESTINATION ONLY TO BE STOPPED BY SAID OFFICER. HE STATED THAT WHEN I PULLED AWAY AT THE LIGHT THERE WAS A BIG SMOKE TRAIL LEAVING MY EXHAUST. I INFORMED HIM OF THE MANY TROUBLES WITH THE 2.7L CHRYSLER ENGINE HE INFORMED ME THAT IF I CONTINUE TO DRIVE I WOULD BE CITED FOR EPA VIOLATIONS. THE CAR HAS 80,432 MILES AND HAS BEEN BURNING OIL AT A CONSTANT RATE. NOW THE OIL PRESSURE SENDING UNIT IS LEAKING ALSO WHICH BY READING SOME COMPLAINTS IS WHAT HAPPENS JUST BEFORE TOTAL BREAKDOWN. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS WILL COST APRX. $2600 TO REBUILD ENGINE. *TR

I PURCHASED MY 2001 INTREPID WITH THE HOPES OF FINALLY BUYING A QUALITY FAMILY CAR. IN 2005 I SPENT $2800 TO FIX THE COOLING SYSTEM, IT DROVE WELL FOR THREE YEARS UNTIL FINALLY I HAD A LEAK; TOOK IT TO A SHOP WHICH THEN NOTICED A LACK OF OIL PRESSURE AND FINALLY DISCOVERED THE SLUDGE BUILD UP IN THE ENGINE. I'VE BEEN USING SYNTHETIC FOR A WHILE AND THIS APPEARS NOT TO BE THE PANACEA FOR THIS CONTRAPTION. MY QUESTION IS WHY NO RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE, HOW ABOUT A BAIL-OUT FOR THOSE OF US WHO DEMONSTRATED GOOD FAITH FOR U.S. OWNED AND BUILT PRODUCTS ONLY TO BE TAKEN FOR A BAD RIDE. THE 2.7L ENGINE IS POORLY DESIGNED AND SOMEONE SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS MONSTROSITY. AT SOME POINT IN THE DESIGN AND TESTING PHASE POOR PERFORMANCE OR SOME OTHER DATA SHOULD HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND APPROPRIATELY ADDRESSED. THE PEOPLE WHO OWN AND PURCHASE THESE VEHICLES ARE NOT RICH, ELSE WE WOULDN'T BOTHER COMPLAINING AND DEMANDING A RECALL. WE ARE TYPICAL AMERICANS WHO WANT AND DESERVE VALUE FOR OUR HARD EARNED MONEY. I DON'T HAVE $8,000.00 TO FIX THIS CAR. MY KIDS HAVE HEALTH CONDITIONS AND I'M DOWN TO ONE CAR, AND MY WIFE AND I COMMUTE TO WORK. WHO'S GOING TO BAIL US OUT...NEVERMIND THAT WHO'S GOING TO HELP US! THE FAIR AND RIGHT THING TO DO IS RECALL THIS VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE INTREPID. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER REFERRED HER TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 95,000.