2001 Dodge Intrepid

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

CAR WOULD VIBRATE AND SPUTTER THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AT 50 MPH. FIRST TIME TO THE DEALERSHIP - THEY PUT DRY GAS IN THE TANK (DEC/2002) SECOND TIME TO THE DEALERSHIP - THEY PUT FUEL INJECTOR CLEANER IN THE TANK (JAN./2003) THIRD TIME TO THE DEALERSHIP - THEY REPLACED THE #4 FUEL INJECTOR (JAN. 2003) FOURTH TIME TO THE DELAERSHIP - THEY REPLACED THE COMPUTER MODULE (FEB./2003) FIFTH TIME TO THE DEALERSHIP - DID NOT FIX, CLEARED THE ERROR CODES.(FEB. 2003) DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE A RECAL NOTICE SENT SOMETIME IN MARCH/2003 SOMETHING ABOUT A CARBON BUILD UP IN THE CYLINDERS. THEY TOLD ME TO KEEP DRIVNG IT UNTIL THE RECALL NOTICE COMES OUT, BUT THE CAR STILL HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. (ENGINE ONLY HAS 19,700 MILES ON IT, UNDER 18,500 WHEN IT FIRST WENT IN).*JB

2000 DODGE ENGINE FAILURE: AT 55,000 MILES MY 2000 DODGE INTREPID THREW A LOWER ROD AS I WAS EXITING THE EXPRESSWAY AFTER DRIVING APPROX 10-12 MILES. THE CAR IS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE AND HAS AN OIL CHANGE EVEY 3,000 MILES. I HAD JUST HAD AN OIL CHANGE APPROX 1,000 MILES BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. I CALLED DAIMERCHRYSLER AND ASKED THEM IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT THEY COULD ASSIST WITH ETC? THEY ASKED IF THE DEALER HAD TORN DOWN THE ENGINE. I TOLD THEM THAT I HAD A PRIVATE DIAGNOSIS AND THE DEALER HAD A TECH LISTEN TO IT AND SAID THEY WERE SURE A ROD HAD GONE BAD. THEY SAAD TO HAVE THE DEALER TEAR IT DOWN ... THEY THEN TRIED TO BLAME ME FOR NOT GETTING THE OIL CHANGED ON A REGULAR BASIS. I AGAIN TOLD THEM THAT IT HAD BEEN CHANGED EVERY 3,000 MILES AND THAT I OWN TWO OTHER CARS (95 SILLOUTTTE & 97 CUTLASS) THAT HAVE 130,000+ MILES ON THEM. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND PAID THEM 250.00 FOR A TEARDOWN. THE DEALER (GENESEE VALLEY DODGE IN FLINT, MI) CALLED ME AND TERRY SCHEFKE (SERVICE MANAGER) CALLED TO SAY THAT IT HAD INDEED THROWN A ROD AND THAT I WOULD NEED A NEW SHORT BLOCK AT A COST OF $4.250.00. I AGAIN CONTACTED DODGE BY PHONE AND EMAIL. THEY SAID THAT IT WAS MY PROBLEM BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY (3/36). I ASKED THEM IF AN ENGINE FAILURE WAS NORMAL AT 55K? THE DEALER HAD HIS DISTRICT MANAGER LOOK AT THE CAR AND I WAS DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE OR COMPENSATION. I FEEL THAT THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS NOT AT ALL MY FAULT, I NEVER DID GET A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OR ANY OTHER WARNING UNTI I EXITED THE EXPRESSWAY (I DO NOT SPEED AND HAVE NEVER HAD A SPEEDING TICKET IN 25 YEARS OF DRIVING) TO MAKE MATTER WORSE I HAVE TO HAVE THE DEALER REAPIR THE ENGINE BECAUSE MY LEASE IS UP OMN 3/3/03. I HAVE BEEN ONLINE RESEARCHING THE 2.7 DOHC ENGINE AND LOCATED YOU FROM WWW.INTREPIDCLAN-510.ORG. THERE SEEMS TO BE AN ABUNDACE OF SIMULAR COMPLTE ENGINE FAILURES ON VAROIUS WEB SITES. BASICALLY I AM LOOKING FOR ANYONE WHO COULD POSSIBLY HELP?