2001 Dodge Intrepid

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE INTREPID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT MOISTURE WOULD GATHER INSIDE OF THE HEADLIGHTS, CAUSING VISIBILITY TO BE IMPAIRED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. SHE ATTEMPTED TO CONSULT THE MANUFACTURER, BUT WAS NEVER ABLE TO SPEAK WITH ANYONE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 92,000. UPDATED 6/16/08 *CN

THIS CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN OFF THE HIGHWAY MOSTLY. WHEN TAKEN TO THE HIGHWAY THE STEERING DEVELOPED EXCESSIVE PLAY; ABOUT A QUARTER TURN TO EACH SIDE, LEFT AND RIGHT. ID DIDN'T CAUSE AN ACCIDENT BUT IT NEARLY DID. ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WHERE THE CAR IS TAKEN MANY TRUCKS ALSO COMMUTE AND THE EXCESSIVE PLAY THROWS THE CAR ONTO ADJACENT LANES OR THE SEPARATING BARRIER. *TR

I PURCHASED THE CAR USED IN DECEMBER 2007, IT HAD 147,000 MILES ON IT. SINCE I PURCHASED IT I HAVE HAD THE OIL CHANGED TWICE. ON THE MORNING OF MAY 7, 2008, I CHECKED THE OIL PRIOR TO A LONG TRIP AND FOUND IT TO BE 1 QUART LOW. I ADDED ADDITIONAL OIL TO BRING THE LEVEL TO FULL. ABOUT 5 MILES INTO THE TRIP, WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 70 MILES AN HOUR, I BEGAN HEARING A VERY LOUD KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. AS I BEGAN CHANGING LANES, I FOUND THAT ONCE I SLOWED DOWN SLIGHTLY, I WAS UNABLE TO PICK UP SPEED AGAIN, AND I WAS SLOWLY LOOSING SPEED. AS I ENTERED THE OFF RAMP THE OIL LIGHT BEGAN TO FLICKER. AT THE END OF THE OFF RAMP, MY CAR DIED AT THE STOP SIGN, AND WOULD NOT START AGAIN, LEAVING ME IN A VERY UNSAFE PLACE. I PLACED THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND ATTEMPTED TO PUSH IT INTO A PARKING LOT FROM THE DRIVERS DOOR IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL OR APPLY THE BRAKES IF NEEDED. I WAS UNABLE TO PUSH FROM THAT POSITION, SO I WAS FORCED TO TAKE THE RISK OF PUSHING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. BY SHEER LUCK THE CAR ROLLED BETWEEN A STREET SIGN AND A PARKED VEHICLE, AND CAME TO A STOP WHEN IT HIT A BUSH JUST BEFORE ROLLING INTO THE DITCH. I WAS INFORMED BY MY MECHANIC THAT THE ROD KNOCK WAS CAUSED BY A SEVERE BUILDUP OF OIL SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. I WAS OFFERED 2 OPTIONS TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE; 1) HAVE A REMANUFACTURED 2.7 L ENGINE INSTALLED THAT HAD BEEN MODIFIED TO COMBAT THIS PROBLEM, OR 2) HAVE A 3.2 OR 3.5 L ENGINE FROM ANOTHER INTREPID OR CONCORD INSTALLED, WHICH WOULD INVOLVE NO MODIFICATIONS SINCE THE TRANSMISSION AND EXHAUST SYSTEMS FOR ALL THREE OF THE ENGINES WERE IDENTICAL. TO MY SURPRISE, THE ESTIMATE FOR INSTALLING THE LARGER ENGINE WAS LESS THAN INSTALLING THE SAME SIZE ENGINE, EVEN CONSIDERING THE PERIPHERAL PARTS SUCH AS AIR CONDITIONING, POWER STEERING, ETC. THAT WOULD NEED TO COME ALONG WITH THE LARGER ENGINE! ALL TOLD, I WILL HAVE SPEND $3000 TO PURCHASE THE CAR AND NEARLY THE SAME AMOUNT TO REPAIR IT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE INTREPID. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A VERY LOUD CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, THE MOTOR STOPPED RUNNING AND WHITE SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE EXHAUST. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. A MECHANIC ADVISED HIM TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE MOTOR. THE VEHICLE IS STILL AT THE CONTACT'S HOME AND HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 110,000.

WHILE IN ROUTE TO WORK, I STARTED SMELLING GAS FROM AIR VENTS. I MADE IT TO WORK & WHEN I WENT ON LUNCH BREAK MY CO-WORKERS SAID THAT THEY SMELT GAS AROUND MY CAR. I LEFT WORK THAT MORNING WHEN TO A REPUTABLE MECHANIC TO FIND OUT WHY I WAS SMELLING GAS & RAPIDLY STARTED LOSING GAS MILEAGE. HE INFORMED ME THAT MY CAR(DODGE INTREPID 2001) HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL RAIL & THAT I SHOULD LOOK INTO CONTACTING &/OR LOOKING UP VEHICLE RECALLS ON MY CAR. CONTACTED DODGE/DAIMLER CHRYSLER & HAD ABSOLUTELY "NO RESPONSE" AS OF YET. *TR

OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR LIGHT BEGAN FLICKERING APPROXIMATELY 3 WEEKS PRIOR TO ENGINE FAILURE. OIL CHANGED ON 2 OCCASIONS DURING TIME FRAME AND RESULT SAME, LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY FLICKERED AND THAN BECAME CONTINUOUSLY SOLID RED WITH LIGHT TICKING NOISE OBSERVED FROM UPPER VALVE COVER. APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES LONGER OF DRIVING TO SAFELY LOCATE THE DODGE INTREPID WITH 2.7 LITER ENGINE TO RESIDENCE, ONCE PARKED IN DRIVE WAY THE TICKING WAS SPORADIC AND CAR HAS BEEN PARKED SINCE DUE TO INABILITY TO OPERATE SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY WITHOUT FURTHER CREATING TOTAL LOSS TO VEHICLE AND ENGINE COMPONENTS! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE INTREPID. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED. THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED. THE CONTACT COULD NOT AFFORD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE, SO HE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,000.

SEEMS THAT THERE IS A THING CALLED A CLOCK SPRING---IN THE STEERING MECH-(SORTA A REPLACEMENT FOR THE OLD HORN CONTACTS)---SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM---WHEN IT FAILS IT TURNS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT--YOU LOOSE YOUR HORN AND ALSO THE CRUISE CONTROL--NO RECALL ON THIS MODEL YET--BUT SOME OTHER SAME MFG. PRODUCTS ARE UNDER RECALL. *TR

HUSBAND DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AT THE BUSIEST TIME OF THE DAY CAR ACTED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO TURN OFF AT A STOP LIGHT. HE TURNED OFF THE BUSY RODE AND THE CAR JUST SUDDENLY TURNED OFF. STARTED SMOKING HE OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW THAT FLUIDS HAD LEAKED OUT. NEARBY WAS A MECHANIC SHOP WITH HELP PUSHED IT THERE. WAS PUT ON A DIAGNOSTIC AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THE ENGINE WAS GONE RESULT OF A OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM WHICH CAUSES ENGINE FAILURE. ESTIMATED COST FOR NEW ENGINE $5372. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM AND WOULDN'T EVEN CONSIDER PUTTING A NEW ENGINE IN THIS CAR. *TR