IllustrationDT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH ON A CITY STREET, A RATTLING NOISE CAME FROM THE ENGINE FOLLOWED THE ENGINE STALLING WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART, AND WAS PUSHED TO A NEARBY INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO DETERMINED THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED.
2002 Dodge Intrepid
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2002 Dodge Intrepid do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 377.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Intrepid years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
240–25K
3925–50K
6850–75K
6575–100K
54100–150K
10150K+
260 reports with mileage · 69 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 207 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 60 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
11 crash reports9 fire reports8 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
207 reportsDT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE TIMING BELT SNAPPED ON THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH. THE CONTACT STATED THE BELTS WERE OFTEN CHECKED FOR WEAR AND TEAR. THE SERVICE DEALER DETERMINED THE VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE HAD A NEW TIMING BELT.
THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT ON MY 2002 DODGE INTREPID COMES ON WHEN THE CAR IS FULLY WARM AND IDLES BELOW 700 RPM. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TODAY AND LEARNED THAT THE 2.7 LITER ENGINE CONTAINS SLUDGE. THIS SLUDGE WILL CAUSE THE ENGINE TO FAIL WITHIN 10000 MILES. THE CAR HAS BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED. MANY MANY PEOPLE HAVE EXP…
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THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT ON MY 2002 DODGE INTREPID COMES ON WHEN THE CAR IS FULLY WARM AND IDLES BELOW 700 RPM. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TODAY AND LEARNED THAT THE 2.7 LITER ENGINE CONTAINS SLUDGE. THIS SLUDGE WILL CAUSE THE ENGINE TO FAIL WITHIN 10000 MILES. THE CAR HAS BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED. MANY MANY PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM. HE ENGINE WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. *JB
WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED. IT WASN'T UNTIL AFTER THE CAR STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD THAT ANY OF THE GAUGES SEEMED TO INDICATE ANY PROBLEMS. THERE WAS NO WARNING! THIS WAS A COUNTRY ROAD SO THERE WASN'T MUCH TRAFFIC, BUT HAD THERE BEEN, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. THE WATER PUMP SUDDENLY QUIT WORKING. …
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WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED. IT WASN'T UNTIL AFTER THE CAR STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD THAT ANY OF THE GAUGES SEEMED TO INDICATE ANY PROBLEMS. THERE WAS NO WARNING! THIS WAS A COUNTRY ROAD SO THERE WASN'T MUCH TRAFFIC, BUT HAD THERE BEEN, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. THE WATER PUMP SUDDENLY QUIT WORKING. IN ORDER TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, I AM CURRENTLY SPENDING $1,000 TO REPLACE THE PUMP! THE CAR ONLY HAS 67,000 MILES! *NM
THE CONSUMER HEARD COMPLAINTS OF THE 2002 INTREPID'S ENGINE PROBLEMS. *TS *NM
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THERE WAS A KNOCKING NOISE HEARD IN THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE CONTINUALLY WOULD NOT START. EVENTUALLY, THE ENGINE FAILED TO START. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE ENGINE WAS BAD DUE TO OIL SLUDGE BUILD-UP AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED.
IT ALL STARTED WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS JUST A BROKEN WATER CONNECTOR ON THE TOP OF THE CHRYSLER 2.7 LITER ENGINE IN OUR 2002 DODGE INTREPID. I REPLACED THE PART MYSELF AND THOUGHT THAT IT WAS JUST A SIMPLE ISSUE. BUT THE VERY NEXT DAY MY WIFE WENT TO WORK AND GOT STRANDED WHEN THE CAR OVERHEATED AGAIN BUT THERE WAS LEAK THIS TIM…
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IT ALL STARTED WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS JUST A BROKEN WATER CONNECTOR ON THE TOP OF THE CHRYSLER 2.7 LITER ENGINE IN OUR 2002 DODGE INTREPID. I REPLACED THE PART MYSELF AND THOUGHT THAT IT WAS JUST A SIMPLE ISSUE. BUT THE VERY NEXT DAY MY WIFE WENT TO WORK AND GOT STRANDED WHEN THE CAR OVERHEATED AGAIN BUT THERE WAS LEAK THIS TIME JUST AN EXTREMELY HOT ENGINE. AFTER THE ENGINE COOLED DOWN AND I WAS ABLE TO START IT AGAIN IT WAS CLEAR TO ME THAT THE ENGINE HAD CRATERED AND THAT IT WAS ALL DUE TO AN INTERNAL OIL PROBLEM FROM THE BEGINNING. AS I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE IT HAS BECOME VERY CLEAR THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE AND WHEN WE TOOK IT TO A DODGE DEALER THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM UNTIL I TOLD THEM ABOUT IT. AFTER TEARING THE ENGINE DOWN THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE PROBLEM WAS THE SAME AS THEM OTHERS DESCRIBED IN THE WEBSITES, OIL SLUDGE CAUSING THE INTERNAL LUBRICATION TO FAIL. THE DEALER GAVE US $800.00 TRADE IN FOR A CAR WORTH $4000.00 WHICH WE HAD WORK VERY HAD TO PAY OFF EARLY. THE ONLY OTHER RECOURSE WAS TO HAVE A USED OR REBUILD INSTALLED AT A COST OF $5500 TO $8500.00 WITH NO GUARANTEE THAT IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. SO NOW WE HAVE A NEW USED CAR AND A MONTHLY PAYMENT AGAIN FOR SOMETHING THAT CHRYSLER KNOWS IS A PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT. *NM
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND ONE MINUTE LATER SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DETERMINE A SEAL ON THE DISCONNECTED EMITTING FLUID WHICH CAUSED THE SMOKE.
THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN MY 2002 DODGE INTREPID AND I HAD IT ANALYZED AND SERVICED. THE COMPUTER ANALYSIS INDICATED THAT THE CAR NEEDED 4 OXYGEN SENSORS. I HAD THESE REPLACED AT THE COST OF ABOUT $600.00 AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. THIS TIME THE CAR WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND ACTING LIKE IT WAS GOING TO CUT OFF. THE C…
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THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN MY 2002 DODGE INTREPID AND I HAD IT ANALYZED AND SERVICED. THE COMPUTER ANALYSIS INDICATED THAT THE CAR NEEDED 4 OXYGEN SENSORS. I HAD THESE REPLACED AT THE COST OF ABOUT $600.00 AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. THIS TIME THE CAR WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND ACTING LIKE IT WAS GOING TO CUT OFF. THE COMPUTER INDICATED THAT I NEED A MAP SENSOR. BUT ON FURTHER INSPECTION THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT I NEED 4 FUEL INJECTORS. THE CAR IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD AND IT IS FALLING APART. IT HAS ALMOST STALLED ON ME PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC AND ACROSS ROADWAYS. SINCE THE REPAIRS ARE NOT COMPLETE I DO NOT KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT. *NM
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION, RADIATOR, OIL THINNING UNIT, AND HARMONIC BALANCER HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED. THERE WAS CONCERN EXPRESSED THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE HAS 69000 MILES ON IT.
Official recalls
103V035000 · Seats:front Assembly:recliner
Feb 5, 2003
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, SEAT BACK RECLINER BOLT BREAKAGE CAN OCCUR RESULTING IN THE SEAT BACK RECLINING UNEXPECTEDLY.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE SEAT BACK UNEXPECTEDLY RECLINES WHILE THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN, IT COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE RECLINER BOLTS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON APRIL 23, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE03010 · Throttle Control Failure
Opened Feb 27, 2003 · Closed Sep 2, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control; Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal; Vehicle Speed Control:cables; Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
BASED ON THE LOW FAILURE RATE, THE ABSENCE OF FAILURES OVER THE PAST YEAR, THE ABSENCE OF INJURIES, AND ODI'S FIELD INVESTIGATION OF INCIDENT VEHICLES, A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES. SEE ATTACHED REPORT FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
Additional source detail variants (4)
Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal
BASED ON THE LOW FAILURE RATE, THE ABSENCE OF FAILURES OVER THE PAST YEAR, THE ABSENCE OF INJURIES, AND ODI'S FIELD INVESTIGATION OF INCIDENT VEHICLES, A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES. SEE ATTACHED REPORT FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
Vehicle Speed Control:cables
BASED ON THE LOW FAILURE RATE, THE ABSENCE OF FAILURES OVER THE PAST YEAR, THE ABSENCE OF INJURIES, AND ODI'S FIELD INVESTIGATION OF INCIDENT VEHICLES, A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES. SEE ATTACHED REPORT FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
Vehicle Speed Control
BASED ON THE LOW FAILURE RATE, THE ABSENCE OF FAILURES OVER THE PAST YEAR, THE ABSENCE OF INJURIES, AND ODI'S FIELD INVESTIGATION OF INCIDENT VEHICLES, A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES. SEE ATTACHED REPORT FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
BASED ON THE LOW FAILURE RATE, THE ABSENCE OF FAILURES OVER THE PAST YEAR, THE ABSENCE OF INJURIES, AND ODI'S FIELD INVESTIGATION OF INCIDENT VEHICLES, A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES. SEE ATTACHED REPORT FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.