2002 Dodge Intrepid

WE HAVE A 2002 DODGE INTREPID WITH THE POLICE PACKAGE. THE VEHICLE HAS 21,000 MILES AND WE HAVE REPLACED THE BRAKE ROTORS 4 TIMES. WE ARE A SECURITY FIRM AND THUS WE HAVE NEVER BEEN IN A HIGH SPEED CHASE AND ONLY DRIVE THE VEHICLE ON RESIDENTIAL STREETS. WE HAVE THREE OTHER DIFFERENT VEHICLES AND HAVE NOT HAD BRAKE PROBLEMS WITH THEM. IT WAS SUGGESTED BY THE DEALER THAT WE ARE MISUSING THE BRAKES. I HAVE TALKED WITH ANOTHER POLICE AGENCY IN THE AREA AND THEY HAVE ALSO HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS AS WE. I BELIEVE THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES THAT COME WITH THE POLICE PACKAGE OPTION.

I PURCHASED A 2002 DODGE INTREPID BRAND NEW, THIS IS MY SECOND DAIMLERCHRYSLER VEHICLE THAT HAS NOT HELD UP WELL THAT I CONSIDER A LEMON. AT 26 MILES, THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON FOR A FEW SECONDS, THEN TURNED OFF, THERE WAS ALMOST NO BRAKING POWER. I HAD TO QUICKLY DOWNSHIFT INTO LOW GEAR TO SLOW DOWN THE CAR. THIS HAS HAPPEND SEVERAL TIMES. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT MAY HAVE BEEN THINGS BREAKING IN. DODGE DEALERS JUST DELETED THE "INTERNAL CAB FAILURE FAULT CODE" AND DID NOTHING TO TRY AND FIX THIS. LATER THE STEERING BEGAN SQUEAKING DURING LOW SPEED MANUVERS. THEN I EXPERIENCED PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. AT 2000 MILES THE VEHICLE WOULD WANDER AND WOULD ALMOST NEVER DRIVE STRAIGHT. AFTER 2 DEALERSHIP ALIGNMENTS AND 1 INDEPENDENT, THE STEERING WHEEL IS STILL OFF CENTER. 3 DIFFERENT OEM TIRES ROTATED TO FRONT COMPLETELY WORN ON OUTER EDGES, ABNORMAL TIRE WEAR AND FEATHERING. SUSPENSION SQUEAKS LOUDLY AT TIMES. AT ABOUT 500 MILES THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SOMETIMES SLAM INTO 3RD GEAR, SHIFT ROUGH IN LOWER GEARS, BUMP, HESITATE, STUMBLE. DODGE DEALERSHIP ALWAYS "COULD NOT DUPLICATE" THE PROBLEM. I ALMOST CRASHED WHEN DRIVING AND FRONT WHEEL HIT MODERATE PUDDLE WHEN VEHICLE WAS THROWN INTO ANOTHER LANE. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER "THOSE THINGS HAPPEN". I HAVE WRITTEN AND SPOKE TO DAIMLERCHRYSLER REPS MANY TIMES, THEY DENY THERE IS ANY PROBLEM. AT ABOUT 13,000 MILES THE ENGINE WOULD CLANK WHEN STARTING SOMETIMES (SOUNDS LIKE NOT FIRING UP PROPERLY). I HAVE NEVER HAD THESE PROBLEMS WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLE, EVEN FRONT WHEEL DRIVE AND DO NOT SEE HOW THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH THIS. THERE ARE MANY OTHERS EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PREMATURE PROBLEMS THAT SHOULD NOT BE OCCURING AS SUCH. I HAVE STARTED A WEBSITE AGAINST DAIMLERCHRYSLER [XXX] - EMAIL ADDRESS IS [XXX] - ADDRESS: [XXX]SAN LEANDRO, CA [XXX]. *AK PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

I HAVE HAD STEERING/SUSPENSION AND BRAKE RELATED ISSUES FROM NORMAL DRIVING IN THE BAY AREA SINCE 200 MILES AFTER PURCHASING VEHICLE NEW. I HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR A PROFESSIONAL COMPUTERIZED FULL PRECISION ALIGNMENT AND BALANCING OF TWO TIRES THAT WERE OUT OF BALANCE FROM THE FACTORY. TWO DODGE/CHRYSLER DEALERS AND WHEEL SPECIALSTS HAVE CHECKED AND ADJUSTED TIRE PRESSURE. VEHICLE SEEMS TO DRIVE STRAIGHT MORE OFTEN BUT STILL DRIFTS TO THE LEFT, SOMETIMES TO THE RIGHT. FRONT WHEELS FEEL LIKE THEY ARE SLIPPING BAD OVER BUMPS EVEN AT LOW SPEEDS. VERY INTERMITTENTLY STEERING WHEEL BECOMES HARDER TO TURN AND IS MUCH MORE SENSITIVE ALL OF A SUDDEN. VEHICLE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE HANDLING OR TAKING BUMPS VERY WELL AT TIMES. WHEEL DOES NOT USUALLY RETURN SMOOTHLY OR CONSISTANTLY, SOMETIMES JERKY AND SOMETIMES SLOW, USUALLY OFF CENTER, OVERSTEERING OR UNDERSTEERING. STEERING WHEEL SOMETIMES NEEDS CONSTANT ATTENTION, HAVING TO REMIND WHEEL WHERE TO GO. WHEEL WILL MOVE BY ITSELF EXCESSIVELY AT TIMES ON BUMPY ROADS OR ON SLANTED ROADS SOMETIMES ALMOST MAKING COMPLETE TURNS ON IT'S OWN. SOMETIMES STEERING WHEEL HAS LOOSENESS. CLUNK IN STEERING STILL CONTINUES WHEEN WHEEL IS TURNED SHARP AND BRAKING. EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF GROANING NOISE WHEEN TURNING WHEEL AT TIMES. I HAD TO BRAKE HARD THE OTHER DAY AND WAS ABLE TO LOCK VEHICLE UP INTO A HEAVY SKID ALTHOUGH VEHICLE HAS ABS. VEHICLE FEELS UNSTABLE SOMETIMES AND OVER BUMPY ROADS SOMETIMES. EVERY ONCE AND A WHILE YOU CAN HEAR SQUEAKING FROM STRUTS. I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON EXPERIENCING THESE ISSUES. I HAVE WITNESS TESTIMONY ON VIDEO AND VIDEO PROOF. I HAVE VIDEO OF MASSIVE TIRE SQUEALING AT LOW SPEED 15MPH MANUVERING IN PARKING LOT. MY GIRLFRIEND DOES NOT WANT TO DRIVE THE CAR ALSO EXPERIENCING AND COMPLAINING OF THESE ISSUES. TRANSMISSION STILL HESITATES OR STUMBLES SOMETIMES. TWO DEALERSHIPS SAY THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH CAR AND COULDN'T DUPLICATE ANYTHING ABNORMAL WITH STEERING. CHRYSLER DOES NOTHING. CAR IS UNSAFE AT TIMES.

YESTERDAY I HAD A 4 WHEEL COMPUTERIZED ALIGNMENT PERFORMED. IT WAS DIFFICULT AND SOMETIMES ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL THE CAR WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT BECAUSE IT WOULD DRIFT TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT. THAT NIGHT WHEN PULLING OUT AWAY FROM FRIENDS HOUSE, HAVING WHEEL TURNED SHARP AND WAITING AT IDLE SOMETHING IN THE FRONT END WAS VIBRATING AND IT WOULD CHANGE WHEN WHEEL WAS MOVED. LATER THAT NIGHT STEERING WHEEL TIGHTENED UP AS IT HAD BEFORE ALL OF A SUDDEN WHEN DRIVING. WHEEL WAS REALLY DIFFICULT TO TURN ALL OF A SUDDEN, STEERING BECAME MUCH MORE SENSITIVE ALL OF A SUDDEN WHERE IT PREVIOUSLY WAS NOT. WHEN BRAKING OR ACCELERATING WHEEL WOULD FEEL EVEN MOVE DIFFICULT TO TURN AND ALMOST STUCK. I TRIED TO GET A FRIEND TO DRIVE THE CAR. SHE STARTED TO DRIVE IT IN A PARKING LOT, I ASKED HER TO MANUVER WITH THE CAR AND AFTER DRIVING FOR A MINUTE SHE DIDN'T WANT TO BECAUSE SHE FELT THE CAR WAS NOT HANDLING WELL AND DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT. I MANUVERED IN THE PARKING LOT AND AT 15 MILE LOW SPEED MANUVERING AND SHARP TURNS TIRES WERE SQUEALING AS IF PERFORMING HIGH SPEED MANUVERS. AT ONE TIME I WAS ABLE TO SEND THE VEHICLE INTO A CONTROLLED SKID ALTHOUGH IT HAS ABS. I COULD NOT GET CAR TO SKID AGAIN AND ABS SEEMED TO BE WORKING FINE. I NOTICED A CLUNK FELT IN THE STEERING ASSEMBLY WHEN BRAKING HARD AT LOWER SPEEDS. THE STEERING ATTITUDE AND CHARACTERISTICS SHOULD NOT INTERMITTENTLY CHANGE. THE CAR STILL WONDERS ON THE FREEWAY AND WHEEL NEEDS CONSTANT ATTENTION. THIS CAR DOES NOT FEEL SAFE TO DRIVE AND I DON'T KNOW WHY I'M CONTINUALLY BEING TOLD IT'S NORMAL. I HAVE DRIVEN 3 DODGE INTREPIDS AND KNOW HOW THEY SHOULD DRIVE. I EVEN HAD SOMEONE WHO HAS DRIVEN 3 SECOND GENERATION RENTAL CAR INTREPIDS AND HE DIDN'T LIKE THE WAY MY INTREPID DROVE AT TIMES EITHER. THE STEERING ASSEMBLY SEEMS TO BE DETERIORATING QUICKLY OVER TIME AND SOMETIMES FAILS TO PERFORM AS IT SHOULD. THE VEHICLE ALSO CAME OUT OF THE FACTORY OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND WITH TWO TIRES THAT NEEDED TO BE BALANCED AND SINCE CORRECTED. NLM

VEHICLE LATELY HAS NOT FELT SAFE ENOUGH TO DRIVE AT TIMES. STEERING WHEEL MOVES ITSELF EXCESSIVELY AT TIMES AND MOVES EXCESSIVELY TO IMPERFECTIONS IN ROADS. STEERING CONTINUES TO DRIFT RIGHT OR LEFT. CLUNK STILL HEARD IN STEERING EVERY ONCE AND A WHILE. VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL SOMETIMES ON SMOOTH SURFACES AT HIGHER SPEED. I HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP AS A PRECAUTION. I AM TRYING ANOTHER DEALERSHIP TO TRY TO HAVE MY STEERING ISSUES CORRECTED. DEALERSHIP ADJSUTED TIRE PRESSURE AND STATED THAT STEERING WAS FINE AFTER ROAD TEST. SUPPOSED CHRYSLER REPRESENTATIVE WAS THERE AND SUPPOSEDLY TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE AS WELL AND STATED IT DROVE FINE AS WELL. SHOP FOREMAN STATED VIBRATION WAS BECAUSE WHEELS NEEDED TO BE BALANCED. ALSO STATED THAT IT'S NORMAL FOR VEHICLES TO DRIFT WHEN YOU LET GO OF THE WHEEL. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THE EXCESSIVE RIGHT TIRE WEAR AND AGREED TO DO AN ALIGNMENT. DEALERSHIP STATED THEY DID NOT HAVE TIME AND SERVICE ADVISOR STATED AN ALIGNMENT COULD TAKE 7 HOURS. 7 HOURS......? I'M AFRAID THEY ARE GOING TO TRY AND ALIGN THE VEHICLE TO COUNTER THESE ISSUES OR IT'S GOING TO TAKE THAT LONG BECAUSE THERE'S A PROBLEM. THIS IS SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK. DRIVING HOME FROM THE DEALER ALONG SLOPED FREEWAY ONRAMP, AFTER LETTING HANDS OFF THE WHEEL THE VEHICLE ALMOST MADE A COMPLETE RIGHT TURN ON IT'S OWN. ON THE FREEWAY VEHICLE WAS DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT AND TO THE LEFT. AFTER ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP AND FRONT WHEEL HIT A BUMPY PART IN THE ROAD THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED ITSELF TO THE LEFT. STEERING WHEEL STILL FEELS LIKE IT STICKS AND DOES NOT RETURN LIKE IT SHOULD. I HAVE DRIVEN A CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY AS A TEST AND IT DRIVES STRAIGHT WHEN YOU LET OFF THE WHEEL, THE WHEEL DOES NOT MOVE BY ITSELF AS THE INTREPID EVEN OVER REALLY BUMPY ROADS. THE WHEEL ALWAYS RETURNS HOW IT SHOULD. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE DRIVE MY CAR AND THEY ALL AGREE EVEN BEFORE I EXPLAINED HOW I FELT ABOUT IT'S STEERING. CHRYSLER'S DESIGN IS POOR IF THIS IS NORMAL.*AK

I HAVE BROUGHT THIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE WHERE I PURCHASED IT COMPLAINING OF INTERMITTENT LOOSENESS IN STEERING, SQUEAKING AND CLUNKING. THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THESE ISSUES, SQUEAKING WAS SUPPOSEDLY TIRE NOISE, CLUNKING WAS "JUST BUSHINGS". MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE IS SEVERLY WORN ON THE OUTER EDGES AT ONLY 5900 MILES, THE LEFT TIRE WEAR IS NORMAL. DEALER WOULD NOT EXPLAIN OR ASSES WHY THIS IS. TODAY I HAD THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED SHARP TO THE LEFT AND THERE WAS A VIBRATING NOISE AS IF METAL WAS HITTING AGAINST METAL. I CALLED SOMEONE OUT TO WITNESS THIS. ABOUT TWO MILES LATER I WAS DRIVING AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN ALL OF A SUDDEN AND STEERING FELT HEAVY. VEHICLE ALL OF A SUDDEN TURNS SHARPER AND STEERING RESPONDS DIFFERENT THAN USUAL. WHEN TRYING TO INVESTIGATE ISSUE AND MANUVERING THE STEERING BACK AND FOURTH THE VEHICLE WAS SWERVING EXCESSIVELY AS IT NEVER HAD BEFORE. FRONT END FELT AS IF IT WAS TAKING BUMPS HARDER THAN USUAL AND WAS EVEN HOPPING SLIGHLY OVER SOME BUMPS. I COULD HEAR NOISE IN THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WHEEL AREA. I IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE SHOP FOREMAN ROAD TESTED AND WOULDN'T SAY MUCH ABOUT THE STEERING. I EXPLAINED THAT THE WHEEL WAS ALWAYS MUCH EASIER TO TURN AND EXPLAINED THAT THE STEERING IS ALL OF A SUDDEN RESPONDING DIFFERENTLY. SEVERAL BUMPS FELT HARSH FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE WHERE THEY HAD NOT FELT AS HARSH BEFORE. I COULD HEAR AND FEEL A LIGHT CLUNKING DURING BRAKING THREE TIMES FROM THE PASSENGER SEAT. SHOP FOREMAN DIDN'T REALLY SEEM TO NOTICE MUCH WRONG AS USUAL. HE DID SEE THE TIRE WEAR AND WAS LIKE "WOW". HE IS GOING TO ASK THE SERVICE MANAGER FOR PERMISSION TO PUT THE VEHICLE ON THEIR ALIGNMENT MACHINE. THEY HAVE LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE ON THE LIFT TWICE AND NEVER FOUND ANYTHING VISUALLY WRONG. I HAVE MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE VEHICLE LOOKED AT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE FOR A SECOND OPINION. I FEEL UNSAFE IN THIS VEHICLE AND UNFORTUNATELY NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE TO GET TO WORK.