2003 Dodge Intrepid

I WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, AS I TURNED THE WHEEL I HEAR A SOUND LIKE A CONECTOR COMING UNDONE IN MY STEERING WHEEL. ONCE THAT HAPPENED MY AIR BAG LIGHT WENT ON, CRUISE CONTROL, AND HORN DO NOT WORK. I SEE ALOT OF RECALL INFO FOR DODGE/CHRISLER FOR CLOCK SPRING AND THATS WHAT DODGE TOLD ME IT WAS. TOTAL THEY WANT TO FIX IT IS OVER $350. *NM

MY AIRBAG LIGHT IS REMAINING ON, THE HORN IS NOT WORKING, AND CRUISE CONTROL DOESN'T WORK AND FROM IT IS MY BELIEF, THAT MY VEHICLE HAS SAME CLOCKSPRING PROBLEM THAT CHRYSLER HAD WITH SOME OF ITS 1996-98 MINIVANS. I BELIEVE THE HORN AND AIR BAG ARE SAFETY ITEMS AND SHOULD BE REPAIRED. I WROTE TO DAIMLER/CHRYSLER AND GOT THIS RESPONSE: THANK YOU FOR YOUR RECENT EMAIL TO DAIMLERCHRYSLER MOTORS REGARDING YOUR 2003 DODGE INTREPID. A REVIEW OF OUR RECORDS INDICATES THAT YOUR VEHICLE DOES NOT CURRENTLY REQUIRE SERVICE FOR ANY RECALL CAMPAIGNS ISSUED BY DAIMLERCHRYSLER. IF YOUR VEHICLE IS INVOLVED IN A FUTURE RECALL CAMPAIGN, YOU WILL BE NOTIFIED PROMPTLY BY MAIL. YOU CAN ALSO ACCESS THE SELF-SERVICE RECALL SITE ON THE INTERNET TO CHECK ON YOUR VEHICLE'S INVOLVEMENT IN ANY/ALL RECALLS THAT ARE PUBLISHED. SIMPLY GO TO ONE OF OUR BRAND SITES: WWW.CHRYSLER.COM; WWW.DODGE.COM OR WWW.JEEP.COM AND CLICK ON "FOR OWNERS" AND THEN "RECALL NOTICES" AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE POP UP RECALL PAGE. YOU WILL NEED THE LAST EIGHT DIGITS OF YOUR VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (VIN). YOUR CONCERNS, PARTICULARLY IN VIEW OF THE EXPENSE AND INCONVENIENCE INVOLVED IN THIS ISSUE, ARE UNDERSTANDABLE. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION HAS EXCEEDED THE TIME OR MILEAGE LIMITATIONS OF THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY. ALTHOUGH A MORE FAVORABLE REPLY COULD NOT BE PROVIDED, SHARING YOUR CONCERN WITH US IS APPRECIATED. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR EMAIL. SHOULDN'T DAIMLER/CHRYSLER BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EXPENSE OF GETTING THIS REPAIRED IF THIS IS THE CASE WITH MY VEHICLE?. *JB

I PURCHASED THIS CAR USED, WITH 24,000 MILES ON IT, 18 MONTHS AGO. 6 TIMES TO SHOP: 1) ABOUT 3 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE, HAD TO HAVE TIE ROD REPLACED 2) BRAKES NEEDED AFTER APPROX 14 MONTHS FROM PURCHASE 3) ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED 14 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE 4) WATER PUMP HOUSING CRACKED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED, AT MY EXPENSE, AFTER DEALERSHIP CRIMPED WATER PUMP HOUSING WHEN PUTTING IN REPLACEMENT POWER TRAIN 5) SWAY BAR BUSHINGS NEEDED REPLACEMENT AT 16 MONTHS 6) WAS JUST DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND 4 MILES FROM HOME ENGINE BEGAN MAKING WEIRD NOISES AND BY THE TIME I GOT HOME WAS MAKING VERY LOUD ENGINE NOISES, SOUNDS LIKE TRANSMISSION? DIDN'T WANT TO ACCELERATE. TURNED CAR OFF WHEN I GOT HOME AND DIDN'T WANT TO START AN HOUR LATER, JUST CRANKED AND CRANKED. I BELIEVE THIS IS A LEMON, BUT SINCE I BOUGHT IT USED, DON'T THINK I'M COVERED UNDER LEMON LAW. WILL ATTEMPT TO FORCE DEALERSHIP TO REPLACE CAR WITH A DIFFERENT MODEL TOMORROW. OH, AND ALSO THE INNER DRIVER'S DOOR HANDLE DOESN'T OPEN THE CAR DOOR. IT BROKE ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO, AND I HAVEN'T FIXED IT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO CHARGE $50 FOR THE PART AND WHO KNOWS HOW MUCH FOR THE LABOR. *JB

CONSUMER HAS HAD 2 REPLACEMENT BRAKES AND 4 NEW RADIOS ON 2003 DODGE INTREPID AFTER BEING TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH EITHER. *TS THE WINDSHIELD AND BOTH SIDE MIRRORS WERE PITTED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE JERKED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. THE SECOND TIME THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED THEY REPLACED THE MAF SENSOR. THE SERPENTINE BELT CRACKED. TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKED FROM COOLER HOSES. THE FRONT BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED AND THE ROTORS WERE MACHINED. THE CONSUMER REQUEST THAT THE DEALER REIMBURSE HIS SOME OF HIS MONEY AND RETURN HIS TRADE-IN VEHICLE. *NM

THE 2.7 LITER ENGINE ON OUR 2003 DODGE INTREPID SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE ON THE ROAD. WE WERE ON A TWO-LANE HIGHWAY ON A BRIDGE WITH NO SHOULDERS, IN-BETWEEN TWO LARGE MOTORHOMES TRAVELING AT 60 MPH WITH NO POWER STEERING AND LIMITED BRAKING ABILITY. WE WERE EXTREMELY FORTUNATE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO COAST ACROSS THE BRIDGE AND GET TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE CAR ONLY HAS 62,000 MILES ON IT, AND THE ENGINE SEIZED BECAUSE OF EXCESSIVE SLUDGE BUILD-UP DESPITE REGULAR OIL CHANGES THAT OCCURRED AT LESS THEN THE FACTORY RECOMMENDED INTERVAL OF 7500 MILES. *JB

PURCHASED 2003 DODGE INTREPID 6/3/05, AS USED. WHILE DRIVING A COUPLE WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE, ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. TOOK CAR BACK TO DEALERSHIP WHILE STILL UNDER DEALERSHIP 30 DAY WARRANTY. INFORMED CAR HAD FAULTY O2 SENSOR AND SENSOR WAS REPLACED. AUGUST 9TH, DRIVING WITH YOUNG DAUGHTER AT NIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, CAR MADE 'POP' SOUND, ENGINE AND OIL LIGHT BOTH ILLUMINATED, CAR ENGINE DIED, BUT WAS ABLE TO VEER ONTO SHOULDER OF ROAD WITHOUT BEING HIT BY OTHER CARS. CALLED DEALERSHIP WHERE CAR WAS PURCHASED AND WAS TOLD TO BRING IT BACK. CAR WAS FOUND TO HAVE FAULTY CAM SENSOR. CAM SENSOR WAS REPLACED-AT MY EXPENSE. ALMOST OUT OF THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, WAS DRIVING THIS CAR ON THE 26TH, ONCE AGAIN WITH MY YOUNG DAUGHTER WHEN ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, CAR FELT AS THOUGH DOWN SHIFTED HARD THROUGH ALL GEARS, THEN TRANSMISSION ACTING AS IF NOT PROPER SHIFTING. CLOSE TO LOCAL AUTO ZONE WHICH I HAD THEM RUN DIAGNOSTICS ON. FOUND "TRANSMISSION SYSTEM FAILURE." THE COMPUTER OF THE CAR WAS RESET AT AUTO ZONE. CALLED LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD TO BRING IT IN THE NEXT MORNING. WAS INFORMED THAT BECAUSE THE COMPUTER HAD BEEN RESET THEY COULD NOT REPEAT, NOR FIND THE PROBLEM. WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS "MORE THAN LIKELY 2 SENSORS," AND TO CONTINUE DRIVING THIS CAR UNTIL THE LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN, THEN NOTIFY THE DEALERSHIP. SO, NOW I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF DRIVING A CAR THAT I KNOW IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER WILL HAVE SOME SORT OF "SENSOR" FAILURE, IF NOT OUTRIGHT MAJOR TRANSMISSION DAMAGE. DID I MENTION I HAVE ONLY OWNED THIS CAR SINCE JUNE? I HAVE NO IDEA IF THE PREVIOUS OWNER WAS NOTIFIED OF SERVICE BULLETINS. I WOULD THINK THAT AS MUCH AS I OWE ON THE CAR (OVER $10,000.00), THE YEAR (2003), THE MILEAGE (43,000 MILES) WOULD AT THE VERY LEAST GUARANTEE ME A ROAD WORTHY, SAFE VEHICLE. MY SON OWNS A '99 DODGE NEON CLUNKER THAT I JUST BOUGHT FOR $1000.00 THAT IS BECOMING APPARENTLY MORE RELIABLE THAN MY PRICEY LUXURY RIDE. *JB

MY 2003 DODGE INTREPID ENGINE FAILED WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING IT IN OCTOBER 2004. THE ENGINE HAD APPROXIMATELY 50,000 MILES ON IT. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO INDICATION THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE UNTIL IT STARTED MAKING A HORRIBLE KNOCKING SOUND. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DODGE DEALERSHIP AND THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN TOLD US THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY SLUDGE. THE OIL HAD BEEN CHANGED EVERY 3000 MILES. THE DODGE TECHNICIAN SAID THE SLUDGE COULD NOT HAVE BUILT UP TO THE POINT IT WAS EVEN IF THE OIL HAD NEVER BEEN CHANGED. WE CONSULTED AN INDEPENDENT TECHNICIAN WHO SAYS THE SLUDGE IS A RESULT OF MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THE ENGINE. THE COST OF A NEW ENGINE WOULD BE AROUND $6000 WHICH WE CANNOT AFFORD, AND IS IN FACT ABOUT THE SAME AS THE TRADE-IN VALUE OF THE VEHICLE IF IT WERE WORKING, WHICH IT ISN'T. EVEN IF WE COULD AFFORD IT, OUR RESEARCH INDICATES THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE YET AGAIN BEFORE THE CAR IS EVEN PAID FOR. WE BELIEVE THERE IS A MAJOR DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THE ENGINE, RESULTING IN FINANCIAL AND EMOTIONAL INJURY TO OUR FAMILY.