1999 Dodge Intrepid

STEERING: I STARTED TO FEEL A SLIGHT BINDING IN THE STEERING WHEN TRYING TO RETURN WHEEL TO CENTER FROM A TURN. IT GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE TO THE POINT WHERE I OCCASIONALLY HAD TO "WRESTLE" THE STEERING WHEEL BACK TO CENTER POSITION. IT ALSO FEELS LOOSE, SUSPENSION RATTLES AND I'VE GOT 4 INCHES OF PLAY AT CENTER. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED IT WOULD COST $1200 TO FIX. SERVICE REP TRIED TO EXPLAIN THAT THIS WAS PRETTY COMMON NOWADAYS WITH THE SEALED RACKS AND NOT JUST DODGE. I'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS TYPE OF FAILURE IN ALL OF THE YEARS I'VE OWNED CARS AND THINK THIS IS JUST A POOR DESIGN THAT DODGE IS KEEPING MUM ABOUT. THE VEHICLE IS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD WITH MOSTLY HIGHWAY DRIVING. I'M PURCHASING A USED RACK FROM A SALVAGE YARD AND HAVING DODGE INSTALL IT FOR $380 AND THEN I'M SELLING IT. THIS CAR IS QUICKLY FALLING APART. AIR CONDITIONING: STARTED HEARING A HISSING TYPE SOUND FROM BEHIND THE DASH. SOON AFTER A/C DID NOT BLOW COLD AIR. CONTROL MODULE DISPLAY ALSO STOPPED WORKING. DODGE SAID IN ORDER TO FIX THE A/C THEY HAD TO REPAIR THE MODULE. COST: ABOUT $600. I BOUGH A MODULE FROM A SALVAGE YARD AND DID IT MYSELF, SAVED $500. THEN DODGE RECHARGED THE SYSTEM ONLY TO HAVE IT LEAK OUT OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. BROUGHT IT BACK TO DODGE WHERE THEY FOUND A CRACK IN THE EVAPORATOR. REPLACEMENT COST: $500. POWER WINDOW MOTOR: RIGHT FRONT POWER WINDOW STARTED FAILING INTERMITTENTLY, THEN STOPPED WORKING ALTOGETHER. DEALER SAID THAT THE WINDOW SOMETIMES GETS STUCK IN THE TIGHT WEATHERSTRIPPING DUE TO DIRT AND GRIME ON THE WINDOW AND I SIMPLY NEED TO COAX IT BY MY PALM PRESSING DOWN ON IT WHILE ACTUATING THE BUTTON. WHAT A BUNCH OF @*$%! REAR RIGHT WINDOW MOTOR WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, THIS MUST BE A COMMON PROBLEM. DEALER WANTS $200+ TO REPAIR. WHAT A RACKET! I'VE NEVER HAD SO MANY MAJOR REPAIRS ON A RELATIVELY NEW CAR IN MY LIFE, AND DON'T PLAN TO EVER AGAIN IF DODGE KNOWS WHAT I MEAN!!*AK

CAR STARTED MAKING A NOISE IN THE FRONT END. IT WOULD ONLY START AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR MORE THAT 45 MINUTES. NOISE WAS SO BAD AT TIMES THAT IT SOUNDED AS IF THE FRONT END WAS GOING TO FALL OUT. SHORTLY AFTER, THE STEERING GOT EXTREMELY LOOSE FROM LEFT AND RIGHT. STEERING IS SO BAD, YOU CAN'T KEEP THE CAR IN BETWEEN THE LINES ON THE ROAD. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY DIAGNOSED IT AS THE RACK AND PINION STEERING. THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH OTHER INTREPIDS AND TIE-ROD END BUSHINGS, HOWEVER, THAT IS NOT THE CASE WITH MINE. I GOT A SECOND OPINION FROM ANOTHER REPUTABLE TECHNICIAN AND HE CAME TO THE SAME CONCLUSION. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL TECHS TELL ME THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN A RACK WEAR OUT UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS UNLESS THE PART WAS MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. I HAVE CONTACTED DODGE AND THEY WILL NOT STAND BEHIND IT BECAUSE THE 3 YEAR WARRANTY IS OUT. IF THE PART IS DEFECTIVE, HOW CAN THEY NOT STAND BEHIND THEY PRODUCT OR BE HELD RESPONSIBLE? THE COST OF THE REPAIR IS $1200.00. BECAUSE OF SAFETY FOR MYSELF AND MY CHILDREN, I CAN NOT DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL I HAVE THE MONEY FOR REPAIRS. JUST A NOTE, I FINANCED THE CAR FOR THREE YEARS AND IT WON'T EVEN BE PAID FOR UNTIL DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR. IT'S ASHAME THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS CAN HAPPEN ON A CAR THAT ONLY HAS 50,000 MILES AND LESS THAN THREE YEARS OLD. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE ME.*AK

1999 DODGE INTREPID ES 34000 MILES: STEERING INTERMITTENTLY IS VERY LOOSE AND AWKWARD, STEERING SOMETIMES IS TIGHT LIKE IT SHOULD BE. STEERING WHEEL HAS LIMPED TO THE LEFT SEVERAL TIMES WHILE STOPPED OR DRIVING SLOW AND STEERING FEELS REALLY STRANGE. WHEN STEERING WHEEL IS MOVED BACK AND FOURTH QUICKLY ONLY FROM LEFT TO CENTER WHEN VEHICLE IS STOPPED THERE IS SLIGHT KNOCK OR BUMP SOUND IN STEERING. STEERING WHEEL JERKS TO THE RIGHT DURING MEDIUM TO HARD OR HARD ACCELERATION SOMETIMES IN AUTOMATIC USUALLY IN AUTOSTICK. WHEN STEERING WHEEL DID NOT FUNCTION AND RETURN AS USUAL A COUPLE TIMES I ALMOST WOUND UP IN AN ACCIDENT. VEHICLE SOMETIMES ALSO SWAYS FUNNY WHEN STEERING IS ACTING UP. THE STEERING'S SENSITIVITY AND ATTITUDE INTERMITTENTLY CHANGES. SOMETIMES THERE IS A SLIGHT VIBRATION FELT IN STEERING WHEN BRAKING OR DRIVING. THERE IS SOMETIMES EXCESSIVE MOVEMENTS IN STEERING. BROUGHT VEHICLE INTO HAYWARD AUTO CHRYSLER-JEEP DEALERSHIP WHERE PURCHASED SEVERAL TIMES. DEALERSHIP FOUND MISSING LEFT STRUT WASHER, REPLACED. DEALERSHIP SEEMS TO NEVER BE ABLE TO DUPLICATE OR FIND PROBLEM. TECHNICIAN (SUPPOSED SHOP FOREMAN) DID ADMIT HE FELT THE SLIGHT VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEN BRAKING WHILE ON TEST DRIVE BUT DID NOTHING ABOUT IT AND COULDN'T REALLY EXPLAIN IT. DEALERSHIP SAID THEY'D PUT IT ON ALIGNMENT MACHINE AND CHECK FOR ANYTHING LOOSE WHEN I BROUGHT IT BACK FOR SPK REPLACEMENT. THEY JUST TOLD ME IT WAS FINE WITH NO DATA FROM SUPPOSED ALIGNMENT. THE CAR HAS HAD MANY PROBLEMS SINCE PURCHASING IT WITH 28000 MILES AND I FEEL THEY ARE SICK OR SEEING IT. I STRONGLY BELEIVE THEY DID NOT PUT THE VEHICLE ON THE ALIGNMENT MACHINE OR CHECK FOR ANYTHING LOOSE SINCE THEY ARE SICK OF SEEING IT AND BELEIVE THERE IS NO PROBLEM. I HAVE HAD OTHERS DRIVE MY VEHICLE WHEN THE STEERING IS AWKWARD AND THEY ALL VERIFY THAT IT DOES NOT FEEL RIGHT. I HAVE TEST DRIVEN TWO SIMILAR DODGE INTREPIDS AND BOTH OF THEM DO NOT DRIVE OR STEER LIKE THIS. I AM TAKING THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP SOON.

1999 DODGE INTREPID ES: 11/07/01: WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE DOWN CITY STREET AND AFTER SLOWING DOWN TO ABOUT 10MPH WHILE PREPARING TO MAKE A TURN, EASING HANDS OFF STEERING WHEEL WHILE WAITING FOR TRAFFIC, STEERING WHEEL WENT LIMP TO THE LEFT. STEERING CONTROL BECAME EXTREMELY POOR. BROUGHT VEHICLE HOME FOR FURTHER INSPECTION, WHEN STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED QUARTER TURN TO LEFT, LEFT WHEEL REMAINED STRAIGHT. STEERING BECAME VERY AWKWARD AND DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. VEHICLE PREVIOUSLY BROUGHT IN, TECHNICIAN COULD NOT DUPLICATE HOWEVER FOUND MISSING BOLT OR WASHER FROM LOWER LEFT SUSPENSION CONTROL ARM AND REPLACED. STEERING CONTROL IMPROVED AFTER. AFTER DRIVING VEHICLE AS NORMAL FOR ONLY ABOUT ONE WEEK BEFORE, THIS SECOND STEERING RELATED FAILURE OCCURRED. VEHICLE STEERING NEVER FELT RIGHT IN FIRST PLACE EVEN PRIOR TO BOTH FAILURES. STEERING HAS ALWAYS FELT LOOSE AND FLIMSY. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CONCERNED. TECHNICIAN DROVE VEHICLE AT TIME AND STATED IT WAS NORMAL. MY VEHICLE IS AGAIN AT THE DEALER OVERNIGHT. SERVICE ADVISER ASKED ME "DID YOU HIT SOMETHING?" WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN 11/08/01. ABSOLUTELY NOT. I FEEL THAT THEY THINK I AM CAUSING THESE PROBLEMS SOMEHOW OR SOMETHING. I AM VERY CAREFUL AND I AM A GOOD DRIVER. I AM ONCE AGAIN GREATLY INCONVENIENCED AND WITHOUT MY VEHICLE. I AM ALMOST HAVING TO BRING MY VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALER FOR SOME TYPE OF REPAIR SERVICE EVERY TWO WEEKS. AT 33685, MY ENGINE BLEW UP AND HAS BEEN REPLACED, TRANSMISSION FAILED AND OVERHAULED, TOURQUE CONVERTER REPLACED, MORE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, SPEED SENSORS REPLACED, SPEAKERS FAILED AND REPLACED, SPEAKERS FAILING AGAIN, COMPONENT FELL OFF LEFT LOWER SUSPENSION CONTROL ARM, STEERING FAILURE, STEERING FAILURE AGAIN. AGAIN, JUST 33685 MILES. ISN'T THERE A LEMON LAW? UPDATE: AS OF 11/08/01 1:15 DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE STEERING PROBLEM. THE TECHNICIAN SOUNDS VERY DEFENSIVE AND I COULD HERE HIM IN THE BACKGROUND YELLING THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT VEHICLE.*AK