2000 Dodge Intrepid

AT 81,000 MILES, THE VEHICLE TIMING CHAIN BROKE ON HIGHWAY CAUSING IT TO LOSE ALL POWER, INCLUDING POWER STEERING, AND MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SAFELY PULL OVER. THE OWNER'S MANUAL SAYS TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN AT 100,000 MILES. AND THE OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED EVERY 3,000 MILES. ACCORDING TO MY MECHANIC IT IS DEFINITELY A DEFECT OF THE ENGINE AS HE NOTED EVIDENCE OF SLUDGE BUILD-UP. *TR

I OWN A 2000 DODGE INTREPID THAT HAS 57,000 MILES ON IT. I LEFT WORK AT 12PM ON 1/4/08 TO RUN AN ERRAND. I PULLED INTO THE PARKING SPACE AND MY CAR WAS CLANKING UNDER THE HOOD. I SHUT THE CAR OFF, RAN IN TO COMPLETE MY ERRAND, CAME BACK OUT TO MY CAR AND IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER. I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO THE MECHANIC AND WAS 45 MINUTES LATE BACK TO WORK. THE MECHANIC RAN EXTENSIVE DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND THE CONCLUSION WAS ENGINE SLUDGE. THE MECHANIC STATED "THIS IS THE WORST ENGINE I HAVE EVER SEEN". THE MECHANIC HAD ME COME TO THE CHOP TO VISUALLY SEE THE SLUDGE. I WAS SHOCKED AT THE SIGHT OF SLUDGE BUILDUP. AFTER EXTENSIVE RESEARCH, THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE CHRYSLER/DODGE 2.7 ENGINE AND THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET FOR THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. DODGE REFUSES TO ADMIT TO A MANUFACTURE DEFECT AND REFUSES TO FIX OR ASSIST IN THE REPLACEMENT OF AN ENGINE. *TR

PURCHASED A 2000 DODGE INTREPID NEW FROM DEALER. TAKE AMAZING GREAT CARE OF MY CAR AND HAVE RECORDS TO PROVE THAT. JUST HIT 59,000. MILES AND MY MOTOR BLEW UP. IM NOW LOOKING AT SPENDING $4000. TO REPLACE MOTOR OR PURCHASE A NEW CAR. LISTENING TO ALL THE PROBLEMS WITH THESE MOTORS THAT ARE WELL DOCUMENTED I HAVE DECIDED TO PURCHASE A NEW CAR A HONDA. I WILL NEVER AGAIN BUY AMERICAN MADE. HOW CAN THEY BE LET TO GET AWAY WITH THIS. EVERY CONSUMER SHOULD BE COMPENSATED FOR THERE LOSE. WE ALL DO THE RIGHT THING, PAY OUR TAXES, OUR MONTHLY CAR PAYMENTS WITH HIGH INTEREST RATES, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO CRAPPY PRODUCTS WE JUST HAVE TO EAT IT. THAT'S WHY THERE PEOPLE OUT THERE TRYING TO BEAT THE SYSTEM. I SAY THEN GO FOR IT. I WANT $3500.00 FOR MY USELESS CAR. THAT'S WHAT MY BOOK VALUE IS. I ALSO WANT $3500.00 I HAVE TO SPEND FOR THE DOWN PAYMENT FOR MY NEW CAR AND TWO WEEKS OF BEGGING FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR RIDES, AND ALL THE STRESS RELATED TO THIS MESS. SOMEONE NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE POORLY MADE MOTORS. THEY KNOW THERE CRAP AND THERE ALOUD TO GET AWAY WITH IT. *TR

MY 2000 DODGE INTREPID 2.7L DOHC ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I HEARD A NOISE THAT COULD BE DESCRIBED AS A "DIESEL ENGINE" SOUND WHILE MY CAR WAS IDLING AND RUNNING AT LOWER SPEEDS. I HAD SEVERAL FRIENDS LISTEN TO IT AND THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM WITHOUT GETTING "INSIDE THE ENGINE". I PLANNED ON TAKING MY CAR TO THE SHOP THE NEXT DAY, AND WHILE MY CAR WAS PARKED AND IN IDLE, THE CAR DIED. WHEN TRYING TO RESTART IT, IT WOULD RUN FOR 5 TO 10 SECONDS AND THEN DIE AGAIN. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC SPENT THREE HOURS DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM AND CREATING AN ESTIMATE. THE BILL WAS $280.00 INCLUDING THE TOW AND LABOR. THE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND SUBSEQUENTLY CRACKED THE VALVE COVER AND DAMAGED THE VALVES, AMONG OTHER COMPONENTS. THE ESTIMATE TO REPLACE MY ENGINE IS $4500.00 INCLUDING PARTS AND LABOR. I HAD APPROXIMATELY 70,000 MILES ON MY INTREPID. UPON RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND THAT MANY OTHER VEHICLE OWNERS WITH THIS SAME ENGINE CAME INTO THE SAME PROBLEM, MOST LOSING THEIR ENGINE BETWEEN 30,000 AND 70,000 MILES. I HAVE NOT HAD THE WORK DONE TO MY CAR YET, DUE TO THE OUTRAGEOUS COST, AND I HAVE TO DECIDE NOW IF IT IS WORTH IT TO REPAIR IT MYSELF OR JUST PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE. SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS IF MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME, STOPPED AT A LIGHT, THE CAR HESITATED AND KNOCKED THEN WENT. I DROVE A LITTLE FURTHER AND IT BEGAN KNOCKING AND LOOSING POWER. I WAS TRAVELING UP A HILL WITH NO SHOULDER. PULLED OVER IN A SAFE LOCATION AND CALLED FOR HELP. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO GRAPHS AUTOMOTIVE. THEY INFORMED ME THE ENGINE BLEW DUE TO THE #4 PISTON. I TOWED THE CAR BACK HOME. *TR

CAR EXHIBITING ALL SYMPTOMS THAT ENGINE WILL FAIL--OIL LIGHT COMES ON AT STOP LIGHTS, AC BROKEN, RADIATOR FILLED WITH SLUDGE. I HAVE A SIX YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AND WILL NOT OUR LIVES AT STAKE DRIVING A CAR THAT COULD POTENTIALLY LEAVE US STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. DODGE REFUSES TO EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THESE CARS HAVE OIL SLUDGE PROBLEMS. *TR