2000 Dodge Intrepid

DT: THE CONTACT HEARD A TICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE LOWER END OF THE ENGINE. APPROXIMATELY A WEEK AGO THE CONTACT'S SON TOLD HIM THE OIL LIGHT WAS FLICKERING ON AND OFF. WHEN HE CHANGED THE OIL HE FOUND A METALLIC SHIMMER IN THE OIL WITH LARGER FLAKES OF METAL. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN ROUTINELY MAINTAINED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY THE DEALER TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK

ENGINE MADE NOISE. TOOK TO DEALER WHO STATED THE CAR NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. THE CAR HAS 85,000 MILE, USED BY EXPERIENCED DRIVERS. SERVICED FAIRLY REGULARLY APPROXIMATELY EVERY 4000 TO 5000 MILES. DEALER SAYS CAR HAS LOT OF SLUDGE. WE FAIL TO UNDERSTAND WHY A SERVICED CAR SHOULD HAVE LOT OF SLUDGE. WAS THE SERVICE DONE PROPERLY? IS THE INTREPID DESIGNED BADLY?*JB

MY CAR SUDDENLY BEGAN TO STALL. I DROVE IT TO THE DEALER TODAY. IT STALLED SEVERAL TIMES ON A BUSY ROAD ON THE WAY TO THE DEALER. LUCKILY, THE CAR WAS FOLLOWED BY SOMEONE WHO WAS GIVING ME A RIDE HOME. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT MY CAR, A 2000 DODGE INTREPID, HAD AN ENGINE FULL OF SLUDGE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR $7300. CHRYSLER WILL ONLY HELP IF I CAN PROVIDE PROOF OF OIL CHANGES EVERY 3000 MILES. I DID CHANGE THE OIL REGULARLY BUT OFTEN HAD IT DONE HERE AT HOME AND HAVE NO SUCH PROOF. THIS STALLING WAS DANGEROUS AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. *NM

APPROXIMATELY 15 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING OUR USED INTREPID, THE ENGINE LOCKED UP. UP TO THAT POINT IT WAS ALMOST PERFECT, OTHER THAN THE CRAZY NOISE THAT CAME FROM THE WINDOW MECHANISM. WHILE DRIVING TO WORK ABOUT 4AM THE CAR JUST QUIT. I LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKES WHEN IT WENT. I WAS ABLE TO AVOID THE OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD AND MADE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND HIT A ROAD SIGN, WHICH DAMAGED THE HOOD OF MY CAR. I WENT TO GET AN OPINION AND AN ESTIMATE, I WAS TOLD THIS WAS A COMMON THING HAPPENING WITH THE 2.7L ENGINES IN THE INTREPID AND I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE! $5,500.00, NOT MY IDEA OF POSSIBLE. IT IS STILL SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY AN EYESORE AND A FINANCIAL BURDEN. I MAINTAIN THE PAYMENTS AND THE INSURANCE ON THE CAR ALTHOUGH I CAN'T DRIVE IT, AND LIKE MOST OF THE OTHER PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THIS MESS, I HAD TO GET ANOTHER VEHICLE TO REPLACE IT. I PERSONALLY, AM READY FOR A FIGHT. *NM

I DO NOT HAVE THE DATE OF MY VERY FIRST INCIDENT. I WAS SITTING AT A STOP LIGHT AND THE ENGINE CUT OFF. IT STARTED UP WITH NO PROBLEM SO I CONTINUED MY ERRANDS. AT MY NEXT STOP, WHEN I CAME OUT TO LEAVE, THE CAR WOULD NOT START. I HAD TO CALL FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE THRU MY INSURANCE COMPANY. THE PERSON WAS ABLE TO START MY CAR. ON THE NIGHT OF OCTOBER 29TH AT ABOUT 9 PM MY DAUGHTER AND I WERE BOTH IN THE CAR WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE RPM GUAGE WENT TO ZERO AND THE ENGINE QUIT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE POWER STEARING WENT OUT BUT I WAS ABLE TO GET US TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BEFORE BEING HIT BY ANOTHER CAR. I TRIED AT LEAST EIGHT TIMES TO START THE CAR WITHOUT SUCCESS. SO WE SAT THERE HOPING WE WOULD NOT BE SIDE SWIPED BY THE CARS COMING UP BEHIND US. I TRIED TO START THE CAR ONE MORE TIME BEFORE I CALLED FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND THE CAR STARTED. WE WENT DOWN THE ROAD AND TURNED AROUND TO HEAD BACK HOME. ABOUT A MILE FROM OUR HOME THE ENGINE DIED AGAIN. I JUST THANK GOD THAT AGAIN I WAS ABLE TO GET US OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT BEING HIT BY ANOTHER CAR. THIS TIME THE ENGINE STARTED ON THE THIRD OR FOUTH TRY AND WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE CAR HAS BEEN PARKED EVERY SINCE. I PLAN TO TAKE IT INTO THE LOCAL DEALER FOR SERVICE ON 11/04/05 AND WAS DOING RESEARCH ONLINE ABOUT THE PROBLEM I WAS HAVING WITH THE CAR AND DISCOVERED A WEBSITE THAT DESCRIBED MY INCIDENT EXACTLY. NOW I KNOW IT IS AN ENGINE PROBLEM.

DT: CONTACT STATES WHEN SHE STARTING THE VEHICLE THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE. THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS THE OIL GASKET, ALTERNATOR IDLER PULLEY, AND THE AIR CONDITIONER IDLER PULLEY. SHE HAS NOT CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. SHE CONTACTED DEALER ABOUT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THEY STATED THE PARTS FOR HER VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED BY HER WARRANTY. THE DEALERSHIP WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLE AT CONTACT'S EXPENSE. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT VEHICLE WAS MAKING A RATCHETING SOUND. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATING, INDICATING THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION, A LOCAL MECHANIC FOUND THERE WAS MASSIVE SLUDGE BUILD-UP IN THE ENGINE. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE TIMING CHAIN, TIMING CHAIN COVER, AND THE OIL PAN. THE ENGINE MAY HAVE TO BE REPLACED, BUT AT THIS TIME THEY WERE GOING TO TRY TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THERE HAS BEEN ROUTINE MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE.*AK UPDATED 1/11/2006. THE REPLACEMENT PARTS DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM AND THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. *NM

I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON A BUSY HIGHWAY WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO MAKE A KNOCKING NOISE. IT STALLED 2 TIMES AND THEN JUST DIED. I AM DISABLED, A SINGLE MOTHER OF 2 AND THE CAR BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE FOR ME TO GET IT OFF TO THE SIDE. WE DRIFTED DOWN THE ROAD TILL WE STOPPED AT A BETTER LOCATION. I CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK AND HELP TO GET ME AND MY 2 SONS HOME. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO BROWN DAUB DODGE WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED NEW. THEY SAID THE ENGINE FAILED AND IT WOULD COST ANYWHERE FROM 5,000 TO 8,000 TO REPAIR. THEY BLAMED IT ON MAINTENANCE. THE CAR HAD BEEN VERY WELL MAINTAINED. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME YOU HAD TO USE A SPECIAL OIL (5W30) INSTEAD OF 10W30 BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS WITH THE 2.7L ENGINES. I CHECKED MY RECORDS AND DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD I TOOK THE CAR TO THEM EVERY 3,000 MILES AND THEY WERE USING 10W30 . THE REPAIR SHOP WHERE I TOOK MY CAR TO AFTER THE WARRANTY WAS OVER WAS USING 5W30 THE CORRECT OIL. I AM LIVING ON SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS TO SUPPORT MYSELF AND MY 2 SONS. I HAVE NO MEANS OF COMING UP WITH THIS MONEY AND SHOULD NOT HAVE TOO. CHRYSLER SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE NOTORIOUS ENGINE/TRANSMISSION FAILURES IN THESE CARS. I HAVE A FRIEND WHO USE TO WORK FOR CHRYSLER AND SAID HE COULDN'T WORK FOR A COMPANY WHERE THE WERE TOLD TO "SAY NOTHING" BUT WHAT THE TOLD HIM TO TELL PEOPLE IN THESE SITUATIONS. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A POTENTIALLY DEADLY ACCIDENT FOR US. BROWN DAUB WILL ACCEPT NO LIABILITY FOR USING THE WRONG OIL AND I CONTACTED CHRYSLER AND THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING EITHER. I AM KNOW UNDER THE EMOTIONAL STRESS OF BEING STRANDED WITHOUT A CAR AND HAVE TO RELY ON WHATEVER HELP I CAN FIND TO GET MYSELF TO MY DOCTOR APPTS. TO FOLLOW UP ON MY DISABILITY AND GET MY CHILDREN WHERE THEY NEED TO BE. *NM

DT: CAR WAS RUNNING FINE UNTIL A FAILURE OCCURRED. NO LIGHTS OR WARNINGS PRIOR TO FAILURE. AT THE INTERSECTION, DRIVER STOPPED AND VEHICLE SHUT OFF, AND WOULDN'T START. NO TURN OVER OF ENGINE. ELECTRIC SYSTEM WAS STILL WORKING, BUT THERE WERE NO LIGHTS OR CODES TO INDICATE TO DRIVER WHAT COULD BE WRONG. VEHICLE WAS REGULARLY MAINTAINED WITH SERVICE RECORDS AVAILABLE.*AK *JB