2000 Dodge Intrepid

WHILE MY HUSBAND WAS ON HIS WAY TO WORK FROM OUR HOME IN YACOLT WA. HEADING TO SALEM OR., THE ENGINE IN OUR 2000 DODGE INTREPID QUIT WITHOUT WARNING, HE WAS ON I-205 AT 5:00 AM IN THE DARK HE EASILY COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED AS WELL AS ENDANGERED OTHERS ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS VEHICLE HAD BEEN MAINTAINED VERY WELL AND WE HAVE OWNED SINCE 17,00 MILES. I NOW AM AWARE THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO AND YET THE DAIMLER-CHRYSLER CORP. HAS NOT ACTED TO INFORM THE CONSUMERS THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM OR A SAFETY ISSUE. WE HAVE THREE CHILDREN WHO UP UNTIL TWO MONTHS AGO WERE ALWAYS IN THIS VEHICLE WITH ME BECAUSE IT WAS MY DAILY DRIVER. IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED QUITE EASILY WHILE MY CHILDREN WERE IN THE CAR ON A MAJOR ROADWAY. *NM

WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH UPHILL, ENGINE STUCK IN PASSING GEAR THEN LOST POWER. VALVES STARTED KNOCKING, ENGINE DIED SHORTLY THEREAFTER. I WAS ADVISED BY MY DEALERSHIP REPAIR SHOP THAT ENGINE MUST BE REPLACED. ESTIMATED COST $3500 FOR A USED ENGINE. ANOTHER MECHANIC ADVISED ME NOT TO BOTHER BECAUSE IT WILL JUST HAPPEN AGAIN DUE TO THE TIMING CHAIN DESIGN AND THE SLUDGING EFFECT TO THE ENGINE. I BOUGHT MY INTREPID 1 YEAR AGO, STILL OWE OVER $6000 ON IT AND IT'S NOT DRIVABLE. THIS ENGINE DESIGN IS DEFECTIVE. YOU CAN HAVE MINE TO SEE THE RESULTS. *NM

DT: 2000 DODGE INTREPID. CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT ENGINE PROBLEMS ABOUT A YEAR AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR. THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND CAUSED THE CAR TO STALL. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP 4 TIMES AND THEY SAID IT WAS A SENSOR WHICH THEY REPLACED THE FIRST THREE TIMES FREE OF CHARGE. THE LAST TIME TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID ENGINE BLEW OUT. AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. CONSUMER DID NOT HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED BECAUSE COULD NOT FIND A REPLACEMENT. THE ONLY PLACE THAT COULD GET AN ENGINE WAS FROM CHRYSLER, AND THAT WOULD COST MORE THAT WHAT THE CAR WAS WORTH. *AK

MICHELIN TIRES MODEL XGT H4 225-60 R/16 SIDEWALL BLOW OUT ON 2 TIRES ON SEPERATE OCCASIONS 6/05 AND 7/05. TIRES WERE LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD WITH 30,000 MILES. *JB SERIAL # OF SECOND TIRE THAT BLEW-OUT WAS AU 795 35-55030-01 BOTH TIRES FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH ON A HIGHWAY IN THE METRO DC AREA, NO OBJECT OR POTHOLE WAS STRUCK, THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO EITHER WHEEL. BOTH TIRES THAT FAILED WERE LOCATED ON THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE

I OWN A 2000 DODGE INTREPID ES WITH THE 2.7 LITER ENGINE. THE VIN ON THE VEHICLE IS: [XXX]. I SAY THAT I OWN IT, BUT THERE ARE STILL 13 PAYMENTS REMAINING ON IT. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED FROM WELLS FARGO FINANCE COMPANY IN EARLY 2001 FOR MY WIFE. AT THAT TIME, THE VEHICLE HAD ABOUT 12,000 TO 15,000 MILES ON IT. MY WIFE PASSED AWAY IN MAY OF 2002 AND SINCE THEN THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN ON A DAILY BASIS. HENCE, THE VEHICLE HAS ABOUT 37,000 - 39,000 MILES ON IT. WHILE RUNNING AN ERRAND WITH MY GRANDDAUGHTER ON JULY 8, 2005, THE ENGINE STARTED TO SPUTTER AND I HAD TO MANIPULATE THE GAS PEDAL TO GET THE VEHICLE THE FEW MILES TO HOME. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AFTER THAT. I CALLED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A NEARBY MECHANIC AND HE MENTIONED THAT THEY FOUND ABOUT A QUARTER OF AN INCH OF SLUDGE AFTER REMOVING THE VALVE COVER. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ONLY THING THAT COULD BE DONE IS AN ENGINE REPLACEMENT. HE ENSURED ME THAT TRYING TO CLEAN THE SLUDGE MAY CAUSE FURTHER DAMAGE. I STARTED INVESTIGATING THIS VIA THE INTERNET AND FOUND YOUR WEB SITE. I CALLED CHRYSLER AND OPENED A CASE NUMBER WITH THEM. CASE # [XXX]. AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR ON HOLD, A PERSON CAME BACK TO ME AND STATED THAT THE CAR CAME TO THE U.S. FROM CANADA VIA A LEASING COMPANY AND THAT THE WARRANTY DID NOT TRANSFER, THEREFORE THERE WAS NOTHING HE OR CHRYSLER COULD DO. HE ALSO STATED THAT BECAUSE IT CAME FROM A LEASING COMPANY, THERE WAS THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE ENGINE MAINTENANCE RECORDS COULD NOT BE VERIFIED. SO, THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT I STILL AM MAKING PAYMENTS ON A 2000 DODGE INTREPID, THAT I CAN'T DRIVE, THAT I CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE FIXED, AND THAT NO ONE WILL ASSIST. CAN YOU PROVIDE THE PHONE NUMBER OF THE "ZONE REP" FOR MY AREA (SEE BELOW).UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

DT: THERE WAS A PERSISTENT NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER THOUGHT IT WAS THE ENGINE. THE CONSUMER HAD NOT EVEN TRAVELLED A MILE WHEN THIS HAPPENED AND WAS GOING 45 MPH. THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER TO A GARAGE WHEN THE NOISE BEGAN AND TOOK THE KEYS OUT OF THE IGNITION. THE MECHANIC AT THE GARAGE THOUGHT IT WAS THE ENGINE OR THE TIMING CHAIN. *JB