2001 Dodge Intrepid

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE INTREPID. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT HAD A CHILD SEATED IN A CHILD SEAT AT THE TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE MOTOR WAS CLOGGED WITH OIL SLUDGE AND A NEW ONE WAS NEEDED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 36,000.

I HAD SET UP AN APPT. TO TAKE MY 2001 DODGE INTREPID IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND TO HAVE THE ENGINE LIGHT CHECKED BECAUSE IT HAD RECENTLY COME ON. WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF MAKING THAT APPT., MY OIL LIGHT STARTED COMING ON EVERY TIME ON PUT THE BRAKES ON. I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE CAR IN EARLIER. WE HAD TO RENT A VEHICLE FOR THE WEEKEND WHICH WE COULDN'T AFFORD. BY THE TIME THIS WAS ALL SAID AND DONE, OUR MECHANIC TOLD US WE HAD AN ANTI-FREEZE LEAK AND AN OIL LEAK. THEY REFUSE TO REPAIR EITHER ONE BECAUSE THE LAST TIME THEY FIXED AN OIL LEAK ON A DODGE INTREPID, THE CAR STILL BROKE DOWN AND THEY GOT SUED. THEY CAN'T GET TO THE ANTI-FREEZE LEAK WITHOUT TAKING THE ENGINE OUT WHICH IN TURN WILL CAUSE MORE PROBLEMS WITH OUR ENGINE. WE'RE CONSTANTLY PUTTING OIL IN IT AND ANTI-FREEZE. WE'RE STILL PAYING ON THIS CAR. WE'RE NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF CLASS ACTION LAW SUITS OUT THERE AND CHRYSLER SHOULD GIVE PEOPLE THEIR MONEY BACK. WE HAVE A CHILD IN THE LATTER STAGES OF KIDNEY FAILURE AND THIS IS SUPPOSE TO BE OUR RELIABLE VEHICLE TO GET HER BACK AND FORTH TO ALBANY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE INTREPID. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD BANG AND NOTICED SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. HE PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND THE ENGINE EXPLODED. THE DEALER STATED THAT IT WOULD COST $5,000 TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VIN, PURCHASE, DATE, AND ENGINE SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 95,000.

OIL SLUDGE HAS BUILT UP IN THE ENGINE, LEAVING THE ENGINE WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO CIRCULATE OIL THROUGH THE BLOCK TO LUBRICATE THE PARTS. A MECHANIC HAS DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AND NOTED THAT DRIVING THE CAR WILL CAUSE PARTS TO BREAK AND THE ENGINE TO FAIL. THE MECHANIC TOOK PHOTOS OF THE INSIDE OF ONE OF THE VALVE COVERS TO SHOW HOW THICK THE OIL SLUDGE IS. WHERE THE INSIDE OF THE VALVE COVER SHOULD BE CLEAN AND SHINY, IT IS COATED WITH A HALF-INCH OF SLUDGE. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AT ABOUT 121,000 MILES. I NOTICED THAT THE OIL-PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT CAME. A CHECK OF THE OIL SHOWED IT WAS FULL AND CLEAN. BEFORE THIS INCIDENT, I HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. IT PERFORMED VERY WELL. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THIS SIGNIFICANT ENGINE PROBLEM, THERE ARE NO OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR -- NO ACCIDENTS, NO DENTS OF BODY DAMAGE, NO RUST, CLEAN INTERIOR AND EVERYTHING ELSE WORKS. CONSEQUENCES ARE THAT AN OTHERWISE PERFECTLY GOOD CAR CANNOT BE DRIVEN. IT HAS BEEN PARKED FOR TWO MONTHS WHILE I CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER, FILE REPORTS WITH THE APPROPRIATE AGENCIES, INCLUDING THE NHTSA AND THE CENTER OF AUTO SAFETY, AND RESEARCH WHAT CAN BE DONE AND AT WHAT COST. MY PREFERENCE, OF COURSE, WOULD BE THAT THE MANUFACTURER, DAIMLERCHRYSLER, PAY TO REBUILD OR REPLACE THE ENGINE. HAVING THE MANUFACTURER ADMIT TO A KNOWN DESIGN FLAW, AS ALLEGED IN HEBERT V. DAIMLER CHRYSLER, WOULD BE NICE, BUT NOT ESSENTIAL. GETTING THE CAR BACK ON THE ROAD AT NO COST OR MINIMAL COST TO ME IS MY GOAL. *TR

THE MOTOR IN MY DODGE INTREPID, 2.7 LITER V6, 2001, LET LOOSE AT SPEED WITHOUT WARNING OF ANY KIND. THE CAR BUCKED WILDLY AND I ALMOST LOST CONTROL WITH MY 2 YR OLD SON IN HIS CAR SEAT. I WAS TOLD THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THESE VEHICLES. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!! I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO THROW AT THIS PIECE OF CRAP! I STILL OWE ON THIS VEHICLE AND REPAIRS START AROUND 3,500.00 DOLLARS! WHAT IS CHRYSLER DOING ABOUT THIS?? *TR

I PURCHASED MY 2001 DODGE INTREPID IN OCTOBER OF 2006 AND HAVE HAD NO MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE UNTIL RECENTLY. IN THE LAST 30 DAYS I HAVE SPENT ROUGHLY $1200 IN REPAIRS FOR A TIMING CHANGE, THE REPLACEMENT OF THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR, CAMSHAFT SENSOR AND SOME OTHER PREVENTIVE REPAIR MEASURES LIKE A TUNE UP, SERPENTINE BELT, ETC. THE PROBLEM THAT I AM MOST CONCERNED ABOUT IS THE FACT THAT WHEN I AM REDUCING SPEED THE OIL LIGHT FLASHES AND WHEN AT A COMPLETE STOP AND THE CAR IS IDLING THE OIL LIGHT COMES ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO CHRYSLER AND THEY ADVISED ME THAT THE OIL SENDING UNIT WAS LEAKING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HOWEVER, I HAVE HAD THIS PART REPLACED IN THE VEHICLE IS STILL HAVING THIS PROBLEM. AN OUTSIDE MECHANIC ADVISED ME OF RELATED ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE AND TOLD ME TO DO SOME RESEARCH REGARDING THIS ISSUE. IN MY RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM USUALLY LEADS TO ENGINE FAILURE AND THIS CONCERN ME GREATLY. FOR THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT HAS HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE INTREPID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE'S SPEED DECREASED DRAMATICALLY AND THE VEHICLE STALLED MINUTES LATER. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THEY REPLACED THE TIMING CHAIN AND STATED THAT THE ENTIRE ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD ONLY ASSIST IF THERE WAS SLUDGE IN HER ENGINE. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,772 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 77,000.

THE ENGINE FAILED TO TURNOVER DURING A START. THE TIMING CHAIN IS NOT WORKING AND HAS CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGE TO FUEL INJECTORS AND THE BASIC FUNCTIONING OF THE CAR. MANY THINGS HAVE BEEN CHANGED OR REPAIRED ON THE CAR BUT, I ALWAYS GET A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THAT COMES ON CONSTANTLY WITHIN MINUTES OR DAYS OF A REPAIR. THE CAR SOUNDS LIKE A DIESEL TRUCK ENGINE WHEN IT IDLES, OR IS STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS. THE BELTS MAKE LOTS OF WHINING NOISES. THE CAR IN THIS RESPECT HAS COST ME LOTS OF $$ AND IS JUST SITTING IN A PARKING LOT UNDRIVEABLE. *TR