2001 Dodge Intrepid

THE 2.7 LITER ENGINE ON MY 2001 DODGE INTREPID STARTED TICKING. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO THE SNETHKAMP DODGE DEALER IN LANSING, MI FOR REPAIR. THE SERVICE DEPT. ADVISED THAT THE ENGINE WAS SLUDGED UP BECAUSE I DIDN'T CHANGE THE OIL AS RECOMMENDED BY THE MANUFACTURER. WHEN I ADVISED THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN THAT I DID GET OIL CHANGES AS RECOMMENDED, AND HAVE THE RECEIPTS TO PROVE IT, THE SERVICE TECH. CHANGED HIS STORY AND ADVISED THAT THE 2.7 LITER ENGINE IN THE DODGE INTREPID WAS DEFECTIVE. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD CHARGE $600 TO TEAR APART THE ENGINE TO "FIND OUT FOR SURE." THE COST WOULD NOT COVER ANY REPAIR. I ASKED THE SERVICE TECH. WHAT CHRYSLER/DODGE WAS GOING TO DO TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM. THE SERVICE TECH. ADVISED THAT CHRYSLER/DODGE WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING FOR ME, THE CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. I TOLD THE SERVICE TECH. TO GIVE IT AN OIL CHANGE AND TOOK IT HOME. I DROVE IT FOR 10 DAYS UNTIL IT DIED WHILE DROPPING MY DAUGHTER OFF AT DAY CARE. I BOUGHT THE CAR IN FEB. 2002 FROM SNETHKAMP DODGE, IT WAS 6 MONTHS OLD AND HAD 5996 MILES ON IT. THE CAR WAS A PROGRAM CAR. I FINANCED IT FOR 5 YEARS, AND STILL HAVE 3 PAYMENTS LEFT, AND NO CAR. THE CAR HAS JUST UNDER 49,000 MILES ON IT. I FILED AN ONLINE COMPLAINT WITH THE CHRYSLER GROUP CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AND REQUESTED THAT CHRYSLER REPAIR/REPLACE THE ENGINE IN MY CAR (REFERENCE NUMBER: 15524183, EMAIL CASE NUMBER: 1538494.) THE CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE REPLY WAS FOR ME TO CONTACT MY LOCAL DEALER OR REFER TO MY OWNERS MANUAL, AND NO, THEY WOULDN'T REPAIR OR REPLACE MY ENGINE. *NM

WHILE DRIVING MY 2001 DODGE INTREPID ON A MAIN ROAD IN ERIE, THE CAR JUST DIES ON ME, WHILE TRYING TO MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, A CAR CAME WITHIN INCHES OF HITTING MY CAR WHILE HE WAS DOING APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES AN HOUR, BECAUSE WHILE TRYING TO GET MY CAR OUT OF THE WAY, I WAS STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, AND THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN FOR THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC. GETTING MY CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND OUT OF EVERYONE'S WAY, I HAVE THE CAR TOWED OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANICS, WHO IN TURN FINDS OUT THAT THE TIMING CHAIN IS BROKE DUE TO A FAULTY ENGINE, WITH THE SLUDGE BUILD-UP WHICH IN TURN HAS CAUSED ALL OF THIS PROBLEM. ALSO APPARENTLY DODGE/CHRYSLER FEELS THAT SO MANY AMERICANS ARE CAUSING THIS PROBLEM, BY NEGLECTING OUR VEHICLES, AND NOT PROPERLY MAINTAINING OUR RIDES. I AM APPALLED THAT THIS IS OKAY, AND SO MANY OF US ARE GETTING RIPPED OFF BY THE COMPANY. IT IS AMAZING THAT I ALMOST WAS IN AN ACCIDENT, BECAUSE OF THIS FAULTY VEHICLE. IS IT GOING TO TAKE ALL OF US TO DIE ON THE ROAD WHILE DRIVING FOR SOMETHING TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS? THANK HEAVENS MY CHILD WHO HAS CANCER WAS NOT IN THE CAR, AND THAT I WASN'T ON THE THRUWAY TRYING TO GET HIM TO PITTSBURGH FOR HIS CHEMOTHERAPY. *NM

STEERING BECAME VERY PROBLEMATIC STARTING IN JULY 2006. WHEN TURNING THE CAR, THERE WERE CATCHES WHEN TURNING IN EITHER DIRECTION AND THE PROBLEM HAS GROWN WORSE. THE CAR WAS SERVICED IN EARLY AUGUST WHEN THE SHOP DIAGNOSED IT AND REPLACED THE TIE RODS. THAT DID NOT FIX IT AND WAS THEN TOLD THAT THE STEERING GEAR RACK ALSO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL NEAR-MISSES AS THE STEERING LOCKS WHEN MAKING TURNS IN PARKING LOTS OR TIGHT SPACES. *NM

I HAVE A 2001 DODGE INTREPID THAT SUFFERED A SUDDEN ENGINE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT EXCESSIVE OIL SLUDGE WAS AT FAULT IN THE ENGINE. ABOUT 6 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE ENGINE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION AND WAS TESTED BY THE DEALER ONCE THE BODY WORK WAS DONE AND WAS FOUND 100% SOUND. LESS THAN 2 WEEKS AFTER RETRIEVING THE CAR FROM THE BODY SHOP, THE ENGINE FAILED AND THE DEALER STATED THAT IT WOULD BE CLOSE TO $6000 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. *NM

ENGINE BEGAN KNOCKING QUIETLY AND WAS CHECKED. I WAS ASKED IF THE OIL WAS CHANGED REGULARLY AND I INFORMED THEM IT WAS. THE OIL WAS AT THE PROPER LEVEL. A WEEK LATER IT BEGAN KNOCKING VERY LOUDLY AND THEN JUST QUIT. I HAD AAA BRING IT HOME AND AFTER A FEW DAYS HAD A MECHANIC CHECK IT OUT. HE SAID THE ENGINE FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACING. THIS WOULD COST ROUGHLY 3800.00. IT CRANKED UP BUT WOULD NOT MOVE OVER A FEW FEET. I BACKED IT INTO MY GARAGE AND IT STILL SITS THERE WHILE I FINISH PAYING THE 3,000.00 THAT I STILL OWE BEFORE I CAN FIX THE PROBLEM. I HAVE DONE MUCH RESEARCH AND FOUND MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM. I FOUND YOUR INFORMATION ON AUTYBYTELS SITE ABOUT THIS ENGINE. *NM

MY ENGINE BEGAN TICKING, I PULLED OVER POPPED THE HOOD AND SMOKE ROLLED OUT, I CHECKED THE FLUID LEVELS AND TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR, IT WOULDN'T START, I WAITED A FEW MINUTES TRIED STARTING IT AGAIN AND IT WORKED, I DROVE 3 MILES HOME AND THE ENGINE DIED AS I TURNED DOWN MY STREET, ONCE AGAIN THE ENGINE WAS SMOKING SO I POPPED THE HOOD AND FLAMES SHOT UP, I PUT THE FLAMES OUT AND THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY SINCE. I HAVE DONE NOTHING TO REPAIR IT SINCE APPARENTLY IT'S A DESIGN OF DODGE AND CHRYSLER'S 2.7 V6 ACCORDING TO MANY OTHER OWNERS. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH ON NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED OFF THE ROAD AND TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO DETERMINED THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO SLUDGE. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED, AND THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. UPDATED 11/063/06. *JB