2001 Dodge Intrepid

MY CAR HAS VERY LOW MILEAGE AND IT JUST SUDDENLY STARTED COUGHING AND CHOKING AND REVVING UP AND SLOWING DOWN - IT WAS COMPLETELY OUT-OF-CONTROL! I HAD TO PULL OVER ON A MAJOR FREEWAY (INTERSTATE 5 IN OREGON) AND WAITED ON THE SIDE FOR A TOW. WHEN I GOT IT HOME I WAS TOLD TO DRIVE IT A COUPLE OF BLOCKS TO GET THE ENGINE ANALYZER ON IT, BUT IT SOUNDED HORRIBLE, THE VALVES WERE KNOCKING FIERCELY AND IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS OUT OF OIL, WHICH I CHECK FREQUENTLY. THE GUY THAT CHECKED IT REALLY DIDN'T HAVE MUCH OF AN ANSWER EXCEPT A RELAY SWITCH. WE REPLACED IT BUT TO NO AVAIL. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE WANTED ABOUT $4500 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE - WHERE THEY FOUND METAL SHAVINGS AND SOME SORT OF BOLT THAT THEY COULDN'T GET TO DOWN IN THE VALVE. I CANNOT AFFORD TO REPLACE ANYTHING ON THIS CAR AND I AM AMAZED AND DISGUSTED THAT CHRYSLER WOULD PUT THIS KIND OF ENGINE OUT TO THE PUBLIC. I HAVE READ HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS NOW ABOUT THE 2.7 L ENGINE - WITH PEOPLE IN THE SAME PREDICAMENT. AND IT'S NOT JUST ONLINE - I HAVE A NEIGHBOR WITH ONE THAT HAS THE ALTERNATIVE ENGINE AND HE'S HEARD THE SAME THING. HIS CAR RUNS GREAT BECAUSE HE DOESN'T HAVE THE 2.7L....CHRYSLER SHOULD PICK UP THE PIECES FOR ALL THESE POOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE FAULTY CARS AND AT LEAST REPLACE THE VALUE OF THEIR CAR AS IT STANDS TODAY. PLEASE HELP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE INTREPID. THE DRIVER STATED THAT SHE WAS AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A TURN WHEN THE VEHICLE MADE A CLICKING NOISE. THE DRIVER SHIFTED THE GEAR IN PARK, THEN DRIVE BUT THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT RESTARTED SINCE THE FAILURE OCCURRED. SMOKE WAS VISIBLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE HOOD. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 114,000.

I WAS JUST DRIVING MY 2001 DODGE INTREPID TO WORK ON THE HIGHWAY. NO INDICATION WHAT SO EVER OF ENGINE PROBLEMS. COLD AIR STARTED TO RUN THROUGH THE HEATER VENTS INSIDE THE CAR, THEN I HAD NO ACCELERATION. I LOOKED IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR AND SAW WHITE GRAYISH COMING OUT THE REAR AND FRONT OF CAR. I PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME THE ENGINE HAD BLOWN AND FAILED A COMPRESSION TEST. I NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE BEFORE AND ALWAYS CHANGED THE APPROPRIATE FLUIDS. I BOUGHT A USED CAR AND MY INTREPID IS STILL SITTING BROKEN IN MY DRIVEWAY. *TR

THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. AT THAT TIME I DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING ELSE WAS WRONG. LATER ON DEC 27, 2009, WHILE TRAVELING TO FLORIDA AND FINALLY USING THE CRUISE CONTROL, I REALIZED THAT IT WAS NOT WORKING AND THE RADIO CONTROLS WERE NOT WORKING, PLUS THE HORN DOES NOT WORK AND OF COURSE THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS AS OF THIS DATE 1/3/10 STILL IS LIT. GOOGLING THE PROBLEM, IT MAY BE THE CLOCK SPRING. THIS IS A 2001 DODGE INTREPID, 3.2 L. I UNDERSTAND THERE MAY BE A SAFETY PROBLEM. I WANT TO KNOW IF THIS IS UNDER ANY KIND OF RECALL??? AT THIS POINT I AM WAITING TO SEE IF THERE IS A RECALL BEFORE I GET IT REPAIRED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2001 DODGE INTREPID SE AND WITH NO WARNING THE HEAT WENT OUT AND THE CAR BEGAN TO SMOKE AND CUT OFF AND I HAD TO COAST OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ON A DARK ROAD AND WAIT TILL THE ENGINE COOLED DOWN. IT TOOK ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE THE CAR STARTED AGAIN. I JUST PURCHASED THIS CAR IN JULY AND IT DIED ON ME IN NOVEMBER. THE ENGINE IS A 2.7 AND IS KNOWN FOR THESE ISSUES. I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ANTIFREEZE IS MIXING WITH THE OIL,THE HEADGASKET IS GONE AND HE GIVES IT A MONTH BEFORE THE MOTOR GOES. I GOOGLED THE 2.7 AND READ SIMILAR STORIES. *TR

ENGINE SHUT DOWN.....THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON, FOLLOWED BY LOUD NOISE IN ENGINE.....GOT OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD....SHUT OFF AND "DIED" ON THE SPOT !! LUCKILY IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT WITH NO OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD !! HAD THE CAR TOWED, LOOKED AT BY A MECHANIC..WHO FOUND THE ENGINE COATED WITH OIL SLUDGE ON THE INSIDE. NEEDS A NEW ENGINE . *TR

I BOUGHT THIS CAR FROM MY BROTHER-IN-LAW ABOUT 5 MONTHS AGO. I CHANGED THE OIL LESS THEN 3,000 MILES AGO. I BEGAN NOTICING SOME WEIRD ENGINE NOISE OVER THE LAST WEEK. THE SOUND GOT ALOT WORSE TODAY ON A 30 MILE TRIP TO PICK UP MY 3 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER FROM HER GRANDMA'S HOUSE. THE CAR BEGAN MAKING A LOUD BANGING OR KNOCKING SOUND WHEN YOU LET OFF OF THE GAS WHILE DRIVING. THE CAR THEN JUST DIED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE CAR OVER WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS, BUT WHO KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY HOUSE. I TRIED TO START IT AT HOME AND IT WOULD TURN OVER AND START, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE ENGINE HAS ROCKS OR SOMETHING IN IT AND ONLY IDLES FOR A SECOND OR TWO BEFORE DIEING AGAIN. I HOPE THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS SOME WAY OF GETTING FIXED AND THAT THE WAYS YOU DESCRIBED REALLY DO HELP. I AM NOW LEFT WITH ONLY ONE CAR TO SHARE WITH MY WIFE AND TRY TO FIND A WAY TO GET TO MY FULL TIME JOB AND MY CLASSES (I AM ALSO ATTENDING CLASSES 4 DAYS A WEEK). I HAVE ALWAYS HEARD ABOUT THE PROBLEMS WITH THE 2.7 LITER ENGINE, BUT I THOUGHT THEY WERE JUST HORROR STORIES THAT WERE ALWAYS TOLD AS "I KNOW THIS GUY WHO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THAT ENGINE" OR "THOSE ENGINES ARE JUNK, AND ITS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE MINE WILL BLOW". I REALLY DIDN'T EXPECT THIS TO HAPPEN BECAUSE NOT EVEN 3000 MILES EARLIER I CHANGED THE OIL AND IT WAS CLEAN. I ALSO DROVE THE CAR UP NORTH WHICH WAS A 3HR DRIVE EACH WAY. NO PROBLEMS AND THE BANG, KNOCK, CRUNCH ITS ALL OVER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE INTREPID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE WILL STALLED WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNINGS. THIS CONDITION INCREASES THE RISK FOR VEHICLE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN SPECULATED THAT CAM SHAFT OR CRANK SHAFT SENSOR WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,575. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 87,634.