2002 Dodge Intrepid

IT ALL STARTED WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS JUST A BROKEN WATER CONNECTOR ON THE TOP OF THE CHRYSLER 2.7 LITER ENGINE IN OUR 2002 DODGE INTREPID. I REPLACED THE PART MYSELF AND THOUGHT THAT IT WAS JUST A SIMPLE ISSUE. BUT THE VERY NEXT DAY MY WIFE WENT TO WORK AND GOT STRANDED WHEN THE CAR OVERHEATED AGAIN BUT THERE WAS LEAK THIS TIME JUST AN EXTREMELY HOT ENGINE. AFTER THE ENGINE COOLED DOWN AND I WAS ABLE TO START IT AGAIN IT WAS CLEAR TO ME THAT THE ENGINE HAD CRATERED AND THAT IT WAS ALL DUE TO AN INTERNAL OIL PROBLEM FROM THE BEGINNING. AS I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE IT HAS BECOME VERY CLEAR THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE AND WHEN WE TOOK IT TO A DODGE DEALER THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM UNTIL I TOLD THEM ABOUT IT. AFTER TEARING THE ENGINE DOWN THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE PROBLEM WAS THE SAME AS THEM OTHERS DESCRIBED IN THE WEBSITES, OIL SLUDGE CAUSING THE INTERNAL LUBRICATION TO FAIL. THE DEALER GAVE US $800.00 TRADE IN FOR A CAR WORTH $4000.00 WHICH WE HAD WORK VERY HAD TO PAY OFF EARLY. THE ONLY OTHER RECOURSE WAS TO HAVE A USED OR REBUILD INSTALLED AT A COST OF $5500 TO $8500.00 WITH NO GUARANTEE THAT IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. SO NOW WE HAVE A NEW USED CAR AND A MONTHLY PAYMENT AGAIN FOR SOMETHING THAT CHRYSLER KNOWS IS A PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT. *NM

I TOOK MY 2002 DODGE INTREPID TO DEALERSHIP TO CHECK OUT A VIBRATION IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE AND TO HAVE SOME OTHER SERVICE PERFORMED. I TOLD THEM THE FRONT END (WHEELS, STEERING) VIBRATED AT CERTAIN SPEEDS AND WHEN BRAKING. SERVICE WAS PERFORMED AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE VIBRATION WAS A "TIRE PROBLEM". AS I DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME THE VIBRATION PROCEDED TO GET WORSE. WHEN I CHECKED THE VEHICLE IT TOOK ALL OF 5 MINUTES TO FIND THAT THE RIGHT INNER TIE ROD END WAS WORN OUT AND THE SOURCE OF THE VIBRATION. I HAVE SUBSEQUNTLY FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM IS ENDEMIC OF THE INTREPID, AND AS SUCH SHOULD HAVE BEEN READILY VISIBLE TO A DODGE MECHANIC

SUBJECT: MASTERCRAFT TIRE TREAD SEPARATION COMMENTS: IN MARCH, 2003, I PURCHASED A 2002 DODGE INTREPID USING EBAY. THE CAR HAD 8,000 MILES AND CARFAX SHOWED NO ACCIDENTS. WHEN THE CAR ARRIVED, I NOTICED IT HAD TWO NEW MASTERCRAFT SENSY TIRES ON THE FRONT, UNUSUAL FOR THAT LOW MILEAGE. UPON INSPECTION, I FOUND THAT THE RIGHT TIE ROD END HAD BEEN BENT AND NOT REPAIRED, THE LIKELY CAUSE OF THE NEW TIRES. I THEN REPLACED THE RIGHT TIE ROD END AND HAD ALL FOUR WHEELS ALIGNED. AS THE TIRES HAD A TREAD WEAR RATING OF 620, I FIGURED THERE WERE GOOD FOR MANY MILES. IN LATE JULY, 2006, THE CAR HAD 32K MILES. I WAS HEARING A LOUD "SLAPPING" SOUND ON THE FRONT END. TAKING THE CAR TO A COSTCO CAR CENTER, THEY DETERMINED THAT BOTH TIRES HAD TREAD SEPARATION, REQUIRING IMMEDIATE REPLACEMENT. THE TIRES HAD LESS THAN 25K MILES ON THEM. THE CAR HAS A LIFETIME FOUR-WHEEL ALIGNMENT POLICY FROM FIRESTONE EVER SINCE I PURCHASED IT, AND THE FRONT END ALIGNMENT HAS BEEN CHECKED ABOUT EVERY 3-4K MILES. THESE TIRES APPARENTLY HAD A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THEIR IDENTIFICATION IS MASTERCRAFT SENSY 01, 225 60 R16 M&S 98T, DOT 3DX3 FMW 3302, NOT AS DESCRIBED BY YOUR FORM BELOW WHICH HAS INCOMPLETE INFO USE ONLY THE INFO IN THIS PARAGRAPH TO DESCRIBE MODEL, SIZE AND DOT NUMBER. I SUGGEST THIS DEFECT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. THE TIRES WERE LEFT AT COSTCO AND ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE, BUT I HAVE THEIR WRITTEN STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM. YOUR COMMENTS PLEASE. THANK YOU. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK, WITHOUT THE KEYS IN THE IGNITION, THE CONTACT'S UNATTENDED GRANDCHILD SHIFTED THE COLUMN SHIFT AND THE VEHICLE ROLLED DOWNHILL AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MODERATE DAMAGE TO THE REAR AND LEFT SIDE PANEL AREA. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE DEALER WAS ALERTED.

THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN MY 2002 DODGE INTREPID AND I HAD IT ANALYZED AND SERVICED. THE COMPUTER ANALYSIS INDICATED THAT THE CAR NEEDED 4 OXYGEN SENSORS. I HAD THESE REPLACED AT THE COST OF ABOUT $600.00 AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. THIS TIME THE CAR WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND ACTING LIKE IT WAS GOING TO CUT OFF. THE COMPUTER INDICATED THAT I NEED A MAP SENSOR. BUT ON FURTHER INSPECTION THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT I NEED 4 FUEL INJECTORS. THE CAR IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD AND IT IS FALLING APART. IT HAS ALMOST STALLED ON ME PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC AND ACROSS ROADWAYS. SINCE THE REPAIRS ARE NOT COMPLETE I DO NOT KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT. *NM