2002 Dodge Intrepid

MY USED 2002 DODGE INTREPID WITH A CHRYSLER 2.7 ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING LIKE CRAZY AFTER STOPPING ON ME SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING. THE FIRST EXPENSIVE "REPAIR" TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM WAS REPLACEMENT OF A FUEL PUMP AND A "FUEL PUMP CONT MODULE CARTER ELECTRIC FUEL ASS" WHICH HAD CRACKED (345.00 FOR THE PART, $600.00 FOR THE "REPAIR"). TWO WEEKS LATER THE ENGINE WAS KNOCKING EVEN MORE LOUDLY AND I WAS INFORMED BY PEP BOYS THAT THE ENGINE WAS SHOT--LOCKED UP--AND THAT I SHOULD HAVE IT TOWED TO A DODGE DEALER. $172.00 LATER, THE DODGE DEALER HAD TOWED MY CAR AND TOLD ME THE SAME THING. THE WARRANTY COMPANY DEMANDED OIL CHANGE MAINTENANCE RECEIPTS WHICH WE COULD NOT PRODUCE AS WE HAVE FRIENDS WHO CHANGE THE OIL FOR US. WE WERE TOLD BY SEVERAL ENGINE REPAIR COMPANIES WE CONTACTED (TRYING TO FIND AN AFFORDABLE OPTION) THAT THE 2.7 ENGINE HAD A DEFECTIVE TIMING CHAIN WHICH DOES NOT ALLOW OIL TO PASS THROUGH AND BE BURNED PROPERLY, CAUSING SLUDGE TO BUILD UP AND DESTROY THE ENGINE. OF COURSE DODGE AND THE WARRANTY COMPANY "BLAMED" IT ON OUR "POOR MAINTENANCE"--WE STILL OWE 9,000 ON THE CAR!!!--THE CURRIE MOTORS DODGE DEALER WANTED TO CHARGE $750.00 TO "TEAR DOWN" THE ENGINE, THEN SAID THEY COULD PUT IN A REFURBISHED ENGINE FOR $5300.00!! NO APOLOGIES FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE ENGINE. NO CONSIDERATION WHATEVER. THEY SEEMED GLEEFUL THAT THEY WERE GOING TO MAKE SO MUCH MONEY FROM OUR DISTRESS! EACH ENGINE REPLACEMENT COMPANY WE CALLED TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE COST OF REPLACING AN ENGINE ASKED, BEFORE WE EVEN TOLD THEM, "IS IT A CHRYSLER 2.7?" THE DODGE CHRYSLER COMPANY SHOULD RECALL ALL AUTOS WITH 2.7 ENGINES AND REPLACE THE ENGINES FOR FREE WITH AN IMPROVED 2.7 MODEL. I KNOW AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE THAT I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER DODGE OR CHRYSLER OR ANY OTHER MODEL MARKETED BY THESE DEALERSHIPS. I REGRET THAT I HAD NO IDEA ABOUT DODGE INFERIORITY BEFORE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. I DIDN'T DO MY "HOMEWORK," I GUESS. *JB

RADIATOR PRESSURE VALVE FAILED.TWO MONTHS LATER THE WATER PUMP FAILED. AT THIS TIME THE OIL SENSOR LIGHT WOULD COME BLINK, BUT NOT THAT OFTEN. WHEN I WENT TO GFET THE WATER PUMP FIXED THE TOLD ME THE TIMIMG CHAIN WAS LOOSE. I DIDNT REPLACE IT BECAUSE I DIDNT HAVE MONEY AT THE TIME. TWO MONTHS LATED I TAKE MY CAR TO THE SHOP TO GET THE BELT REPLACE. THEY TOLD ME THAT WHO EVER REPLACED THE WATER PUMP FAILED BENT SOME NUT CONNECTED TO THE PULLY. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE THEN SPUTTERED, THE ENGINE DIED, AND THE VEHICLE COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE DID NOT START. THE NEXT MORNING THERE WAS ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO START THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. *NM UPDATED 2/7/2006 - *NM

THE OIL LIGHT FLICKERS WHEN I SLOW DOWN, AND WHEN I AM AT IDLE AT A LIGHT, THE OIL LIGHT COMES ON AND ONLY GOES AWAY WHEN I ACCELERATE. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE BEARINGS AND/OR OIL PUMP NEED REPLACING BEFORE ANY MORE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE STARTS WITH THE ENGINE. I HAVE CALLED AUTO SHOPS AND NO ONE GIVES ME A STRAIGHT ANSWER ON WHAT IT IS. ALL I KNOW IS THAT REPAIRS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE. THIS IS HORRIBLE, ITS ONLY A 2002!*JB

I DRIVE A 2002 DODGE INTREPID. I BOUGHT THIS CAR AS A SECOND OWNER, PREVIOUS OWNER A RENTAL AGENCY. THE CAR BLEW A ROD ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH. I TOOK IT TO A DEALERSHIP THAT STATES THE VEHICLE NEEDS A NEW ENGINE, PRICING THE REPAIR AT 6700 DOLLARS. THE CARS BLUE BOOK IS 6000 AT THIS WRITING. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE TWO YEARS AGO, AND IT HAS LESS THAN 68,000 MILES ON IT. I AM AT A LOSS AND LOOKING FOR RECOURSE. *NM

MY WIFE'S 2002 DODGE INTREPID, HAS OPERATED WELL UNTIL A WEEK AGO. AFTER ABOUT TEN MINUTES OF DRIVING, THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, THE TRANSMISSION DROPS HARSHLY INTO SECOND GEAR AND STALLS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BUSY, BUSY STREET. A TRIP TO OUR LONG TRUSTED MECHANIC REVEALED A COMMON KNOWN PROBLEM WITHIN THE AUTO REPAIR INDUSTRY THAT THE 2.7L CHRYSLER AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION USUALLY NEEDS REPLACEMENT AT ABOUT 50K ON THE 1998-2002 INTREPID MODELS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REGULARLY MAINTAINED AND CAREFULLY OPERATED SINCE PURCHASING. THE OPENING OF THE TRANSMISSION BY MY MECHANIC REVEALED NO METAL FILINGS WITHIN THE SYSTEM. A CHANGE OF SENSOR, FILTER, AND FLUIDS WERE HOPPED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS WITH THE WARNING BY MY MECHANIC TO START SAVING UP QUICKLY FOR MORE TRANSMISSION WORK SOON FROM HIS EXPERIENCE WITH THIS MODEL. TWO DAYS LATER THE PROBLEM RECURRED WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER ON NOVEMBER 10, 2005, SPOKE TO DAVEY, TO MAKE A CASE FILE CLAIM REPORT. I ASKED WHAT WILL BE DONE IN MY SITUATION. DAVEY TRANSFERRED ME TO ANOTHER PERSON. FORTY MINUTES LATER, TONY PICKED UP THE PHONE. I ASKED WHAT CHRYSLER WILL DO AS THE CAR IS ABOUT A YEAR OUT OF WARRANTY. HIS RESPONSE WAS 'NOTHING'. WHEN I ASKED TO HAVE A CONTACT NUMBER TO SPEAK WITH THE CHRYSLER ZONE MANGER, TONY STATED THAT THERE WAS 'PRIORITY INFORMATION' AND HE WOULD NOT GIVE OUT THAT INFORMATION. TONY ALSO STATED THAT EVEN IF HE DID IT WOULD DO NO GOOD AS THEY WOULD DO NOTHING EITHER. I COMPLETED MY DISCOURAGING CONVERSATION WITH TONY BY ASKING WHY SHOULD MY NEXT AUTOMOBILE BE A CHRYSLER PRODUCT? SINCE MY WIFE IS A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER AND CANNOT WAIT INDEFINITELY FOR CHRYSLER'S ASSISTANCE, THE TWO OF US WAITED UNTIL THE TRAFFIC WAS LESS AND CREPT IN FIRST OR SECOND GEAR TO A NEARBY RECOMMENDED TRANSMISSION SHOP FOR REPAIR TO PAID OUT OF OUR POCKET. *NM

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN THE CAR QUICKLY OVERHEATED. SHE IMMEDIATELY PULLED VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD AND TURNED IT OFF. SHE WAS LEFT STRANDED OVER 25 MILES FROM OUR HOME ON FOOT. LATER THAT DAY AFTER IT HAD COOLED DOWN I ADDED COOLANT AND DROVE IT ABOUT 2 MILES TO A SMALL REPAIR SHOP. THEY ADVISED ME THAT EITHER THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN OR THE BLOCK WAS CRACKED. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT. THEY ADVISED ME MY MOTOR WAS BLOWN AS A RESULT OF OIL SLUDGE BUILD UP. THEY CONCLUDED THIS AFTER REMOVING ONLY THE VALVE COVER ON ONE SIDE. BEFORE ASKING ME FOR EITHER A MAINTENANCE LOG OR OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS I WAS INFORMED THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO OWNER NEGLECT. WHEN I PROTESTED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER I WAS ASKED TO PRODUCE RECEIPTS. UPON SEEING THAT THERE WAS A 4000 MILE LAPSE BETWEEN OIL CHANGES WARRANTY COVERAGE WAS DENIED. I WAS EVEN CHARGED $225 TO EXAMINE MY CAR TO DENY WARRANTY COVERAGE. I HAVE REPEATEDLY REQUEST THAT THE CHRYSLER ZONE MANAGER BE PUT IN TOUCH WITH ME TO NO AVAIL. MY CAR SITS PARKED IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE STILL COMPLETELY DISABLED AS I CONTINUE TO MAKE PAYMENTS. *NM