Care and preventive maintenance go a long way
Nothing.
This Dodge has been taken great care of, and now has 187000 miles on it.
And yes it is the 2.7. I have had it just over a year, and I have done nothing but change the oil over to 5w-30 synthetic. At the first oil change, there was NO sludge at all in this engine.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 8th January, 2011
Very poor engineering on this car
My water pump has failed.
My freon for my A/C blew in through my air vents inside the car.
My head gasket has cracked due to little warning from the water pump failure.
This car has major issues with the water pump location. This car gave me little warning of a bad water pump, which has lead to a cracked head gasket.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 26th November, 2010
Nice car, but the engine and engine compartment stinks
The transmission solenoid, which was a pain to fix, as someone changed the design from an earlier model that would have taken half hour to fix. Car had 35k-40k at the time. Note: don't try a rebuilt solenoid. $200 for replacement and $200 for repair.
The poor design of the water pipes that run over the engine, and took almost 4-5 hours to tear apart the engine to replace. $200 for a small pipe section.
The horrible design of the engine compartment and timing chain made the water pump replacement a horrific ordeal in terms of time and cost.
Interior is good, but a bit of wear on the seats has started.
Trunk is large, but a bit of shape issue for larger objects.
2.7l engine is a bit underpowered for the size/weight, and seems to run very hot.
I like the alloy rims, and the tire size is a bit odd, but like the 16" size.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 4th October, 2010
Not very good
It is continuing to overheat, replaced radiator cap and something else, but forgot what it was called. Mechanic fixed that and ran tests, but showed nothing was wrong, but it still gets too hot while the air conditioning is on.
Ran great for a few years, then recently starts to have problems and overheat continuously.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 4th August, 2010
I've had it for 7 years, and now it is giving me a problem
Oil flickering when going slower or hitting the brake.
The timing slipped, and caused me to stop in the middle of the road.
There was a tapping noise before that from the top of the engine.
There was sludge build up, and it cooked on top of the cams and under the valve covers.
It jumped timing, and is on jacks right now.
Great space in the back seat for people with long legs.
Seats are comfortable, especially on long trips.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 22nd April, 2010
One of the best Chrysler/Dodge ever made... and, one they should not have stopped producing
Quite simply, nothing ever went wrong with this car. Routine maintenance (fluid changes, brakes, tires, a timing belt and tie-rod ends) was always performed when needed.
I'd already had a 1994 Intrepid, and loved it; so, when it crossed the 196,000 miles mark, I started looking for a new one.
The 2002 R/T upped the ante from a nice sedan, with sporty looks & handling, to a true sport sedan with even better handling, and more power. This car never disappoints, and instead, surprisingly handles even the hilliest twisties, with an ease usually reserved for much smaller/lighter sports cars.
On the highway, she's one of the smoothest cruisers on the road; and in the city, even the worst potholes cause no drama. At the track, she's not the quickest off the line... but, when the length is longer than a quarter mile, she can catch up (and keep up) with any sedan, and quite a few sports car poseurs.
I don't usually need anywhere near all the capabilities, power and speed the R/T is capable of, but, I love knowing it's there, if I do need it.
The only problem with this car, is that it's a Front Wheel Drive, instead of a Rear Wheel Drive. So there's no sliding the rear in the twisties. But, since she handles those curves like she's on rails, I can live with that.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 8th April, 2010
8th Jan 2011, 19:51
Like the LSx-series GM V8s, you need an oil that can handle high temperatures in these engines. Corvette engines have been filled with Mobil 1 from the factory since 1992 - this allowed GM to do without an oil cooler. Without an oil cooler on a vehicle that is will be driven hard, synthetic oil is the key to a sludge-free engine - and thus, longevity. The question is, why does a relatively mundane engine such as the 2.7, installed in a family-oriented vehicle, have issues with oil temperature? Smart move on the poster's part, as these are good engines otherwise.