Faults:
Major coolant leak due to worn head gasket and possibly faulty water pump or timing belt. Made car un-drivable and repairs are quite expensive (>$1000).
New belt and tires were installed when the car was first acquired. The replaced belt squeaked so it had to be replaced again.
Hard shifting between gears caused by old (brown) transmission fluid. A flush and fill service solved that.
Transmission fluid leak due to a worn out gasket between the engine and transmission. Not fixed, but car ran quite well even with the problem. Had to keep an eye on the fluid level though... Not a big deal.
Alignment required at least every 6 months. At each service session new tie rods (both inner and outer) needed to be replaced.
A couple of clamps around some of the pipes under the car rusted and broke off.
Brake light bulbs replaced at least 3 times in 6 years.
Head light bulbs replaced once. Very difficult to get to as the unit housing the headlight is very sensitive and breaks easily. Screws tend to seize in the plastic.
Wiper arm and plastic ball joint replaced.
Spark plugs (6) replaced.
Starter, Ignition coil (twice) replaced.
Crank, Cam, Oxygen sensor replaced.
Air conditioning gives warm air.
New radio/cassette system installed (acquired from auto wrecker).
Some of the trim around the windows replaced.
Seat belt clip broken, so seat belt doesn't retract correctly.
Hubcaps replaced twice.
Fabric on seats and carpet worn out in certain areas. A hole developed on the driver's seat somehow.
A lot more work done over the last 6 years in addition to the regular maintenance (oil/lube/filter changes, etc.).
General Comments:
I absolutely love this car! It was my first real car (I kept it for over 3 months (6 yrs. actually) and used it regularly).
The Chrysler Intrepid is a very nice, luxurious, extremely spacious and really comfortable car. A great car for local or long distance trips, although gas mileage is an issue. It's doesn't guzzle the gas, but it's not that efficient either.
Acceleration and handling is amazing. The features are outstanding! And the comfort is really to die for! Hats of to Chrysler on those fronts.
It handles really well in all types of weather... rain or snow or ice, no problem! One skid in 6 years on a very icy day, but most cars did that day anyway.
Although this is a solid car (by many measures), it has some issues... one of which being way too many plastic parts that wear out quickly. Most of the issues this car has had in the last few years has been due to the plastic parts cracking or breaking off.
Plastic or no plastic, if this car breaks down, repairs are usually at least $100, and that can be stressful (especially for students like me).
It's not as reliable as I would like it to be in that I make trips to the mechanic at least every 2 months to fix one thing or another.
Honestly, I would not mind getting another Intrepid if some of the mechanical issues in the car are resolved. It's really a great car... as long as it's running.
14th Mar 2009, 07:51
We just bought one, in excellent condition. It seems to have a problem with the spark. Could that be cause somebody put Champion spark plugs in it or maybe the coil? Who knows. I hope it ain't a catalytic converter.