Faults:

Transmission started slipping.

Leaking oil.

Leaking transmission fluid.

Leaking anti-freeze.

Front end shakes.

General Comments:

I bought this car 3 months ago. Changed spark plugs, oil, and transmission fluid.

Today I was driving and the transmission wouldn't come out of third gear, then the gauges started to flick and the car died. Had to get it towed and it cost me 360 bucks. Now it cranks, but won't start.

Faults:

Had to get the transmission wiring fixed at 175,000 miles.

Replaced the wheel bearings at 177,000 miles.

New water pump at 178,000 miles.

Power steering fluid is leaking!

New serpentine belt at 178,000 miles.

The paint is peeling like crazy!

General Comments:

This car is fun to drive when it's running well...

I've been driving this car for about 6 months, and it seems like it's spent a pretty good amount of that time in my mechanic's garage. I've only driven it about 8,000 miles, and I've already had more trouble with it than my last car (that had even more miles on it) that I drove for two years!

The transmission wiring in this thing was all screwed up, and it would randomly drop into 2nd gear while I was driving down the freeway! After bringing it in to the shop a few times, I heard that this is a common issue with these cars... Huh.

Faults:

Purchasing a car with 233,000 miles on it, I'd obviously expect some issues. I bought the car for $300 with a bad water pump and a leaky radiator due to a minor collision the previous owner had. $25 for a brand new water pump, $30 for a radiator from the salvage yard and it was up and running (it's cheap to do your own repairs).

A/C is dead from the front end damage, but I don't really care.

Transmission leaks a few drops from the bell housing.

Front end pops when taking corners, otherwise steering and suspension is tight.

Wheel alignment slightly off, but again, steering is tight.

Not much paint left on the car. Thankfully I don't care what the car looks like.

General Comments:

I bought this car to use as parts for another Intrepid. I paid $300. Once I found out it was only a water pump impeding it from daily use, I decided to fix it and make it my daily driver.

It is not a pretty car, but that's not why I bought it.

It gets 27 MPG on the highway, starts right up, and just goes. Original 3.3l engine and it runs incredibly well. Unsure if it's the original transmission or not.

For a car with currently 234k or so miles, it actually drives pretty well and is comfortable.

I've owned a lot of cars, and have come to a pretty simple conclusion. It doesn't matter who made it, it's either going to have problems or it won't. Too many variables come into play when you have so many different people with different environments and driving conditions / habits.

Overall I'm happy with my $300 car that I've hardly put a thing into. I'll probably sand the rusty roof and throw some spray paint on to make it "pretty" again and maybe, just MAYBE replace a tie rod.

Also, I'm impressed how little rust it actually has for the amount of miles on it (this is a Midwest car too)