2000 Dodge Intrepid from North America

Summary:

This car is junk

Faults:

My motor blew out at 35,000 miles. When I took it to the dealer to look at, first they said they needed to open the motor up to get a better idea of what was wrong, and they did, and told me that I didn't change the oil, which I did in a timely manner, and always took it to the dealer service department to change the oil. They told me that I would have to pay for a new motor, and of course I declined because the car is not even paid off, and only has 35,000, and the oil was always changed at 3,000 miles or every 3 months.

They gave me a customer service number, and the representative read my file and the service department has written in it that I had sludge in my motor (not what they told me), so I informed her that they told me different, so she said to get the district manager's number from them, but of course they refused. I am still waiting for something to be done about my car. They said the district manager would call me, but still no call. I have no idea what I can do about this problem.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 10th December, 2004

2000 Dodge Intrepid ES 3.5L V6 from North America

Summary:

I will never own another Intrepid

Faults:

Engine started running rough at about 75,000 miles. A tune-up was no help. It first started running rough after the engine quit on me on the highway. The fuel gauge indicated 1/4 full, but the engine acted as if it ran out of gas. After I put 2 gallons of gas in the tank, the car started again. The fuel gauge then started reading erratically, and I no longer can afford to trust it. I have put gallons of fuel injector cleaner through the system, with no change.

The engine overheats when the air conditioning is on in stop and go traffic on hot days. A flush and fill was no help.

Just recently the transmission started failing to engage in cold weather. The problem seems to go away when the engine/transmission warm up.

The right rear door lock started making noise right after I bought the car. The noise is getting progressively worse, and I'm waiting for the door lock mechanism to fail before I do anything about it.

The right rear window stops working periodically. Pounding on the right rear armrest sometimes fixes that problem.

The driver's door window is off track, and closes noisily.

A very minor brush with a curb knocked the front end out of alignment.

The right front door speakers don't work.

General Comments:

When it's running well, it's smooth and powerful. When it's running rough, it's a clunker.

The interior is roomy and generally comfortable, especially on long trips.

The stereo works well, and the in-dash 4-CD changer is a plus.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 4th December, 2004

2000 Dodge Intrepid ES 3.2 from North America

Summary:

I found my Intrepid ES to be fairly reliable

Faults:

Air conditioning evaporator and condenser went out at about 80,000 miles.

Door seals shrink and pull away from car frame. Replaced all 4 for about $120 with OEM parts purchased over the Internet.

Interior dome light and dash lights flicker periodically. I have no logical explanation for why this happens.

Headlights are fogged over due to moisture in the lenses.

Passenger rear window does not operate. I suspect the motor is dead.

Drivers side power seat motor stopped working. Moves back and forth, but it will not go up and down vertically.

General Comments:

I have not had any engine or transmission problems.

My car has been fairly reliable.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th November, 2004

30th Jun 2007, 20:56

The flickering lights may be due to dust in the controls. My mechanic replaced the dial for the light controls ($80), and it seemed to resolve the flickering. Every now & then I use computer keyboard cleaner (can of pressured air) to remove dust (I live in high desert - dust builds up on EVERYTHING).

2nd Jul 2007, 19:09

Where are you located?

How did the evaporator and condenser go out? What about the compressor?

Door seals seem to pull apart at the seams on all cars I've found.

The flickering interior lights are a common problem. Like the other comment above, probably dust buildup.

Headlights fog up due to moisture, but also will look fogged up when they are dry due to the UV coating having succumbed to unprotected exposure to sun. Headlamps now days all have vents to balance humidity and air pressure. If it is constantly moisture filled, you should remove the headlamp and apply some sealant such as silicone to where the clear lens and headlight assembly join.

The power window switches have been a problem as well. If you want to shop and save, you can check your local wrecking yards and remove one from a car there. Probably a $5-$10 cost. I doubt it's the motor.

You're lucky to have the ES which will have the 3L engine. If you have the 2.7, you had better switch to FULL synthetic immediately and change that oil more often. If you were to prefer to use regular oil, changing the oil would be recommended every 2,000-3,000 miles.