25th Feb 2005, 09:22

A month ago, I would have told you I'm the proud owner of an Intrepid, and intend to buy another one someday. I have never had any major problems with it in the 3 years I have had it. Not until this week, when the timing chain on my apparently infamous 2.7 liter V6 engine failed, leaving me with the choice of paying out $6000.00 to have the engine fixed or replaced, or eat the $7500 balance on the car and tack it onto the price of a replacement.

Did you remember to check your oil and have regular changes? This is the first question everyone wants to know. Well I can tell you that up until this week, I was proud of myself for this very thing. I'd seen my parents' car blow an engine when I was younger due to a broken oil warning light, and was determined not to suffer the same fate. People would give me odd looks when, at the gas pump, I regularly checked my oil levels and color. I was proud of that. I had regular oil changes. In fact, I had an oil change and inspection just 1 week before the engine died.

I have searched the Internet and found an alarming number of others have suffered the same fate. Many, right after an oil change. I have been told, and have now read, that these engines tend to "sludge up" due to poor design, and that this is the reason why they aren not making it anymore.

So my question is, if they know it's so bad they are not making it anymore, why has there been no recall? I see letters and complaints in the hundreds (and probably thousands I haven't seen), yet I see nothing that Daimler Chrysler has done to alleviate the situation in terms of a recall. As this failure can apparently happen while moving at sixty-five miles per hour on a crowded highway, I must wonder how this incredible safety concern is ignored.

I am certainly going to seek out any standing lawsuits and join the ranks.

25th Feb 2005, 09:33

Brought a 1998 Intrepid 3.2L ES brand new for all the same reasons:- good styling, spacious, well appointed and good reviews. Since then it has had many of the same problems and glitches that have plagued most of the other contributors to this site. Within the first three years, all the power window motors were replaced, (some twice), the headlights quit, the rear floorboards became pond after water leak in the body, the panel lights flicker at random, the power seat stopped working and the "comfort package" developed a mind of its' own by ignoring the control settings on the dash and venting air when it felt like it. This last part was much appreciated during a September visit to Florida. My own view of this particular problem is it's probably a sticking airflow valve in the dash, but why should I diagnose my car and help out the dealer.

Later, one of the transmission speed sensors failed and left me with nothing, but second gear and a blank dash. Soon after it was fixed, the other speed sensor went and we repeated the process again, (why not offer to replace both when the first one went, I wondered later?). Now, with 63,000 miles on the clock, I can only hope that my original choice of model will keep me away from the dreaded oil sludge problem found on the 2.7L. Overall; a good-looking car, let down by poor quality parts. Oh wait a minute; isn't that what Chrysler products were renowned for?

13th Mar 2005, 20:49

Good news, if you use lucas oil in the 2.7 engine it will solve a lot of issues with premature engine failure.

Some of todays oils for some reason lack enough viscosity, lucas oil fixes this very fast.

23rd May 2005, 00:09

Hello fellow 1999 Intrepid owners! Good grief! What a nightmare this car has been. We thought we'd love it when we got it in 2000...we did for about 50000 miles, then the motor went! This is on top of all the other problems, the window motors (all 4!) going out, the speed sensor going, O2 sensor, AC only working on high. Well, last year in April, we had a new motor put in... Guess what! We had to have ANOTHER motor put in in May THIS YEAR! Luckily, the motor was still under warranty and we didn't have to pay for another one. But the inconvenience of having to do without a car was a pain. We had to constantly put in oil with the first new motor, about once a week! When will it end? As soon as I trade that sucker in this week! If anyone gets a lawsuit going, I am all for it. Please contact me at LWatson1971@aol.com.

5th Jun 2005, 14:21

Brought 1999 off the lot - 0 miles - brand new, everything has gone wrong - every sensor - a/c - belts, transmission, now engine - faithfully changed oil every 3000 miles (exactly) replaced it with 3.2 engine - now it runs, but runs hot... I love the look, hate the car.

Cbrint.

17th Jun 2005, 12:43

Wow! What a depressing laundry list of problems described here. Our experience has been better.

We have a 1998 Intrepid ES (bought new) and have had only a few of the above mentioned problems (knock on wood with fingers firmly crossed).

* 3.2 Liter engine/Auto-stick trans

* 67,000 miles

* Oil/Filter change (100% synthetic oil) every 3000-5000 miles (mostly at Jiffy Lube)

* All other Factory recommended services done at Dodge dealer.

The only problems we've had are:

* The intermittent interior lights flickering on/off (hasn't happened in over a year)

* The display for the climate control panel no longer works (all other displays are still OK). Heat and AC still work, but we have to guess at the temperature!

* Drivers window stopped going down two months ago (new switch installed by dealer - $90). All other window are OK.

* Replaced front brake rotors at 60,000 miles due to having to have them previously "turned" two times to stop brake shudder. This is a result of us living on a VERY steep hill and the cheap Chrysler/Dodge "traction control" (e.g., computer applying front brakes to stop wheel spin) during winter. It can (and will) easily warp the rotors from heat.

The car is paid off now... We sure hope that it doesn't start acting up.

Wtryk@aol.com.