11th Apr 2005, 20:35
You listed off all of the full sized cars and named the Intrepid the flashiest... You missed one, and it's been named to be the flashiest, yet most ignored car out there. The 2000-05 Bonneville. I own a 2003 Intrepid, but would conquer with their thoughts aswell... and it's much more reliable than ours...lol, but then again, I have the 3.5.
24th Apr 2005, 23:12
Good point -- I forgot about the Bonneville! I think it is ignored because it doesn't sell very well, or I should say it appeals to a special market.
26th Apr 2005, 12:03
I love my Intrepid SE 2004. But I have been hearing some rumor about a few "problems" with it. Is this anything I should be concerned about? I have had only two issues so far:
(1) There is a knocking sound often when I press the brake or let up on it.
(2) Our check engine light activated recently, possibly because there has been some problem starting the car: upon turning the key, the car will turnover, but not start.
This second problem is occasional, but enough to scare us. My wife was stranded at the market just a couple of days ago. We only have 30,137 miles on the car; our dealer informed us that any problems will be covered by our bumper-to-bumper manufacturer's warranty.
Is anyone knowledgeable enough to separate fact from rumor and let consumer know about legitimate concerns with the Dodge Intrepid SE 2004? A prompt response is appreciated, since my car is at the dealer's as I type!
9th May 2005, 20:51
I've never heard of any problems like that before. Sounds like yours might have developed some sort of fuel, ignition or computer problem. Or it might be a lemon.
3rd Apr 2007, 17:24
I have an Intrepid SE 2003 and have been told that the air conditioning is kaput. Can anyone tell me if there has been a recall for this problem. It's hard to believe that this happens to a fairly new car that I'm not even finished paying for. The repair estimate is very expensive and I believe that something like this shouldn't be happening until much later in the vehicle's life. Other than that I enjoy the performance of the car and hope to drive it for a while yet. JB
19th Jun 2010, 10:10
I have a 2003 Intrepid with a 2.7, and all I can say is do your maintenance. I didn't, and had to change all the sensors in the transmission because of bad oil.
Other than that, I got the car with 80,000 km; now it has 185,000 and it hasn't cost me more than $11,000.00, including brakes and tires.
I did tweak it a bit, and I can give Mustang a run for its money. NGK Iridium spark plugs, K&N air filter and BG 44K power enhancer in the fuel turns this sluggard into a power beast.
18th Mar 2005, 23:30
I work in the auto repair/maintenance business and have my own personal views about many things that seem warped to those on the outside. Here is some more insight, FWIW.
About the rotors... the fronts are *slightly* warped. By that I mean you cannot feel steering shake unless you apply the brake pedal from 50-80 mph with just the right amount of pressure. (The shake is minor BTW.) The rotors have not gotten any worse since it had 25,000 miles so I'm playing it by ear. I will get new tires around 45,000 miles when the warranty ends, but before our road trip to Chicago this summer. That's the logic, if you can call it that. (It still has life left, and still works safely, therefore good enough!)
As for Mobil 1, when I saw my local Target store selling it for $3.39 a quart I scooped up their entire stock. In Houston markets, you can get Pennzoil synthetic for $4.49 a quart, or M1 for $4.99. That extra 50 cents becomes more of a trust issue with me. When I was driving 1500-2000 miles a month, I was changing the oil and filter every 5500 miles. Now that I am not driving as much anymore, I change the filter / do a top-off at 3 mo/2500 miles, and change the oil and filter at 6 mo/5000 miles. I changed the transmission oil with Mopar ATF+4 & filter at 30000. Air filter, PCV valve & fuel injection/combustion chamber service at 30000.
(BTW I know about the 2.7 issues and the Stratus 2.7 is much more responsive than the Intrepid off the line.)
People complain about interiors because they get a "flashy" car on the outside, but a cheap, chintzy plastic interior. Think about full-size 4 door cars: Crown Vic, Avalon, Impala and Intrepid. Intrepid is by far the "flashiest" vehicle in its class. Even compared to midsize cars such as Taurus, Camry, Accord, Galant, and Stratus IMHO!! Perhaps it's just a matter of opinion. What do I consider a good interior? Look at almost anything from Honda and Toyota (except Echo). Feel and press on the dash and surroundings. That's what I mean.
BTW, you'd be surprised how many people think the Intrepid SE *only* had a $21,000 sticker price back then!
As for the being stolen attempt, at the time it was in the top 5 list for being stolen along with the Escalade, Maxima and Stratus. I can tell you it was, and still is somewhat a G-ride around here, and if you knew where I was living at the time, and talked to some people I've spoken to, you'd agree with my earlier review. But like I said, I moved away from the fringe of that side of town and don't drive as much anymore.