This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
I purchased in November 2003 a 1998 Dodge Intrepid for my daughter. Within 18 months this car was in the shop 10 times for engine problems. Oil changes were followed according to the manufacturers schedule. At 94,000 miles my daughter was driving with her two small children when the cars engine stopped. Thank goodness it was in a parking lot and not on a busy highway. After several calls to different mechanics the consensus was that this is a typical problem due to a design flaw. Dodge/Chrysler will not replace this faulty engine. This is a safety issue, what if she had been driving on a busy highway and it stopped in the middle of the road before she could get off the highway. I dread to think of what may have happened. Finally I had to spend $3600 dollars for a replacement engine and am now being told it could happen again. Not only an I out of pocket for repairs but I still owe on this car.
In December a mechanic told me the oil was like sludge in the car, accusing me of not having it changed although I had it changed every 3,000 miles. He told me then about the engine failure with the 2.7 lilter. In March, my engine started tapping and the oil light started blinking. The engine idle was lower than normal and it would sound like it was going to stall while sitting at a traffic light. I checked the oil when the tapping started, and it was fine. That was a Thursday night. I drove the car to work (3.5 miles one way) and back on Friday. Saturday morning I was on my way to the garage 3 miles away from home to have the car checked out, and while trying to get there, the engine started to make a racket, the check engine light was flashing, and then the car died in the middle of the road. My husband had to push me out of the road with his car as the metro police stopped traffic. The car was towed to the garage, and the mechanic said there was no oil in the car. I had checked the oil before I left and there was no oil trail on the road. When the mechanic put the car on a lift, he saw that the rear main seal was blown and the engine was shot. I still owe money on the car, and now I have a car that doesn't run.
While driving 40 mph vehicle stalled.driver tried to restart the vehicle and was not able to do so. Vehicle was towed to a dealer for inspection, and mechanic determine D that the engine needed to be replaced.
Was driving down hwy. And engine lost power and stalled little or no warning. Brought car to mechanic and was told my 2.7 L engine failed due to very common oil sludge problem called Chrysler and was told sludge only happens when maintenance is not performed properly no help offered. Car was very hard to steer to the shoulder of the road and almost caused an accident.
My 1998 well maintained Dodge Intrepid, with the now, well known design flaw, failed in traffic in July of 2001. I contacted daimler and I wrote 2 letters asking for some consideration of the cost of the new engine and I noted that it was a safety issue. Three and a half years later, with thousands of documented failures on the web, these 2.7 liter daimler Chrysler engines still have not been recalled and the danger increases each day, as the mileage increases on these 1998- 2002 engines and they fail with more frequency. Does this failure have to turn into the "daimler pinto", with documented loss of life, before daimler does or is forced to do the right thing.
- Raleigh, NC, USA
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The consumer experienced problems with the engine. The engine has been burning oil excessively for the past 20,000 miles. The oil light stayed on and eventually the engine will seize. Provide further details.
The oil light flickered than stayed on while driving. This was followed by lost of power. Thereafter, a metal to metal sound occurred in the engine just before the consumer pulled off the road. The vehicle was towed to a mechanic. The mechanic indicated after inspection that the engine seized up due to oil sludge build up which is a common failure with this size engine. The vehicle is currently at the mechanic.
While driving 65 mph vehicle stalled. Consumer was not able to restart the vehicle, and it was towed to the dealer for inspection. Mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced.
In June of 2004, my 1998 Dodge Intrepid stalled during normal highway driving during mid afternoon driving. Luckly, we were able to safely steer the car onto a offramp. If this happened during rush hour, there was a good 99% chance that my children would have lost a parent that day! after towing the car into a repair shop, we later found out that we needed a new engine (oil sludge problem, $5000)! during research on the internet and NHTSA, I found out this is a very common problem with Intrepids. I hope sometime in the future, Dodge will own up to this mistake.
One week after having oil changed in my 98 Dodge Intrepid 2.7L, while driving, engine revved real high in cruise control and made a loud clunking noise and died before stopping. Check engine light never came on. Towed the car to Dodge dealership where they told me that the oil was metallic and that the engine needed to be replaced. The car has only 108,000 miles on it.
The valves started clicking. I checked the oil, it was not low. I changed the oil. I saw a Chrysler silver certified mechanic. He told me that the motor was failing, and the only option was to replace the motor. The motor failed on June 2, 2003. We had the car towed and it has not been repaired. I did not want another 2.7 Chrysler motor.
While driving back from consumer's son's school vehicle cut off. Vehicle did this about 4 times, and the last time the vehicle would not restart. Consumer had the vehicle towed to a private mechanic, who determined that the motor was shot/gone.
Purchased 1998 Dodge Intrepid 2.7 in year 2001 and engine shut down in summer of 2002. Kept up with oil changes and had oil in it when it shut down. Replaced engine in May 2002 for $4,100. This year June 2004 the engine started knocking real loud with no warning in the middle of 95 in Virginia and shutdown. Had to have the car pushed off 95 and had police assistance to have the car towed all the way back to Maryland and was told I needed a new engine for the 2nd time.... estimated cost $6.300 purchasing engine through jasper who has stated the engine has oil line issues and water pump issues. They have revamped and redesigned (so they say to make it a better engine) but the cost to have a 2nd engine is just crazy and I refuse to fix it again.... something needs to be done about this engine problem...... it is unfair to all the people who have trusted to purchase a car from Chrysler/Dodge and then to have our lives turned upside down. How may complaints does there need to be before this engine is recalled. Myself and others do to research on another site www.autosafety.org have complained and have been treated unfairly and have lost lots of money and most of us still owe a balance for the car itself... please someone hear us and help!!!! I have called Chrysler and the dealership where the car was purchased and they refuse to help...... **(information given for mileage was 96000 after purchase then on second engine that was installed was said to have only 12000 miles and only put 29000 on it until June 18th, 2004.)**** thank you, terry amato.
While driving my 1998 Dodge Intrepid, I heard a noise a saw a blue cloud of smoke. I immediately pulled over and realized that the engine was about to fail. O indicator or warning light was on. The car had 50,000 miles and was maintained on a regular basis. It was then towed to a Dodge dealer where I was informed that the engine blew and would be $6,000 to be replaced. I was also informed that the value of the vehicle was now $100!!!
While driving suddenly a puff of smoke came from the engine. When this occurred consumer pulled off the road, to let the engine cool down. Then, consumer drove slowly home. The next day vehicle was towed to the dealership, and dealership indicated that engine blew out. The consumer was told that this was a standard failure with these vehicle's engines. The engine's were redesigned in the newer model year vehicles. The consumer request reimbursement for the faulty engine.
My car, an Intrepid 1998 with an engine of 2.7L, broke up because an excess of grease on the engine, I tried to repair it but all the pieces are extremely expensive, besides I read about articles in the internet of a lot of customers with the same problems.
While driving engine made a knocking noise, and smoked. Took vehicle to the dealer, and was told that the engine was defective. Consumer had the vehicle for seven months.
Engine started having a ticking sound. Took vehicle into dealer and dealer replaced the rods and bearings. This repair lasted one year. Now I need a new engine. Complete engine failure at 81,000 miles.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Jefferson, OR, USA