CarComplaints.com Notes: The Dodge Intrepid, Stratus & other Chrysler sedans are infamous for oil sludge problems with the 2.7L V6 engine. If someone offers to sell you a 2.7L V6 model, it's only worth the price of the scrap metal it's going to shortly turn into.
NOTE: Only the 2.7L V6 has the oil sludge problem. Our "Avoid like the Plague" designation is ONLY for models with the 2.7L V6 engine. All other available engines are very reliable with no major problems.
Even with regular maintenance, the oil sludge defect eventually destroys the 2.7L engine typically around 80,000-100,000 miles. The only true fix we know about is to put in the larger 3.2L engine, which has a great reputation.
This issue was never deemed a safety defect by the Feds, so there was no recall. In the end, Chrysler got away with FOUR YEARS worth of defective 2.7L V6 engines in their sedans.
Well, It finally happened to me. The 2.7 liter Intrepid timing chain broke. I knew it was coming and am lucky I made it to 135,000 miles. Including 5 trips from Denver to Los Angeles. I have to junk it, because like most everyone else am not willing to spend thousands on an engine that could take a crap on you at anytime. If I had tons of money to play with I would consider putting a 440 in, making it a 2 door and rear wheel drive. I know crazy dream! Don't buy any Intrepid!!!!!
My husband bought the car from a relative. we were told that the car had a water pump problem and that was it, so we had it fixed and drove it for about a month and on the way to a doctors appointment the car stops dead in the road, when my husband turned it over again to start it the engine made a knocking noise and begin to leak a lot of oil. We were told after we bought the car that the Dodge intrepid 2.7L motor was the worst. The car is sitting in the drive way taking up space because were afraid if we put another 2.7L motor in it the same thing will happen again.
No sense complaining about what others no. Oil sludge issue, and head gasket eventually blew the heck up. Based on milage, and other intreprid fun, tossed it in the heap.
I had the same problem my engine oil light flickered all the time, but I change the oil every other payday (every 2,000+) miles. Finally it just died but would re-start a few hours later with a knock. So eventually the engine knocked all the time. But I had about a grand saved up ( took me hella long time to save it) So we bought a 3.5L engine and me and my dad put it in that summer, after onboard computer and ignition tweeks its been running find and that was about 2 years ago and I have not had any problems with this car. Oh! actually the chrome letters on the trunk that spell Intrepid are falling off that's about it. If I didn't have any money for another engine and my dad was not a mechanic then I would have lost out on a car like everyone else. I am angry at this problem with these cars but and am ONLY driving this Intrepid because its running good.
- Jared R.,
Seattle, WA, US
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I PURCHASED MY 2001 DODGE INTREPID S V6 2.7 36000 MILES IN 2006 I BEGAN TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE COOLING SYSTEM LEAKING. I REPLACED THE RADIATOR REPAIR COOLING SYSTEM - TOTAL COST 1500 DOLLARS. IN 2009 AT 64000 MILES WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT WARNING ENGINE STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. MY 2001 INTREPID WAS TOWED TO MY MECHANIC SHOP FOR INSPECTION, RESULTED IN ENGINE NEEDING. TO BE REPLACED ENGINE NO GOOD FULL OF ANTIFREEZE.
I would also like to smack the crap out of the salesman who sold me this car. Shortly after I bought it, I started having problems. No wonder they steam cleaned the engine at Stocker Chevrolet in State College, PA. This engine was so sludged up with oil it was disgusting. First, the stinking water pump went. I thought it was the car ahead of me that was smoking me out, but it was my wonderful, Dodge Intrepid. Fortunately, it happened a very short distance from home. As soon as I called my mechanic, he said, 'You bought a Dodge Intrepid. I wish you woud've called me before buying that car. Those 2.7L engines are total crap.' I certainly found that out quickly. He showed me how badly sludged up the engine was. He told me to get rid of it immediately, but once he changed the water pump, it was running fine....FOR A MONTH OR SO!!!!! Then the timing chain went and it sounded like someone was under my hood pounding everything with a sledge hammer. DO NOT BUY THIS CAR!!!!! The engine is CRAP! Thank you so much to Stocker Chevrolet for holding true to the tale that men love to rip off women!
Same ol story with these crappy azz engines. I was just got an oil change the same day. Soon as I left the oil change place the engine started to sound like a diesel engine. I drove it around that day thinking that the sound might go away. Sure enough that night I drove it out and the engine just cut out in the middle of the road. I was lucky i was going down a hill , so I rolled it into a guys driveway. I had it towed the next day and my mechanic told me I would need a new engine. Its been sitting in the garage for almost two years now. I still owe 2500 on it at the time. f*^kin bummer!!!
so i bought a 2001 dodge intrepid 2.7L back in june of this year(09) bc my boyfriend totaled my car. i paid $500 for it and the people i got it from told me that all it needed was a new oil pump and it would run like it was brand new. turned out that it was leaking oil from the timing cover bc the old man didnt put a gasket on it...the new oil pump was $130 and he told me it would only be MAYBE $50, and not even a week after i got it the damn engine blew up (main and rod bearings went out and the crankshaft had scoring all over it from the bad bearings). so, i went a head a just rebulit it...got the new main and rods got the crank machined, etc..i put about $2500 into it to get it running again.
well, i got it running again back in august and ive still had problems with it since. one of the rod bearings went out again a couple weeks after i got everything put back together (about late august), the bracket that holds the idler pully on the engine broke off (late october) and now that its almost christmas the main and rod bearings have gone out again and the crankshaft is all torn up again. in other words, the m*r fr that owned it when it was brand new was (and i know this for a fact) a stupid college student who went to purdue who doesnt know st about cars and didnt take care of it...and now im having to pay for it. ive owned the damn car for not even 6 months and ive put WAYY too much money into it for it to even be worth just buying a new engine for it to put into it.
the 2.7L dodge motor is a piece of sh
t and they should have made recalls a long time ago..i will never own another dodge/chrysler vehicle in my life...they just lost a very good customer...go to hell dodge and take my intrepid with you!!!!!
Dodge knew about this problem and chose not to send out any recall or info to owners, hoping the car would go at least 100,000 miles and then they would be off the hook completely. Now they are saying it is the owner's fault for not changing the oil regularly..well...I did and it still happened ! Now I'm borrowing cars all the time to get things done until I can afford to get another car !!
My daughter bought her first car for seven thousand dollars cash when she got her disability backpay. The car ran for six months when the engine just locked up. When she went to crank it one day, it failed to crank. Took it to the shop and was told the motor and timing chain was gone. Can't afford to have it fixed. PLAN ON SUING IN COURT !!!!!
the mechanic said that there was no neglect but the engine design is a faulty design...I was on the freeway and the engine caught on fire...no payout from my very expensive insurance because there was not enough fire damage for a claim ...due to bad engine design insurance did not pay...new mechanic says that year of Intrepid engines were very cheap in the workmanship....still trying to afford a new engine ...trying for this income tax year :I
This is the second time In my life that I purchased an America vehicle,and I dont think I will do it again. Im currently unemployed and going to school full time, I will be taking 18 credits next week and I was happy to buy a car that I really liked at such a great price. I paid $2400 for the car and it only last me 2 f*cking weeks!!! The engine blew up with no lights or signs of something being wrong with the car, its will cost me about $2000 to put a used engine in the car but is it really worth it? Dodge no f*cking wonder you are going out of business and that's what happen to my for not buying another TOYOTA!!! that's why their economy is doing GREAT!!!! I will never buy an American car again!!
had to replace engine. took about a month to even find another engine. cost 3,000 to replace. lasted for 2 yrs. timing chain broke on new motor and caused major damage. either have to replace engine or rebuild this one.
Wish I knew then what I know now! 2001 Dodge Intrepid bad, bad, bad. After reading over the more then 200 postings I guess I am one of the few lucky ones in the sense that my car made it to 156,000 miles with little problems prior to the engine blowing up. And Yes I to changed my engine oil as was told. Driving down the highway I knew there were some issues as the engine ,as someone else put it started to sound like a diesel engine. When the noise got so bad I was just hoping I could get it home, no such luck. As the noise got worse I decided to hit the hazard light, just as I hit it something flew out the back of my car, along with a lot of smoke. Car dead. Now after reading all these reports we have pretty much come to the conclusion that we need another vehicle and it will NOT be a Dodge. It's sad. I loved this car and I still owe 2100.00 on it. Now another car payment. I do hope for those with these issues that some where down the line you get your resolution.
Im soo disgusted with Chrysler Dodge. I recently spent thousands; new transmission, new brakes, and maintained this car as well as anyone could. I took it to the mechanics at the first sign anything was off. It was at the mechanic when the gasket blew. It had a coolant leak and once that was fixed the problems began. I will never ever consider buying a dodge or chrysler ever nor will my children or family or friends. I am a single mom struggling with a child that has medical issues. I'm having trouble getting my son to DR aptms, how do I go back to work with no transportation? This has been the biggest headache ever with a car. I called Dodge and spoke to someone in India they said the would try and help, told me to take it to a dealership, the regional service manager laughed about that and said its not worth fixing.
yes people the notorious 2.7 has bitten me is the azz as well. Man i was so in love with my intrepid its silver its got tint me and my family named it the mothership. It moved when i needed it to when i was on the highway she was smooth almost like a caddy or a stankin Lincoln. At a 136,000 plus i saw no signs of trouble but then it happened she started smokin like a college student then she started shakin like a stripper and then she passed out like a drunk and she still got a hang over three weeks later. The doctors said that she needs a new heart that will hit me the wallet about three thousand times people I love her but i just can't stand it. To be serious the head people should take care of us that intrepid was the first brand new car i ever had and its sad when a company has to make a dollar like this. In closing the 2.7 is a sad azz engine please don't fall into this trap like i did and so many hard workin people. And they wonder why japan is winning i might have to see how Toyota is doing these days.
I have heard that there are hundreds maybe thousands of 2.7 crysler engines with this same problem. I change my oil on a very regular basis and my engine blew up because of oil sludge.
Car was well taken care of by owner. Oil was changed as required. Sudden catastrophic engine failure occurred while on the way to work. Engine was running fine. Stopped at stop sign and sudden failure occurred.
This car has been a PIA since the day I was suckered into buying it.
What is up with these 2.7L engines?
The water pump went and my mechanic informed me that the engine was sludged up like a vehicle with 200,000 miles on it. At the time, I had 70,000 miles on it. He said, "GET RID OF IT." I didn't listen to him and now the engine just died. I have a couple thousand dollars in repairs since I bought the car less than 3 years ago. Now, I have no car at all!
The body is in excellent shape. The engine isn't worth sh*t. Never was!!!!!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Well, It finally happened to me. The 2.7 liter Intrepid timing chain broke. I knew it was coming and am lucky I made it to 135,000 miles. Including 5 trips from Denver to Los Angeles. I have to junk it, because like most everyone else am not willing to spend thousands on an engine that could take a crap on you at anytime. If I had tons of money to play with I would consider putting a 440 in, making it a 2 door and rear wheel drive. I know crazy dream! Don't buy any Intrepid!!!!!
- stw1969, Los Angeles, CA, US