My car (Dodge Intrepid) sounds like a diesel truck engine when it warms up in the morning or anytime it feels like it. It squeals and hisses all the time. My engine light stays on so much it is like a turn signal left on. I has impacted my cylinders and cost me thousands to keep up with. Finally, I tried to start it on Friday February 22, 2008 and it never did turn over. I have taken my car to get multiple repairs at my mechanic and this is how I learned of the problem with the 2.7 L engine. The mechanic talked with one of his colleagues about this and he reported that he had changed so many of these engines (2.7 L V6) that he had no "rebuilt engines" to replace the defective engines, only new ones were what he could use at an awfully expensive rate. I am dismayed, upset and now needing to replace the only car I have had. No warranty and it is paid off, of course. This is hardly my plans or intentions but I am forced to this because of the faulty craftsmanship involved.

I bought my 2001 Dodge Intrepid in fall 2002, slightly used from a local Dodge dealer, with about 22K miles on it. In April 2005, at 62,000 miles, timing chain began to rattle at idle. The dealer diagnosed sludge and declined to repair the car, claiming my maintenance records were incomplete. I took the car to a local mechanic who repaired the problem by replacing the hydraulic chain tensioner (Chrysler quietly made a redesigned part), plus replaced timing chain and water pump and cleaned out engine as much as he could. I was very lucky that the motor wasn't ruined. The repair cost about $2,500. I now have 83K miles on it, driving every day with fingers crossed. I use the car only for local travel and no longer make long trips in it. And, ever since the repair I use only Mobil 1 synthetic oil, changed every 3K miles. I am still paying off the original purchase of the car, and I hope it keeps running for a few more years until it is totally paid off. I definitely want to be part of the class-action lawsuit. Chrysler reportedly sold over a million vehicles with this 2.7L motor, I have to believe that there are many, many thousands of angry owners besides myself. I will never buy another Chrysler vehicle for the rest of my life, and ever since I had this problem I have been telling all my friends, co-workers and neighbors.

Went in for oil change this weekend - the auto technician said that the timing chain would probably break soon and that if I fix it now, it will cost around $800 but if I wait and it breaks, it could cost $2500+. I can't believe how many other people I've read about with the same problem! I can't even afford the $800 to "fix" this problem right now (though, by the sound of everyone else's complaints, this "fix" is only a temporary solution and you end up screwed still anyway!!) let alone thousands to fix it later! I still OWE on this car! Granted, this problem hasn't happened to my car just yet, but it sounds like I'm overdue for it! HELP!