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.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
0 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
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.
Consumer noticed that vehicle lost radio power, power locks, and interior lights. Dealership serviced vehicle, and technician determined that headlight switch needed to be replaced.
There is a strange unknown beep sound that comes from the inside drivers side of vehicle. This is not the door a jar chime. I am not sure if it has to do with the cd player or stereo being on. Several passengers have noticed this intermittent beeping that seems to occur for no specific given reason or time. The beep is always the same volume, tone and sounds like some type of BMW or Honda anti-theft device that beeps instead of chirping a siren or horn. This just occurs sometimes for no specific reason and I have not been able to invoke it. Several passengers thought it was an anti-theft device. The Intrepid has keyless entry but no anti-theft device and has stock base cd player. I have tried everything to try and invoke it, locking, unlocking, opening and closing the doors. Also a seperate issue, when driving with cruise control and accelerating with the cruise button an interference type, light clicking noise can be heard in the drivers side speaker during transmission kickdown and acceleration using the cruise control accel button. The speed of the noise increases with the speed of the vehicle and begins to fade until you cannot hear it. This is intermittent and does not always occur. Passengers have also heard and questioned this as well. These issues are a distraction and I would like to know why they occur. Selling dealer cannot duplicate.
- Fremont, CA, USA
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- Firth, NE, USA