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.
We kept the car serviced on a regular basis just like the manual said and also the same with tires. It started having a little clutter sound and now it is also having the brake pads squeaking. I went to my doctor on feb. 26, 2010 and when I got in the car to go home my oil light was on and that was very unusual. I pulled over immediately and then it starting acting strange and went dead on me. I called my daughter and she told me to check the oil and I did and it was real low. So I added some oil and started the car and just went about not even 1/10 of a mile and it went dead on me and I tried my best to guide it off the side of the road. The tail end was a bit in the road. I put on my flashers and it was pouring down raining that whole day. Needless to say I got soaked as I was doing all this checking under the hood. My daughter sent someone to help me and he filled the engine with oil and tried to start it and it just turned over one time and he looked under the car and all the oil was pouring out. So I finally got a ride to Jasper to find someone to tow my car home. I got home around 9:30 P.M. That was the worst day of my life. My husband passed away 01/22/2010 and he was always with me when I went to the doctor and he really wouldn't have been able to fix the problem because he was real sick with pulmonary fibrosis. I finally got it towed home by a wrecker truck. I went to Jasper the next day with my grandson and bought 2 new mopar oil filters and a 5 quart of oil. The next day my grandson went out and jacked up the car and put a new filter on it and then poured 5 more quarts of oil in it. He tried to start it and it ran a few seconds and started making funny noises then it went dead. He looked under the car and saw all the oil pouring out on the carport. So here I am with no way to go and I am disabled living on $674.00 a month since my husband died. Please tell me you can help me since you have had a lot of complaints about oil sludge messing up motors in the dodge intrepids.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
We kept the car serviced on a regular basis just like the manual said and also the same with tires. It started having a little clutter sound and now it is also having the brake pads squeaking. I went to my doctor on feb. 26, 2010 and when I got in the car to go home my oil light was on and that was very unusual. I pulled over immediately and then it starting acting strange and went dead on me. I called my daughter and she told me to check the oil and I did and it was real low. So I added some oil and started the car and just went about not even 1/10 of a mile and it went dead on me and I tried my best to guide it off the side of the road. The tail end was a bit in the road. I put on my flashers and it was pouring down raining that whole day. Needless to say I got soaked as I was doing all this checking under the hood. My daughter sent someone to help me and he filled the engine with oil and tried to start it and it just turned over one time and he looked under the car and all the oil was pouring out. So I finally got a ride to Jasper to find someone to tow my car home. I got home around 9:30 P.M. That was the worst day of my life. My husband passed away 01/22/2010 and he was always with me when I went to the doctor and he really wouldn't have been able to fix the problem because he was real sick with pulmonary fibrosis. I finally got it towed home by a wrecker truck. I went to Jasper the next day with my grandson and bought 2 new mopar oil filters and a 5 quart of oil. The next day my grandson went out and jacked up the car and put a new filter on it and then poured 5 more quarts of oil in it. He tried to start it and it ran a few seconds and started making funny noises then it went dead. He looked under the car and saw all the oil pouring out on the carport. So here I am with no way to go and I am disabled living on $674.00 a month since my husband died. Please tell me you can help me since you have had a lot of complaints about oil sludge messing up motors in the dodge intrepids.
Thank you,
Betty
- bls345, Hemphill, TX, US