1995 Dodge Intrepid Base 3.3L

Summary:

Adequately performing roomy car

Faults:

Immediately after I took the car, the heater failed to work (blew ice-cold air out of the vents) and the car's engine temperature would slowly rise to the point of overheating. I replaced the rad cap and thermostat and flushed the cooling system. Cost me about $40 Canadian. That fixed it.

The cup holders don't work. Not a big issue.

Headlamps are very weak and do not illuminate the road very well at night or on rainy days.

General Comments:

The car's performance and handling are more than adequate considering it's the base model.

Very roomy in the back and a pleasure to drive.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 24th November, 2002

1995 Dodge Intrepid 3.3

Summary:

Considering the more reliable vehicles it its class cost 25% more, I am a happy owner.

Faults:

Front Suspension: To date, 7 of the 8 tie rod ends have been replaced. One of the outers has been replaced twice. (This seems to be a common complaint of other owners).

Transmission: Had it rebuilt with updated kit at 120000 miles. (Another common complaint).

Headlights: Adjusters broke on both sides. I chalked it up to poor design. (I didn't repair it. It is a minor inconvenience)

General Comments:

All things considered, I am happy to very happy with my Intrepid. Sure, it has been in the shop time and again to one by one replace the tie rod ends, but the vehicle has 180000 miles on it.

I get mid to high 20 MPG and it starts every winter, (Minnesota resident).

It is not a sports car, however for a car of this size it handles very well, especially at freeway speed. Acceleration is more than adequate for any situation. During panic situation it is very predictable.

The interior noise level is not the best, but I can't afford a BMW. I love the car for what it can do.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 17th August, 2002

1995 Dodge Intrepid Standard 3.3

Summary:

A great bargain and cool ride!!

Faults:

Body control module.

Drivers power window controls.

A/C transducer.

General Comments:

If I wasn't a mechanic it would have cost me a lot more to fix these items. I found a place in PA that rebult the body control modules for half the cost of the dealer price. What happened, the doors locks stayed energized in the up position and drained the battery.

The door window controls just had to be flushed with WD-40 and they work great now.

After it's all fixed I love it!! The 3.3 is actually the better motor in the earlier cars, a lot less trouble. This car never left me stranded!

I have a 70 Cuda and have always been a Mopar fan!

She is my going out car as it looks brand new!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th June, 2002

1995 Dodge Intrepid ES 3.5L SOHC V6

Summary:

The Dodge Intrepid is a comfortable car, but comfort doesn't make up for the constant breakdowns

Faults:

I have had problems with most of the major systems on this vehicle. The transaxle was replaced once just before I bought it (84K), and again 1,000 miles ago at 113,000. The air conditioning has had constant problems, repaired twice to the tune of $500 per instance (evaporator once, compressor/receiver-drier once). All four power window and lock units have been replaced. The sunroof motor has been replaced. The ABS controller has been replaced ($1,200). The paint faded and peeled off, so the entire car had to be repainted. The valve covers leak. The engine cooling system has constant leaks--fix one and another shows up. Just add coolant every morning (yes, it's THAT bad) and save yourself some money. As a plus, the power (HEATED) mirrors are excellent, nice to keep ice off of them, and have never failed. The body controller, PCM, and TCM have all failed, costing about $1,000 apiece. The radio "locks up" during operation. The rack and pinion has been replaced, and the tie-rod bushings. My mechanic said this happens often with these models, and the tie-rod ends need replacing about every 45-50K. At $300 a pop, it adds up. Squeaks and rattles EVERYWHERE. The passenger-side air bag door is warped, the dealer said it's from the heat. This vehicle has ALWAYS been kept in a garage. And during the day, it sits in a parking garage, the previous owner was the same way. Heat? I don't think so. The EGR system had to be replaced, $200. The car has constant front-end problems. The power steering whines in turns. It wears tires like candy.

General Comments:

I bought this car after my 1996 Saturn SL2 was totalled after a drunk driver forced me off the road and into a tree at 45MPH. My Saturn protected me--I was able to open the door and walk away. I bought my Saturn with 40,000 miles on it, and when it was totalled it had 120,000 miles on it. I had to replace the struts on it once, and then the normal maintenance items (fluid changes, brake pads, etc). Never did this car refuse to start, and NEVER did it have any other problems. I put about $200 into non-maintenance items on this car the entire time I owned it. And plus it protected me in this horrible accident.

My Dodge has left me stranded 10 times. And I paid $4,000 for the Dodge, and have spent about $4,000 in repairs for it. I have been reimbursed for many repairs by Chrysler, but I still find the car's constant problems unacceptable. Always something wrong with it. I have learned my lesson, so last week I traded the Dodge in on a 2002 Saturn L300 with everything.

Dodge makes great trucks, but stay away from Dodge cars. The Neon, Stratus, Intrepid--they all have similar problems.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 5th May, 2002

26th Aug 2003, 10:19

We are the poor, unfortunate owners of a 1995 Dodge Intrepid. We needed a second car, and I RUE the day we saw this piece of junk for sale in a used car lot. It had 80,000 miles on it when we bought it. We were told that the transmission was replaced at 54,000 miles.

At approximatly 116,000 miles the transmission began having problems, namely, shifting out of high gear at motorway speeds, and changing down into 2nd gear! This resulted in great fun for the engine also, that overheated!

The car was taken to a transmission specialist and had to be totally overhauled to the tune of (wait for it) $1700!!

The transmission re-build lasted six days and it went out again. Yes, it's back in the shop with more transmission problems! I'm not parting with another $1700 to get this lemon fixed. In fact, we have had nothing but problems with this vehicle. The transmission being the most serious.

I will never buy a vehicle again with the Daimler-Chrysler name on it. And in respect of our personnel experiences with this car, I wouldn't recommend Daimler-Chrysler cars to anyone!

28th Nov 2007, 11:01

I purchased my 1995 Intrepid for 550 bucks, and have had little or no problems with it, short of a couple leaking freeze plugs (took me a buck and 15 minutes to replace), and a new set of front pads and rotors, which I easily installed in an hour at the tune of 100 bucks.

The car has 130k on it and it runs like a dream. Doesn't burn a drop of oil!

Cars today aren't like the cars of yesteryear. The days when you drove a car for 250000 miles with no problems are long gone. That was one of the early pitfalls with American cars. They were built too good!

If you are looking for a second hand car, expect some problems! I have purchased many a second hand vehicle, and most all of them outlasted anything new I purchased.

I still remember my old Mercury Montery that cost me 125 bucks. Put two rotors on it and new pads, new muffler and drove it for 5 years! Never even changed the oil! LOL! If you aren't car savvy, find a friend who knows what to look for.