1995 Dodge Intrepid ES review from North America
"If the car was as reliable as it is beautiful, I would never sell it"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
I had a severe overheating problem due to both cooling fans failing.
Front end suspension had to be re-done at 65000 miles.
Occasionally the car will die in traffic for no apparent reason.
I have run out of gas because the fuel light, after lighting up once, has never come on again. The fuel gauge reads about 1/8 full, but no light, then the car dies. I've learned to never take a chance, and to carry an empty gas can just incase I have a long walk.
At about 82000 miles the catalytic converter failed. I had it replaced by Midas, and then took the car in to the dealer to find out cause of failure (the Midas guys said that converters don't just fail). The Dodge dealership service department told me I didn't need to have the car checked. About 3 months later, the converter failed again; fortunately, Midas replaced it free, and this time I forced Dodge to check my car, but they found no problems.
The ears on the headlight assemblies are broken and the lenses tend to get cloudy (using polishing compound works fine).
The passenger airbag cover is distorted, just like all Intrepids I've ever seen.
The paint is fading badly, typical of Dodge/Chrysler products.
The glossy black plastic inserts on the rear panels both have lost their clearcoat, again typical of the manufacturer.
The timing belt jumped 180 degrees, so that only half the engine wold run, so it was replaced at 90000 miles.
The latest failure is the water pump; normally, I'd do the job myself, but the pump is located behind the timing cover, and is run by the timing belt. The poor design requires a lot of parts removal, and without sufficient time, I'm better off letting a trusted mechanic do it.
General comments?
The car handles quite well.
The ride is tight, and the car does not wallow when driven hard.
It is a beautiful car, Orchid over a Charcoal Gray.
The seats (both 6-way power, is this rare?) are quite comfortable, although the driver's side lumbar support lever broke. No matter, the seats are still great. One caveat: the headrests ought to be cocked forward to actually support the back of your head.
The car is great for long trips. It is roomy enough for five and the back seat can handle 6 footers easily.
The automatic climate control is great, too.
Recommended reviews
| 1995 - Intrepid ES 3.5L 24-valve DOHC Excellent performance at a wallet-crippling price |
|
| An OK car severely lacking in attention to detail |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1995 |
| First year of ownership | 1998 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.5 MFI Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 3 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 3 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 3 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 44000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 123000 miles |
| Previous car | Nissan Altima |
| Date of Entry | 4th January, 2004 |