1997 Dodge Intrepid Sport review from North America

Window motor went out.

Oxygen sensors wore out.

Car would not start.

Transmission fluid leak.

Engine wouldn't rev up beyond 3,000 RPM.

Engine overheated.

Oil light came on only when I stopped, or the car was in park and idling.

The first problem I had was with the transmission leak, which turned out not to be the transmission at all. Instead it was a loose hose clamp that I had my dealer replace while the car was still under warranty. No problem.

The oxygen sensors turned out to be no big problem, either. I live in Texas and with the dusty, hot, humid, pollen-filled summers we have down here, I think I can handle replacing them once every 18 months or so at a cost of about $60 each.

The time my engine overheated, I was starting to get frustrated, but after a quick look, I discovered the other dealer (the one I got my oil changes at) hadn't been topping off my coolant like they said they were, and the hot summers just took their toll. All I did was fill it back up and I haven't had any problems since.

I have had to replace the window motor on the driver's side twice, however, only because I bought a used motor and tried to put it in myself. It works, but the window won't roll up all the way. Stupid me.

Whenever my car wouldn't start, I immediately thought the battery, then the starter. It was really just the battery terminals corroding and not getting enough current. By the way, the battery I have is still the one that was in the car when I bought it three years ago. Still going strong.

The oil light coming on was a big scare, but turned out to be as simple as changing the oil sensor underneath the car. The seal around it had worn, and it was leaking oil all over the sensor, causing it to malfunction. It cost a mere $45 dollars to fix, and the light hasn't come back on at all.

The last problem, when the engine wouldn't rev past 3,000, ended up being just worn out spark plugs and a collapsed vacuum hose on the manifold. I replaced the plugs, plug wires, and the hose for just under $150 bucks (only because I didn't have the tools or time to do it myself).