1999 Dodge Intrepid review from North America
"A huge lemon and car to stay away from"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Windows off track 59K.
Won't go over 50 mph 62K.
Passenger door lock stops working 63k.
Transmission had to be replaced 70K.
Battery plate shorts out 85K.
Cam sensor has to be replaced 95K.
Engine has to be replaced 101K.
General comments?
This car looks great, is comfortable, and is the biggest lemon we have ever owned.
There have been many more little things that have gone wrong that I have forgotten.
Our latest and most serious problem is with the failure of the 2.7 liter engine. The car's oil light would come on when we would be idling below 1,000 RPMs. We took it into a shop to discover we had a "sludge" problem, usually caused from lack of maintenance. When we informed the mechanic that we changed the oil regularly, he started doing some research. He led us too many, many websites where Dodge Intrepid owners have experienced the same thing.
Our only option is to replace the engine to the tune of $7,000 or drive the car into the ground. You can't even find one of these engines in a junkyard, because they are in such high demand because of the failure rate. If you could find one in the junkyard, it would run about $4,000.
Dodge will take no responsibility, saying it is an "owner maintenance" issue. I am hoping to hear about a class action lawsuit. In the meantime I owe a lot of money on a car that I can't drive and can't afford to fix.
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| 1999 - Intrepid SE 2.7 litre V-6 An OK car with too many repairs |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model year | 1999 |
| Year of manufacture | 1999 |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.7 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 3 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 0 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 4 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 1 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 57000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 101000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 13th December, 2004 |