Comments: 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-60, 61-75, 76-90, 91-93
Wow-just read all the comments and now I'm really worried. Bought a 2004 Intrepid brand in April 2004. It's been running fine for the most part. Had a check engine sensor that came on within a year of purchasing the vehicle. Dealership said it couldn't find anything after running tests and did a reset. Then in November 2007 the check engine light came on. I too had noticed on a rare occasion while sitting at a light the engine might have a rough cycle for a second or two. Took the vehicle in and they said the sensor module would have to be replaced. OH--btw--I have always gotten the vehicle serviced at the Dodge dealership. Pay more, but you hope they are fixing stuff. January of 2008 the check engine light came on. I was half way down the freeway and turned around and drove it back to the dealer. They ran tests and said a shifter cable was ruined and it plus some sort of plastic end cap would both have to be replaced. I looked at them and said "Plastic--you've got to be kidding." I forget which part was not in and had to be ordered. Had to use a rental car for a couple of days and then picked up the car. The thing only had 38k on it.
I have always gotten the oil changed every 3,000. I ditched a 1995 Ford Taurus which had to have everything replaced on it. Was hoping I'd have better luck going back to Dodge, as I've owned different Dodge vehicles from 1984-1995. Well, if there is a class lawsuit let me know too. This is really disturbing. Maybe it's time to consider Honda or Hyundai or something else.
We are also owners of a 2002 dodge intrepid with a 2.7 engine. the engine light and check oil light came on 2 weeks after we got the car. took to dealer reset light and gave car back. fixed oil sending unit, we put in new transmission, new cam sensor shaft in car, and now mechanic says the motor is blown. please let us know if there is anything we can do. we currently have a complaint into damiler chrysler motor.
Email me at : wonderthunder2@yahoo.com.
I bought a 02 Dodge Intrepid about a year ago with 58,000 miles on it. It now has 77,000 miles.
I have had a problem with the oil light coming on at lights or when I hold the brake. When I start to drive it goes off. I have also had problems with the transmission or engine; not sure which one. Lower right at bottom light is coming on and staying on unless I unplug the battery and reset the car; it goes off and will stay off for a while.
Can someone please tell me about this action lawsuit, and if someone knows anything about this please. My email is Chigrl21@aol.com thank you...
Hey everyone, seems like I am having all the trouble you guys are having. My 2002 dodge intrepid se has been in the shop way too many times--transmission done at 32,000 -- radiator--many times the censors--air/heater problems--brakes (lost track) -- struts and the list goes on. If anyone has any info, please email me also!!! airartcustoms@yahoo.com.
I've been reading everyone's posts and hope I can contribute something useful. I own a 2001 Dodge Intrepid SE 2.7 liter engine. I am also an amateur mechanic, do most of my own work including oil changes, etc. I purchased the service manual for this car early in my ownership. I got the car new as a leased company car, and observed the leasing-company required 7500 mile change routine. My employer went out of business and sold me the car to get out from under the lease. This was in late 2003-early 2004. Googling the car to see value, I also came across many posts on the 2.7 engine sludge/failure problem.
Knowing what I know about cars in general, and reading up on the issue,
MY NUMBER ONE ADVICE FOR ALL CHRYSLER 2.7 LITER ENGINE OWNERS IS TO USE SYNTHETIC OIL. IMMEDIATELY. TODAY. CHANGE IT EVERY 3000 MILES, EVEN THOUGH IT'S EXPENSIVE. It's not a costly as total engine failure on a cold winter day on the expressway with your child in the car!
1. The engine has a design defect. You can see it in their own drawings in their service manual. The coolant pump, which is an exterior, fan-belt driven part on most cars, cheap to buy and easy to replace, is located INTERNALLY in the Chrysler 2.7 liter engine. Significant disassembly of the front components of the car, and engine are necessary to replace it. That's why it's so expensive to replace. It is located so that drips and other escaping coolant (water) can mix with engine oil because it is internal. Water + hot oil= sludge. Sludge clogs the narrow passage for the hydraulic (engine oil pressure) cam chain tensioner, the cam chain jumps on the sprocket, and you've just put a valve (s) through a piston crown (s). Ruined engine.
2. Synthetic oil resists sludging from both overheating, and from mixing with water. Use it. Change it frequently. Cheaper than any other alternative.*
3. I also had the flickering oil pressure light. Near heart-attack! There is a problem with some oil pressure sensors, that when oil pressure is low (but not dangerously low), pressure builds on the BACK side of the sensor's diaphragm, which does not allow for a normal pressure reading, causing the light to flicker at low engine speed. There is a Chrysler repair part designed to fix this problem. It is a rear-vented oil pressure sensor, called an oil pressure "vent kit", Part No. 05017800AA. It has a vent tube that looks like the plastic corrugated wire conduit which is run up along the wire harness to vent the sensor at a high point, I guess so any oil that leaks past the sensor will be retained in the tube and not drip in your garage. Relatively cheap and easy fix. My light has not flickered since I replaced this part. If your oil pressure light comes on at higher speeds, it's probably something else.
4. My "check-engine" light came on relatively early in the car's life, around 35,000 miles. It was the hose for the MAP or similar vacuum-related emissions control component. The hose (and others like it) was located in the left side (passenger's) side, not too far from the battery. The hoses run near the exhaust manifold and the heat doesn't take long to deteriorate the rubber hoses. If you remove the air cleaner, and ducts leading up to the manifold, you'll find these hoses beneath it. That is where I'd recommend anyone check first when the "check engine" light comes on. Also try a new gas cap, relatively cheap and easy.
5. My car has also begun leaking around the coolant bleed valve "dome", which many mistake for the "thermostat housing". (By the way, I have also replaced the thermostat, which is located on the low side of the engine, driver's side, very hard to get to, and a pain.) BTW, the coolant bleed valve seized up on me and rotated the whole thing, brass molded into plastic, what great engineering! But that's not what's leaking. It appears the whole intake manifold will have to come off to replace the bleed valve cover and gasket--not sure it's worth it--small amount of leakage.
ADVICE:
If you get a small dental mirror (or similar mechanic's mirror), and open up the oil filler cap, using a flashlight, you can kind of inspect the cam gallery from the oil filler hole. If you see sludge, start saving your money and making plans to dump the car ASAP. Maybe you can rehab it if you use an engine flush and start using synthetic oil, but who knows? If there is no sludge,--say a prayer of thanks, and change your oil today using synthetic oil. (Synthetic oil may cause some drips--for some reason it likes to slide by old gaskets that stop regular oil, but frankly, I'm willing to clean up a few drips in exchange for (hopefully) avoiding total engine failure.)
Although my car has given me good service, and few complaints, it will be the last Chrysler product I buy:
1. The engine was obviously designed and built with absolutely no thought to serviceability, or to consequences of routine, common failures like wearing-out of water pumps. I've never had a vehicle that didn't eventually need a water pump replaced, and to design an engine with such an internal pump is very, very poor engineering. Ditto having to remove the intake manifold to replace a simple plastic (which should have been metal) bleeder valve cap. Poor engineering, no thought for service ease/cost.
2. Daimer-Chrysler's stonewalling of consumers who have had problems with their engines. DCX can make all the excuses they want about customer failure to maintain, but the relative ratio of complaints to engines built is high, clearly something's going on here, and I will not buy such an expensive vehicle from a manufacturer who won't back its product. Especially galling that the the company took good care of Mercedes customers in Germany when Mercedes engines were built with sludge-producing flaws. (Extended warranties) I'll probably go back to GM. I hope the new owners of Chrysler do a better job of standing behind their products, time will tell.
BOTTOM LINE, FOR ME:
Even running synthetic oil, especially if you bought your 2.7 liter Chrysler used, common sense tells you it would be better to drive a vehicle that does not have a known design defect that can cause catastrophic failure. You should probably think about getting another car as soon as you can. That's what I'm in the process of doing.
*I have no stock, ownership, or other financial interest in any synthetic oil company.
I just bought a 2002 Intrepid R/T. Only 34,000 miles. (One owner).
Drove it on the highway for 30 minutes and the temperature gauge started to almost hit hot.
Fluids are good, no leaks, fans come on nicely.
I had 3 different mechanics looking at it and one says it's the thermostat, the other the radiator, and another the water pump. I'm confused here, but all I know is that I do not want to waste money trying to figure out which of those 3 things it could be.
Has anyone had a similar temperature gauge problem with this model? Any ideas?
Also if this is something to do with an engine issue, can someone please tell me about this action lawsuit, and if someone knows anything about this please. My email is amanda.spinale@gmail.com
Thank you..
I also am experiencing similar problems with my 2002 Dodge Intrepid SE with the 2.7 liter motor.
I seem to be in the same pinch as all of you, unfortunately, if there is a class action suit please email me at traciswihart@yahoo.com.
Thanks for all the input, all you fellow Dodge Intrepid owners.
I have a 2002 Intrepid with the 2.7. I have 69000 miles, bought it at 12000 miles. I just got through replacing the evaporator for the A/C as I have asthma and cannot do without it. The dealer wanted 1200 to fix it as the dash has to be removed to get to it.
I am worried as I have had my check engine light come on, the dealer and auto zone said it was an O2 sensor. The dealer ran codes, and said if it came back on I would need a new sensor.
I have had a problem a few times where when I start driving, my car seems to lope then suddenly lunge. I do not know anything about cars and am scared it may have to do with the transmission?
Also, while I was having the A/C fixed, the mechanic told me the 2.7 are always in his shop for engine problems! I am scared to death now as I cannot afford a different car, and if this one blows up, I am up the creek. I have noticed also that it runs a bit rough when at stop lights.
I also will not be buying a Dodge again.
Naniam49@hotmail.com
ps - if anyone has a response to the loping matter, feel free to email me.
At 69K miles, my '02 Dodge Intrepid (six cylinder etc.) has been diagnosed as needing: (1) replace the water pump with a new one and a timing cover set, and (2) remove and replace oil pressure sender or switch. I've read other remarks over the past few years and I fall into the problem areas as others have reported.
Is there any class action suit (s) pending against Dodge auto mannufacture? Please let me know. Volensky@qis.net
I bought a 2002 SE in 2003 and thought I was getting a great deal. 2 months later 1st shifter cable broke... 2 weeks later broke again. 1 year later broke again, 9 months later again. 13 months later again...etc.
Shifter cable breaking every year. Covered under warranty (expires in 2020) until the annual breakage in 2007 when dealer informed me that from now on Dodge will require a $50 deductible, which I steadfastly refused since it is an ongoing problem. I said... that means that I will have to pay $50 next year when it breaks too. It was a fight but finally Chrysler agreed to wave the deductible.
Last month it broke again... same fight but they were even more nasty... even tried to say it was breaking because I MUST be parking on a hill without setting parking break (not true).
Next year's shifter cable break should be interesting... Avoid this vehicle!!!
2004 Dodge Intrepid 2.7 DOHC V6.
Leaking coolant...
I went in and replaced the thermostat, thinking that it was the gasket that was leaking, but that was not my problem. I have found where the coolant is coming from, but don't know how to fix it. There is a hole that looks like a bolt belongs in it, but is not threaded, and it is right below the thermostat housing. I was wondering if anyone has any input on how to fix this? Maybe a response or an email ljf0705@yahoo.com
I have owned a 2002 Dodge Intrepid SE with the infamous 2.7L engine for about eight months now. I purchased the car used. After having numerous problems the engine oil light started coming on at low RPM when stopped for a light or any other reason. When I accelerated it would go away. I replaced the oil pressure sending switch and problem went away for about 60 days then came back as before.
One day the oil light came on and wouldn't go out. I immediately pulled over and shut the engine off. After allowing sufficient time for the engine to completely cool, I cranked it up again and the light was still on. I had the car towed to my local shop where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The mechanic said it appeared the top end was being starved for oil. As I've always changed my oil religiously, I was pretty upset, but figured the car was used and may not have been properly cared for by the previous owner.
I replaced the engine with a used one with approximately 60,000 miles on it. This motor ran fine for about 30 days and then the oil light came on it also. My mechanic replaced the oil sensor switch again and the problem appeared to be solved. It is now about 6 months later and the oil light is back again at low RPM while the car is in gear.
This motor is a lemon and I've heard nothing but horror stories about it. Avoid this engine at all costs unless you like constant repairs.
I have a 1999 Dodge Intrepid. I replaced the whole engine, but 3 cylinders are not firing. It has compression and spark, but won't start. I changed the PCD; nothing happened. The 3 cylinders are in line. What's happening? I was thinking of changing all 3 injectors, but it can't be all 3 bad in line.
www.guyontheweb@aol.com
I purchased a '02 Dodge, a year ago. From the second day I got it home, every time I would come to a stop it would get stuck in 2nd gear. I would have to turn it off to reset the computer. At any rate, the next day it was in the shop, on the way to the shop the Highway patrol pulled me over saying I was going too slow, my car had jumped into second, "I wasn't aware at this time to shut it off to reset the computer" I had my flashers on not going over 20 miles per hour.
I called the transmission mechanic, where I was trying to get it to. He's the one to advise me to turn it off to reset the computer and it works. But, during the past year, they have replaced everything in the transmission, with no code showing up, just guess work. Came to find out after a year it was the computer all along. It wasn't using any oil or leaking water etc. Now when I get it back, I can't even pass the states emission code. My check engine light isn't coming on.
I'm wondering if the computer they replaced isn't registering maybe the oxygen sensor, ECM or what have you, it has the symptoms of oxygen sensor, smoking, more than average heating on the gauge, replaced radiator, thermostat.
Also I maintained my car and changed oil every 2000 miles. Just always been my way. It has been in the shop the entire year except for 2 months. Now the left driver is squealing I'm thinking brakes but still am not sure. At any rate I have had to pay out over 3000.00 on working on this car. Even though the shop wasn't fixing it correctly, just guess working I still had to pay.
Now that I do believe I'm having emissions problems, the check engine light isn't coming on at all, which is mostly related to smoke low gas mileage etc... Which is what I told the mechanic to begin with, to do the emissions. Instead he replaced a fuel line I didn't need, and now the car smokes worse. Still no check engine light, since this new computer. Wasn't there a certain computer on this car 2.7 that had a recall on the computer? I do believe I remember something of this fact from a few years back.
I am on disability, and they have depleted me of everything I have. I am to no avail. I know I won't get back out of it what I paid. I have no choice but to keep it. Does anyone know if this smoking and raising in temperature is affiliated with the emissions? Only coming out 1 tail pipe from what I can tell; the left side one.
So exhausted and aggravated with this car. I do at times hear a subtle ticking. My father is a mechanic and I check all my fluids 1 to 2 times a week, and very regular oil changes. I'm tired. I'm not sure if there is a class action suit or not, but like to be advised if there is one. My email is fashionable39@yahoo.com. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Trisha.
11:40, it sounds like your mechanic is ripping you off, replacing stuff that doesn't fix the problem. Also, the higher temperature and smoking sounds a lot like a clogged catalytic converter, which would also explain the emissions issues. I would demand an itemized bill for the work and be prepared to go to small claims court, and then try a different mechanic.