1999 Dodge Intrepid ES from North America - Comments

I bought this car used because I needed a slightly cheap, but reliable second car to drive to work. Boy, did I choose poorly. Only one day after driving this car off the lot I noticed there was a leak in the transmission line at the radiator and the radiator fan was making clinking sounds. The dealer was nice enough to fix both problems when I threatened to return the car.

A day later my daughter attempted to roll up the rear passenger side window, but no go. She thought she broke it and started crying.

Next my car went into limp mode when leaving work. Stuck in second gear, I thought I blew my tranny. I drive 50 minutes at 60 mph to get home from work - try doing that in second gear. It took me about an hour and a half to get home. I bought a $90 error code reader and it displayed 3 codes. I was happy to find out one of the codes was just the output sensor which was only $20. I ignored the other 2 - thought they were caused by the sensor.

Then being a used car I changed the brakes because they were squealing. After doing this, my front brakes squealed more when I brake than before I changed the pads. So I took all the pads off again and re-lubricated them, but no change except my driver side front caliper locked up. I had to pull off my front brakes again. And now when I try to stop my car shutters violently at speeds over 35mph.

Two weeks later, I was stranded at work when my car wouldn't turn over. Luckily tomorrow is my day off - I will get to spend my day fixing it. I ran the error reader on my car again and it displays the same 2 left over codes from before. P0700 (trans control syst malfunction) and P0731 (gear 1 ratio incorrect). What do these mean? I cleared the codes and bam, my car starts. I got home and started my car to check the tran. fluid levels. It had enough fluid and it was still a nice cherry color. While checking the fluid my car stalled. It took a few tries to get it started again and it stalled a few more times. Now it won't turn on again. I want out of this car, but I just bought it about 4 months ago. If anyone can tell me what might be wrong with it now (the p0700 and p0731 codes) please email me at caz13@comcast.net. I just want to fix it so I can try to trade it in and get a new car. I'd rather take a few thousand dollar loss than to ever work on this car again.

Sounds like you messed up the brakes pretty bad.

Saab 900 Driver.

In all seriousness, I would try one thing: stop fixing your car yourself. Take it to a mechanic.

Not only will the problems be fixed properly, but an actual mechanic will be able to do it safely too... especially concerning the brakes. Do us all a favor and have a fixed properly.

Get rid of the lemon before it kills you!!!

I bought mine as you for same reasons. All the same problems, along with the camshaft sensor and a total rebuild of the motor. Now back in the shop because of a guide on the timing chain breaking and a crankshaft sensor. I have so much money into it I don't know what to do. I like you am willing to take a loss. I bought it 8 months ago and it has been in the shop about every 6 weeks. To a real Mechanic. My car only had 80000 miles on it when the motor had to be rebuilt. Lose it before it breaks you even more.

My 1999 Intrepid is in the garage waiting for a used head. Along with all the for mentioned problems my camshaft bearing seized along with everybody else's that own an intrepid and I can't find a head or decent motor.

My mechanic told me the car is synonymous for this problem and good usable used parts are very hard to get. My car has 110,000 miles. This is a faulty design with the camshaft bearing that is costing all of us a ton of unnecessary money and making Chrysler even more money on this faulty, bad design piece of crap.

Do not buy this car and run like he--. Sham on you Chrysler, make it right or pay with disappointed non returning customers.

I have owned a 1999 Intrepid ES with the 3.2l motor since 1999. The only real problem I ever had with the car was a year ago when the car overheated a number of times and then finally kicked the bucket, although the car had already had 150,000 miles of hard daily driving. I thought this sucked, but I was lucky enough to find a slightly used motor w/30,000mi on it and bought it up for $400, installed myself and now the car has 186,000mi on it and drives like a true champion. I actually really like the intrepid, it seems to blow the doors off of most other normal cars out there. I have heard that the2.7 is a poor motor though...

Following these steps will help insure that your Intrepid runs perfectly:

1) Make sure, absouletly sure you use ATF-4 on the transmission and always get it checked before you drive it. make sure that the settings are correct (gear rations, etc.)

2) Brakes, suspension, tune-ups, etc should be done at appropriate shops.

3) The 2.7 litre engine has been in question in terms of reliability issues. The 3.2 & 3.5 did not suffer from the same problems. In either case, doing regular oil changes should prevent most problems. Along with driving the car enough that it is burning off any condensation in the oil.

You should be responsible for any work that you do on the car. Pay the little extra for professional repairs because those repairs are warrantied if they are done wrong.

I work at an auto parts store and own a '99 Dodge Intrepid. I have the same codes come up as you. So I called a very good mechanic at the parts store know. He said right away TRANNY SOLENOID! Hope you get this in time.

I have owned my Intrepid for six years, and other than the regular maintenance, my car runs perfectly. I drive it every day and have 307000 on the motor, and it has not been touched.

The brakes do squeal, but it is the pads, not the brakes themselves.

There is some rust starting over the wheel well on the drivers side, but this is the first.

Ladies and gentlemen, change all your fluids and all will be well.