2000 Dodge Intrepid ES review from North America
"Beautiful, great riding and handling, but has a fatal defect"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Wind noise because of door seals that shrunk at 35,000 Miles. Dealer repaired under warranty.
Complete rack and pinion steering assembly failure at 59,900. Dodge offered NO assistance. estimate 1000 to repair.
General comments?
This car looks great and handled great for about 50,000 miles. The engine and transmission have been trouble-free and smooth. The fit and finish of this car was fair when purchased. Great trunk space and comfort. At 50,000 miles, there was a noise (bottoming sound) coming from the firewall when going over small bumps. The steering wheel developed about 3-4 inches of play and the wheel had to be continuously centered. New tires and alignment did not correct problem. After a few more weeks, the steering began to bind up in turns. There was a louder noise and the wheel had to be fought to get centered. I called Dodge and wrote 3 emails and they refused to even consider repairing this obvious defect under courtesy. As I researched this issue, I discovered that there are hundreds of complaints of premature steering failure in LH models. Dodge hotline acted as if they never heard of these problems from anyone, but there is a class action suit going forward. I have been quoted 800-1000 for replacement of this obvious defect. Dodge (now German owned) will lose my business.
Recommended reviews
| Dodge Intrepid is "The Money Pit" |
| Comfortable and roomy, but costly repairs |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model year | 2000 |
| Year of manufacture | 2000 |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.2L Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 12 miles |
| Most recent distance | 59000 miles |
| Previous car | Chrysler Intrepid |
| Date of Entry | 30th July, 2005 |