1999 Dodge Intrepid from North America - Comments

My engine was destroyed after approximately 45,000 miles about 1 1/2 years ago. It cost $3200 to fix this problem. It was running fine until one day we went for our routine oil change and was informed that the engine was knocking. This was the first part of our disaster.

The rear passenger window has stopped working. We just deal with the fact that the window does not open. It would cost $250.00 to repair this problem.

Next the air conditioner does not work. The cause of the problem is unclear, but the air does not get cold and when it is on it makes a hissing noise. Even when the heat is on the hissing noise is still there.

Just two weeks ago (10/20/04) the drivers side window is off track when you open the window it sounds as if the who window is going to crack. I have not gotten the chance to see how much this is going to cost, but I'm sure that it will not be cheap.

Finally three days ago (11/4/04) the car started to make a knocking noise. I took it to my mechanic who told me that it appeared that the engine was knocking. Now how on earth did this happen again??? It was only 1 1/2 years ago that I spent $3,200 to fix this problem. After fixing the problem the first time we always made sure that the oil change was done before the 3,000/3 month time limit. What is the cause of this horrible engine?? I want to know and I want my money back for all the money I invested in this piece of crap. I only have 5 more payments left before finally not having to pay for a car loan. But it looks like I will have to buy a new car that I cannot afford at this point.

Chrysler should be held responsible for all the headaches and money that I have because of this cheaply made car.

I will never buy another Dodge. I already have two Dodges,this piece of crap Intrepid and a previous 1996 Neon. When I bought the 1999 Intrepid in February of 2000 my Neon was four years old and did not have any problems. The 1996 Neon is also a piece of junk with transmission problems, paint chipping and window problems, with only 55,000 miles. I WILL NEVER, EVER BUY A CHRYSLER PRODUCT AGAIN. If I were ever fortunate in life to win a car and it was a Chrysler product I would donate it to a charity because I would not want to live with the headache of these cars!

How bad is the knocking? If the engine is still driveable, you would want to look at using a high quality diesel engine oil. Don't be afraid to use a diesel engine oil in your Intrepid, it would be a very wise choice. The 2.7 has a problem with sludge, contaminants from normal engine operation. The oiling passages inside the 2.7 are small, and as such they tend to plug up with sludge and prevent the engine from being lubricated which in turn can cause all sorts of problems. A diesel engine oil has more cleaning and antiwear additives than a typical motor oil, and this would be of great help in keeping the engine's oil passages clean and sludge free. I would recommend a 10w30 in the winter, and a 15w40 in the summer, and change the oil AND filter every 3000 miles on the nose. Email me if you would like to discuss this further jason.bright@gmail.com.

I noticed you bought the car used, and am wondering if you bought it from a "Five-Star Chrysler Dealer" or a small-town type. A friend from work has a wife who works for a Chevrolet dealer, and when people trade in cars that have been beaten, the dealer will usually just sell it at an auto auction, where it's typical of small-town type dealers to purchase, make it look visually pristine, and offer no type of warranty or return/exchange policy. If you bought it from one of those dealers, it looks like you've been had.

I bought my 1999 Intrepid used from a five star dealer and still had a ton of trouble out of it. A couple of months after we purchased the car the a/c went out and had to replace the compressor. That cost a couple of hundred dollars, but that was only the beginning of years of trouble. At 77,000 the motor went out, so we purchased another (2.7) motor from someone other than the Dodge dealers that cost me almost $7000.00. I thought surely this would be the end of my troubles, but NO! I have had all the problems that everyone has had with these cars including the driver's side window. I also had trouble with the driver's side locks not working and the radiator fan motor quit on me, and then wouldn't you know the motor went out again, this time it had 150,000 miles on it. When the first motor went out I was told that these cars had a faulty oil pick-up tube (the tube was to small), and that this was why the motor blew. So when we purchased the second motor I made sure to keep the oil changed on time and in some instances before the time was due. Since I couldn't afford to purchase another $7000.00 motor, that was just as likely to blow as the others had, I sent it to the junk yard. In my opinion that is were it should have been in the first place.

I am very disappointed in these cars and I will never own another Dodge automobile ever again!