2003 Dodge Intrepid SE from North America - Comments

At 25,000 miles, the front rotors felt warped, but I will not replace/repair these until I need new tires.

At 32,000 miles, driver side radiator fan bearings went out. One month prior to this happening, I drove through some flood/rain water about 8-9 inches deep for a few minutes. Dealer replaced this under warranty and took care of a secret recall (belt tensioner) without any hassle.

This car has been used in Houston, TX for city and highway driving. I use Mobil 1 10w30 oil, Mopar ATF+4 transmission fluid and strictly follow the "severe service" maintenance schedule.

Positive Points:

This is a large car that looks like and handles like a sporty midsize, rides as smooth a $35k+ luxury car, and is as easy to drive, maneuever and park as a compact. Intrepid truly masks its size, and is impressive mechanical engineering for a "common man's vehicle." The engine and transmission are smooth operating. The interior easily holds five 6-footers comfortably for long trips. The trunk is also very large. Fit and finish are good -- no squeaks or rattles. The climate control is powerful. The 8-way power driver seat is very comfortable for long trips once adjusted properly. Original Goodyear GA tires appear durable if they are diligently rotated every 6,000 miles and kept at 30-32 psi. Styling is as flashy as it can be for a full size car.

Average Points:

The 2.7L engine is adequate in all driving, from city to highway, and the fuzzy logic transmission once programmed, keeps things fairly responsive. However, it is no real performer, as its advertised 200 horsepower comes in a split second before the transmission shifts under wide open throttle. Factory stereo/CD sounds OK for quality. The passenger and rear seats are comfortable enough. The interior layout and ergonomics are basic at best.

Negative Points:

This is a full size car and may require a fair amount of depth perception to drive with its "cockpit" view. Even though Intrepid has the same length and width dimensions as full size SUV's, this is not a good vehicle for drivers who feel at war on the road or are easily threatened, as the seating position is quite low. Some may complain about blind spots, but this can be overcome by a precise seat and mirror adjustment. Dashboard and console plastics are cheap. The stock Goodyear Eagle GA tires are poor for wet traction and noise levels and only get worse with wear. Transmission shifting is too smooth, and lacks the sporty "kick" during gear shifting. No 6-speed manual option for the 2.7L! Flashy styling and fake security features caused my car to almost be stolen.

Your logic with the rotors is more warped then they are! Why wait til you get new tires? If you rotors go, you go with them. I hope they don't fail you at a bad time (well.. There isn't really a good time to fail, now is there?). When My rotors started to go, I replaced them with performance rotors (this was on an 02 Stratus), and the gain in stopping power was great! It saved me twice from hitting deer, and also helped for maneuvering through town.

And dude... It's an Intrepid. Mobil 1? Well... Your money. They do handle well, but hardly sporty. Personally, I think they are hideous. The front end, anyway. Other than that they are nice. I like the Chrylser Concorde (Intrepid equivalent) front end much better. Other than your comments on style, I agree with you for the most part.

The 200 hp is measured at the flywheel. Your only getting about 165 or so to the wheels, because of that auto tranny. But the 2.7 is a very adequate engine. I have one in my Stratus, and it performs very well. Be cautious of it's tendency to sludge up and fail. Synthetic is necessary, but pricey Mobil 1 is not.

Why does everyone complain about interiors? Almost half the reviews, or more, that go into any depth on the cars (good job, by the way, on the depth and precision of your review) they always complain about the interior! What do you people consider a good interior? For crying out loud! You want an affordable car, then you go complain about the materials used! You get what you pay for, so get over it.

I doubt the theft attempt had anything to do with anything "flashy" about an intrepid. A friend of mine had an 89 Reliant K stolen. Unless it's a legitimate sports car, or actual luxury vehicle, chances are the thief wasn't concerned with style. S/He just wanted a car. Overall, well done review. You just have some very odd views of your vehicle. One moment you call it flashy, the next you complain about quality, then you call it fancy again. Make up your mind, or get a Stratus. Smaller, faster, nicer, sportier. After the 01 model year, that is.

I work in the auto repair/maintenance business and have my own personal views about many things that seem warped to those on the outside. Here is some more insight, FWIW.

About the rotors... the fronts are *slightly* warped. By that I mean you cannot feel steering shake unless you apply the brake pedal from 50-80 mph with just the right amount of pressure. (The shake is minor BTW.) The rotors have not gotten any worse since it had 25,000 miles so I'm playing it by ear. I will get new tires around 45,000 miles when the warranty ends, but before our road trip to Chicago this summer. That's the logic, if you can call it that. (It still has life left, and still works safely, therefore good enough!)

As for Mobil 1, when I saw my local Target store selling it for $3.39 a quart I scooped up their entire stock. In Houston markets, you can get Pennzoil synthetic for $4.49 a quart, or M1 for $4.99. That extra 50 cents becomes more of a trust issue with me. When I was driving 1500-2000 miles a month, I was changing the oil and filter every 5500 miles. Now that I am not driving as much anymore, I change the filter / do a top-off at 3 mo/2500 miles, and change the oil and filter at 6 mo/5000 miles. I changed the transmission oil with Mopar ATF+4 & filter at 30000. Air filter, PCV valve & fuel injection/combustion chamber service at 30000.

(BTW I know about the 2.7 issues and the Stratus 2.7 is much more responsive than the Intrepid off the line.)

People complain about interiors because they get a "flashy" car on the outside, but a cheap, chintzy plastic interior. Think about full-size 4 door cars: Crown Vic, Avalon, Impala and Intrepid. Intrepid is by far the "flashiest" vehicle in its class. Even compared to midsize cars such as Taurus, Camry, Accord, Galant, and Stratus IMHO!! Perhaps it's just a matter of opinion. What do I consider a good interior? Look at almost anything from Honda and Toyota (except Echo). Feel and press on the dash and surroundings. That's what I mean.

BTW, you'd be surprised how many people think the Intrepid SE *only* had a $21,000 sticker price back then!

As for the being stolen attempt, at the time it was in the top 5 list for being stolen along with the Escalade, Maxima and Stratus. I can tell you it was, and still is somewhat a G-ride around here, and if you knew where I was living at the time, and talked to some people I've spoken to, you'd agree with my earlier review. But like I said, I moved away from the fringe of that side of town and don't drive as much anymore.

You listed off all of the full sized cars and named the Intrepid the flashiest... You missed one, and it's been named to be the flashiest, yet most ignored car out there. The 2000-05 Bonneville. I own a 2003 Intrepid, but would conquer with their thoughts aswell... and it's much more reliable than ours...lol, but then again, I have the 3.5.

Good point -- I forgot about the Bonneville! I think it is ignored because it doesn't sell very well, or I should say it appeals to a special market.

I love my Intrepid SE 2004. But I have been hearing some rumor about a few "problems" with it. Is this anything I should be concerned about? I have had only two issues so far:

(1) There is a knocking sound often when I press the brake or let up on it.

(2) Our check engine light activated recently, possibly because there has been some problem starting the car: upon turning the key, the car will turnover, but not start.

This second problem is occasional, but enough to scare us. My wife was stranded at the market just a couple of days ago. We only have 30,137 miles on the car; our dealer informed us that any problems will be covered by our bumper-to-bumper manufacturer's warranty.

Is anyone knowledgeable enough to separate fact from rumor and let consumer know about legitimate concerns with the Dodge Intrepid SE 2004? A prompt response is appreciated, since my car is at the dealer's as I type!

I've never heard of any problems like that before. Sounds like yours might have developed some sort of fuel, ignition or computer problem. Or it might be a lemon.

I have an Intrepid SE 2003 and have been told that the air conditioning is kaput. Can anyone tell me if there has been a recall for this problem. It's hard to believe that this happens to a fairly new car that I'm not even finished paying for. The repair estimate is very expensive and I believe that something like this shouldn't be happening until much later in the vehicle's life. Other than that I enjoy the performance of the car and hope to drive it for a while yet. JB

To check your Intrepid Engine Codes do the following:

1) Cycle the iginition from off position forward to the 3rd stop (Ign Run Only), one stop prior to turning over the engine. You will see the codes output on the odometer. If there aren't any it will say done. If you get a code go online to check it out.

To run a Warning Lamp and Cluster (IP) Check check do the following.

While pushing in the trip Odometer button cycle the ignition from off to the second position. This position will only turn on one dash light.

You will see Warning Lamps flash as well as the pointers on your gauges cycle thru thier range.

The above works on my 2003 Intrepid SXT.

If you have the 3.5L great! If you have the 2.7L in the 2000-2001 model year watch out. I have used Mobil 1 since I bought the car. Only issues are a new set of Brakes/Rotors at 45,000 miles along with a bad Oil Sensor.

Other than that I love this Car! Am looking at the new Avenger with the 3.5L as a replacement.