Problems with 2000 Dodge Intrepid ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

I purchased a 2000 dodge intrepid on 3-28-03. the car had 58000 miles at purchase, was checked out by a mechanic and seemed to be a very good reliable car with service records. i had no trouble, other than the air conditioner not blowing cool air, until 2 weeks ago i noticed a very light ticking sound during acceleration. i have changed the oil twice and now have 62000 miles on it. i took the car to 2 different mechanics both of which did not do internal work and was afraid to diagnose car if they could not fix it. i took the vehicle to the dodge dealer and was told i needed a new timing belt and repair would run me $1,600. i was upset with the cost and before i agreed to let the dealer repair my vehicle they assured me that i was getting out cheap and if i repaired the car immediately i would not need a new motor. after a week in the shop, the dealer called me back to say i had a blown motor (even though i had drivable car when i left it) and repair costs would exceed $6,000. i still owe $6,200 on a car i have only made 4 payments on to date. i am a working mother with 2 small children and this is our primary source of transportion. after doing a little research on my own i have found that regarding the 2.7 liter engines this problem is more common than not. i have talked to 2 local salvage parts dealers and was told by both that these engines are in very high demand. when i spoke with the daimler chrysler customer service rep i was told that chrysler was aware of the problem but since they have not been forced to recall the product they are under no obligation to repair the problem. so now i am left without the transportation that i will be paying on for the next 2 1/2 years. i am financially devastated with no transportation and chrysler knows they are pettling junk with the 2.7 liter engine. i feel violated as a consumer that trusted what once was one of the "big 3". if anyone reading this has had similar problems or ...

The engine on my 2000 dodge intrepid failed at about 55,000 miles. *ak

I purchased a 2000 dodge intrepid 2.7 engine. the engine locked up while driving on a highway, luckly i was able to control the car eno0ugh to pull it to the side of the road. my family was in the car. i had the car towed to a garage where the macanic had told me that this has been happening quit frequently with this model car. so i began to look online and i found thousands of people who had experiencd the same problem. this is a danger and should be checked into before there are fatalities, and there very well may be. these cars should be recalled for engine failure. *ak

While traveling on the highway without prior warning, the vehicle shut down. the dealer was made aware of the problem. *ph *sc *jb

Vehicle was taken to dealer in november of 2002, check engine light was on. told me they needed to put on computer to diagnose problem. replaced cam position sensor for $ 100.00 june 2003, check engine light came on, vehicle kept stalling. i told dealer thought it may be cam position sensor. was told no diagnosis could be made without putting in on computer. told by dealer cam position sensor needed to be replaced. reminded dealer it was replaced previously. told dealer there was a tick noise in engine, was told it was the timing belt and "would settle down." august 2003, vehicle making loud noise, towed to dealer. was told vehicle is out of warranty and engine needs to be replaced. contacted dodge customer service and was told that a factory representative would not investigate and that dealer indicated vehicle was out of warranty. dealer nor manufacturer would not even look in to reason for failure unless i was willing to pay for additional costs. *la

I have a 2000 dodge intrepid, heard noise while driving and took into dealer. dealer says "engine is shot" and that extended warranty will not cover due to sludge. i have always had my oil changed on time and they the dealer is saying we never had oil changed and if we did the place we took it to were charging us but not changing oil. i have seen postings all over the internet of other consumers with this same problem for the same make, model and year of car. i still owe on this car and it will be a great hardship to come up with the money to get a new engine. *ak

Consumer took vehicle into the dealer for engine noise, dealer stated needed to replace engine. *ak

Engine failure. while driving vehicle shut down. came to rolling stop. wife had to push out of street. pulled codes had a code for cam sensor. trouble shot found cam not turning. pulled valve cover right bank. timing chain shattered. guides broken, pieces everywhere. pulled left bank found 4 valves bent. observed nominal varnish coating on upper head valve train. engine being rebuilt at this time. vehicle has 52334 miles was recently bought. thank you. *jb

As i drove south-bound on interstate 95 (in maryland) i noticed my oil light blinked 2 times; a short time later, i heard a tapping sound under the hood. *ak

Vehicle lost speed while exiting the freeway. after towing engine had to be replaced. *ak

While driving at 45 mph vehicle suddenly lost power. consumer pulled off the road by coasting the vehicle to a complete stop. vehicle was towed to a dealership, who determined that the timing belt broke and damaged the engine motor. *ak

Engine in 2000 chrysler intrepid started tapping noise at 58017km brought to dealer with complaint, told they would not take engine apart to check noise. i told them i had been told that the 2.7 engine had problems with sludge that prevented the oil from circulating properly. they still refused to check engine. at just over 62000 km engine became noisy. brought it back to dealer who kept the car for two weeks, then told me engine needed to be replaced at a cost of $6500.00 and there would be no warranty coverage or goodwill. i gave them a complete history of maintenance records showing that proper maintenance was done with in the required mileage and time. they have told me that the invoices do not clearly identify my 2000 black intrepid and that it could of been another car. i only own one 2000 intrepid. the invoice shows the work the mileage and my name and date. next me they told me the invoice numbers were too close together. the work was done at four different garages. then they told me there was sludge that showed the vehicle was not properly maintained. then they asked me the brand of oil the garages used as it may have been faulty. end result is that they refuse to change their position in regards to warranty coverage or goodwill repairs and i will have to replace an engine that was bought brand new in may 2001. i am frustrated and do not know where to turn. any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Rattling was heard coming from the engine motor upon starting the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to a mechanic, who indicated that the noise was due to an interference motor. the timing chain came off of the engine. this engine was in high demand due to the high failure rate which would cost $45000-$65000 to replace. *ak *sc

I own a 2000 dodge intrepid. the engine failed to run with just over 75,000 miles. i had the engine diagnosed and was told that it was sludge that caused the timing chain tensioner to freeze and knock the timing chain off which in turn caused a complete failure due to this being a interference engine. i was surprised when my local dealer was not aware of any problems with the 2.7 litre engine. i called jasper engines, who is the nations leading seller of remanufactured engines, and they told me the design flaws in the original engine. i feel that if i was able to learn the truth, the manufacturer should have been able to. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge intrepid. while driving 30 mph, the vehicle began to shake. the vehicle was pulled over and towed. the dealer stated that the engine needed to be replaced, but had not determined the cause of failure. the engine was previously replaced due to sludge build-up. the current and failure mileages were 74,000. updated 09/18/07. *jb

While driving 40 mph engine locked up and vehicle stalled without warning. dealer stated the engine needed to be replaced. *ak

The engine on my 2000 dodge intrepid, with 64k miles; simply died. towed it to my independent mechanic, who said the engine was worthless, because of no oil in the passages. this cars oil has been changed religiously, and has never had the oil light register a problem. after investigating the problem, just a bit on the internet, as well with the local dodge dealers, i found: in just 2 small dealerships in my area, 17 autos have had the same problem and had to either discard the auto or replace the engine ($4900 approx.) the internet showed numerous other complaints, including one who was starting a class-action suit. i hope your agency can help me and other owners with this serious consumer problem. thanks. *jb

While driving vehicle started slowing down. after a short distance vehicle cut off. after being towed, the cam shaft sensor was found to be defective.*ak

The rack and pinion was replaced at 24,000 miles and was covered by warranty. the rack and pinion failed again at 39000 miles and had to pay a $300.00 deductible. *ak also the valve cover gaskets leaked. *ts *jb

I have also replaced front passenger side door lock actuator. now the driver side back lock actuator is going out. i have not fixed the radio, dash lights or dome lights. i am out of money for the time being. i had to refinance and add $4900. to get most of the repairs done. my engine blew due to sludge and i now have a used rebuilt one that will probably do the same thing.

This car has been in the shop more than the road, and now we are told that the engine is beyond repair, that we will have to purchase a new or rebuilt engine. considering that i owe $9000, to spend $4000 to repair is beyond my means. we originally started having problems in 2002 when the check engine light would come on, and according to the dodge dealer in our area, the code was for the leak detection sensor. this light would come on and stay on for a while, and we were told not to worry until it started flashing. mysteriously, the light would then go off. we had several other repairs after that for the same code and sensors/modules replaced, then we would have the same problem. we were ultimately told it was a broken wire under the seat?. eventually, in june 2003, my husband was driving down the road when the engine just seizure, almost causing a rear-end collision and him swerving to avoid oncoming cars and ultimately almost going in the ditch in front of a busy gas station. the car has been in the shop since, engine sent to machine shop, and we are told it cannot be repaired, and if they attempt to, they cannot guarantee for even a day. the valves all have to be replaced, and there are large indentations in the cylinder heads. every time that something went wrong with this car, it would die in the middle of traffic. it is a hazard and a lemon!

Auto purchased in 2/2003. in 6/2003, engine started making horrible noise. contacted a mechanic. he told us not to drive car; had to have it towed 300 miles home. several mechanics have looked at the vehicle and tried to solve problem unsuccessfully. between june and first of november, we had the car in for repairs about 11 times. were finally told in 11/2003 that car needed new engine (at a cost of $8000) because of design flaw. this is a 2.7 litre engine in a 2000 dodge intrepid. engine does not maintain oil pressure causing damage to belts, pulleys, and tensioner. this also causes the car to stall, which could result in serious accidents. service manager at one local dealership has 4 cars with same problem, all needing new eninges, sitting in his lot. he has tried to get chrysler to resolve this; they refuse. if there are 5 cars just in this area needing new engines for the exact same problem, how many are there nationwide? car only has 60,000 miles on it, so there must be something that chrysler can do to resolve the problem. any assistance you can provide is appreciated.*ak

I have a 2000 dodge intrepid and had a sudden engine failure on june 12, 2003 it caused rapid acceleration/ deceleration and there could have been serious injury to other parties and myself, had in it occurred in a populated area instead of the country road i was on. the engine failed and had to be replaced. *nlm

The engine failed while driving between 55-60 mph. there was a knocking noise in the engine and the vehicle lurched forward, then slow down. the vehicle did this for about a mile, afterwards, it stalled. this was due to an oil sludge build up which was caused by a design flaw. *ak the vehicle had a variety of electrical problems throughtout three years. *sc

A few months ago i purchased a 2000 dodge intrepid with 84,000 mi and a week later while exiting the highway on an off-ramp, the engine stalled. it was running great one second and the next second it just quit with no warning! i had it towed to a mechanic for service and was informed that my engine needed to be replaced. i have talked to a local salvage parts dealer and was told that these engines is in very high demand. after doing a little research on my own regarding the 2.7 liter engines, i have found that this problem is more common than not. i had my engine replaced last week and it cost me over $3500.00. *la

A knocking noise was heard and vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer stated that timing belt has to be replaced. *ak

2000 dodge intrepid w/ 39919 mi. and all maintenance met or exceeded, broke a valve spring, dropping the valve into the cylinder, breaking the piston, w/ the final result being engine replacement paid for by the owner( me). daimler chrysler's comment was " the warranty period was over 3919 miles ago, you have no complaint. why are you calling us? " i said valve springs on a passenger car get weak, they don't break after 39000 miles. daimler offered no help, but the local dealer helped a little, because engine and car condition were excellent.*ak

While driving at 70 mph on the highway vehicle stopped working. vehicle was taken to a repair shop,and the engine was rebuilt. several months later, vehicle stalled again, and consumer returned the vehicle to the finance company. *ak

I have a 2000 dodge intrepid with 72k miles. even though it has been properly maintained, i now have complete engine failure due to poor design of the oil supply pickup tube.

I had a engine seize up after 22,000 miles because of engine sludge. i have had at least 4 oill changes on the vehicle about every 5,000 miles . manufacturer recommended states that maximun is 75000 miles. i have a 3 year old car with 22,000 miles on it and a seized engine. can you help????*ak

The vehicles engine light illuminated and engine shut off. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and the dealer said engine locked up and would need to be replaced. *nlm

I have a 2000 dodge intrepid with 52000 miles. i recently this car has been staling, sometimes on a freeway. it has also been driving rough. when i took it into a dodge dealership, i was told they need to place a rail on a chain to prevent a rattling noise. $400 was the quote. i told them to start work on it. later they called and told me there was sludge on the motor and it must be replaced. $7000!!! they also told me they can not put the motor back in. that it would not start. they (oakland dodge in madison hts, mi) also told me that i have not been changing my oil regularly. this is a false accusation, however i do not have oil change receipts. i have also changed my own oil several times. i am now stuck with a rental car until i can afford $7000.

I have a 2000 dodge intrepid 2.7 liter engine that failed will i was driving it. it has 80000 miles on it but absolutely no sludge. i the oil was changed every 3000-4000 miles and the miles are all freeway miles. my mechanic has stated that the rear piston and rod failed. the piston broke apart and damaged the cylinder, head and valves beyond reasonable repair. i am facing the fact that i need to buy a rebuilt engine for about $4000 and need it installed. i spoke to the dodge dealer where i leased the vehicle and they told me that there was nothing they could do. i spoke to chrysler's customer service and they told me it was past the warranty and they could do nothing.

The consumer received a recall on her vehicle. one day while driving the vehicle started smoking and caught fire. at that time the doors locked and became stuck. the vehicles occupants were removed from the vehicle moments before the vehicle exploded. *nlm *ts

I recently bought a 2000 dodge intrepid in february 2003 with 37,000 miles on it. i started to notice that the steering had a lot of play in it and pulled to the right. i took it in to a chrysler dealership to check why it is doing this. they checked it and told me that it just needed to have an alignment done. so i went ahead and had an alignment done. the more i drove the car the worse the steering became. it got to the point where i couldn't control the car. i called the dealership and told them about this. they told me to bring the car in asap and not to drive it anywhere else. i had a friend follow me to the dealership (thank goodness it is not far from my house) where they told me they would check it out and give me a call back. they called me and told me that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced and it would cost an estimate of $1300. i just bought the car and i would already have to pay over a thousand dollars to have it fixed. to make a long story short, i complained to the daimlerchrysler corp. and they paid for half of the cost because i told them that i knew that this car has had a lot of problems with the rack and pinion. well, it's now march 2004 and my engine as well as my timing chain has went out. the dealership says that there is a build-up of sludge in the engine and it is going to cost me over $7700 dolars to fix. i am now finding out that this is also a serious problem with these engines (2.7 liter). i am finding that this engine is in such demand that it is even on back-order at most shops. i would like theses cars to be recalled because these are some serious issues that we are dealing with. if the whole car can't be recalled, i would like something to be done that can help us consumers get through these problems. my car is still sitting at the dealership because there is no way i can come up with $7700 dollars to fix it. i have also missed work because i have no way of getting there. something needs to be done ...

I was driving my 2000 dodge intrepid with my wife and son on the highway when suddenly, there was a loud clicking noise coming from the engine the following day i took the car to my dealer, who informed me that i needed a new engine because the rod had went. the car has only 48000 miles and i have the maximum care protection which covers just about everything. coverage was denied because i did not have the receipts for oil the changes i had performed religously and the engine had developed sludge. i have since read on several sites that this is a problem with 2.7l engine and chrysler refuses to due anything about it. i am now stuck paying for a car that needs approx.$6000 dollars worth of work. the only thing i am grateful for is that nobody was hurt. thank god the rod did not go through the engine wall.

The vehicle stalled, which caused the consumer to pull over abruptly. *jb

I was driving my 2000 intrepid when i heard a noise from the hood. i had it towed to the dealership, and was told that the engine had sluge on it. he said that is the problem they are having with that type of engine that's in that car. the cost for repairs woud be 6,000 dollars. i started checking around and found that other people where having the same problem and that dodge would not do a recall. *ak

Vehicle's time chain broke and head cams blew out.*mr while driving the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that the timing chain broke and in turn destroyed the engine. the vehicle was equipped with a jasper motor. the consumer is requesting assistance. *ts *nlm

Engine failure on a 2000 dodge intrepid with 64,000 miles. no warning signs, no rough running. the oil pressure light came on and pulled over right away. as soon as i did the engine quit. after having it towed to the chrysler dealership, i was told that the engine is full of "sludge" and had to be replaced. cost of new engine is approximately $8,500 which is more than the wholesale value of the car. seems to be a common problem with the 2.7 engine on the dodge intrepid's. see this web-site: http://anyboard.net/autos/cars/cars/>. *nlm

Bad engine {sludge}. *nlm

2000 dodge intrepid with 2.7l engine seized with only 59000 miles. *jb

Dodge intrepid 2000 with 58,000 miles on it, has engine failure. was told the timing chain broke, needs cylinder heads, valves and rods replaced. extended warranty company is giving the dealer a hard time about fixing the problem. looks like the car will need a new engine. very disgusted with chrysler and their lack of ownership on a problem they know occurs (friend is a mechanic for dodge, says this is a very common problem that chrysler is aware of). i have a small child and fortunately the engine died in the driveway and not on the highway with him in the car. don't even want to think of the tragedy that could have caused. chrysler needs to be responsible for their engine troubles. i have been reading a lot of postings and this is not an uncommon problem. it looks like it happens more often than not. bought this car used in 2003, still owe 3 years of payments. *nlm

Motor seized up on a trip to chattanooga about an hour drive from our house. *la

While the vehicle was idling, the timing chain snapped without warning. the actual cause of the timing chain snapping has not been identified. the dealership was contacted. *nlm the dealer refused to help. (chrysler and dominion dodge refused to help as well) *sc *jb

Sludge in the motor.*ak

The tensioner unit on the timing chain caused the timing chain to fail completely, causing engine failure to the tune of $2,100.00. only 60,500 miles on vehicle. also had cam sensor replace two days prior to the failure of the timing change, cam sensor cost was $205.00.*jb

I own a 2000 dodge intrepid 2.7 liter and it started making a ticking noise and then one day in april my engine just quit while i was driving it down the road. i sent them a letter and they said there was nothing they could do because my warranty was up, but who puts a 36,000 mile warranty on a vehicle unless they know the engine is junk. they need to fess up to their defect of this type of engine and recall it. it is not right. i am a 23 year old single mother who still owes 10,000 dollars on a car that i can't even drive because i didn't have 6,000 dollars to give them for a new engine. *jb

Dt: had to replace 2.7 liter e engine with 54000 miles on vehicle. had a totally different engine put in the vehicle. the vehicle was stalling and the timing chain broke. after a field adjuster came to the dealership they recommended it be replaced. the engine went out on april 8, 2003. *ak

While driving the consumer heard a "knocking" noise coming from top of engine and pulled over. the vehicle was towed to dealer who diagnosed that the tensioner failed which caused the engine to seize. *nlm