Problems with 2000 Dodge Intrepid ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

While driving my 2000 dodge intrepid, i felt that my life was jeopardized on 3 occasions. once with my two children onboard. while i was driving, the oil light began to flicker and the engine shut off. i lost complete power. i was lucky the first time when i run off the road and went unto the side walk where i luckily did not injure anyone. the 2nd and 3rd time,i was on the highway, i knew i was about the loss power because i notice the oil light flickering, as a precaution , i slowed down and was about to pull up to the service lane when the engine totally shut off. i had not control the steering nor brakes; nothing worked. i don't know how i got the car to stop. after that night,i called my husband crying, i was shaking,trembling and scared to death. after that i became so scared that i vowed never to drive the car again because i felt that one day i may be killed or kill my children or some innocent person due to no fault of my own. i had my mechanic pickup the car. now he tells me that the engine died. *tr

I have a 2000 dodge intrepid that i have w/ a 2.7 engine and the engine seized/locked up on me and the heat had went out on it right before the engine seized up. i took care of the vehicle and had no problems until then. my vehicle is nice looking in and out and i cannot afford another engine for this car so it's sitting there behind my house and i have no transportation. i paid a great deal for this car and didn't have any problems w/ it until it seized and it seized up at 97,000 miles! this car is a great disappointment for me and something needs to be looked into the problems everyone has been having out of these vehicles. i ran off the road and into a small tree. it makes me and my family/friends not ever want to buy another dodge/chrysler vehicle. please look into this for me. *tr

I have a 2000 dodge intrepid that at approximately 80,000 miles the cam censor went out, then about 10,000 miles later then crank censor went out. when the car had 106,000 miles on it my wife was driving home from work when she heard loud knocking coming from the engine, took it to a repair shop to find out the engine seized due to sludge. this car has had the oil changed every 3,000 miles. the mechanic said it would about $4,000 to replace. now i come to find out that chrysler knows they had a problem with these engines and won't fix them. i bought this car new and never expected that chrysler won't stand behind their product. *tr

I have a 2000 dodge intrepid sedan se that's a 2.7 engine i only have 70,000 miles on it. i was on the free way on i-70 w when the car suddenly stop on me . i had to pay for a towing the shop for repaired and i've been told that the engine is bad. *tr

Need assistance in repair to my 2000 dodge intrepid. i was told about the lawsuit against chrysler caused by bad engines. my intrepid has a 2.7 liter engine. i was current on all my oil changes, it started off smoking all the time even after oil changes,knocking noises, also experienced bad driver side window. the lawsuit was told to me by a mechanic, and was also stated that chrysler would reimburse the value of the car, or repair car need to hear from someone asap!!!! thank you *tr

I got a loan on a 2000 dodge intrepid. it has been nothing but expense after expense. it didn't want to start, so i took to a dodge service place. they said it was a crank shaft positioning sensor, which cost me $582.00 to have it fixed. two weeks later it didn't want to start again. they said it was the cam shaft sensor, which cost me another $284.00 to have it fixed. each time that the dodge service department had the car, they supposedly did a 24 point inspection after fixing it, and it passed the inspection both times. so, a week and a half later, there was some really loud knocking sounds coming from the motor. the dodge service place said that the whole lower unit on the engine is shot, so it needs either an overhaul or a new motor. i got some quotes over the phone to either fix the motor or replace the motor with a new motor. for overhauling the motor, which includes parts and labor, they want at least $4300.00. to put a new motor in they want $4600.00. i bought the car used for over $7000.00, not including the finance and interest charges. now in order to fix the car, i would have to pay out a whole lot more than half of what the car cost to begin with. the dodge service places say that the 2.7 motors are not made well, because they have too small of an opening for the oil to be dispersed correctly throughout the engine. my intrepid only has 102,000 miles on it. so i am stuck paying for a car that cannot be driven, unless i want to be stranded somewhere. i still owe on the car, so i am paying payments and keeping insurance on a car i cannot afford to fix. shouldn't there be a warning somewhere on these vehicles, about the chances of sludge build up causing the engine to fail? shouldn't dodge stand behind their vehicles, and put some kind of recall on these motors? what are people like me to do? am i just suppose to pay and pay on a car that i would have to drive at my own risk, of the engine failing at any given moment? ...

After starting the car the engine, it began to make a "rattle" noise that went away after a few seconds. took it into a shop and they said nothing was wrong. 9 months later, the car would not start -> the dealership said the engine would need to be replaced (the car has ~72,000 miles). i now need to either buy a new engine, or sell it for parts (the cost of the repair will nearly equal the value of the vehicle. i would not have expected to replace a 2000 dodge intrepid engine so early. from what i can tell, many other people have had the same problem with this chrysler engine: what are my options? *tr

Engine lower end failure while driving. related to long term condition..starting at 30,000 miles. engine sludge due to engine design defect..car was immaculately maintained...oil changed every 3k without fail.. by 60k engine light ran intermittently bad bearing knock...chrysler refused to acknowledge problem,,until final catastrophic failure at 92k.. car had to be scrapped... 2.7l engine well documented online with sludge lower end damage problems. *tr

No events leading up to incident. 2000 dodge intrepid 2.7 motor just stopped working while car was moving with no warning. had towed said it was due to engine sludge. car was regularly serviced and this shouldn't have happened. i have read all the other 2.7 horror stories and i expect dodge to do something about it. *tr

My vehicle just had the oil changed before my husband and i took a trip out of state. when we returned my vehicle stalled before going into second gear and the engine began knocking. we have taken my car to a mechanic and the estimated cost of repair is around $5,000. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge intrepid. the contact stated that the engine light remains illuminated while driving 35 mph. the dealer advised him not to drive the vehicle because at any given moment, the engine could shut off. chrysler advised the contact to file a complaint and stated that no recalls were available. the current mileage was 56,050 and failure mileage was 56,000. updated 09/10/07. *jb

Engine broke down. most likely typical engine fproblems of the 2.7 l engine. *ak

Our vehicle is a 2000 dodge intrepid which will need the entire engine replaced due to "oil sludge" build-up in the 2.7 liter engine. the cost to replace this engine with another used engine (which may develop the same problem) has been estimated at approximately $4,000 at the local dodge dealer. to replace this with a new engine would cost an additional $1000-$1500. the dealer indicates he may not even be able to find a replacement engine. we cannot afford to have this work done, but have no choice and the cost will totally deplete our savings account. this vehicle has about 76,000 miles on it. i have learned from some investigation that this is an extremely wide-spread problem that chrysler has refused to acknowledge. i have contacted daimler-chrysler directly and they have expressed their "sincere apology", but note that there is nothing they will be able to do about it. i have read complaints from other owners on carcomplaints.com as well as other websites. this is a problem with the 2.7 liter engines on many chrysler vehicles (intrepid, sebring, etc.). consumers should not have to pay the cost of a design flaw. many of the people who have had this happen to them are still making payments and cannot even afford to have the repairs made! some have had their vehicles stop on them in the middle of the highway. we are lucky to have identified a problem (via an engine "noise") before something more serious occurred. this is a safety hazard for anyone who has a vehicle with this engine and it involves 1999-2003 vehicles. please look into this problem. it is extremely widespread and daimler-chrysler should accept responsibility for selling a defective product. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge intrepid. while driving 25 mph on a dirt road and slowing for a stop sign, the engine shut off. everything else in the vehicle remained on. the vehicle was towed to a mechanic, who stated that the engine seized and the head gaskets sucked up all the oil. there was still oil in the engine, but not enough, which caused a rod to blow. the current and failure mileages were 141,389. updated 07/15/08.*lj updated 07/15/08

Blown engin at (27,000 miles. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge intrepid. the contact heard a buzzing noise and the engine shut off without warning. the vehicle has not yet been diagnosed. the purchase date was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 139,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge intrepid. while driving 65 mph, the contact noticed smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle and steam underneath the hood. the vehicle was towed to her residence. the mechanic stated that the coolant air bleeder for the radiator became detached. a mechanic at dodge inspected the part and stated that it was defective. the current and failure mileages were 101,000.

Own a 2000 dodge intrepid 2.7l engine that failed due to oil sludge at 59k miles. the car is now worthless and is sitting in my driveway. i am the original owner and change the oil arroding to the requirements in the owner's manual. *tr

We have had regular oil changes on the car. a week or two after the last oil change, it started to knock. while on my way to work one morning it died on the highway. we have gotten estimates from the local dodge dealer, and a couple other mechanics, and we need a new engine and it will cost a lot more than what the car is actually worth. *jb

Engine failure in my 2000 dodge intrepid-chrysler knows this engine is crap and will not fix it-they should be held liable and have to replace every 2.7 v-6 for free. *tr

My car shuts off at random while i'm driving. it doesn't matter if i'm going 20 miles per hour or 45 miles per hour.. this has been happening for about this past year. in march 2007 i had it towed to the dodge dealership and paid approx $1300 dollars to correct the problem. a week later the same thing happened and has been ever since..here lately it has been shutting off 1-2 times per day and i only drive it to and from work. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge intrepid. while driving 70 mph the engine shut off without warning. she was unable to restart the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to a mechanic who stated that the problem was caused due to engine sludge, which caused the timing chain to break. the manufacturer stated there was nothing they could do. the current and failure mileages were 88,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge intrepid. while driving 68 mph, the contact heard a clicking noise and the engine stalled without warning. the vehicle was towed. a local mechanic diagnosed the vehicle as needing a new engine. the current and failure mileages was under 62,000. updated 02/01/08. *lj updated 02/01/08 *tr

The car was a fleet vehicle with documented services completed. i bought the car in may 2003 with approximately 60000 miles on it. continued with regular oil changes around 3000 miles. when the car reached around 100000 miles the oil light started flicking at low rpms. even though i had just changed the oil around 1000 miles before. i just figured that the car was burning some oil since it had over 100000 mile on it so i just kept a quart in the trunk and checked the oil level when the light would start flickering and add some oil if it was low. then coming home from work one evening the car just lost power and the engine light came on. since the car was still running and i was in traffic i tried to get it to a parking lot when it died at a red light. got it started and to a parking lot and that was where it expired. *ak

complained about dodge intrepid 2000 2.7 engine. problem began with lifter noise and oil light came on. imediately stopped and shut engine down. checked oil level which was okay. restarted engine and drove 2 miles when problem recurred. discussed with mechanic. problem was sludge buildup in oil and blocking of oil line. sludge apparently drained when engine shut off. lifter noise and oil warning light stayed off until sludge again blocked oil screen and line. regular changing of oil seemed not to be an answer. the mechanic stated she is aware of numerous engine failures. also numerous complaints on the internet of engine failure because of sludge buildup in the 2.7 dodge engine.*ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge intrepid. after a few months of owning the vehicle, it began to make rattling noises when driving beyond 40 mph. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the tensioner snapped due to built up oil sludge. he later discovered that this was a common failure among that make and model of vehicle. the dealer offered to replace the engine with the same type of engine, but the contact believed that the failure would eventually recur. the vehicle is currently at his residence and has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 83,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 dodge intrepid. while driving 55 mph under normal conditions the vehicle started shaking and making a knocking sound, and after driving another 15 miles, the engine shut off while sitting at a light. the dealer stated that the engine needed to be replaced ,but could not diagnose the cause of the failure. the failure mileage is unknown, and the current mileage was 100,000. *ak

Engine failure many censors blew in a span of a year. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge intrepid. while driving 45 mph, the vehicle shut off without warning. the contact heard a noise which sounded like rocks were in the engine. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who stated that the vehicle needed a new engine. the vin, purchase date, and number of cylinders were unknown. the current and failure mileages were 148,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge intrepid. while driving 30 mph, the contact heard a knocking sound coming from the engine. the contact shut the engine off and was unable to restart the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to a mechanic, who stated that the vehicle needed a new engine. the current and failure mileages were 62,000.*ak

My engine failed while driving from pittsburgh,pa to charlestown,va. i was unable to get any help from chrysler. i have a 2.7 liter engine. i own a 2000 intrepid. it died last year in 2007. the car just had turned 80,000 miles during the trip. it was just paid off. it cost me over 5,000 dollars to replace it. *tr

Had oil changed at 73,000 miles. within a few weeks oil light started flickering. oil levels were okay engine began to knock at 5000 rpm. one week later engine failed on highway almost causing major accident. *ak

I was driving south bound on interstate 15 in centerville utah at approximately 65 miles per hour. i was in the center lane of three lanes. the engine suddenly lost all power. i was fortunate in steering the vehicle to the right and ended up, stalled, in the median of the on-ramp and the far right hand lane. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge intrepid. while driving 5 mph the contact heard a loud noise near the engine. the dealer stated that the failure was caused by the timing chain, and therewas sludge build up inside the engine. no repairs have been made to the vehicle. the current and failure mileage were 94,000.*ak

Tl* - the contact owns a 2000 dodge intrepid. while driving 30 mph the engine stalled without warning. the check engine light turned on. the failure mileage was 112,000. the vehicle was towed to a dodge dealer. the vehicle was diagnosed as having engine sludge. the vehicle required a new engine. *ak

2000 dodge intrepid timing chain failure. this appears to be a common defect with the 2.7l engine. this repair may cost $1,500.

The car was running fine and they one day just failed. *tr

Engine failed without warning at 90k miles. it was always maintained with synthetic oil. the engine had to be replaced and i have the old parts available. *tr

Going down road the motor locked up. *tr

2000 dodge intrepid, car has 2 new engines seize up, car will not start all the time, or just stop while driving regardless of new plugs, batteries. *tr

Tl*- the contact stated that while driving the 2000 dodge intrepid at 35 mph the vehicle slowed down to 5 mph without warning. this occurred when she attempted to depress the brake to stop at a red light. she felt as if the vehicle was out of control. the the lights on the dashboard started blinking. the vehicle then lost power. the contact stated that she was unable to restart the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to a mechanic, and they advised the contact that there was a problem with the engine. also, the vehicle was taken to a different mechanic, and they informed the contact of the samething . the vehicle had 39,700 miles. *ak

Car stalled out in december 06 and battery replaced. stalled again in march 07 and have been told the timing belt broke and new engine needed at only 81,000 miles. tried to see if used engine available and was told none could be found because this was typical to the intrepid. also told a new engine cost and labor is about $3500. we owe $4400 and pay $163 every month with two years left to pay. were already on the brink of foreclosure on our home and we were struggling to make these car payments, we willl struggle to pay for a car that we can not even drive. i will be contacting the dealership who should have been aware of these complaints from what i've read here, and i will be contacting chrysler who really needs to stand behind there product!no wonder everyone is going foreign!to the ceo's, enjoy those huge homes and paychecks while the rest of us pay for chrysler's mistakes!my brother died in a chrysler when he was 20 years old because of a steering default!this was 23 years ago, i really should have known better!!!!i'm very glad to see from these complaints that few are getting killed from this engine defect. lucky for chrysler,they don't have to pay up!even more lucky for the owners of these cars and anyone driving around them when they stall!!! *jb

2000 intrepid 2.7 l motor seized with only 115,000 miles, good maintenance. with no warning, noises or fanfare the motor simply seized up. we had just gotten it out of the body shop from a fender bender (to the tune of $2500) and now i have a worthless husk of a car - it costs more to replace the motor than the car is worth..... guess that is what we call a disposable society... the last mopar i will ever buy.......*jb

Major engine failure due to oil sludging: the car is a 2000 dodge intrepid with a 2.7 liter engine. we replaced the bad engine with another that is also now failing from the same problem. *tr

My 2000 dodge intrepid engine failed with no warning while driving, almost caused a bad accident. *jb

Going down road the car just locked up. *tr

I have a 2000 dodge intrepid with a 2.7 engine. i bought the car brand new and have been the primary driver ever since. i have maintained the vehicle and there are only 60,000 miles on it. the car had been driving fine, til one day all of a sudden it started to make a terrible tapping sound from the engine. i managed to get home and after having a mechanic inspect it, he said the engine need to be rebuilt that the timing chain guide let go and that all the guides, gaskets, timing chain, gears, and crankshaft would need to be replaced. i can't believe that a new engine or a rebuilt one would need to be done on a car of this age and such low mileage. i've had a concern with the oil light coming on periodically, but everytime we've had it checked, the oil was full and no problem found, thought to be an electrical concern. now, i find out after some research that this year vehicle had a defective engine that caused sludge to build up and cause this light to go on and cause engine failure. shame on chrysler for making this engine. i think someone at chrysler should contact me and assist with this repair. i have been buying chrysler for the last 12 years. my husband and i had a neon, jeep cherokee, and currently a grand minivan. my father in law is a proud retired chrysler automaker. if chrysler knows there were problems with these engines, then i should be given some consideration. i have always intended to buy chrysler products, but after this, i don't know if i will ever buy one again, and i will tell everyone i know of this defective product. *nm

Tl*- the contact stated that on 02/05/07 the 2000 dodge intrepid had engine failure. while driving at 20 mph and pulling into a parking lot the vehicle lost power and smoked started coming from under the hood. there were no warning indicator lights, the engine did not have any perceptible failures. the contact had the vehicle towed to a dodge dealership, and the service mechanic informed the contact that there was oil leaking all over, but he couldn't find the source of the leak. then, they called and informed him that the head gasket needed to be replaced. the contact stated that after the repair was completed he was informed by the service mechanic that the cause of the engine freezing up was due to a sludge buildup. *ak

I have a 2000 intrepid with a 2.7 l engine. i was driving on main street and engine seized. dealership says timing chain broke and i need new engine. i have 72,000 miles on car. on a previous visit to the dealer shop, i specifically asked about the timing chain, they said it would be good for 120,000 miles. at that visit they told me i had oil sludge and they flushed the oil, gas and transmission lines out. i have spend thousand of dollars keeping this car in good maintenance condition and now it's worthless. *jb

Our 2000 dodge intrepid experienced an engine failure that resulted in loss of the vehicle because it would be more expensive to repair than it was worth. we had to have the vehicle towed and the repaid technician alerted us to the fact that this particular engine was known by chrystler to have engine oil sludge problems due to faulty design. dodge should stand behind their product. this was our first and only chrystler product we will ever purchase... we are going to purchase our first foreign made vehicle, a honda this time!!! *nm