Problems with 2001 Dodge Intrepid ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Engine failure without warning!

Dt*: the contact stated upon merging into traffic at 40 mph on the freeway, there was a loud bang followed by flames erupting from underneath the hood. the contact maneuvered the vehicle to the side of the road. a bystander alerted the fire department who extinguished the flames. there were no injuries sustained. there was moderate fire damage to the engine compartment area. the police were not alerted. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop, who was unable to determine the cause of fire. the vehicle was towed to a dealer, who determined the fire originated from the engine and engine oil. the manufacturer was alerted.

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle's engine died while traveling 25 mph. the vehicle was taken to the service dealer, however the dealer could not determine the problem. the check oil light illuminated seconds before the engine died. updated 11/30/2006 - *nm

Tl* - the contact was on the daimler-chrysler's website. the contact owns a 2001 dodge intrepid. the vehicle lost engine power while driving at 60 mph. the consumer was unable to restart the vehicle, it was towed to the dealer. the dealer stated that the engine needed to be replaced. there may have been warning indicator lights. all state insurance company mechanics determined the vehicle's failure and agreed that the remedy would be to replace the engine. *ak updated 03/15/07. *jb

We purchased a 2001 dodge intrepid and have had nothing but trouble with it. it has been in the shop for repairs continuously and still cannot be fixed. all in all, i have invested about $3500 for repairs and still the car is unsafe to drive. i have a loan on this vehicle and have to pay even though i am unable to drive this car. i have seen numerous complaints on this vehicle and it doesn't appear that anything every gets done with them. *jb

The 2.7 liter engine on my 2001 dodge intrepid started ticking. i immediately took it to the snethkamp dodge dealer in lansing, mi for repair. the service dept. advised that the engine was sludged up because i didn't change the oil as recommended by the manufacturer. when i advised the service technician that i did get oil changes as recommended, and have the receipts to prove it, the service tech. changed his story and advised that the 2.7 liter engine in the dodge intrepid was defective. the dealership would charge $600 to tear apart the engine to "find out for sure." the cost would not cover any repair. i asked the service tech. what chrysler/dodge was going to do to remedy this problem. the service tech. advised that chrysler/dodge wouldn't do anything for me, the car was no longer under warranty. i told the service tech. to give it an oil change and took it home. i drove it for 10 days until it died while dropping my daughter off at day care. i bought the car in feb. 2002 from snethkamp dodge, it was 6 months old and had 5996 miles on it. the car was a program car. i financed it for 5 years, and still have 3 payments left, and no car. the car has just under 49,000 miles on it. i filed an online complaint with the chrysler group customer assistance center and requested that chrysler repair/replace the engine in my car (reference number: 15524183, email case number: 1538494.) the chrysler customer service reply was for me to contact my local dealer or refer to my owners manual, and no, they wouldn't repair or replace my engine. *nm

Engine failure. dealership ship says the engine needs to be replaced.even to replace the engine is twice as much as other engine replacement. i own a 2001 model. *nm

I have a 2001 dodge intrepid that suffered a sudden engine failure. the dealer stated that excessive oil sludge was at fault in the engine. about 6 weeks prior to the engine failure, the vehicle was involved in a front end collision and was tested by the dealer once the body work was done and was found 100% sound. less than 2 weeks after retrieving the car from the body shop, the engine failed and the dealer stated that it would be close to $6000 to replace the engine. *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 dodge intrepid. the contact stated that the vehicle's engine head, water pump, and spark plugs were demolished. in addition, the water pump burst and damaged several other components. the contact stated that the engine light illuminated and served as his only warning indicator before the vehicle shut off while driving 55 mph. the vehicle was towed to the house. the current mileage is 80,100 and failure mileage was 80,125. the consumer provided invoices for repair. updated 06/26/07 *tr

2001 dodge intrepid 2.7 engines fail after only 74,000 miles and chrysler is well aware of the engine sludge problem. *tr

My engine began ticking, i pulled over popped the hood and smoke rolled out, i checked the fluid levels and tried to restart the car, it wouldn't start, i waited a few minutes tried starting it again and it worked, i drove 3 miles home and the engine died as i turned down my street, once again the engine was smoking so i popped the hood and flames shot up, i put the flames out and the car has been sitting in my driveway since. i have done nothing to repair it since apparently it's a design of dodge and chrysler's 2.7 v6 according to many other owners. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 70 mph on the interstate, the thermostat gauge elevated followed by a loss of all power. the engine stalled and the vehicle coasted to side of the roadway. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop who determined the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not notified.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 70 mph on the interstate highway, the oil warning light illuminated and a loud noise was heard just as all power failed and the vehicle was steered off the road. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. oil was found under the vehicle where it stopped and on the wrecker platform. the problem was believed to be a thrown rod. the service dealer and manufacturer were not notified. updated 10/17/2006 - the consumer has ordered an remanufactured engine. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 55 mph on the highway, the car vibrated, stalled and suddenly stopped. there were no warning signals prior to the incident and the engine did not start again. the vehicle was taken to the dealership who determined a timing belt had fractured. the dealership did not offer to repair without charges.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 10 mph on a dry highway, the vehicle's engine failed suddenly without warning. the check engine light illuminated at the time the vehicle stalled. the vehicle would not restart and the contact pushed the vehicle to the residence. the dealership was not notified. there were no problems with the vehicle prior to this incident.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 35 mph, a thumping noise was heard and the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was maneuvered off the road and towed to an independent repair shop who determined the timing belt had fractured and the engine needed to be replaced. the dealer was not notified.

2001 dodge intrepid w/ 2.7l engine - per mechanic: sludge build up caused engine failure after only 63,000 miles. *nm

Tl*- while driving the vehicle started losing power and started smoking. the contact pulled to the side of the road, and had the vehicle towed to a local repair facility. at the repair facility they stated that the vehicle needed to have the engine replaced. the contact took it to the dealership ,) and they stated as well that the engine needed to be replaced in the vehicle. the contact concerned because after researching the issue, she has seen many similar complaints. *ak

I purchased what i thought to be the last vehicle i would own. i put very little miles on my cars. i purchased a 2001 dodge intrepid in december of 2001. in september 2006, with barely 28,000 miles on my car, the engine sludged up, broke the timing chain and had to be towed to my local dodge dealer. i was told that my engine needed replaced due to sludge buildup and that the car manufacturer knew about this problem. my car, which i was still paying on and carrying insurance on, is sitting in a garage because i am unable to afford a new engine. the company i had the extended warranty with does not cover sludge damage and chrysler all but hung up on me when i called them to voice my complaint. i feel they should be made to replace these engines that were faulty straight from the factory. consumers should be able to have some recourse for things like this. *tr

While driving my 2001 dodge intrepid on a main road in erie, the car just dies on me, while trying to make it to the side of the road, a car came within inches of hitting my car while he was doing approximately 40 miles an hour, because while trying to get my car out of the way, i was still in the middle of the road, and the light turned green for the oncoming traffic. getting my car to the side of the road and out of everyone's way, i have the car towed off the side of the road, and taken to a local mechanics, who in turn finds out that the timing chain is broke due to a faulty engine, with the sludge build-up which in turn has caused all of this problem. also apparently dodge/chrysler feels that so many americans are causing this problem, by neglecting our vehicles, and not properly maintaining our rides. i am appalled that this is okay, and so many of us are getting ripped off by the company. it is amazing that i almost was in an accident, because of this faulty vehicle. is it going to take all of us to die on the road while driving for something to be done about this? thank heavens my child who has cancer was not in the car, and that i wasn't on the thruway trying to get him to pittsburgh for his chemotherapy. *nm

My 2001 dodge intrepid, 2.7l engine died while i was driving on saturday august 19th, the engine is sludge and i would like to know why the engine sludge with regular oil changes and maintenance. i was told that my extended warranty will not cover this because it is sludge. the coolant is all gone after i just replaced the coolant bypass hose due to overheating. i owe a lot of money on this car still like 7300 dollars and cant afford to pay for this repair and for the car payments, please let me know what can be done to solve this situation. *jb

08/19/2006 - 9:30 a.m., car ran perfect. at 9:45, car began to "putt" with slight hesitation while pressing on gas. at 9:50, car began to "loose life" as i drove up street. pressed on gas, but no acceleration. car stopped. towed home same day, then towed to nashville dodge, tn on 09/11/2006. on 09/13/2006 service department stated water pump leak into oil pan, coolant covered floor, engine skipped time. milky color in valve train as a result. need new water pump & need new engine. *nm

Our 2001 dodge intrepid ran good until about a couple weeks ago. it just started to rattle and tick. it sounded like it was knocking. we had several people look at it and they didn't have a clue. then when my husband was on his way home from work it just died in the middle of the road. we finally got it home and we noticed that the spark plug on the left rear was in pieces like it blew up. i looked it up online and turns out tons of people had the same problem. there is a default in the engine and chrysler knows all about it and doesn't care. my husband is military and had no way to get to work. is there a lawsuit against them? can you help? what should we do? i can't attend school anymore or work and my stranded with a baby what if he gets sick and has to go to the hospital. please help. thank you. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 dodge intrepid. the contact stated that there was sludge build up in the engine, despite undergoing regular maintenance. the engine began to overheat and the dealer stated that a new engine was needed at an estimated cost of $6,500. the vehicle has been inoperable for almost a year. the vin was unknown. the failure and current mileages were 90,000.

Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 75 mph the transmission failed and the engine stalled. the vehicle would not restart and was towed to an independent repair shop where the transmission was rebuilt. later, without warning the engine squealed and stalled. the vehicle was towed to the dealership and it was determined the problem was due to the air conditioner. *ak updated 9/11/2006 - *nm

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 dodge intrepid. while exiting from the freeway at 30 mph the engine locked. the vehicle was towed home, not sure of current or failure mileage, or incident date. the vehicle had not been looked at by a dealer, and the vehicle had no prior repairs done besides oil changes.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 65 mph, the vehicle stalled completely. the vehicle was not able to be restarted immediately. it was taken to a service dealer, where they determined that the oil was low. the contact expressed that the vehicle was maintained regularly, so the oil should not have been low.

Dt*: the contact stated on 7-31-06 while stopped and getting ready to turn, the vehicle suddenly stalled without warning. the check engine light did not illuminate in the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who determined the engine needed to be replaced due to the timing chain going out. prior to this incident, the oil was changed. the contact maintained the vehicle's oil changes every 3,000-4,000 miles, yet the mechanic informed the contact the oil was very thick. the dealership has been informed.

Dt*: the contact stated the engine stalled suddenly while stopped at a traffic light. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop who determined that the engine needed to be replaced due to water and oil in the engine. there were no problems with the vehicle prior to the incident. the oil light illuminated on the dash. due to oil consumption problem, oil was not reaching the heads of the vehicle which caused which caused coolant to mix with the oil. updated 08/24/06. *jb

Dodge intrepid se 2.7 engine. engine slugged after 62k with reccomended regular oil changes, the car did not fail on the highway, thankfully, but as i've investigated, there are a lot of web sites looking to encourage owners to report this failure--as it could have easily been on the highway. nothing is being done to the car. the dealership said "yeah, we have a lot of problems with those engines--we've tried to fix it before and it never works. . . and you're out of warranty. you should scrap it." *nm

My 2.7l 2001 dodge intrepid ran fine saturday morning. saturday it was very sluggish and began "ticking". when we checked, it had no oil. there was never white smoke, no dripping oil under the car, no indicator light when you were driving down the road, other than an occasional flickering when the car was in idle. dealer is now saying the engine in junk and it will take $5200+ to fix. book value doesn't support repair. only 78,000 miles. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 65 mph, the vehicle stalled. after coasting to the side of the highway, the vehicle would not restart and it was towed to an independent repair shop. the shop determined there was sludge in the oil causing the engine to seize. the engine needed to be replaced.

Engine went due to oil sludge build up at 52,000 miles. car was properly maintained.numerous problems with this car starting at about 30,000. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the engine stalled in the middle of traffic while driving 45 mph. the vehicle would not restart. the vehicle was towed to the dealership where the dealership determined the vehicle's engine had blown and needed to be replaced. there were no warning signals with the vehicle prior to this incident.

Dt*: the contact stated that the check engine light illuminated and smoke came from under the hood while driving 70mph on the highway. the contact pulled over and checked under the hood where flames were now present within the engine compartment. the fire was extinguished by the contact using a bottle of water. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop who determined that the engine needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not alerted. *ak

I was driving on the tollway when my car began to overheat. i turned on the heater to maximum and drove at about 55 mph. about one mile from home another car pulled along side to tell me that there were flames coming from underneath my car. i immediately pulled over but could not stop immediately as i lost all power and had no brakes. since the exit was on an incline i was able to coast to a stop and my wife and i exited the car. within less than 10 seconds after we exited the car was engulfed in flames and was totaled. *nm

I stopped at a store by my house and it just wouldn't start again. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle's engine had significant sludge buildup. the vehicle was taken to an auto shop for a regular scheduled oil change on 05/10/06 who determined that the engine had this problem. a few weeks later, the vehicle was driven over a pot hole and heard a rattle noise. the vehicle was taken to the dealer on 07/05/06 who determined that it was unsafe to operate. the vehicle was driven to the dealership on 07/06/06 to purchase a new vehicle, however it would not restart when leaving the dealer. the dealer inspected the vehicle and determined that the starter or the battery was not the cause of the problem. the vehicle was towed to the residence. there are many complaints of intrepid engines suffering from sludge buildup.

Returning from vacation, the 2001 dodge intrepid i was driving with my children, which has a 2.7 liter v6 engine just quit after a slight screeching noise. we were on the highway at the time. lost brakes and steering. thank the lord that no one was immediately behind us. after getting the car onto the shoulder and after the car stopped smoking, i opened the hood and found that there was oil either from the head gasket or the timing cover sprayed oil over the drivers side of the engine compartment. pulled the dip stick and the oil was milky. had to have vehicle towed. repair shop said they could not find where the oil came from. then after two weeks they found that the water pump failed and the timing chain tensioner broke. vehicle was repaired and driven out of shop. two days later the vehicle overheated and the oil light would come on after engine got to operating temp. took car back to fix overheating problem and it was a valve under the intake needed to be replaced. the oil light still comes on. i was then told i needed a new engine, sludge caused the engine to overheat and when it quit on the highway it caused the crank shaft and bearings to go bad. new engine cost $5500.00 from dodge. already put $2800.00. car is not drivable and it overheated again trying to get home. *jb

2001 dodge intrepid that was well maintained (oil changes always within owners manuals recommendations) and low miles (66,000) lost power on interstate. as driver began to pull over, steam appeared from engine compartment. chrysler dealer told us that it was a complete engine failure. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated that the vehicle's engine blew while traveling 65 mph. the vehicle was cruising on the highway when a ticking sound was heard coming from under the front hood. shortly after, the vehicle lost power, and the ticking sound became louder. the vehicle was pulled over and towed to an independent repair shop who determined that the engine was blown and that a new engine would have to be installed. the vehicle was not restarted once the ignition was switched off. the vehicle had an automatic transmission.

I was driving on the highway when my engine started making a clanking noise. as i proceeded to get over into the far lane to exit the highway i lost speed and the car turned of. i barely made it across the last two lanes of highway safely coasting onto the exit ramp. long story short, i had the car towed to the dealership they informed me that my engine had died do to sludge and the repair would be, for me, very costly. so now my beautiful red dodge intrepid sets in my driveway with a $4,000 balance that i can not afford to pay or repair. *tr

We were driving down a major highway and suddenly the car lost power and all of the lights came on, luckily we were able to pull off the busy highway without causing a major pile up. the car had to be towed to a garage where we were told that it needed a new engine! the garage checked everything, all fluid levels were normal, the guy said that there was no "explainable" reason why this occurred. a few months before this my timing belt was replaced along with several other issues (to the tune of $800) and it had just had one of the big check ups. the last 6 months or so my oil light would come on intermittently. i had this checked numerous times, the oil was always fine (and always maintained every 3000 miles). the garage at that time could not figure out why the oil light kept coming on and for lack of anything else said it was probably a short in the light. my car is only a 2001 and now is in need of a $6000 engine! *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 65 mph the oil light illuminated, the vehicle started to jerk and then stalled. there was a loss of power steering and abs. the vehicle was pulled to the side of the highway. the vehicle was then towed to the contacts home for inspection by a local mechanic. the mechanic determined the engine had oil sludge and needed to be replaced. although the dealer was alerted no further inspections have been made. the manufacturer has not been alerted.

Tl*- the contact stated that on 06/02/06 had an oil changed on the 2001 dodge intrepid. after picking up the vehicle she started hearing a ticking noise. the contact stated that 2 days later she tried to start the vehicle and the vehicle would not start. she had the vehicle towed to the dealership, and was informed that the engine seized due to sludge build up. the contact stated that she has always taken her vehicle for oil changes, and could not understand how the engine could go with so few miles and regular maintenance. the contact has filed a complaint with the manufacturer, and will have file # available for the hard copy.

The engine blew ...never got a warning that it was having problems. always got the oil change at oil changing time....at wal-mart. have records .....please help ...don't have 3.500 dollars for a new or use engine. *jb

The car was making a sound. had just previously had an oil change. got ready to get in the car to take to shop to find out what the noise was & the car would not start. had to have the car towed to shop. that's when i was told the engine was gone. 5-6 thousand dollars to repair. cannot afford that when still paying car note. *nm

I have a 2001 dodge intrepid, on june 1 2006 i was on the express way in detroit mi. and my engine just locked up i lost all power steering, i mad it to the side of the road luckily there was light traffic. i took my car to the a certified mechanic and i was informed that my engine failed and that it was do to sludge build up. the shop wants 5,500 dollars to fix the car witch i don't have, and i might lose my job-that was my only car. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 35 mph, with no warning, the vehicle stalled. the vehicle would not restart and was towed to the dealership. the dealership determined the timing chain stretched and jumped causing engine failure. the engine needs to be replaced.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 35 mph on the highway, the engine stalled without warning followed by a loud grinding noise from the engine compartment. the contact managed to pull over without incident. the vehicle was towed to a dealer who determined the engine needed to be replaced. the engine replacement corrected the stalling and engine noise. the manufacturer was alerted.