Problems with 2004 Dodge Intrepid ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

I am writing to inform you of an event that has affected me and may be a concern to others. in 2004, i purchases a 2004 dodge intrepid from the now defunct tony pesce chrysler, jeep, dodge , predecessor to also defunct labate chrysler, jeep, dodge, located on north market street in east palestine,oh. the vehicle had normal preventable checks done, and had undergone all applicable recall service. at one point, the vehicle needed to be serviced for an immense amount of black smoke coming from the exhaust. there was a full diagnostic test ran on the car and the result was that everything was a okay. approximately three months later, i had been informed i was in need of a new engine. the vehicle is out of warranty and i am stuck to pay for a vehicle that has yet to reach its payoff. i am a single mother of two who hoped to better serve my family by purchasing a "dependable" vehicle and am now faced with a terrible loss dilemma. i am very discouraged and feel that i have been mislead by chrysler corporation, and "authorized service technicians." i always returned my vehicle to my original seller (or certified dodge dealer) when a problem would occur and i am more hurt than anything as to how no one could see this problem coming (especially given the above stated). i have never been a mechanic or someone who knows a lot about vehicles which is why whenever i felt the slightest problem i would seek help from a dealer. i had the natural thought of letting a technician tell me what i did or did not need. i feel as if i have no where else to turn with a once reputable dealership closing its doors. living paycheck to paycheck while trying to figure out if my vehicle will take my little girls to school or get me to work and back i simply have no room to breathe. the thought of putting $7,000 into a $30,000 vehicle that is less than half way paid off is absolutely absurd. i am unable to trade without owing or receive any assistance from crysler.*ak

At roughly 58,500 miles the oil light started coming on at idle. took it to shop to find that this is a very common issue with dodge intrepids with 2.7 liter v6 engine. so far the pressure switch has been replaced, and the oil pan was found to be full of sludge (car is routinely maintained!). oil pan has been replaced and it was verified that there was no metal present in pan. car was returned to owner but within 48 hours light is back on. car is now back in shop waiting final verdict on if as in so many other cases, this car will need extensive engine work. *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 dodge intrepid. while driving 65 mph, the vehicle suddenly shut off. the contact had to wait 2-3 minutes before the vehicle would restart. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the camshaft sensor failed. the vehicle was serviced for the failure, but the failure still persists. there were no warning lights illuminated prior to the failure. the current mileage was 39,000 and failure mileage was 25,000.

My 2004 intrepid with 2.7 engine seized while driving almost causing a accident was purchased in 02/04 and now i come to find there are others like me i want the issue of the motors resolved so i can get a refund of my money from fixing my car that i have kept good maintenance on it to hard to be without a vehicle and still making payments on and trying to save for a new motor when i could be putting that money aside for education ect for my children especially when they are aware of the problems not only of mine but others like me they seem not to care of safety. *nm

Dt: the caller stated while driving at 30 mph., all power failed in the vehicle, stalling the engine. after coming to a stop, the contact was unable to dissengage the automatic transmission from drive to the park position. no accident or injury occurred and no police report was filed. after inspection, the dealers mechanic informed the contact all the oil had leaked out of the vehicle and caused the engine to seize.

Dt*: the contact stated there was a vibration in the engine. after inspecting the vehicle the dealership replaced the cam sensor switch. while driving at various speeds or when the engine is idling there is a knocking sound. the knocking occurs intermittently. upon inspection the dealership determined there is sludge build up in the engine due to improper maintenance.

Tl* - the contact's 2004 dodge intrepid would not shift from second gear to third gear while driving at 35 mph, leaving her unable to accelerate to highway speeds. the transmission was replaced shortly after, she took the vehicle in for service and they told her that the engine need to be replace as well, at a cost of $5000.00. the contact was also complaining about a strong smell gas fumes in the passenger compartment. when she drove the vehicle the fumes were so strong that the windows had to be open at all times. the contact is waiting for a second opinion from another mechanic. all scheduled maintenance on the vehicle has been performed. *jb the engine was replaced as well. updateed 03/20/07. *jb

Hello again....i had reported this car back in july because my engine suddenly cut off while driving on interstate. the dealer was nice enough to fix the car at no cost to me. according to the mechanic they had to replace the crank shaft sensor. well, a few days ago i noticed that i have no heat, i.e. in the morning i let the car warm up before leaving for work, unfortunately it will not warm up inside. also my oil light has come on a few weeks ago, i immediately took it have it serviced. but the oil light is still on especially if i am standing still, it will turn off as they car speeds up! just left the dealership and they told me it could be the "thermostat" or maybe the oil pressure something, but he really worries because the oil light stays on. they quoted that the repair cost will start at $800.00. *jb

While driving to work car jerked and slowed down, to 20 mph. the next morning car wouldn't start , took car into shop where they had to break engine down to determine what's wrong got a call it was sludge in the engine and it wasn't covered. will cost $8,000 to replace engine but i have 2 warranties. customer service representatives are rude and leading me on wild run around for satisfaction . i work 2 jobs but they don't offer replacement. i was sold a car with pricey problems. *nm

Dt: the engine would not start. after several attempts the engine started and the vehicle was driven to the dealer. the dealer performed a diagnostic test but did not detect any codes. upon further inspection the dealer discovered sludge in the engine. the dealer suggested this was due to a lack of regular oil changes. this was not covered under warranty. no repairs have been made at this time. *ak updated 12/27/2005. *nm

In august 2004 we bought a 2004 dodge intrepid with 17,000 miles from a dodge dealer. in september 2005 the vehicle started experiencing hesitation and stuttering at start up when the temperature fell below 40 degrees. took it to the dealership and the mechanic said it was the crank sensor, which was replaced under warranty. problem didn't go away. in november 2005 took the car back to the dealership. at that time the cam sensor was replaced under warranty. some improvement was noticed. in october 2007 the dash lights started to flicker. this happened whether the car was driving or at a standstill. back to the dealership. they said it was probably the battery. we agreed to pay for a new battery and left the car there while the battery was being replaced. the dealership test drove the car and the lights still flickered. they then determined that a ground wire was loose, probably causing the flicker. this car is 4 years old and currently has 30,000 miles. we don't drive it many miles per year and don't feel it is really reliable. no wonder dodge stopped production on the intrepid!! *tr

Dt: the contact stated the oil tube that connects to the engine is too small for the proper flow of oil, resulting in a clogged line that seizes the engine. the dealer suspected this was due to a lack of oil changes. she feels as though this is a design flaw. the repair has been performed due to the expense. chrysler will not offer any cost assistance. *ak

1st incident on july 9th, 2005. was driving on interstate i40 approximately 65 mph, all of a sudden the "check engine light" came on and the engine turned off. i managed to pull across three lanes onto the emergency lane! i waited for apprx. 10 minutes before i tried to crank up the car. i parked the car for that day. the next day when i checked the car, the engine light was no longer on! exactly one week later the same thing happen, again on a very busy hwy! i took the car to have the oil changed again and all other fluids checked. the engine light stayed on for that day and the next morning it was off! two days ago it happened again, this time i was not able to pull out of traffic!!!!fortunately we did not get hit by other vehicles. this morning i was standing at a traffic light when the car all of a sudden turned off "again", this time i had a hard time getting it cranked up. one important note, on two of those occasions i had my children with me (8 & 12) we could have gotten seriously injured. having a vehicle malfunction like this after only 12 months can and will be a serious matter....chrysler will be in a lot of trouble if anything happens to me (single parent) or my children because they simply will not admit that there is a malfunction with these vehicles! consider this the first official notification from me. after i return from the dealership i will be in touch with my attorney!

51,100 miles on the car. no warning that the motor was going to seize due to sludge build up. motor seized while driving vehicle. was told by chrysler dealership's mechanic that a professional oil changer would not have seen this coming. mfg. warranty ( 7/70 ) doesn't want to cover this. extended ( fidelity warranty services ) warranty doesn't want to cover this. had two wrecker bills forsee a third to have car brought home. two different chrysler dealerships have told me that they would not repair this.

The 2.7l engine seized without any warning while driving 30-35 mph. the consumer was able to pull over to the side of the road . the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the mechanic informed the consumer while checking the oil; they noticed sludge and metal flakes in the oil. *jb *tt

Almost immediately after i got my car i had occasional issue with it dying while i was driving. it got to be more often so i took it to the dealership as it was still under warranty. after 3 trips i was always told, nothing was wrong. then my warranty ran out and my car died almost daily. then my car would die while i was driving, usually would start right back up but not always and then the check engine light would be on. then i had issues starting my car. i decided to take the less expensive route and go to a local mechanic. he drove the car and saw/felt no issues as the check engine light was now off. he told me he had to have the car hooked up to the diagnostic machine at the time it dies so he could see what the issue was as 2 different codes were coming up. these codes were p0340 (intermittent cmp signal) and p0344 (no cmp signal). i was told one of the connectors was installed improperly on my camshaft sensor. after another try, the car dies again. mechanic stated the car started right back up and issue was gone. i drove off only to have my car die again. at this point i called the dodge dealership to see what the codes meant. without even looking at my car, i was told, have the camshaft sensor replaced. i was quoted $285.00. i had just paid almost $200.00 to the last guy and didn't have any more money to spend. a friend heard me having issues starting my car one day, i told him what i was told was wrong and the quote of $285.00 from dodge. we went to a local autopart store and purchased a camshaft sensor for $48.00. literally it took 5 minutes to loosen a nut, pop the faulty camshaft sensor off, put the new one on and tighten the nut. that simple! no more issues with my car dying while driving or starting. i think its disgusting there are complaints logged at least 7 years back on this engine and they are still manufacturing automobiles with this engine and ignoring the complaints. this should not be acceptable. *jb

Camshaft position sensor keeps failing. have checked all the wiring and the module itself. continues providing codes for camshaft position sensor circuit intermittent and camshaft position sensor circuit malfunction. this has happened to me 3 times, all on the interstate, and all causing the vehicle to stall and sputter in heavy traffic. called today to have appointment to have it replaced. all of this happening at 37,000 miles (1000 miles over the expiration of the warranty). figures....*jb

I have my oil changed every 3 to 5 thousand miles. on my way to work i noticed that the oil light would flicker off and on when i came to a stop. i would then go off when i resumed driving. i checked the oil and it was not low. i will take it in and have it checked to make sure there is nothing wrong and that i won't lose pressure and have to buy a new motor.*ak

1. no events leading up to failure. 2. repeat of prior event. driving car, car shuts off while driving and stalls. engine light comes on and stays on. 3. dealer said if engine light is constant, it is ok to drive it to be serviced. dealer found one code-code p0344 cam sensor circuit. has problem with sensor itself. replaced sensor.*jb

The oil sensor light stayed on at low rpm. the consumer was concerned that the engine would fail. *ak the engine was full of sludge. *sc *jb

Less than 54000 miles on it, i am the second owner; the first owner was a route salesman and had put 24k highway miles on it. i do my own oil changes and was told point blank that i would not be able to prove they were done unless i had commercial receipts. the first time the oil light came on was late november, since then it has been driven very carefully back and forth to the shop 2 times. i do not have the money to do a 1200.00 motor flush recommended, nor do i have the money to pay for a motor if needed. the past month and a half it has been a very expensive driveway ornament, i did not even get a full year?s use out of it, bought it in march of 2004 and problems starting in november 2004. i will not continue to drive it, it would be irresponsible to do that when the information on the net is so specific on the problems. so i have decided to stop payments on the vehicle and in due course will be filling for bankruptcy the first of january to get out from under the loan, all thanks to dodge. first and last dodge/chrysler product?. aaron l. vanburen [email protected] *jb

While driving, the vehicle stalled. the consumer tried to restart the vehicle, but was unable to do so. the consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the driver that the head gasket blew and needed to be replaced. please fill in additional information. *jb

While driving home from work on 10/11/04, my dodge intrepids engine just shut off and all power went off. the engine light went on and i pulled over to the side of the road. after about 5 minutes of trying to get it going again, it restarted. this happened three more times, in a period of about an hour, over 30 miles. the following morning, i took it in to moss brothers motors and rented a car (they have no service vehicals). two hours later, moss calls that the car is ready, i was told it was a "computer service problem". the lengine light was no longer on when i picked the car up. the same day, on my way home, the samething happend (10/12/04). the car suddenly shut down on a very busy trafic corner and i had know time but to swerve out of my lane and do a ninty degree turn, over the curb and into a empty parking lot to avoid a major accident. i had no power steering and no brakes. the following morning, i took the car back to moss brothers motor and left it, relating my same problems as the day before. two hours later, moss calls telling me the car is ready. i was told it wad another "computer related" problem. since then it has not shutt down.*ak

1. no events leading up to failure. 2. driving car, car shuts off, car jerks, car starts again (while driving). engine light comes on and stays on. 3. called dealer, said if engine light is constant, it is ok to drive. following day, engine light was off and car was running ok. *jb

Ac idle pulley bracket has been replaced twice and now it appears that it will have to be replaced a third time all within this year (2004).

Dt*: the contact stated that the vehicle has been having ongoing problems with sludge build up in the motor which has been affecting all the sensors and illuminating all the service lights. the vehicle was taken into an independent mechanic who replaced the camshaft sensor and the crank sensor. repairs were also made to the motor. when the problems persisted the mechanic referred the contact to the dealers check out the vehicle. the dealer were called and determined that the motor was not covered under warranty for repairs. the manufacturer was also called who referred the contact to the dealers to determine what the cause of the problem was related to.

1. no events leading up to failure other than two prior events the same as this one. 2. repeat of prior event. started car, it shut off and stalls. engine light comes on and stays on. 3. dealer said if engine light is constant, it is ok to dive it to be serviced. dealer found code p1687 for no bus message from cluster. replaced cluster. checked operations and cleared codes.*jb

Dt: 2004 dodge intrepid. the consumer stated the check engine light stayed on. the vehicle was taken to the dealership to be checked, and they could not find anything wrong with it. the check engine light went off, and a month later the light came on again. this happened 5 times. the vehicle will bet taken to the dealer for the same problem for the sixth time. the warranty expired. it was going to cost the consumer $609. the manufacturer told her to take the vehicle to the dealership. the vehicle was taken to dealership last tuesday and the leak detection pump was replaced. also, replaced the cam shaft. in addition, there was a short in the tail light sensor. *ak.