Problems with 2000 Dodge Intrepid ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

I tried to start my 2000 dodge intrepid one day and heard loud clinking noises coming from the engine. i had it towed to the garage and was told that a timing chain had broken and that i needed a new engine that would cost $6,000. i only have 70,000 miles on the car. my oil was changed every 3000 miles as instructed by the owners manual. *nm

My intrepid only has 69900 approx miles on it. this problem started in april 22, 2005 with bad timing guides tensioner etc... the garage had to replace 2 tensioners to get one that was good. got it home andabout june 1 it started making racket again and i had it towed, this time to the dodge dealership,whom i had been in contact with. they charged me 252$ to dig into the engine and see what was wrong. supposedly there was "gunk" in the oil pan that they said should have been cleaned out before installing the tensioner, and it needed a new timing chain. they wanted to charge me over $1000.00. so i pd $252 and had it towed back to the auto shop, because i had just paid them to do it already. altogether it cost me over $1200, not counting the rental car i had to pay for because all this nonsense took so long, so i could go to work. well on july 11 i was driving it and it started making loud noises under the hood. had it towed once again to the dodge dealership where i bought it new, and they said i need a new engine and it would cost around 5000.00 on the low side.he said all the parts i had just put in would have to be replaced. all these parts came from there, so i am stranded with a well maintained car with no engine.

I own a 2000 dodge intrepid es with the 2.7 liter engine. the vin on the vehicle is: [xxx]. i say that i own it, but there are still 13 payments remaining on it. the car was purchased from wells fargo finance company in early 2001 for my wife. at that time, the vehicle had about 12,000 to 15,000 miles on it. my wife passed away in may of 2002 and since then the car has not been driven on a daily basis. hence, the vehicle has about 37,000 - 39,000 miles on it. while running an errand with my granddaughter on july 8, 2005, the engine started to sputter and i had to manipulate the gas pedal to get the vehicle the few miles to home. the vehicle would not start after that. i called to have the vehicle towed to a nearby mechanic and he mentioned that they found about a quarter of an inch of sludge after removing the valve cover. the mechanic stated that the only thing that could be done is an engine replacement. he ensured me that trying to clean the sludge may cause further damage. i started investigating this via the internet and found your web site. i called chrysler and opened a case number with them. case # [xxx]. after about an hour on hold, a person came back to me and stated that the car came to the u.s. from canada via a leasing company and that the warranty did not transfer, therefore there was nothing he or chrysler could do. he also stated that because it came from a leasing company, there was the possibility that the engine maintenance records could not be verified. so, the bottom line is that i still am making payments on a 2000 dodge intrepid, that i can't drive, that i can't afford to have fixed, and that no one will assist. can you provide the phone number of the "zone rep" for my area (see below).updated 07/19/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Dt: owner was driving down interstate 95 about 70 mph and the engine failed when a rod blew through it. this occurred on 7-2-05. there was no warning prior to the rod blowing. the engine suddenly sounded like someone dropped marbles in a bucket. the vehicle was taken to a private repair shop where the engine was replaced. chrysler was contacted, but they were not willing to repair the vehicle under warranty. a tow truck took the vehicle to the private repair shop. *ak

2000 dodge intrepid engine needs to be replaced.***no answer required***.*mr *jb

Flapping noise in engine, then without warning, the intrepid shut down and would not restart. this was the first car i ever bought and i bought it used. obviously, i have no warranty on it. the car broke down yesterday. my mechanic said it's the timing chain and he's checking to see if there's any valve damage. if so, he said it would be cheaper to replace the whole engine rather than repair it. my wife and i work two different schedules and need our second vehicle. i can't afford the repair.

Dt: there was a persistent noise coming from the vehicle. the consumer thought it was the engine. the consumer had not even travelled a mile when this happened and was going 45 mph. the consumer pulled over to a garage when the noise began and took the keys out of the ignition. the mechanic at the garage thought it was the engine or the timing chain. *jb

My engine failed on my 2000 dodge intrepid. the problem started with my timing chain coming apart in the engine with the engine since quitting completely. this is the same type of problem many others have listed on the internet with the timing chain and a huge engine repair cost. i do not have the money to fix a car that is so old, and i'm left paying for a car that doesn't run. please add my name and information to the other lists of complaints for this dodge intrepid problem.

I own a 2000 dodge intrepid with a 2.7 letter engine. on june 16 2005 when returning from vacation my car while i was in transit developed a crackling noise coming from the engine which then led to the instantaneous failure of the engine. before i even had the chance to pull off the road the engine was dead and the steering wheel locked up while the car was still in motion. the following week my dodge intrepid was towed to an authorized dodge dealer for inspection. simply locating the problem entailed disassembling the engine which cost $700 alone. i was then informed that a rod bearing had come dislodged causing it to fall in the oil pan. the cause of the problem i was told was the result of oil sludge build up which caused a lack of oil flow in the engine. the repairs were quoted at costing $6,900 for the replacement of the engine. my car has received oil changes at the recommended intervals which i have retained documentation of and at the time of the engine failure was just due for an oil change.

We own a 2000 dodge intrepid. the engine seized, without any failure warnings or indications late at night (11:30 pm). i understand this is a common problem with the 2.7l engine manufactured by chrysler. *nm

i purchased a 2000 dodge intrepid from gary smith ford of fort walton beach in early june 2005. every since the day i purchased it, the vehicle has been overheating and breaking down intermittently. in the first month of ownership the vehicle was in the playground automotive repair shop (fort walton beach, fl) a total of 16 days. the repair shop kept stating they could not find anything wrong with the vehicle. the 2000 dodge intrepid has continued to overheat and breakdown sometimes in heavy traffic and numerous accidents have been narrowly averted. gary smith ford has been no assistance in correcting this problem and they have told me it's my problem not theirs. what are my options at this point? *jb

To whom it may concern, i was around 700 miles from home for my son's wedding in may and the engine started to knock, my husband who is a certified auto mechanic by the state of ohio for over 25 years looked it over and found nothing. the next day we were driving back home and the knocking stopped . the car drove fine after that and did not make the noise again. we always had the oil changed every 3000 miles and we have always used synthetic oil in the car. 1 month later on my way to work i was driving on state route 571 when the car started jerking and stopping then starting again i almost got rearended by a semi truck before i could get the car off the road. i called my husband to tell him what had happened i was very shook up scared out of my mind i thought i was going to be ran over by a semi. he told me to drive on the side of the road until i could turn off on a side road so i did. i was able to nurse it home and take another car to work that day. we took it down to the chrysler dealer in town and they told us there was sludge in the oil and told us it would be 7200 dollars to fix the car i don't have that kind of money laying around so the car is sitting in my driveway while i try to come up with the money to fix it. *jb

Whilst driving the vehicle home from work along a busy highway i suddenly lost all engine power. the steering, braking and all associated systems failed with no warning. the vehicle became heavy and inoperable and i managed to swerve off the highway onto the shoulder, where the vehicle eventually ground to a halt. the vehicle was towed to a repair shop and it has been determined that the engine which is a 2.7 litre will need to be replaced entirely and the cost will be approximately $6,000. the car was bought new 5 years ago, regularly serviced and has only 70,000 miles on it. i would like dodge to replace the engine at their cost since i understand this engine failure is apparently becomming common!!

While driving, my dodge intrepid started to shudder. after pulling over and turning off the car, it would no longer restart. it was towed to a service station and they informed me that the 2.7 engine was shot due to sludge. i was shocked since the car was 5 years old, had roughly 78k miles, and was well-maintained. so far chrysler has been unresponsive to my problem.

Dt: the contact owns a 2000 dodge intrepid. after running the car for just under 5 years with less than 78,000 miles the engine broke down without warning. after taking it to the dealership the service technician indicated the engine was filled with sludge, and repairs would cost $7000. the car was adequately maintained according to manufacturer's recommendations. chrysler refused to help with the cost of the engine. individuals spoken with at national center, and dealership was surprised that the chrysler manufacturer would not cover cost of engine.*ak

I was driving down the road when, all of a sudden, i heard a noise, my engine and oil lights came on, and my car quit running. fortunately, i had enough momentum going to pull off on the side of the busy highway.

Dt: dodge 2.7l engine failed. about two weeks after the vehicle was purchased from a private owner the rods in the engine began knocking. the vehicle is a 2000 dod intrepid. *ak *tt *nm

Dt: contact stated there was a small amount of sludge in the oil system, causing the timing chain to break, causing the valves to collapse. *ak

Motor sludge,timing chain,motor locked up after $1500.00. *jb

I have a 2000 dodge intrepid 2.7 liter engine within the last 7 months i have had engine failures. i have a little over 60000 miles on the car. i have been informed even by my local dodge dealer and other mechanics this is a common thing. my local dealer wants me to put in a 3.2 liter motor. *nm

dt: contact states vehicle quit running while backing up to park. the service dealer stated the timing chain broke which caused no oil in the engine.*ak

2000 dodge intrepid 2.7 engine developed a knocking dealer stated sludge build up in engine, due to lack of maintenance. this has happened to a good percentage of thease engines. must be a design flaw. daughters car, father is retired army motor sgt, father maintained the car, with the large number of these instances, why isn't the government investigating?

I have a 2000 dodge intrepid with a 2.7l v6 engine. the vehicle was properly maintained and only has 44,000 miles on it and never traveled farther than 300 miles on any trip. i stopped the vehicle at a local store and when i returned it would not start. the vehicle was towed to a local garage who would not work on it because they expected it to be the timing chain which they said was a common occurance with this model due to a design deficiency. the car was towed to the dealer who confirmed that the timing chain broke and the engine was full of sludge and would have to be replace. this is unbelievable for a car with only 44000 miles. i have researched the nhts site and have found hundreds of similar reports for the same engine. my lawyer has recommended we begin a class action suit.

Engine power loss due to severe lower end rod knock

While driving my 2000 dodge intrepid on the afternoon of may 17,2005 the engine (2.7l) the engine failed rendering the power steering and power brakes nearly useless while driving the twisting and turning roads of atkinson nh. after having the repair assessed (engine replacement) the cost of the repair exceeded the book value of the automobile. i have done nothing since with the exception of attaining alternate transportation (non chrysler product). *nm

2.7l long block failure in 2000 dodge intepid. have done all oil changes and other maintenance at proper schedule. without warning engine started knocking terribly. noticed sludge upon checking oil. took to westgate dodge dealership in plainfield, in and they said it needed a new long block. i have not yet replaced and vehicle remains at my home. various quotes for repair from $4000 to $6600 depending upon used or new parts.

Engine failed during operation due to poor engineering. *jb

My 2002 dodge intrepid started to make a knocking sound. made an appointment for service/repair wiyh my local mechanic. appt was for may 5, 2002. my car never made it to the appointment. on may 4, 2002, i was driving home from a dr. appt @ about 4:30 p.m. & my car literally shut off with no warning. i was in the middle of rush hour traffic in a no passing zone approaching a metal grate bridge wide enough for two cars to pass in opposite directions. i was able to coast over the bridge safely & had to pull over onto the side of the road (rt#322 heading west-from west chester, pa. approx. 1 mile outside of dowingtown, pa.) & walk on the side of the road (no sidewalks) for approx. 1/4 mile with cars whizzing by me, to nearby wawa store. had the car towed ($45.00 paid by me) to my mechanic who promplty told me that the timing belt had snapped & gone through the top of my enginge. unfixable! contacted the dealer who sold me the car - "carsense" located at 21 pottstown pike, uwchland, pa 19480. they said to have the car towed up to them ($85.00 paid by me again). finally the next day the service rep told us the car would need to have the engine replaced to the tune of $5,600. this car only has 42,000 miles on it! i haven't even had the car for 3 years yet. i still owe $7,000 on the car. car sense will not bear the financial responsiblity for the repairs. did some research on the internet by typing in the search words: dodge intrepid engine problems & located many sites describing the same thing that happened to me. car quits with barely a warning & dealer will not pay for repairs, but instead, blames the "lack of proper maintainance" on the owner. websites show me otherwise. also know of 2 people personally, who have experience the same scenario. these cars are all over the place & i can't imagine how many people this has happened to. this proves a real safety hazzard for many drivers of this car & other drivers near this car when it quits.

The engine seized due to problem with oil sludge build up then it blew. *b

While driving my dodge interpid (that has a 2.7 liter engine) the engine started making a horrible noise. we could not accelerate over 25 mph and the engine wouldn't stay running if you hit the brake at all. while turning a corner into traffic, the engine died. after about 15 minutes of the noise beginning, the engine light came on. there was no warning sign that anything was wrong prior to it happening. we had it towed to a mechanic's garage and were told it needs a whole new engine and it would cost 5,800.00. the mechanic said this is a known major problem with this engine and the problem usually starts between 50-60k miles. (mine had approximately 56,000 miles on it at the time the problem started. i also called a chrysler mechanic and was told the same exact thing about the problem with this engine.

Dt: car was running fine until a failure occurred. no lights or warnings prior to failure. at the intersection, driver stopped and vehicle shut off, and wouldn't start. no turn over of engine. electric system was still working, but there were no lights or codes to indicate to driver what could be wrong. vehicle was regularly maintained with service records available.*ak *jb

I have a 2000 dodge intrepid with 2.7 liter engine that is junk. also a/c has not worked in 2 years as well as door locks and windows.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving at 55 mph the vehicle hesitated and stalled. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was determined to have engine sludge. the engine will need to be replaced.

Dt: the engine died, had it towed to a mechanic: "premature engine failure". will tow to a dealer, and chrysler said they might assist with the problem. no engine light, or prior indication before engine died.*ak

Dt: while driving to work in the early morning the car quit without warning. vehicle was towed home, and it was discovered that the engine blew up. the local dealer called and confirmed this. no repairs have been made. *ak

While driving home april 20, 2005 my car began sputtering and stalled out. i got it home and called my mechanic to come over and check it out. he immediately told me that i had a rod knock, and that i needed to replace the cam sensor. on april 22, 2005 i had the sensor installed, $37.00 for part. the car was then driven approximately 15 miles and the knocking in the engine got increasingly worse until it went bang and would no longer run. the engine had thrown a rod. now we are looking at a replacement engine, at an approximate cost of $3,500.00 to $5,000.00. this for a vehicle with only 44,000 miles. it should be just breaking in at this point, not breaking down, especially from a blown engine. this vehicle has been properly maintained, having had the oil changed regularly at 2,500-3,000 miles. i have seen several postings regarding this engineering fault created by chrysler in the 2.7 litre engine and it would seem that the manufacturer should do something to offset the major expense caused by their design.

While driving on the highway at approximately 65 mph engine seized. there were no lights or any indications of a malfunction. *ak

Dt: engine seized. consumer readon ralph nader's center for auto safety that this is a common problem: "broken timing chains and sludge build up". took to a chrysler dealer, and they said there was sludge and they don't cover that. took to another mechanic and they replaced the engine for $6000.00.*ak *tt *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 dodge intrepid. while driving 65 mph, the vehicle totally lost power. the contact was nearly struck by a large truck. the vehicle was towed to a chrysler dealer and the mechanic stated that the engine had a lot of oil sludge. the entire engine had to be replaced at the cost of $7,400. the manufacturer only offered to pay $1,000 of the repair cost. the contact feels that the manufacturer should cover the entire cost because this was a common failure among many consumers. the failure mileage was 106,000 and current mileage is 106,000. updated 04/21/08 *bf

I purchased a used 2000 dodge intrepid in may 2003. in april of 2005 while turning a corner at a busy intersection car stalled in the middle of the intersection. vehicle was towed to mechanic. i was told by my mechanic that i needed a new engine. he advised me to have the car towed to a junk yard because all dodge engines were junk. i still owe $5000 for this car, and still required to maintain car insurance. it is sitting in storage. i could not afford to purchase a used or new engine. as a result, i have been without transportation for almost a year. i am a single parent on a fixed income. i now car pool and sometimes rent vehicles for transportation.*ak

While driving at approximately 55 mph, without warning, the timing chain broke causing the engine to seize. owner had the vehicle towed to an independent garage. provide further details. *jb

Dt: contact states when she starting the vehicle there was a loud noise. the dealership said it was the oil gasket, alternator idler pulley, and the air conditioner idler pulley. she has not contacted the manufacturer. she contacted dealer about the extended warranty. they stated the parts for her vehicle was not covered by her warranty. the dealership will repair the vehicle at contact's expense. *ak

I have a 2000 dodge intrepid that i bought in october of 2003, in september of 2004 the engine light came on and wouldn't go off. after spending $900.00 and 2 towing bills the dodge dealer finally got the light to stay off by replacing the cam and crank sensors. approx 6 1/2 months later in april of 2005 while driving at 20 miles per hour the engine started making a loud clicking noise. i took it to my regular mechanic that told me a rod had blown in the engine.he told me it would probably run me around $5000.00 to repair. he also said he's heard about alot of problems with these engines. i think dodge should be doing something about this especially after i see by your complaint list i'm not the only one. i still owe almost as much as they say it will cost me to repair it.

Vehicle was traveling at about 65 mph when all of sudden it stalled unexpectedly. as a result the driver had to pull over to the right. then, vehicle was taken to shop for checkup, but the cause was undetermined.*ak

Knocking sound in engine compartment at 65000 miles. told by local dodge dealer that i had a case of catastrophic engine failure - price for new engine & labor $6500. had a local mechanic replace rod bearings and so far, it is holding together, but i am concerned with the number of engine failures i have seen. check out "dontbuyone.com"

While driving vehicle stalled. driver was unable to restart vehicle, and had it towed to the dealer. however, mechanic stated that the problem could not be duplicated. *ak

Engine ticking noise resulting in replacing engine. all expense was out of my pocket even after contacting chrysler. *nm

2000 dodge intrepid, 2.7l engine failure, timing chains, crank shaft, that is a continual problem on these engines.*ak

Vehicle stalled while driving. driver was unable to restart vehicle, and had it towed to the dealer. mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. *ak

While driving on a back road at 30 mph vehicle shut down. after towing the vehicle home, made contact with the tow driver, and was told that engine blew out. *ak have not had car repaired due to cost on a new motor and labor. there are numberous reports of the dodge intrepid that have the same problem blown motors, but dodge doesn't want to fix them. *bf *nm