Problems with 2001 Dodge Intrepid ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

First thing is that the rack and pinion failed. got it repaired and then tie rod fell off. was driving down the road one day, the car started smoking and just cut off. got it off the road but it would not start after that. the car only has 75,435 miles on it. *jb

2001 intrepid with a blown engine, first thought to be the timing chain. mechanic found "sludge" had caused the problem. this was a well maintained automobile with only 57,000 miles! now we are out a car we still owe on for 3 more years as we cannot afford the $7,000 we are quoted for a new engine. it seems this has happened a lot with the 2.7l engine. why has chrysler been allowed to get away with this? even if the car is out of warranty, as ours is, an engine should last a lot longer. as they acknowledge the problem and have since stopped using this engine, as is my understanding, they should replace these faulty engines.*ak

The timing chain and timing chain tensioner started making a clattering noise in my 2000 dodge intrepid, it has a 2.7 dohc v6 engine in it and the mileage is just over 58,000. the oil has been changed every 3,000 miles and the car has been taken care of. my mechanic told me that this should not have happened at this low a mileage. there is a lot of engine oil sludge buildup in the top of the engine. he said that chrysler acknowledges that there is a problem with these engines but isn't doing anything about it. this is costing me over $1,000 to get fixed. luckily i got it into his shop before the timing chain broke and completely screwed up my engine. *jb

I'm a consumer and a victim of a failed 2.7 liter engine. i purchased a 2001 dodge intrepid in june of 2001 it only had 100 miles on it at time of purchase. i had this car only 2years and 7months. i got to work pulled in the parking deck oil light comes on. i parked went in to work. leaving the parking deck my car just shut down. no tapping no smoke or anything. i'm thinking this is just my battery. my husband came an tried the same thing. pushed the car out of the road, and had a wrecker come and get the car took it to hansen chrysler for repairs. he stated that it was the battery and he replaced the battery then he returned a call to me and stated that the engine may be sludged and he would have to charge me $84 to take off the gaskets and $84 to put them back on just to see what the problem was, but if i wanted to wait that the car was driving fine and i could come and get it but i don't know how long this engine would hold up. i went and got my car and drove off the lot. i got around the corner not even a half a mile away it shut off again in the middle of the road but this time the engine was tapping. never since i've had this car had i heard any tapping until that day. i'm not sure what happened but now they're telling me that my engine is blown. i find out from the mechanic that these 2.7 liter engines are not really good engines. the mechanic states that i would be looking at spending about 6 - 7,000 dollars on the engine along not even counting the labor. i don't have that type of money. i feel like i've been robbed. i have a car with only 64,555 miles and two years to pay on it and can't even drive it. i can't get anyone to take it as a trade in, so now i'm riding the bus and paying a car note. i'm seeking legal help. what am i to do?*ak

2001 dodge intrepid, 2.7 l engine, engine clogged with and engine seized. contacted the dealer, jarrett dodge hatboro penna on numerous occassions. would not help at all. had to replace my engine for $4000+ dollars with rebuilt engine. by doing this many other related failures have occurred.*ak

While driving 20 mph vehicle stalled. consumer was able to restart the vehicle. *ak

While driving at any speed consumer heard a tapping sound coming from the engine compartment. consumer used engine additives to stop the noise, which helped for a short time. eventually, the tapping noise became louder, and the vehicle stalled on the highway. the dealer had already replaced two engines on this vehicle, and another one was needed.*ak *jb

Engine failure -knocking in engine- no notice-----put car in shop--said bearing -bolts--fell out of engine into oil pan...2.7 engine. can't afford even a used or remanufactured one to replace--price to high due to supply and demand from failure of this engine for 1998 thru 2001 intrepids.*jb

I have a 2001 dodge intrepid. at the beginning of 2004 i was driving with my toddler and my car stopped in the middle of the road. we were stranded in the middle of winter. i had it towed to a garage and the mechanic told me that my timing chain broke and my engine was filled with oil sluge. we always changed our oil at 3,000 miles but i never thought to save the reciepts. when i contacted dodge they told me that there was nothing they could do because my warranty was up and my car had almost 100,000 miles. my car was repaired and 2 months later my car died again in the middle of the road. the garage said that my car was continuing to be full of oil sludge. i owe 12,000 on my car and the garage told me that it will continue to do this the entire time i own my car.

I have a 2001 dodge intrepid without any warning my car's engine stopped working causing my power steering and brakes to go. luckly i was traveling at slow speed, and i was able to pull over without causing any accidents or injuries. although i am ok my car is not. this is a new vehicle the engine should have not gone, but it did. i am paying for a new car that does not work and chrysler does not accept any responsibility since the warranty has expired.

Oil light came on while driving on the interstate. pulled over to the side of the interstate. had to have the car towed. there was an extremely loud knocking sound coming from the motor. oil had been changed 10 days prior to the date of the incident. oil is changed every 3000 miles. our mechanic stated we would need a new motor. he estimated the cost at $8500.00. he told us he had replaced three 2001 dodge intrepid motors in the last several months. he suggested we contact chrysler. the local dealership was not helpful. the service department manager stated he wasn't aware of the 2.7 motor problems. i called a 1-800-# with chrysler and spoke to a representative which stated because of the miles on my car it was not under warranty and although chrysler reconizes they have a problem with these motors the decision to do a recall had not been made at this time.*ak

While driving 25 mph the vehicle's engine failed without warning. the cause has yet to be determined. please provide additional information.

While driving at 50 mph engine failed without warning. *ak

Dec 1, 2003 our 2001 dodge intrepid had engine failure with no warning while my wife was driving to work. after struggling to get the car under control and safely off the road, we had the car towed to a service center where they referred us to the dealer where we bought the car. the service center informed us the engine was blown and would need to be replaced by the dealer. when towed to the dealer, they wanted $500.00 to take apart the engine because as they said the car had no oil. after taking the engine apart the dealership informed us the car did have oil, but was blown due to sludge in the engine. the car only has 36,363 miles, has had the oil changed as the owners manual recommended. unfortunately, we were told by the dealer the car was "out of warranty". they quoted $9900.00 to replace the engine. we were also informed by the dealer that this problem was not covered by warranty anyway because it was due to "owner maintenance and neglect, even though we provided the receipts for the oil changes. i was informed that had they provided the service, dodge/chrysler would honor their work and take responsibility, but since it was performed elsewhere i was on my own. i called another dealership across town and was informed this is a common problem with this particular vehicle and they see several a month. the second dealership quoted $5500.00 dollars. after getting this info from the second dealership, we did some research and found this to be a very common problem and there are hundreds of complaints about this particular vehicle's engine (the 2.7l engine). i even found a letter from mitsubishi, who designed this engine for chrysler,r stating the engine runs too hot for the oil chrysler recommends to used. the letter states this will happen because of high engine heat and recommends using a synthetic oil instead of the 10w/30 chrysler recommends in the owners manual. *la

On 11/30/03, on my way to work, my car started making a ticking & knocking sound. as i pulled off of the exit, it cut off. i had my mechanic look at it & he said it was the engine -- the car only had a little over 86,000 miles on it; & it's only 2 years old! i called the dodge's customer care line; they said to take it to the dealer to check out ($65 tow, $80 dealer diagnostic). before the service person looked at it, he asked if i had proof of my oil changes, i said i did not -- but that i did have them done every 3,000 miles. naturally, it turned out that there was sludge in my engine (my independent mechanic did not see any evidence of it) & that it would cost $6900 to replace the engine! it seems to me that dodge is running a scam. i have now discovered on various websites that this is a problem with the 2001 intrepid. there are 20 such complaints on your website alone! i have 4 years left to pay on this car! it is ridiculous & unacceptable that dodge is allowed to ignore & refuse to accept responsibility for installing faulty engines in the intrepid!*ak

While driving home from thanksgiving at my sisters the timing chain broke and caused damamge to my cam bearings causing extensive damage to the engine. my mechanic said it was due to engine sludge...with a properly maintained car...impossible! no one was injured thank god!*ak

Upon coming off the interstate and making a right turn onto the highway vehicle stalled due to slug build up in the engine. also, timing chain broke. *ak police officer had to direct traffic until tow truck arrived. there was no advance warning prior to failure. *ph

While driving 70 mph the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the technician noticed that the rod sheared off and needed to be replaced. *nlm

I purchased my dodge intrepid january 2001, i had a little problem, i thought with the transmission slipping, but that problem stop immediately. i did worry about it then i noticed-- i was low on oil from time to time between oil changes. i had it checked when i changed my oil, but they couldn't tell where it was burning from. then the worst happened nov 25, 2003 the car start burning oil and smoking like crazy, still could not figure it out, now i do believe that my motor is gone. i can not afford to pay a car note and pay repair bills or replace a motor at the cost of $2000-6000 and still owe a $10,0000 balance on the car. i have made two complaints on other sites and hope that this will help all of us through this ordeal. i need transportation and as of right now i don't have the money to pay down on another car. i will have to find something in reason for the same cost of the repair. *jb

2001 dodge intrepid with 48,000 miles has blown engine (2.7l) due to "sludge build up in engine." oil changed at 46,496 miles. dealer states lack of oil changes caused engine to blow. estimated cost to repair, $4,000. *la

Engine builds up sludge in the oil wells and does not lubricate the engine properly. even though proper maintenance has been preformed.

While driving undetermined speed consumer heard a clicking noise coming from the engine. consumer shut the vehicle off and preceded to restart the vehicle, however vehicle would not start.*ak

Engine failed at 54,000 miles without warning. dealer stated that engine needed to be rebuilt. *ak

No oil or engine light. one day engine starting making a loud racket. took to dealership they said it spun a bearing due to oil sludge or no oil. i had the oil changed regulary at wal-mart and superlube since i couldn't get unde the car to change the oil myself. car had 80,000 miles when this happened. now it just sits in the driveway because we can't afford a 6500.00 bill to replace motor and to top it all off we still have 2 years to pay on it. something needs to be done about this. there are too many complaints about the same thing for dodge just to ignore.*ak

Blown engine, with only 70,000 miles, on a car that's only 2 1/2 years old; oil was changed just 5 days before . *ak

The oil light illuminated due to low oil pressure while idling. this caused the timing chain belt to break/valve cover gaskets to rip, and engine to seize up. engine must be replaced. *ak

While driving 50 mph, the vehicle stalled. *ak the consumer was told that the engine contained sludge build up after having the timing chain tensioner changed. the consumer had the engine flushed two times to improve the sludge problem. after that, the vehicle stalled when the vehicle was in motion at highway speeds. the timing chain had blown and caused engine damage. the timing chain was changed at the dealer who changed the timing tensioner. the consumer found that there were numerous cases of this problem in chrysler vehicles. (the tube that brings the oil up into the engine clogs up, resulting in an under-oiled engine, showing the fault being the owners) the consumer requested that chrysler cover the cost of the engine replacement. also, the brakes pulsated and the trunk lock was broken. *sc *jb

While driving owner noticed the heater stopped working. consumer pulled into a parking lot, and pulled out the dip stick from the engine. owner said that the dip stick was full of coolant. consumer took the vehicle to the dealership. *ak

While driving 35 mph and without any warning the vehicle made knocking noises from the engine. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that the engine had sludge in the engine. the vehicle had an extended warranty but the dealer refused coverage for the sludge problem. the engine needed to be replaced. *ak the power steering pump leaked which caused noise when the steering wheel was turned. *ts *nlm

While driving the check engine light appeared on the dashboard. vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic could not duplicate the problem. while driving 40 mph the vehicle stalled. driver tried to restart the vehicle and was not able to do so. vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. *ak

I was on my way home from being out with my friends and my car dies on the highway. i tried to start the car back up, and it would not start. i have a 2001 dodge intrepid that i purchased in 2002 with 24,900 miles on it. it now has 36,000 miles on it. i don't understand it?? i have maintained the vehicle sufficiently, frequent oil changes and so on. i was told that i have to purchase a rebuilt engine, in which it would probably cost me about $3000.00.i when back to the dealer about this problem thinking that they sold me a "lemon" vehicle they denied it and refused to pay at least half to repair the engine and i still have a car note!! i feel i have been mislead and let down by this manufacturer and am appalled that daimlerchrysler has not recalled the 2.7l engine after sooooo many complaints have been issued. well it sounds like everybody is having the same problem the chrysler 2.7l engine.

While driving 55 mph, the vehicle shut off. the vehicle was towed to a dealer, who had not informed the consumer of the cause of failure. *ak the failure was the result of sludge build up in the engine despite having frequent oil changes according to the owner's manual guidelines. *ph *jb

2001 chrysler intrepid with 2.7 engine. we were driving at 35 mph in a residential area, when the engine seemed to hesitate briefly, and then blew up. 31,400 miles on the engine, oil changed every 3000 miles. it has been sitting in the dealers lot for 1 week now, and no response from the dealer.

Engine failure.62k miles. 2.7 motor. seems dealer felt sludge build up caused plugging of hydraulic timing chain tensioner. oil changes done frequently(before manual req). cost to reapir 8750.00. dealer does not sell short/long blocks. dealer believed to have changed design part & # due to small oil port hole. no satisfaction at dealer or chrysler. numerous complaints found on line for this condition-enter chrysler 2.7 engine problems for search. class action law suit sign up on line as well. failure cuses engine to quit-obviously>resultant loss of power and steering/braking.

Complete engine failure on a 2001 2.7l intrepid. at 41,000 miles, dealer advised that loud clicking noise in engine was not a problem. 4 weeks later, engine threw a connecting rod bearing. estimated cost by dealer to fix: $9,868.62 . i bought the car brand new and still have 2 1/2 years to pay. dealer claims "black sludge in oil". what a bunch of b.s. *ak

The engine system light appeared on the dashboard, and the engine jerked. the vehicle was taken to the mechanic, who stated the oil pump blew out, therefore the engine died. *ak dealer stated since consumer didn't purchase an extended warranty, they weren't going to cover a new engine. *ph. also the air condition made a strange noise. *jb

Car has 47,000 miles, just had oil change three weeks prior. i drove it roughly 3,000 miles in that timeframe. car expired on interstate 95, a near death exp. i checked the fluids and saw that that i was completly out of oil. foolishly, i replaced it thinking i might be able to get this going but it was dead.towed back to philly ,($300) to my independent shop. they said i definetly had a sever engine problem. i asked them if they could have forgotten to put in the oil in the last oil change. they stated that i would not have been able to travel that distance if they did. the dealership and chrsler stated that the car could not have consumed that much oil in that timeframe without seeing plumes of smoke.they said it was the independent garage that screwed up and it would cost me $6k to have the engine replaced. judging from what i've seen on this site ,i be;ieve that chrysler has a problem and thay are not admitting it. we need help from this entity (nhtsa) to fight this monster. *ak

Sludge in 2.7 dodge intrepid, broken timing tensioner rebuild engine. *tr

Engine failure due to sludge build up. the car is a 2001 dodge intrepid with 48,000 miles. it will cost $8700 to repair. *nlm

Dt: consumer was driving and vehicle stalled. engine was bad. vehicle was taken to dealer before stalling, and dealer says nothing wrong. after stalling consumer took car to another garage, and was told engine was bad. vehicle was serviced regularly. vehicle has been losing oil pressure, causing it to cut off. interior lights came on for no apparent reason.*ak

Email fm jeannette fox (tx) request assistance in getting chrysler to honor the extended warranty for her son's 2001 dodge intrepid, the engine blew due to engine sludge.*mr the engine blew out while driving.*ts

Engine failure. *nlm

Engine failure due to sludge build up in 2001 dodge intrepid -36,700 miles on car- bought used with 27,600 miles on it from fairbanks dodge. had to replace engine- bought engine from jasper as they are only place with a warranty. dealer would replace with used engine- 90 day only - jasper 75,000 miles. daimler -chrysler denies all responsibility see site intrepid-clan-510.com for reason of failure and list of others with same problem. *jb

Dt: 2001 dodge interpret, the first time the vehicle stalled steering wheel shook and the engine light turned on. vehicle would still be moving without pressure being put on the gas pedal. vehicle would shut off and would not start again. consumer had to try to get the vehicle to start back for about 20 minutes before the vehicle would turn back on. consumer had taken the vehicle to the dealer various times, and dealer could not find the cause of the problem. after taking the vehicle to the dealer 3 months later he told the consumer that after running a diagnostics test that there was no signal from the cam sensor, dealer replaced the cam sensor and checked it again. vehicle was still under warranty at this time. the problem happened again around two years later, at the last oil check-up the vehicle was shaking. at first consumer that the problem was from some other matter with the vehicle, afterwards the problems with the vehicle reminded the consumer of the first incident, the vehicle was shaking again, the engine light had come on, there was smoke coming from under the hood. vehicle stalled again. when consumer tried to drive vehicle again the engine light would come on and the vehicle would shake, after consumer had parked the vehicle it was leaking oil and another fluid mixed with the oil. consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer. dealer said that engine needed to be replaced. consumer had dialed 911 the second time the vehilce had stalled in the middle of four lane traffic, there was a police cruser that told consumer to move the vehicle. they were suppose to send back up but no one showed up. consumer was unsure if there was a report filed. *ak

Purchased the car in november of 2002. had the oil changed at time of purchase. took for another oil change in april and the mechanic told me there was sludge in the engine and that i needed to have the engine flushed. i had that done and 2 days later the motor had blown. my car is still sitting in the driveway because the estimated cost for repair is anywhere from $4000.00 to $8000.00.

The check engine light illuminated and vehicle had difficultly accelerating quickly. *ph

While driving at any speed and without any warning vehicle stalled. the consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer. *ak

54,000 mi. changed regularly at a local chevron station. sudden engine failure: water pump & oil pump went out and head gasket blew. repair cost (estimate/quote): $4,850 - $5,000. *ak

This complaint is about auto that i purchased from south chicago dodge in sept 2000. dodge intrpid with 2/7 engine that i have given back to finance company because of engine failure. febuary of 2003 i began hearing a clinging sound come from the auto and i made a appiontment with south chicago dodge for a checkup, on the way to the dealer expressway illinois interstate55 the car began to staul. we were able to make our way to the shoulder without being hit by the passing traffic. i called chrysler and told them the car was being taken to the dealedship with a blown engine at 42k miles. their first comment was well how often was oil changed because, the engine doesn't just blow unless the oil wasn't maintained. i told them oil was changed every 3000 - 4000 miles and that i even took it to the dealership that i bought from because the change oil light would come and and not go off until the car was at a high idle. anyway the car was towed to the dealership for repair and they called me shortly after to tell me that chrysler wouldn't fix the engine unless i was able to provide all oil change receipts (which, i wasn't because many of time my dad who is a machanic changed the oil). i have since given the car to the back to wfs with a blown engine and they have since sold the car for only $5000 when i owed $19k+. this entire mess had me stressed out many months trying to figure out how i was going to pay for a car that i didn't have. i have since been forced to file for chapter7 bankruptcy because of this and had the debt discharged. i think that chrysler should take responsiblity for this and many of the other complaints i've seen about these cars and do something about it. i don't see how so many people could camplain about the same problem and their response is we all didn't change the oil. give me a break!!! this has ruined my credit history and i'm sure many others and for that i think you should pay up. *ak

My engine just siddenly died on me with no notice. i have only owned the vechile for one year and have a five year obligation.there was no notice of failure just failed as i was driving. *ak