Problems with 2001 Dodge Intrepid ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Dt*: the contact stated while driving, the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was left overnight and started the next morning. the vehicle was driven to an independent repair shop. the repair shop determined there was sludge in the oil, and temporarily repaired the vehicle, but the engine needs to be replaced.

My dodge intrepid engine was blow up and completely destroyed. *nm

During normal driving conditions my 2001 dodge intrepid just quit making a loud noise and smoke from under the hood. i had it towed to the dealer they told me the water pump had failed and the timing components were bad. aprox repair cost 2000.00. *jb

I was driving my 2201 dodge intrepid and the engine failed. i had my vehicle towed to the dealership where i purchased it, and was told it was due to sludge build up. my extended warranty won't cover the damage and the dealership is asking for $4,084.00 to put a re-built engine in it. my car has approximately 70,000 miles on it. i also produced receipts/printouts for maintenance (oil changes) performed on my vehicle. prior to the car stopping, there was no warning of any type ~ no oil or engine light to warn of a potential problem. *jb

8/13/02-we took our 2001 dodge intrepid 2.7l in to the dealer for warranty repair. the headlamps were change because of fogging lens covers. the power steering pump was whining so that was also replaced. the vehicle had 31,207 miles. 1/14/03-with 36,354 miles on it we had the rear glass replaced because the defroster was not working. no cost for this. also had them check a knocking noise in the front end but they could not diagnose the problem. 12/16/03-47,658 miles. engine light on for a problem in the evap system. dealer fixed it for $248.69. we had them check for the front end knock but they could not find a problem. they also recommended that we have the timing chain tensioner looked at. i did not ask them to check that at all since everything seemed fine at the time. looking back i can see that they were trying to prevent something they knew was going to happen in the future! 06/07/04-54,932 miles. the a/c stopped working. had the dealer diagnose the problem for $70.51. they said the condenser was leaking. i repaired it myself for about $200.00. 01/05/06-74,600 miles. vehicle started knocking louder and louder while driving one day so i decided to drive my other car. the next day i tried to start the intrepid but it would not fire. a mechanic diagnosed it as a timing chain problem. fix would cost around $1,500. oil changes were made every 3000-5000 miles and sludged with a oil flush because oil would evaporate. *jb

My 2001 dodge intrepid engine failed while trying to pull off of the road leaving my mother half in and half out of traffic. the mechanic states there is no oil within the engine. however, we just had a complete oil change in october of this year. there is has been no sign of leaking and no oil light indicator until immediately prior to the engine locking. after reading everything on the website i am appalled that dodge can get away with this. as consumers we have to join together and force them to take responsibility. the average consumer cannot afford to throw hard earned money out of the window. we plan to junk the car and not risk further loss after reading these horror stories. i will never purchase another vehicle from dodge or chrysler. i spoke with an online engine rebuilder who called this the "engine of the year". they are selling so many there is a backlog. descriptions of other complaints found online at: http://www.datatown.com/chrysler/. *nm

Dt: the contact stated while driving the engine seized causing a jerking motion from right to left. the vehicle was towed to the dealership where a blown rod was discovered. there have been no repairs made to the vehicle. *ak updated 01/25/06. *jb

2001 dodge intrepid 2.7 engine died while driving for no apparent reason. the vehicle was driven 400 miles the day before and performed flawlessly. this engine failure was not a condition of poor maintenance and estimated repair costs are $5300.00 and exceed the resale value of the vehicle. this engine failure could have been a severe safety factor if it had failed 24 hours sooner on the toll road at high speed. *jb

Help for consumers with complaints. *nm

I own a dodge intrepid 2001 with a 2.7 liter engine. i was driving and suddenly without warning...no sounds....no lights... the engine died...i nearly was involved in a major accident. i took my car to the shop and they said the engine was no good and i needed to replace it. i was quoted $6100. 00 and sludge was mentioned by the mech. i changed my oil every 3000 miles like clockwork (my dad was a auto-mech) because i realize how important it is. my question is how can sludge build up so quickly.... and there is definitely something very fishy here... please help... *nm

I have been having a problem with my engine oil light flashing at random. also the oil just seems to disappear into thin air. i have had the oil signet unit replaced and i follow regular oil change schedules. i have taken it to the auto mechanic on several occasions due to small oil leaks. i have heard horrifying stories concerning the 2001 dodge intrepid and their engine failures. i have to believe that they are true because as of right now two of my co-worker's 2001 dodge intrepids are sitting on our college campus due to engine failures. i am so terrified of driving this car. my job requires that i do a lot of traveling and i only have this one vehicle. based on my research in the last couple of months that chrysler is well aware of this major defect and should be held accountable. *nm

The engine just went dead when i was driving. no signs before that. i bought the car only for 31 days. *nm

Dt: while the contact's wife was driving the vehicle stalled. there were no warnings prior to the vehicle stalling. while stalling the oil light illuminated. the vehicle has not been taken to a dealership to determine the cause of the problem. *ak

Dt*: the contact stated while driving on a paved road the check oil light illuminated. while the vehicle was idling, the temperature increased. upon inspection the independent repair shop determined the oil pressure had dropped. the oil pump was replaced at a later date. after six months the check oil light illuminated again. the vehicle has not been inspected. updated 3/3/2006 - *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 dodge intrepid. while driving approximately 55 mph, the contact heard a ticking sound coming from the vehicle. he took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the timing chain failed. almost two years later, the contact heard a loud pop and pulled to the side of the road. the vehicle was towed to a transmission shop and they stated that the vehicle needed a new engine. currently, the vehicle is unable to be driven. the purchase date was unknown. the current mileage was 73,000 and failure mileage was 45,000.

On 11/29/05 i was driving home from work on i-10 through the deserted and hurricane katrina storm ravaged section of new orleans east when my 2001 intrepid seized up and would not run. i barely managed to safely get the car off of the interstate and onto the now desolate morrison road exit. as a woman alone i was extremely frightened to have my car abruptly seize up on the interstate and was terrified that it would not make it to a safe place off of the interstate without getting hit. once i rolled to a stop, however, i discovered that i was in an extremely unsafe area as the area had been flooded and looted after hurricane katrina, there were no businesses open to help me due to the extent of the storm damage in the area, aaa told me it could be hours before they could get to me, and it was going to be dark within an hour. it was so dangerous that the national guard and then the state police would not leave until aaa arrived. once at the garage, we were given the chrysler song and dance that the car engine failed because of sludge and that it had to be our fault. they offered to happily replace the engine for a sum of $7,000. no mention was made of all of the complaints that chrysler has had on the 2001 intrepid engine and the numerous failures of this engine. due to the eminent danger that chrysler placed me in - continuing to allow me as a registered 2001 intrepid owner to drive a vehicle which they knew was going to fail or had a high change of failing - perhaps some of the top brass at chrysler should be deserted in the middle of a storm ravaged area with only looters for company so that they can fully understand the extreme danger they have placed consumers in simply because we are driving their vehicles! *jb

Dt: the contact states vehicle died while pulling into driveway. the vehicle would not restart. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop. the repairman informed her that the engine failed due to sludge build up. she contacted manufacturer,that and they requested she bring vehicle to an authorized dealership for repairs. *ak

While driving my car home from work it started making a loud noise, once i got it home into the drive it stopped running. had i been on the highway this could have caused an accident but lucky for me i don't live more than 5 miles from where i work. i had it towed to a mechanic where they said that the is sludge build up and that the timing chain had broken which had blown up the engine. they mechanic said this is a common occurrence with these cars and i paid him $2,000 down to start working on the car. my fiend suggested that i contact the chrysler company and i opened a complaint with them. they said i needed to have the work done by one of their certified mechanics, i told him that i had already started the work at another company. they refuse to help with any of the costs unless i have the car towed to one of their companies where i would have to pay the original mechanic over a $1,000 to replace the old engine and cancel the order of the new one. i had called the dealership prior to all of this and because the car's warranty had expired they offered no help. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 30 mph on normal road conditions, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact had no control of the steering and brakes. the vehicle was towed to the dealership who determined the engine had to be replaced because there were no parts for the 2.7 long block engine. an independent mechanic also made the same diagnosis. the manufacturer was contacted, and concurred with the dealership about the engine replacement due to non-availability of the engine components. the contact expressed concern about the responsibility of the manufacturer not complying with the obligation to provide the necessary parts to perform the vehicle repairs.

Driving on freeway about 60 miles an hour when oil light came on. 2 minutes later engine failed. all of a sudden it went off. got towed to machine shop and the cost is 5,000 to get it fixed. car cost me 3 thousand. i am still paying for it, now i can't drive it. i need a way to work so that i can pay for the car. want to get in on class action lawsuit, need to know how to. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 6 0mph the vehicle temporally stalled. the vehicle was driven to an independent repair shop were the transmission computer chip was replaced. the intermittent stalling continued while driving 35 mph and the vehicle was towed to another independent repair shop. the mechanic determined there was sludge build up in the engine and the engine needed to be replaced. there was a coolant leak which had contaminated the oil. updated 04/17/06. *jb

Dt: the contact stated after turning the engine off, the vehicle would not restart. the vehicle had to be towed to the dealership, who discovered that the engine had sludge build up, and would have to be replaced. he chose not to repair the vehicle. *ak the air condition and heat did not work and the timing belt was loose. updated 12/27/05. *jb

Dt: the contacts stated smoke emanated from the engine, the vehicle shut off. she contacted the dealer, who stated s there was oil slug built up in the motor. the dealer insisted that the contact did not change the oil often enough. the vehicle needed a new engine. there was no prior warning. the dealer offered no free remedy. *ak

Dt: the contact stated the engine failed while driving at 65 mph. the vehicle was towed to a repair shop. the serviceman said that the engine would have to be replaced. the antifreeze leaked into the oil. the engine locked. the manufacturer has not been contacted. the contact does not plan to repair the vehicle.*ak

I own a 2001 dodge intrepid that i am still paying on. the engine failed at 69,000 miles. there was no warning that this was going to happen. i got regular oil changes every 3,000 miles. it wouldn't start one day, i had it towed to the dealership. they told me that my engine needed replaced due to sludge buildup. the timing chain also failed. i am a single mother of three children that cannot afford $6,500 for an engine. i am stuck paying payments on this car. *nm

Dt: contact stated the engine failed while driving the vehicle. he contacted the dealer, and they claimed it happened due to the contact's error on oil changes. the transmission failed as well. there were no prior warnings concerning the failures. the vehicle was serviced on a regular basis. the contact provided documentation for oil changes. the transmission was replaced under warrant. however, the engine will not be repaired due to the excessive expense. *ak

Car seized up afternoon of oct. 14, 2005. this vehicle has been maintained with oil changes every 3-5,000 miles. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 50 mph, the vehicle lost speed, and stalled without warning. the vehicle was towed to a private repair shop, who determined that the water pump had failed, causing water and antifreeze to leak into the engine.

Dt: contact owns a 2001 dodge intrepid. on 10-06-05 the contact's grandson was driving the vehicle when it completely stopped. the contact reportsed of having no problems with car prior to this incident. there were no lights that came on prior to the incident. she had it towed to a repair shop, where they told her the motor blew out. the car had less than 40,000 miles on it. the mechanic at the repair shop told her he had never seen anything like it. the mechanic advised her to call the nhtsa. her daughter found the number on the website. the contact talked to a dodge manufacturer in detroit. they gave her a claim number: 14143722. they told her to show proof of all of the oil changes she had done on the car ,and they would take it up from there. the mechanic told her the oil was very clean. he had just changed it about six weeks ago. *ak

Engine failed while driving on the expressway. had to coast across 3 lanes of traffic to get to the exit. diagnosis is that the engine needs to be replaced due to sludge build up. second time major work has had to be done to this engine due to sludge build up. *nm

Dt: the contact stated timing chain snapped while driving at 60 mph. the engine i locked, and will have to be rebuilt. the mechanic stated the oil was not getting through the whole engine, resulting in engine failure. she contacted manufacturer, and they offered no free remedy.*a

Dt: the motor stalled while the vehicle was in motion which caused a loss of power steering and brakes. the dealer stated that the motor needed to be replaced. this was due to sludge build up in the motor. the dealer stated that this was due to poor maintenance. the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was no longer under warranty and they will not repair the vehicle. the oil was changed every 4,000 miles. the vehicle restarted after it cooled down. the vehicle was driven to a local mechanic and towed to a different mechanic. *sc

Engine failure while driving vehicle. engine stalled while driving at 35 mph on public highway. vehicle was towed to an automotive repair shop. vehicle was diagnosed as having engine bearing failure. was told that an engine replacement was recommended. cost of new engine at 6900.00 dollars. *nm

Shortly after my 2001 dodge intrepid reached 70,000, i began to notice that it seemed to be burning oil. i had not noticed any problem with the vehicle previously. i later found out that this was just the beginning of the engine failure process that i would experience. i have cared for the car regularly including oil changes, but also found that this would have made no difference in the outcome. after having the oil changed on 9/18/05, the car began to make extensive engine failure noise. i took the car to the john elway chrysler plymouth dealership in golden, co, and was told that this was a known issue by chrysler corporation, but that i had no recourse in having the failed engine replaced. the service advisor admitted that there was nothing that i could have done differently, because chrysler admitted to the 2.7l v6 engine in the intrepid having a serious lubrication problem, but they would not assist in the repaid of the engine in any way. *nm

Purchased vehicle in february 2005. approximately one month after purchase, check engine light came on. return to dealership for repair, was told it was emissions leak. in september 2005, heard rattling noise while driving, then vehicle systems shut down (power steering, etc.), vehicle shut off. could not restart the vehicle. vehicle was towed and mechanic said the engine was locked up. *nm

Dt a defective 2.7 liter engine. it had sludge build up and it caused the motor to blow out. the first time it happened was in june 2005, and the second time on september 9, 2005. the motor was making a tapping sound, but the cylinder had broken inside the block, and it was flapping up and down. the dealer said the water pump was bad, and the consumer would have to pay for the motor. *ak

My dodge intrepid 2001 engine locked up while i was driving on the freeway. the repair bill is between $4,500-$6,000. the engine is now dead. the mechanic said there was no oil in it although i've put in 3 quarts in the last 2 weeks and had the oil changed on time. *jb

Oil light blinking erratically, going into reverse when in drive-not once,but twice. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 70 mph, the vehicle would not accelerate with the accelerator pedal depressed. the vehicle began to decelerate on its own and was pulled over. there was a loud pop from the engine. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop where it was determined the main head gasket blew and the engine needed to be replaced. the vehicle was towed to the dealership, which agreed with the determination of the repair shop. the vehicle was towed to an auto body shop and a used engine with 35,000 miles on it was installed.

Dt: the caller said that while driving 55 mph and slowing down the engine blew out. she was able to get the vehicle off the road, and had to have it towed to a repair shop and later to the dealer, who said it would cost the caller $4700 to $7000 to fix. it. manufacturer said they will not do anything for free because the warranty expired. the consumer explained that the engine has not been repair yet because she cannot afford to pay approximately $6000 for a new engine. *ak *nm

Aug 21 engine began making noise, i took it to dealer on aug 22, told engine was sludge up need to be rebuilt.

Dt: the consumer stated that 2001 dodge intrepid had an engine problem. the block on the engine failed. the consumer ha put a new engine in the vehicle. the consumer recorded every time that the oil was changed. the consumer stated that it was not a maintenance problem on the car. the car had no prior problems with the engine. the consumer contacted chrysler and filed a complaint with them. the consumer was informed that vehicle did not have warranty left. the total engine cost will be around $5,000. the consumer said that the car was parked outside of his house because of the engine failure. the dealer has seen the car, and they did diagnostic testing, and they found that the engine needed to be replaced. the consumer was going to have the vehicle fixed. the reference number to the complaint that consumer filed with chrysler was #13947422. chrysler was contacted on august 19, 2005.*ak

My 2001 dodge intrepid 2.7, the one that has had over 9500 complaints in my area alone. i was driving down the highway when a loud rattling noise started coming from the engine. it sounded like a card in a bicycle spoke. i checked the oil and all the fluids under the hood although it was not time for a change was ok. then i proceeded down the road when it lost power and quit leaving me stranded. after having the car towed and getting 5 mechanics to look at it, even at the dealership, i was told the motor was blown. it was history with just 84,000 miles on it. dodge advertises you don't even need a tune up until 100,000 miles. apparently that is why! i still owe 11,000 on the car, making payments for another year not including insurance that i must carry because it is mortgaged property. every dealership that i have talked to has told me that the 2.7 motor from dodge doesn't last past 70,000 miles. it will cost me between 6500 to 7000.00 for another motor and most mechanics don't want to fix it because of previous history's with the dodge 2.7 motor. i can't trade it because it has no value now. i can't sell it without a running motor, so appears that i will have an expensive lawn ornament for the next year. one mechanic even told me that there was a class action law suit to dodge concerning the 2.7 engines, but i have not been able to find it yet. i have seen more complaints posted on the web about this engine and others looking for the class action suit, that i am shocked. i hope no one else has to go through what we have with this car. i will certainly never buy another dodge vehicle. *jb

Dt: the consumer was driving at about 30-35 mph when the engine shut down. when the consumer lifted the hood he could see smoke and a small fire coming from a piece of wire. the consumer was able to put out the fire with a towel. about a month before the check engine light came on, and the dealership said all they did was to turn the engine light off. after the engine had time to cool off he was able to drive vehicle home. this was on 8-7-05. on 8-8-05 took vehicle to the dealership and they told him that the water pump bursted. also, they a told him that there was water and oil mixed in the engine. the dealer implied that the engine might have to be replaced. the consumer contacted the manufacturer, and they had him on hold while they talked to the dealership. she told him the same information that they did. the consumer found on the internet that there were problems with the 2.7 liter motor. the second dealership was the one that did the repairs. *ak

I was driving my 2001 intrepid during busy traffic and the engine started making a fairly loud tapping noise. as i tried to get over to the side of the road, the car stalled. the car blocked traffic as i had to get out and push it off the road. it never restarted and i had it towed to a local dodge dealership. they informed me that the engine needed replaced... huh? *nm

Sudden stall without warning-no gauges,lights etc. had to be pushed out of traffic. engine (2.7l) seized without warning. regular maintenance had always been performed. car had 64,000 miles on it. engine has multitude of similar complaints on line, most describing a sudden stall. chrysler did not wish to discuss any help at all. my local dealer is helping me with a new car (at my expense). *jb

I am a owner of a 2001 dodge intrepid se. last sunday morning my wife got up to go to work, after which she was going to travel to maine with our two boys. because she was traveling i walked out with her and popped the hood to check all the fluids, coolant, oil ect.. eveything appeared to be normal. on her way up to maine she broke down. while she was driving all of a sudden in a matter of less than 30 seconds the car started to vibrate and the car completly turned off. after losing power steering, breaking ability, she some how mange to turn the car off the highway. she states that nothing on her gages read abnormal. by the time the tow truck got there all the fluids were pouring out of the car and smoke seemed to be coming from everywhere even under the oil cap. the next day the dodge service center called us and said the engine seized, blown head gasket, radiator was gone. it was going to cost us between 7,000.00-5,000.00 dollars. we have contacted chrylser but seem to get thr run-around. how can a 2001 automobile's engine ( with moderate mileage just ) fail with no warning???? all of the gages read normal and we checked under the hood that morning ,not to mention put my wife and children in danger

My recently acquired 2001 dodge intrepid's engine seized-up while i was driving in traffic. the loss of power steering and eventual loss of the power brakes almost caused me to side swiped another vehicle. the failure was due to oil sludge. this car has been maintained and there is no reason for the sludge to have built up as it did! the engine will have to be replaced at a cost of more than the $5500 i owe the bank that is financing the vehicle. *jb

Water pump failure. on further inspection of vehicle, sludge buildup contributed to overall breakdown of engine. dodge dealer said replacement is necessary. *jb

Dt: the consumer stated that 2001 dodge intrepid had an engine failure at 62,000 miles. the vehicle was regularly maintained. the consumer was driving the car and heard a knocking sound, the engine seized while in traffic. the consumer had the car looked at and was informed that he would have to have a new engine. the consumer has not talked to the manufacturer as of yet. the consumer has since bought another vehicle.*ak update 1/11/2006 - *nm