Intrepid ES 3.2L V6

• Automatic transmission
• 88,000 miles

I bought this car back in 2007 from my mother with 86k miles on it- it is a beast of an engine! I am surprised that it hasn't been anything like the other complaints that I have seen on here. My ex-husband drove this car 116 miles each way to and from work for a three month period 5 days a week! My complaint is that I thought the serpentine belt needed replacement, but it turns out the whole harmonic balancer is bent, and evidently, this was a manufacturer defect that has steadily grown worse over time! The engine feels "wobbly", kinda shakey at low speeds in the city. This issue was noted last year when it began making a low pitched whistling noise while in drive. I have not had it replaced because the mechanic that looked at it was actually my neighbor and wasn't trying to screw me, like the dealership or the previous mechanic had! I had replaced the fifth fuel injector, altenator, starter, front brakes and then the guy wanted to charge me $634.00 for a refurbished fuel pump because the check engine light was on! I was suspicious because I had only had the car for 3 months, and it had been in my family for 3 years with little to no difficulty; so I took it into Auto Zone and asked that they read the diagnostics- turns out that the issue was within the catalytic NOT the fuel pump!~ I almost blew the engine by overheating it later last fall, and I had a family member replace the entire coolant system, he noted that I was missing something 3 or 5 engine screws, you know- the things they secure the motor to the car with? yeah, they had to have been removed manually by someone, because these things do not just fall off!

Other than the usual maintainence like oil changes, tranny flushes; knock on wood (I just did!) this car has had its share of nickle and diming me since it was in a flood (no thanks to FEMA or the insurance agency) and my exhusband actually put it in a ditch going 55mph with no significant damage, other than tearing the rear bumper off. it's been a beast! my advice to people is beware of mechanics! times are tough and people need dependable transportation, some of them are trying to make a buck, too- ask specific questions, and if you are not satified with the answer, find another opinion, and then go to any major car parts chain store- many of them read the computers for free (or cheap) just to ensure that they are not trying to get over on you. I did not want to keep paying dealership prices with the car, so I found that mechanic, but something did not add up in the way that he seemed to be bleeding every situation dry before actually solving the problem and I went to autozone. I am glad I did, because it easily would have been 900 bucks to replace a stupid fuel pump, and how much longer after that before something in the engine went. I am pretty sure that it was that mechanic that removed the fasteners from my car, I would have never suspected a thing. My Intrepid has been through hell and back, and she still runs pretty nice after all the abuse she has endured. Find a TRUSTED mechanic, ask people who seem to have little to no complaints about their vehicles- your pastor, anyone. And even then, find other sources to follow up to confirm the other findings. There are some unscroupulous people out there, who are trying desparately to keep their businesses afloat in these tough economic times! I wish that there was a list of mechanics that have been proven honest and efficient mechanics, cos I think that people could benefit from knowing who's who in that industry. it's too easy to be a shiesty prick and mess with people's cars- cars are our livelihood, we need them, and that's how those mechanics can get away with exploiting an unsuspecting market of consumers. NOT TO SAY THAT ALL DODGES ARE PERFECT, I just wanted to share my story in hopes that someone may go to AutoZone and have their codes read instead of getting raped by a mechanic!~