CarComplaints.com Notes: The Dodge Intrepid, Stratus & other Chrysler sedans are infamous for oil sludge problems with the 2.7L V6 engine. If someone offers to sell you a 2.7L V6 model, it's only worth the price of the scrap metal it's going to shortly turn into.

NOTE: Only the 2.7L V6 has the oil sludge problem. Our "Avoid like the Plague" designation is ONLY for models with the 2.7L V6 engine. All other available engines are very reliable with no major problems.

Even with regular maintenance, the oil sludge defect eventually destroys the 2.7L engine typically around 80,000-100,000 miles. The only true fix we know about is to put in the larger 3.2L engine, which has a great reputation.

This issue was never deemed a safety defect by the Feds, so there was no recall. In the end, Chrysler got away with FOUR YEARS worth of defective 2.7L V6 engines in their sedans.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 6
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
67,135 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2001 Dodge Intrepid engine problems

engine problem

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2001 Dodge Intrepid Owner Comments (Page 10 of 16)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #121

Jul 162005

Intrepid 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 114,381 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #120

Mar 092005

Intrepid 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
My 2001 Dodge Intrepid engine started failing at 40,000 miles and has now completely failed. It sits in my drive way while I still pay a monthly note on it. Like many Intrepid owners with the same problem (failed engine) I cannot afford the $4,000 to $8,000 replacement cost I hope with your help daimler Chrysler will be held accountable. I will never buy another Chrysler vehicle.

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

problem #119

Jun 042005

Intrepid 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Contact states while driving 2001 Dodge Intrepid, the engine failed. There were no warning lights illuminated, the only evidence that something was wrong was was a gray mist that came through the air condition vent inside vehicle. The vehicle was towed at the beginning of June, and the service dealer stated the engine needed to be replaced. The head gasket was blown on the engine, and the water pump was ruined. The engine block was cracked. Dealer had no explanation as to why the engine failed. They did say this happened due to sludge build up in the engine from conventional oil being used in the vehicle. Consumer did not know to use synthetic oil in his vehicle. Consumer does not have the address for the dealer where the vehicle was purchased.

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #118

Nov 012004

Intrepid 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 47,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

No events led up to engine failure in 2001 Dodge Intrepid with 2.7L engine. Went to work one day and as I entered parking area engine seized up, in November 2004. Spoke with Dodge Chrysler dealers, reps and service managers. They claim that the problem at 47,000(approx.) is due to owner failure not the engines. Absolutely nothing has been done to acknowledge, fix, repair, replace or settle the issues with the engine failure.

- Casselberry, FL, USA

problem #117

Jun 212005

Intrepid 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
The contact owns a 2001 Dodge Intrepid. The engine seized due to sludge. This occurred during normal driving. The engine did not restart the vehicle had to be towed to a Dodge dealership. The dealership stated that it would cost over $7000 dollars to repair. This is the first incident with this vehicle. The transmission is an automatic.

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #116

Jun 222005

Intrepid 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 68,000 miles
We have a 2000 Dodge Intrepid with 68000 miles on it. We were in North Carolina on vacation and the car just quit for no reason. We had it towed twice and the last time was to Dodge dealer on told us it would cost around $900 to fix it but could not give us their word that this would fix the problem. The felt that the engine could be damaged. We ended up renting a U-haul with a car dolly to get this car back to Ohio. We were in this U-haul for 14 and half hours. It was very hard to pull in the mountains of nc, Virginia and wv. I feel that this was a very traffic hazard considering that would could not get it up the mountains past 50 miles a hour on busy highways. No one seems to want to help us with the car. We have spent $1000 to just get this car to our home and now we find out that we are not the only ones having problems with these 2.7 liter engines. We have not fixed the car yet because we now do not have the resources to put a complete engine in this car, which seems to be the norm for these cars. So therefore we are paying for a car that is not running. Dodge is trying to say that people did not take care of the mantaince on these cars and we are at fault for the engine being junk. This is bs. Please look into this matter for lots of people that have these 2.7 liter motors.

- Sidney, OH, USA

problem #115

Jun 202005

Intrepid 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I ave a 2001 Dodge Intrepid and at just under100K the engine seized up and blew the head gasket. I then purchased another engine that cost me $2500 14 months ago. This new engine had 40K on it. That engine has now seized up and blown the head gasket. I was in a parking lot and a lady came up to me and asked if I have had any problems with my Intrepid because she has the same one and just had to replace the engine. When are they going to be responsible for producing such a poor product that they charge tens O thousands of dollares for. When it wasgetting towed the guy said that he tows a ton of these. I have done some research and the 2.7 liter engine has had tons of problems.

- High Ridge, MO, USA

problem #114

May 142003

Intrepid 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 29,170 miles
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.

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #113

Apr 042005

Intrepid 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 57,000 miles
Caller had a slight ticking in engine for about 2 months. Then it started knocking. A mechanic said there was no cam signal. When they did a diagnostic had a knock in motor. Caller was told needed a new motor. Manufacturer has not been contacted yet.

- Slidell, LA, USA

problem #112

Jun 082005

Intrepid 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 135,000 miles
Transmission went out about month ago. Just had transmission redone, however, vehicle overheated. Took to a mechanic and was informed 2 fans were working properly. Next day was stuck in rush hour traffic when the car overheated. Tried to maneuver through traffic and engine started knocking. Parked car in parking lot, and steam began to pour out. Did not open hood. Called mechanic and tow truck, and was informed that, engine was totally shot. It was poorly designed. Called Dodge with no success, they offered no remedy.

- Fort Worth, TX, USA

problem #111

Jun 012005

Intrepid 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 101,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Contact states while his wife was driving vehicle stalled, there was smoke coming from under the hood. There were no power steering or power brakes. There were no warning lights before this happened. The service dealer said the motor needed to be replaced. Upon inspection, it was found that a plastic part of the water pump broke off. The vehicle has been regularly maintained.

- Rockhill, SC, USA

problem #110

Jun 022003

Intrepid 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 110,000 miles
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.

- Long Beach, CA, USA

problem #109

Mar 082005

Intrepid 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 70,000 miles
My 2001 Dodge Intrepid w/ 70,000 miles started out with a small knocking noise, then as I was driving one day, it lost all of it's power & started making a horrible noise. When I was calling around asking garages how much it would be to have them look at the car, a few of the garages told me what the problem was before I even told them, they only needed the year & make of the car & they knew that it was the engine due to oil sludge. One garage told me that it was not gonna be worth it to get my car fixed because it would likely be more than my car was worth. Another garage told me he wouldn't even work on Intrepids with this problem because it would be such a mess. I even had a garage tell me not to waste my money on a tow truck because the 2.7L engine Intrepids are junk & it wouldnt be worth it. I finally found a guy that is basically making his living on just working on these 2.7L Intrepid engines. The cost was $2,300 to have the engine cleaned/soaked to get all of the oil sludge build-up off & have a any parts that were broken replaced. My dad, boyfriend & brother had to take the engine out & bring it to the garage & the garage did the work on the engine & then my dad, boyfriend & brother had to put the engine back into my car. So w/ that price of $2,300 I didn't even get a rebuilt engine & my family had to do alot of the work. I was making my monthly payments of $175 on a car that I couldn't drive for about 2 months all together.

- Fort Ann, NY, USA

problem #108

Apr 062005

Intrepid

  • miles
2001 Dodge Intrepid 2.7L engine stalled with 76,000 miles on odometer. I had purchased the extended warranty, but was told it expired at 75,000 miles. My wife contacted dealer and was told that it would cose about $8500 for an engine replacement. Dealer insinuated that the problem was not having the oil changed. After checking the NHTSA website, I found that there are nearly 50 similar complaints on this vehicle with varying mileages reported.

- Turlock, CA, USA

problem #107

Apr 012005

Intrepid

  • miles
2001 Dodge Intrepid engine is creating a knocking sound when driven.

- Mansfield, OH, USA

problem #106

Apr 192005

Intrepid 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 63,621 miles
Our 2001 Dodge Intrepid with a V6 2.7 ltr engine begin to make extremely loud noises, coming from the engine. We managed to drive it at low speed for about 5 miles, since it seemed to have no power, to our local Dodge dealership. We were told the next day the engine was blown and needed replaced at a cost of approximately $6000 plus pa taxes. We have not yet made a decision as to what to do. We contacted Chrysler through its 800 customer service number. They have refused to help in any way, citing lack of service records before our purchase of the car as a used vehicle on October 16, 2004. We indicated that lack of service records do not indicate the car was not serviced since not all owners use the Dodge and Chrysler dealerships for service. We called customer service twice and had the same response twice. We are now faced with deciding what to do with the car. We had since learned that engine failure is a problem in these cars and that Chrysler has basically told its customers to go "pound sand". we also are the original owners of a 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan and thought that our good experience with it and service record with the local Dodge dealership where we purchased it might help in getting Chrysler to help us. The Intrepid had been towed to the same dealership only five days earlier on April 14, 2005. The next day the dealer replaced the camshaft and crankshaft sensors with no indication to us that there was anything else wrong with the car. Prior to this, since the Intrepid's purchase in October 2004, we had two incidents where the oil light came on at a stop sign or red light. Both times, this problem was fixed by our local Dodge dealership with no indication that there was any other or possible further problem. We only put 3110 miles on the car. We are angry and feel helpless as we search the internet and see where Chrysler is refusing to acknowledge or fix this problem in its vehicles.

- Media, PA, USA

problem #105

Feb 232005

Intrepid 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 63,000 miles
I bought this car new and have taken good care of it, including regular oil changes. Engine seized while traveling at high speed on highway while commuting from los angeles. I was lucky to get off the freeway without incident and basically coasted off the nearest exit and into a gas station. Dealer?S mechanics say oil sludge buildup due to owner negligence caused bearings to be pushed out of place resulting in thrown rod. I can produce most receipts for oil changes but not all, so third-party extended warranty that I purchased with the car will not be honored. I was not negligent in maintaining this car and it should not be dead at 63000 miles. The dealer now wants $1056 for just diagnosing the problem, and the repairs (engine replacement) are estimated at between $6000 - $8000. The car even though maintained inside and out very well was only worth approximately $8000 - $9000. The balance on my loan for my new paperweight is approximately $12000. The car is now sitting at the dealership waiting for resolution. I will be pursuing legal remedy.

- Brea, CA, USA

problem #104

Dec 252004

Intrepid

  • Automatic transmission
  • 44,000 miles
While turning at an intersection engine shut down. Owner had the vehicle towed to the dealer, and owner was informed that the engine had a build up of sludge. Owner stated that because of the sludge build up the warranty company refused to pay the repair costs for the engine.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

problem #103

Mar 262005

Intrepid

  • Automatic transmission
  • 74,500 miles
While driving on the highway at approximately 60 mph, driver began to exit the highway at 35 mph and vehicle shut down. Owner had the vehicle towed to the dealer, and was informed that the motor sludge build up caused the motor to shut down.

- Tallahassee, FL, USA

problem #102

Apr 012005

Intrepid 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
While driving vehicle stalled, and the driver saw smoke coming from underneath the hood. Driver was unable to restart vehicle, and had it towed to the dealer. Mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced.

- Kirkland, WA, USA

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