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.
I was sitting in the parking lot one day waiting on my grandmother and my aunt to come out of a store, I cranked the car when I seen them coming, thats when the air bag light came on, and now it will go on and off every once in a while, it seems like it will come on after taking a sharp left turn, we took the car to the dealership to see what the problem was, they said that they would need $350 to fix it which included adding a new airbag, we passed. So now it just comes on whenever it wants to, I'm not really going to worry about it!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
I was sitting in the parking lot one day waiting on my grandmother and my aunt to come out of a store, I cranked the car when I seen them coming, thats when the air bag light came on, and now it will go on and off every once in a while, it seems like it will come on after taking a sharp left turn, we took the car to the dealership to see what the problem was, they said that they would need $350 to fix it which included adding a new airbag, we passed. So now it just comes on whenever it wants to, I'm not really going to worry about it!
- Cody P., Lenoir, NC, US