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 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
76,456 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.
There have been several problems with my 2000 Intrepid 2.7L. I have had to replace all the door lock motors at different times, starting all the way back from 1/8/04 and the final one was just this month (February.) I was having an issue with the car stalling out while I was driving it. Some times it would start back up while it was still coasting, other times it would take a long time before it would start again, leaving me sitting on the side of the road. When hooked up to a diagnostic machine it would not show what caused the malfunction. My mechanic had to change random censors until we found the correct one. Which turned out to be the crank sensor. This problem was occurring around February/March of 2007, with only 60,121 mileage when the first one was replaced. Then this past Wednesday, 2/27/08, the engine started to make a knocking sound. We thought maybe it was due to the extremely cold weather we were having. It did not due it after the car was heated up. When I was driving home from picking up my kids today, Friday 2/29/08, the engine started knocking very loudly and lost power. I did make it to my driveway but just barely. I still owe quite a bit for the car and now I don't have anything to drive and can't even trade the vehicle in. After searching the internet to try to find a replacement engine I have found that this is a very common thing with this engine. I have 73,945 miles on the car.
Car is a well maintained (all recommended service done at dealership). Driver side door failed to open using the inside door handle. Had to roll down window and reach to the outside door handle in order to open door. Feels like handle is no longer engaging the door lock. Experienced initial panic when I thought I was trapped in the car.
The contact owns a 2000 Dodge Intrepid. While driving 50 mph the door lock mechanism failed three times and the locks were replaced. The driver side door requireed him to apply pressure to open and close the door. The electric locks were not working. The locks made a grinding noise every time trying to open and close them. The passengers rear lock also failed. The first two failures occurred within two weeks. When he would pull the handle and roll the window down, nothing would allow him to open the locks. The failure occurred in November on the first two doors. When driving over 50 mph the automatic lock made a grinding noise. The front driver door locked, and therewas no way you could get out. Sometimes the noises would allow him to exit. He took the vehicle to the dealer to have the door failure diagnosed, and it was repaired it for $600. They did not offer any explanation as to why the locks failed. The failure mileage was 65,000. The current mileage was 73000.
: the consumer stated the door locks will not lock. It was taken to a dealership where they replaced the defective solenoid in the power door locks. This defect has happened to all doors in the vehicle on different occasions. The manufacturer has been contacted.
- Kansas City, KS, USA
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Approximately 2 years ago I had to replace the electric locking mechanism on the rear driver side door of my 2000 Dodge Intrepid. The unit began making a loud, sharp grinding noise when the car reached 15 mph and the lock automatically locked. The unit had to be replaced because it quit working. Now I find the both passenger side units are making the same noise and have quit working. Interestingly enough, the rear door cannot be manually unlocked unless the master control is put in the up position for all doors, but the front unit is opposite so it can't be unlocked unless the master control has been put in the down position. This is a real safety issue and something should be down about it. I especially object to the cost of replacing these mechanisms.
Drivers side rear door electric door latch. When the latch starts to make noise and than fails, it fails in the locked position. You are unable to open the door from the inside or outside. You are also unable to pull up the door lock lever that indicats if the door is locked. This makes it very unsafe for anyone in the back seats if the lock should fail because it fails in the locked position and you are not able to open the doors in an emergency.
Electric rear door lock failed to open. Part replaced by Dodge at 28,000 miles. Now the passenger door lock has failed. No manual override and it doesn't unlock with a key. It's a safety issue. I will have this replaced too, but what happens if the driver's door lock fails?
Vehicle: 2000 Dodge Intrepid; approximately mileage 39,100; garage kept; passenger side front power lock started making a very loud grinding noise in November 2004. I took the car to the dealership and the lock was replaced - cost was $250. I do not have the old door lock part. In December 2004, the passenger side back power lock started making the same noise. In February 2005, the drivers side back power lock started making the same noise. Also, this door would not unlock or open. The lock was stuck until the next day. I have not had these two door locks replaced yet. I called the dealership today, March 7, 2005, to see if there was a recall on the power door locks. They told me no but they had replaced numerous power door locks on Intrepids. They told me to call the Dodge customer assistance phone number. The customer assistance told me that there was nothing they could do until I had the dealership verify that the locks needed repair. Even then, they couldn't guarantee anything. The noise that the door locks make is incredible. I have to listen to this noise whenever the speed of the car hits 15 mph. The noise is very distracting. The first time it happened, I had no idea what it was. It was so loud that I thought I had hit something or something had fell off the car.
The locks on the doors are defective, you have to open the window, and stick your hand out the window to open the door. The locks involved are: The driver side, the rear passenger right side, and the passenger front. The driver side passenger door has been repaired.
The automatic door locks keep failing on the vehicle. All four doors were effected. The driver must pull the lock lever up and down while pulling on the handle to get the doors to open. Provide further details.
While driving at 40 mph consumer heard a noise coming from the engine. Then, stalled on the highway. Dealer thought the problem was the timing chain. The hydraulic tensioner failed due to oil sludge in the engine according to the dealer. The engine was replaced. The driver door latch was noisy and inoperative. The door latch was replaced.
When the door was unlocked it would not open. When the vehicle reached 15 mph the doors automatically locked. The passenger door could not be opened once the vehicle was stopped. There was a loud noise also coming from the latches.
The front driver's door and the rear right passanger's door actuator for the automatic door locks are going bad (very loud buzzing noise when they engage at 11 mph). The service manager says that if not fixed the actuators may render the door unopenable if the unit goes in a neutral position. The veh is a 2000 Dodge intrepind SE purchased in may of 2000.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Ypsilanti, MI, USA