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.

7.7

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$1,550
Average Mileage:
120,950 miles
Total Complaints:
12 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (8 reports)
  2. new engine needed, not worth the expense (3 reports)
  3. replace camshaft sensor (1 reports)
2000 Dodge Intrepid engine problems

engine problem

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2000 Dodge Intrepid Owner Comments

problem #12

Dec 012012

Intrepid SE

  • Automatic transmission
  • 118,464 miles

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

OK i got a 2000 dodge Intrepid I was driving it to charleston when the check Engine light came on then it the RPM'S started to jump up and down but the car did rev, then it starts to jerk alot while the RPMs are still jumping to 5000. I had it looked at and they cant find whats wrong with it. we have replaced the cam shaft harness. and the spark plugs. but when we put a new cam shaft sensor in it wont start at all, what the hell. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE i have had this car in the shop 4 times if you know anything of some leads to what the hell is going on please email me at Jbaldwin@essexhome.net. Thanks

- Jessica B., Lexignton, SC, US

problem #11

Dec 012010

Intrepid ES 3.2L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 140,000 miles

I bought this 2000 Dodge Intrepid knowing the engine was not running good. Considering the condition of the car, inside and out, it was worth the $235 dollars i paid for it. keeping that in mind, i decided to investigate the problem. Timing was dead on, timing belt and tentioner looked to be in excellent condition. I then removed the valve covers and inspected the cams and rocker assemblies. Once again, nothing out of the norm. After some deliberation, I commenced to dismantling the engine further. I removed the cylinder head on the right bank and inspected the surfaces for noticeable cracks, cylinder walls, ridge, gasket, and pistons. Other than a little carbon build up, it looked good. I then started dismantling the left bank when my face was at eye level of the fuel rail and happened to notice cracks on the side of one of the fuel injectors. Then i discovered that all of the injectors were cracked just the same. I did still take the head off of the left bank to see its condition. Surprisingly, it was in just as good of shape that the right bank was in. Now, if all it is is the injectors causing the problem, it will cost me about $600 in parts to put it back together. Luckily i know how to, so no shop labor costs. THE SYMPTOMS: the engine runs but a little rough with a fairly loud clacking sound. It is a sound that is definitely on the top end. consequently, everything looked to be in normal working order. And no, i have not yet had the heads checked yet. rough start, and semi-rough idle, but can be driven. NOTES: no water in oil, does not get hot, no white or grey smoke. not even as if the valve stem seals are bad. QUESTION: Could the severely cracked fuel injectors be the direct cause for the apparent missfire effect, rough start, and unusual carbon build up in the cylinder components?

- cbelltx, Glmer, TX, US

problem #10

Apr 082010

Intrepid LX 2.7L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 110,000 miles

replaced several sensors, just a Band Aid Patch up

- chino bling, Phoenix, AZ, US

problem #9

Mar 012008

Intrepid 2.7L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 108,000 miles

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

OK, so one night while I'm sitting in a parking lot waiting for my kids to come out of church my car all of a sudden starts to rev up on it's own, the rpm's go up, then when it goes back down it sputters a little like it wants to stall, then does the same thing once or twice more, then acts fine for a little while. Then does the same thing again....then my check engine light comes on. It still started up, ran, etc. I drove home and wondered what went wrong since it acted fine. Check engine light went off. I continued to drive it. One week later to the day it did the SAME thing. Then it started happening more frequently when I was idling. Then once in a while I would feel a little "jerk" when driving. Since the check engine light never came back on I couldn't get it hooked up to one of those computers because the light has to be on to diagnose anything. So one day I'm driving and it keeps on doing the jerking, it stalls 2 times at lights and finally the check engine light comes on again. So I pulled into an auto parts store and they put it on their little computer. It says that the CMP sensor is bad (camshaft position sensor) or the timing chain has jumped or stretched. I haven't yet gotten it fixed because I tried and got screwed by the auto shop (which is a different story) but everyone I call says the sensor would be around 100 bucks to fix but the timing chain would be around 2000!!!!! Yeah, that's how much I OWE on the car!! My car still runs, although I don't drive it, so I don't know which one of the problems it is yet but when I get it fixed, IF I get it fixed, I will report back. OH, NEVER BUY THIS WITH A 2.7!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- frurybrunt, Muskegon, MI, US

problem #8

Apr 102008

Intrepid ES 2.7L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 134,000 miles

My Girlfriend has the car and she had been complaining to me about how sometimes when she would be sitting at a red light for to long the car would just turn its self off. now recently she has said that when driving it would shut off so since i work with some guys who are auto mech inclined i had them check it and they found that the Camshaft sensor was bad had that replaced runs fine now no more shutting off no more jerking when going into second gear. it cost me about $40 to do but for a normal person they said it would be around $100. so not bad i mean you can even do it yourself pretty simple

- William G., Oklahoma City, OK, US

problem #7

May 232007

Intrepid 2.7L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 47,500 miles

While driving my car, several times my car would start running rough and my engine light would come on and the first time it happened I took it in to my mechanic and the fault was a miss fire so everytime it happens it has to be taken in to check and then be reset.

- Thomas I., Ypsilanti, MI, US

problem #6

Jan 242008

Intrepid 2.7L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 197,775 miles

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

look like my intrepid lasted longer than most, but i was hoping to get a few more miles on it. severe engine misfire was diagnosed as no compression on number 1 cylinder. further diagnoses revealed good spark and plenty of fuel delivery. conclusion problem is internal, possible broken spring and/or valve etc.

- Roger C., Knoxville, IL, US

problem #5

Dec 312006

(reported on)

Intrepid 4D 3.2L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 190,000 miles

Just bought the car and engine light comes on and also oil light. I have been told that oil light is caused by faulty oil sending unit (not too worried about this). What worries me is the engine light. The car keeps stalling and running rough any ideas where to start. I will have it in to be checked in the new year.

- Chris R., Orillia, Ontario, Canada

problem #4

Sep 112006

(reported on)

Intrepid

  • 100,000 miles

Well my grandma has a 2000 dodge intrepid also but the only problem she has had is the oil light flickering when she hit the brakes then it just stayed on the entire time she was on the brakes but she got the brakes changed and now it dosent do it. but i just got my 2000 dodge intrepid in like June 2006 i think arround there and i bought it off af a old guy for $1800. and so since my grandma hadnt had any problems with hers i figured what the hell. the old guy said the only thing thats wrong with it is the air conditioning dosent work. shure what a lie. not long after i purchased the thing the check engine light came on. i took it to a mechanic and they said that half of the engine didnt work and they charged me $400 just for them to tell me that. of course i didnt believe them because i took auto mechanics for 2 years at a joint vocational school but it was a crappy school. but there is a realy bad sound coming from my car and loud. and whenever the air conditioning kicks on its even worse it makes this grinding noise and is horrible and there is a bad smell coming from the tailpipe. the guy told me that he changed the oil regulary and he had records of it too which was actualy problubly part of the problem. see not to long ago my dad was checking out why my car was leaking oil. well the main reason is because when i went to get my oil changed a synthetic oil change worth $50 they forgot to tighten my drain plug. and there was a small crack in the oil pan witch i dont know how long that was in there so when the old guy had the oil changed regularly there was problubly barley any oil in the damn thing and thats y he wanted to sell it for so cheap problubly. lets see what else. my oil light flickers also when the brakes are pushed but only in certain gears i dont know what thats all about. Rough idle stalls sometimes. one realy wierd thing is that my mom was driving my car and she just started it up after we went shopping for some stuff and it wouldnt start at first then when it did it jerked when she applied gas and it jerked then accelerate then jerk then accelerate. so i told my mom to turn the car compleatly off and restart it again. of course being a women asked are u shure? yea i know what i am talking about. so she did and it started right up and ran sort of smoothley after. then later she asked y that worked. i just explained that it got a fresh start. the starter went out also but thats because we accidently drove it though high water 2 times i think thats y that happened. so basicly i am 19 years old that got $2000 from my grandparents to buy a car and then got screwed and now i am going to college and working part time and i still dont have my license dont ask me y i just dont! i failed my test twice already because of the big a$$ car and i havent had any pratice with manoverability so i knock over cones and i hate not bieing able to drive cuz my mom has to take me to college and work and i usualy work till like 11:30 to 12:30 at night. so i am just fed up with my car but i am just going to have to deal with it and put up with it for as long as i can or untill it craps out on me.

- Tyler W., Troy, OH, US

problem #3

Aug 272006

(reported on)

Intrepid

  • 102,000 miles

We were already aware of the sludge problem with the 2.7 engine but we were hopeful that by using synthetic oil we could avoid that problem and make the car last a bit longer, thank God we visited this site!!! Over the last month, without warning, the car would suddenly die while she was driving. After ten to fifteen minutes the car would usually start again. On top of that the oil light was coming on frequently. If not for this site we would have probably spent a fortune on trying to get this joke of a car fixed. My wife had her 2000 Intrepid up until yesterday, now she owns a 2007 Toyota Yaris and will never drive a dodge any other american car again!!!!!!

Thank you to this site and for those of you that took the time to warn the rest of us, god bless you.

- Darrin S., High Ridge, MO, US

problem #2

Jul 042006

(reported on)

Intrepid ES

  • 100,000 miles

My son spent $400 to be told the engine was shot and would need replaced in order to run right, also was told it's not worth it, because something else would probably go wrong.

- Kendall L., Troy, OH, US

problem #1

Feb 152006

(reported on)

Intrepid

  • 103,500 miles

Over the past year, the check engine light has come on repeatedly. Always misfire cylinder 5 - I belive code 0305. This misfire would then lead to rough ideling, bucking/rough running past 45mph. It has been in the shop about 5X on the matter. This first time - swap coils, 2X- replace spark plugs, 3X - replace coil, 4X - replace inition fluids, the 5th X was a real killer, complete valve job - which cost over $2500. The car has been in the shop nearly 3 weeks on this and there is no resolution in site. This is the 6 cyclinder, which I didn't notice alot of problems from other post which identified the V4.. I guess the problems with the V6 just take longer to reach the surface. I will never buy a Dodge again!

- John W., Charlotte, NC, US

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