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
Typical Repair Cost:
$530
Average Mileage:
106,250 miles
Total Complaints:
1 complaints
Most Common Solutions:
i am replacing the water pump & the head gaskets (1 reports)
i just bought a 2002 dodge intrepid from a guy for a very cheap price because someone told him that he had a blown head gasket. he was correct in the fact that there was water all in the oil and in fact there was too much water in the oil. it was just running to fast into the oil from the radiator and that one i did not understand, but i took his word for having a blown head gasket. i started taking the engine apart about a week ago and guess what, he did not have a blown head gasket, he had a blown water pump. this pisses me so badly because the water pump on these cars is up front under the front cover basically inside the engine hooked to the timing chain.. if the water pump goes bad and bad enough, water will run like a river into your engine and mixes with your oil and looks just like you have blown a head gasket. if anyone thinks i am jesting here, i got the water pump off today and let me tell you exactly what it looks like. On the back of the pump where the wheel pushes the water through the engine, the wheel is locking and is sitting crooked on the pump. there are signs that the wheel was actually turning against the motor block and up front where the sprockets are,the sprockets are sitting crooked. The bearings on the water pump is so messed up that water must have been gushing through and around the bearings of the water pump. this model has what is called a weep hole up near where the water hoses are hooked up. if the water pump is gone bad, it is supposed to leak water from it.. i did not know that at the time when i started working this thing. if the water pump goes it looks exactly like a blown head gasket. i do not know what stupid person came up with the idea to put a water pump inside a motor and never think it would not go bad and/or leak. The really bad problem here is you do not know if you have a water pump problem or a blown head gasket problem.The water will run the exact same places and do exactly the same things. a mechanic looking at it might just tell you. "You got a blown head gasket and you might not". In my case i did not, but i was clearly told that i had one. because of that statement, i removed the heads and currently replacing the water pump which i am going to save and try to shove it up Dodge Corp butt.
i want to know why they would do this? put a water pump inside an engine. You will screw up your engine just as bad with a blown water pump throwing water from it as any blown head gasket. I have read several articles lately on the enternet that talked about the water pump going bad on these things and doing exactly what this one did. i got proof that it can happen right in front of me as i write this and i challenge anyone to tell me that it cannot happen exactly as i have stated. I was not familiar with this type of engine when i started but i know more now about this engine now than i care to ever learn. this engine is a mess. it is aluminium, first mistake. water pump in engine, second mistake. because of this water pump, i have taken off my heads and now replacing the gasket on them, along with the water pump and timing chain and other parts.
who ever Dodge allowed to put a water pump inside an engine should have to pay for every alleged blown head gasket on these cars. we do not need a class action against the dodge corp, we need one against the stupid person that came up with some of the stupid stuff that was done to this engine.
in closing, the worst thought you can have about this engine is this, the water pump goes really bad and after doing so, blows the head gasket. if you ever think you have a blown head gasket on these things, before you start sayiing it, stand infront of the car on the drivers side. bend over and look for water dropping along side the engine what will look like it is coming from just off the front side of the exhaust manifold.if you do, that is a sign you got a really bad water pump showing itself. the water is coming from that weep hole. there are books that talk about the weep hole on these water pumps. these engines are complicated and a mess to work on. unless you are not one part crazy, and 3 parts fool and just refuse to let something beat you, do not attempt to work on these things. if you do, read about the engine before you do. if that does not work, keep a shot gun near the engine and car to vent your frustation.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
i just bought a 2002 dodge intrepid from a guy for a very cheap price because someone told him that he had a blown head gasket. he was correct in the fact that there was water all in the oil and in fact there was too much water in the oil. it was just running to fast into the oil from the radiator and that one i did not understand, but i took his word for having a blown head gasket. i started taking the engine apart about a week ago and guess what, he did not have a blown head gasket, he had a blown water pump. this pisses me so badly because the water pump on these cars is up front under the front cover basically inside the engine hooked to the timing chain.. if the water pump goes bad and bad enough, water will run like a river into your engine and mixes with your oil and looks just like you have blown a head gasket. if anyone thinks i am jesting here, i got the water pump off today and let me tell you exactly what it looks like. On the back of the pump where the wheel pushes the water through the engine, the wheel is locking and is sitting crooked on the pump. there are signs that the wheel was actually turning against the motor block and up front where the sprockets are,the sprockets are sitting crooked. The bearings on the water pump is so messed up that water must have been gushing through and around the bearings of the water pump. this model has what is called a weep hole up near where the water hoses are hooked up. if the water pump is gone bad, it is supposed to leak water from it.. i did not know that at the time when i started working this thing. if the water pump goes it looks exactly like a blown head gasket. i do not know what stupid person came up with the idea to put a water pump inside a motor and never think it would not go bad and/or leak. The really bad problem here is you do not know if you have a water pump problem or a blown head gasket problem.The water will run the exact same places and do exactly the same things. a mechanic looking at it might just tell you. "You got a blown head gasket and you might not". In my case i did not, but i was clearly told that i had one. because of that statement, i removed the heads and currently replacing the water pump which i am going to save and try to shove it up Dodge Corp butt.
i want to know why they would do this? put a water pump inside an engine. You will screw up your engine just as bad with a blown water pump throwing water from it as any blown head gasket. I have read several articles lately on the enternet that talked about the water pump going bad on these things and doing exactly what this one did. i got proof that it can happen right in front of me as i write this and i challenge anyone to tell me that it cannot happen exactly as i have stated. I was not familiar with this type of engine when i started but i know more now about this engine now than i care to ever learn. this engine is a mess. it is aluminium, first mistake. water pump in engine, second mistake. because of this water pump, i have taken off my heads and now replacing the gasket on them, along with the water pump and timing chain and other parts.
who ever Dodge allowed to put a water pump inside an engine should have to pay for every alleged blown head gasket on these cars. we do not need a class action against the dodge corp, we need one against the stupid person that came up with some of the stupid stuff that was done to this engine.
in closing, the worst thought you can have about this engine is this, the water pump goes really bad and after doing so, blows the head gasket. if you ever think you have a blown head gasket on these things, before you start sayiing it, stand infront of the car on the drivers side. bend over and look for water dropping along side the engine what will look like it is coming from just off the front side of the exhaust manifold.if you do, that is a sign you got a really bad water pump showing itself. the water is coming from that weep hole. there are books that talk about the weep hole on these water pumps. these engines are complicated and a mess to work on. unless you are not one part crazy, and 3 parts fool and just refuse to let something beat you, do not attempt to work on these things. if you do, read about the engine before you do. if that does not work, keep a shot gun near the engine and car to vent your frustation.
- Clifford L., Bristol, VA, US