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Comments
I'm taking the car in to my mechanic soon, to have him check the belts, hoses, and coolant. The coolant's supposed to be good for 5 years/100K, but I'd rather have him check it out just to be safe. Supposedly, the spark plugs were also 5 year/100K, but mine also had to be replaced around 51K.
I don't even know how long the belts are supposed to last. I'm still used to the old days, when it was 3/36K. Well, I'm at almost 75K now!
One thing I did notice about the Stratus/Sebring, versus the Intrepid, is that up front, legroom seems to be about the same, and I can actually stretch my left leg out a bit further in the Stratus/Sebring. I could probably get along just fine with a Sebring or Stratus, but I like the Intrepid's extra shoulder room, and the back seat is much roomier, so it keeps the backseat riders' knees out of my back! The 'Trep's trunk is also noticeably larger, and I always preferred the more stable ride of a car with a longer wheelbase and wider stance.
Wife and I decided to get a 2003 300M (light almond pearl/ with taupe interior + bells and whistles) Great road car like the Intrepid and handling is also agile like the Intrepid.
Ottowrkr, liked your comments as well as the helpful information from the rest of the group.
Thanks,gang!
I went to the DC auto show back in December, and I think out of all the cars there (well, the ones in my price range, at least!) if I had to go get another new car, it'd be another LH car.
They had a silver '03 SXT there, and sitting in it felt exactly like my '00 base model. The only thing I don't like is that they swapped out the cloth inserts on the door panels for vinyl. I guess it matches the optional leather better, and is cheaper for them to just make all the door panel inserts the same. Still, I kinda liked the cloth. It was just one of those extra touches that made the base Intrepid feel like it was a step or 2 above a base Impala, Taurus, or the other cars in its class.
Fuel tank slow to fill.
thanks, gonna try and make a habit of it.
Also, it was comforting to have them tell me each time I went in there that they "had never seen the code before" as far as what they were reading on the computer.
Did have some problems @60,000 miles--replaced timing belt and water pump (3.5 Engine) Also had to replace the AC--partially reimbursed by Chrysler. Had to change the check engine module at 85,000 (after the 80,000 emissions warranty. Decided to stay with Chrysler for a trip car.
Really like the 2003 Chrysler 300-styling is great, lots of power, great touring car. 0% financing for 60 months also was a great deal. My sister-in-law also has a 300M (2001) which convinced us to buy one.
I've been lurking for some time...thought it about time introduced myself.
I've got a '95 ES with the 3.3L engine. I've had some minor issues and a couple of major ones, too. The car's approaching 200K on the odometer, so it's seen some highway since I bought it (used...I'm the 3rd owner, apparently) with 49K on the meter.
The car's on it's 3rd transmission (1 at 56K under warranty, the next at 120K on my nickel) which seems troubling. I'm much more religious about the tranny fluid now! A/C hasn't worked in years...I'm told the condensor leaks (lousy design?) and fails repeatedly. Not really an issue, except for 1-2 days per year as long as I don't sit in traffic on I-294!
Now I'm looking at two significant repairs:
Airbag clock spring ($385 P/L)
Multi-function Switch (brights/turn signal/cruise) @ $458!!!
I've replaced the two headlamp switches previously. The dealer now says that the new M/F Switch has a harness change. I couldn't find any data on a TSB about this...has anybody else had this?
Interesting to hear the comments about door seals...thought I was the beneficiary of Monday AM build quality, as the rains come in if/when I go through a car wash. That'll get fixed next week!
Overall...I like the car, but don't "love" it. Ride is good, power is OK. Styling is a real positive. Fit/finish are OK, or will be as soon as I fix the door seals. Audio system leaves something to be desired..this too can be fixed. Still, after 200K, it looks good...and it's long since paid for. I regularly cast longing looks at newer cars such as the Maxima, but, given the high mileage I run regularly (750-1,000 miles/week) it seems crazy to shell out $25K for a depreciating asset.
The dealer is stumped and thinks it may be coming from the tranny but refuses to open the tranny up (surprised?). Anyone have any ideas what it may be?
I've known a few people who have gotten well over 100,000 miles out of their first-gen Intrepids, with no tranny problems, although one buddy, with a '94 Concorde 3.5, had a/c problems and water pump problems.
One of the biggest problems with the transmission is putting the wrong fluid in. They're supposed to take Type +4 (or 9196), but often Type +3 (7176) gets put in, and it's rougher on the tranny. I think for awhile, the owners manuals even erroneously had Type +3 printed in them.
How many miles are on this '96? $4500 doesn't sound like too bad of a price, but keep in mind it's almost 8 model years old...any car that age can be a gamble. First thing I'd probably do is get the tranny serviced, unless you have records proving that it was recently done, and using the correct fluid.
ThankS for all replies...it helps.
Same with the alignment. Maybe the car's just out of alignment, which is a simple enough fix...and cars can go a long time nowadays without needing one. My 00 Trep went about 62,000 miles before needing its first alignment. But then if some suspension component is actually bent or broken, again you could be looking as some serious money.
The 3.3 V-6 is a fairly simple, rugged pushod engine that I believe made its debut in the Dynasty and New Yorker around 1989 or 1990. By '94 it was putting out around 161 hp, which, for a base engine, was decent at the time. I have a co-worker whose Mom traded a '94 3.3 for a '99 2.7, and even though the 2.7 has 200 hp, she liked the '94 better! It had better low-end torque, so it would take off the second you tapped the gas pedal, and that's the way she'd been used to driving. With the 2.7, it is faster, but you have to really rev it to get the peak power, and she wasn't used to stomping on a car like that.
The 3.3 is still used in minivans, as is the 3.8, which is an enlarged version of it. With older Intrepids, you're probably better off, reliability-wise, with the 3.3. It's simpler, and I believe it's also chain-driven, whereas the 3.5 has a timing belt. The 3.3 also didn't have the water pump problems that the earlier 3.5's had.
As for fuel economy, the EPA rates the '96 Intrepid 3.3 at 19/27. That's probably a touch lower than cars like the Ford Taurus or Chevy Lumina at the time, but then the 'Trep is a heavier, roomier car than either of those two.
As for the transmission, probably the first thing to do would just pull the dipstick and see how the fluid looks. It should be a pinkish color. If it smells burnt, or has too much of a brownish/grayish/blackish color to it, there could be a problem. If you see lots of little metallic flecks in it, be weary. When you drive it, make sure it shifts fairly smoothly through all 4 gears upon acceleration, and goes smoothly in reverse. All transmissions make some noise when they shift, if you listen carefully for it. If it sounds like it's straining to shift gears, or holding the gears too long and over-revving the engine, there could be problems. From what I've heard, when these transmissions do fail, they don't do it immediately...they actually do give signs and a gradual decrease in performance. So if it doesn't feel "right" when you're driving, there might be impending problems. Sometimes it might just need a servicing or adjustment though, so it's not a guaranteed sign of a bad tranny. Again, I hate to sound like a broken record, but have a mechanic you trust check it out.
Anyway, good luck! For $3500, it sounds like a decent deal, provided that the brakes and alignment don't require too much work.
The 3.3L engine is very robust...almost bulletproof. The engine has a timing chain instead of a belt, so replacement isn't critical at 60-70,000 miles. Change the oil regularly and flush the cooling system and you should be good for a while.
I had complete brake job done, including rotors and calipers (at 130,000 miles) for about $600. Alot of money, but given the mileage, I'm ok with it.
Apart from the previously-mentioned transmission issues, the only other major concern is the A/C. Mine failed due to a leaking condensor, which they wanted $800+ to replace.
Good luck!
I get 22.4 MPG using 87 octane, averaging 650 - 750 miles per week. 90% highway. Typically 75 MPH, but fairly gentle on acceleration and decelleration.
Given the size of this car, the mileage is one of it's strong points, I think...
Does anyone know if this is normal or what it might be? Also for those of you who have the 3.5 234hp engine, what grade of gasoline do you use? The book says use 87 but I'm wondering if using a higher grade would increase performance.
Thanks for your help
My car just hit 40K and I took it to the shop for an oil change and the mechanic topped off my coolant w. the green stuff. :-{
Haven't replaced brake pads yet, and when I had tires rotated recently at dealer (they were doing the oil and filter for $5.00 coupon they gave me at purchase time) they said the pads still looked good. It is nice and flat here, so the brakes do not take a beating.
So you can see that there have been problems. However, when things are right and we are cruising with that sunroof open, it still makes my wife and me happy. We would buy another. Plan to keep it and hand it down to our son when he goes off to college in 4 years. It will be at least as good as the used Legend I bought for our daughter.
By the way, our beater car is a 1990 Spirit that just won't die. Don't know how many miles are on it, the odometer broke at 117,400 about 4 years ago. Seems like that thing was built to take some punishment. The 2.5 runs pretty good, leaks a little oil, but keeps on pulling.
ES
I use this car quite a bit for very long drives (ie NY to Florica, NY to Wisconsin, etc. so I try to take good care of it. 40K miles and still going strong.
Thanks
'Just a note: - the 2.7 V6 engine is truly a "work of art" IMHO. It looks more like an "Indy car" engine than one that seems to propel every
"rental fleet" Intrepid on the planet. However, - this thing literally "lives & dies" by the oil change. I have had them in here with 40K on the clock and the engine is pure junk. Cause: - "lack of maintenance". This engine will NOT tolerate any "sludge" accumulation whatsoever.
I also have one customer with 150K+ miles and no engine problems at all. Reason: - the engine gets regular oil changes every 3,000. For most of us "enthusiasts", - changing the oil every 3000 is practically a "way of life", - not so for "the masses". I would be VERY careful when buying a used 2.7-powered vehicle, and if I could not *absolutely* verify a good (i.e. almost "fanatical")maintenance record, I would not buy it. This engine is very expensive to repair, and the prices of used (wrecking yard) engines is out of sight.'
I've got almost 77K miles on mine, and have been pretty good about the oil changes. I was bad last time around though, and let it slip to about 5K miles, where usually I do it every 3K.
:-(
www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=5862
Happy Motoring in your 'Trep.
ES
Anyway, with the 2.7 being DOHC and the 3.2 and 3.5 only being SOHC, that probably adds to the 2.7's complexity, and with more moving parts, there's less room for error, so the things had to be built to tighter tolerances. The 2.7 also puts out more hp per liter than the 3.2 did, and even more than the 255-hp 3.5, so it had to be engineered for that extra strain.
I've heard elsewhere that that 200 hp out of the 2.7 translates to about 150 at the wheels, after the transmission and everything else has sapped its power. Awhile back, I remember hearing about a 2.7 that was built up to where it actually dynoed at something like 220 hp or so (at the wheels). So evidently, these things can take some modding.
I always wondered if it would be worth it, if a 2.7 goes bad, to replace it with a 3.2 or 3.5? I wonder how much stuff would have to be replaced? I guess it would be a bit harder than the old days, when you could just rip out a 318 and drop in a 340 or 360, and everything would more or less bolt right up?
Allpar. com
There's a real pale silver-blue that Chrysler makes that's really nice, but unfortunately it seems to be available only on the Sebring/Stratus. Shame too...it'd look nice on their other cars!
Enjoy your 'Trep. Nice car.
ES
When I was at the dealership the day I bought mine, I did have an interest in the Cypress Green...I liked the way it looked in the sales brochure. They showed me a minivan in that color though, and I didn't like it. I don't know what came over me that day though, because every once in awhile I'll see one now, and I think they look pretty nice. Sometimes though, when that color gets dirty, or the light hits it the right way, it looks too grayed-out.
One nice thing about silver, is that even when it gets dirty, it really doesn't show!
If you can get the right price and know the history of the car, buy it.
I've been hearing that the 2.7 can't tolerate a lot of abuse, such as running low on oil, or overly extended oil change intervals. While that's bad for any engine, some engines can just put up with it better than others. The 2.7, from what I've heard, is built to tighter tolerances than the 3.2/3.5, and since it's smaller it does have to rev faster to move that weight around. As a result, it's going to be working harder, and any kind of sludge buildup is going to be more harmful.
This shouldn't be a problem though, if it's been changed regularly. My '00 2.7 will probably hit 77K miles either tonite or tomorrow, with no engine problems yet.