Dodge Intrepid

Jason5 · May 2004

Seems to me the obvious answer is to go directly the Regional Manager for Chrysler--the information is available in your owner's manual. Before you do that, inform your insurance provider. I'm sure they will pursue compensation vigorously if indeed the case is as you describe.

mike372 · May 2004

The case is as I described. Not only did I wash the car the evening before I also cleaned the windows, aluminum wheels and bug marks off of the bumper the morning of bringing the car to the dealership. But since I have a $500 collision deductible, going thru the insurance company does not help any - at least the way I see it. Even if I reported it as a hit and run, which technically it is, I still have the $500 deductible.
But I am going to write a nice letter to Chrysler when I get a chance. 'Five Star' dealers are concerned with their CSI indexes, or whatever you call them.
What also concerns me, apart from the damage they did to my car, is that on every occasion I brought my car in for waarranty work, the service advisor asked me 'to give them an excellent rating' on the post cards you send in. I mean, how legitimate can these CSI numbers be when the dealer is ASKING YOU TO GIVE THEM AN EXCELLENT REVIEW. I mean, I wasn't born yesterday.

andre1969 · May 2004

unfortunately, that "give us an Excellent rating" routine is pretty much standard operating procedure. Many dealers, and not just Mopar dealers, will do all sorts of customer bribes like free oil changes, etc, to get the customer to rate them as "excellent".

Maybe you could use that as leverage, but then, who knows? A lot of places really don't give a damn anymore about keeping face, and maintaining a positive customer service image. Heck, a few months ago, the local Safeway store harrassed me, and tried to accuse me of shoplifting. I called the cops on them, reported it to corporate, etc. Still waiting on that apology, but I'm not holding my breath!

Unfortunately, bad customer service, and not fessing up when you screw up, is becoming more and more prevalent, in EVERY industry, it seems.

mike372 · May 2004

Well, if you think your situation was absurd, here this. Back in October, I was waiting for a woman to pull out of her parking space at the local ShopRite food store, and she was taking forever, so I found a spot across the aisle and still waited since I did not like my current spot. I then took her space. But little did I know that while I was shopping she reported me to the store manager as someone who was staring at her. So when I returned to my car, the Celica in this case, the cops were waiting. She also reported that I was looking in cars, which also was untrue. The cop wrote a whole report on me, performed a criminal background check on me, and let me go. But I was furious and I let the cop know this. And it happened in Mansfield Twsp, which is mostly farms and rural area in NorthWest NJ.
So, the moral of the story is, maybe I will move to Maui, Hawaii where I have been twice in the last 6 months. There I can stare at all the beautiful woman at the beach I want to and not be reported to local law enforcement!

andre1969 · May 2004

I took my 'Trep in for the emissions test today, and, for what has to be the first time, the people there were actually nice and professional-acting!

I do feel a bit cheated, though. 2 years ago, when I last too my Trep in, they put it on a treadmill, and actually took a reading. I got a printout that showed me what the pollution levels were. This time, all they did was pull it ahead of the treadmill rollers, plug a little computer into it, and check the diagnostics.

Sounds a bit fishy, to me, basically relying on the car to tell them that there's nothing wrong with it! Isn't that kind of like a patient telling the doctor there's nothing wrong with them? I mean, couldn't all that OBD-II stuff all check out, but the car might still put out too much pollution. Not that I'm exactly complaining...I did pass, after all! ;-)

mike372 · May 2004

Well, here in NJ it looks like you have 4 years before you have to inspect a new car. The inspection sticker says 3/07. Thats a pretty long time.
Hopefully the body shop will have the bumper done by the end of the week cuz the Trep looks kind of funny on the road w/out a front bumper! Even a local cop look at me strangely today. He pulled out two cars behind me and I thought I was going to get pulled over. But I made a right turn and he did not follow me. Who knows....maybe it illegal to drive a car with no front bumper?

andre1969 · May 2004

here in Maryland, the emissions test is every 2 years, but it varies by county. Some of the less populated counties don't even require it!

I guess technically, you could argue that if you got pulled over for not having a bumper, that you DO still have the bumper, as you only removed the plastic fascia! I'd argue that the bumper is still intact, as you do still have that metal beam that runs behind the fascia.

BTW, I think it is illegal to drive a car on the road, at least in MD, without a bumper. Or at least a rear bumper. But for some reason on trucks, where a car would be more likely to nosedive under, it's perfectly legal!! Go figure.

Jason5 · May 2004

Sorry for that title--couldn't resist. Andre' is correct. It is standard operating procedure for dealerships to beg, plead, etc for an "excellent" rating. Years ago I gave my Mitsubishi dealer a series of ratings I felt accurately reflected the work done. It ranged from excellent to fair on differing domains. Next visit the service manager--whom I knew fairly well--asked me about my evaluation. Clearly the information is either NOT anonymous or structured in such a way that staff can tell who the customer was.
   Our conversation was reasonable and since I'm an adult, I have no squimishness saying "you got what you deserved" and "here's why I rated so on and so forth as fair". In this case it involved waiting a week for a part that was incorrectly ordered. Anyone who lacks this crucial ability should simply teach and deal with both students AND their parents--but that's another story.
    Here in PA..the emissions test simply involves reading the OBD II (on-board diagnostics) for codes indicating a failure in the emissions equipment monitored by the car's computers. Nothing shoved up the tailpipe, no canary's fed a 10 minute blast of car exhaust...just checking for codes.
     Mike...yeah....but..maybe it's the WAY you stare....(wink)...

andre1969 · May 2004

is actually fairly new in Maryland. I remember the last time I had to take my 'Trep in, back in May of '02, they put it on the treadmill. I thought it was kinda neat, seeing how, according to those test results, my Grandma's '85 LeSabre, which was new enough to be subjected to the treadmill test and not just the tailpipe test, put out about 400x more pollutants than my Trep!

It's kinda disappointing to just look at that result sheet and see the "N/A" in all of the boxes!

Last year, when my roommate's Tracker had to go in, they did the OBD-II thing on him as well. The emissions people said his computer was screwed up and they couldn't get a reading. So, he took it to the dealer, who could read it just fine. So back to the emissions test he went, with documentation. They still couldn't read it, but passed him anyway.

mike372 · May 2004

Maybe the car manufacturers should make their dealers change their SOP's. Asking for an excellent rating in my book is just plain B.S.

Jason5 · May 2004

As a wise man once said "you can't change the wind, but you can adjust your sails". Our country is decades away--or more--from recognizing and addressing how our business driven culture supports ridiculous and often meaningless practices. Why--for instance--should it be MY responsibility to stop telemarketers from calling? I didn't ask them to, why do they have the RIGHT to disturb my dinner.. End of rant...

mike372 · May 2004

For the second time in the past year, another Chrysler dealer has gone out of business in Morris County (One of the most affluent counties in NJ). The first was a very small dealer in Morristown and the second was a pretty substantial dealer in Roxbury(although nowhere the size of the mega dealers like Autoland, Reedman). It seems that the Chrysler nameplate is not strong enuf to support a standalone dealership, at least here in Morris County. Plus, not too long ago, Chrysler lost its Plymouth line which I am sure didn't help. I knew something was wrong when 15 months ago (when I bought my Trep), there was only two salesmen on the entire floor, one of which was 'helping out' since he was a previous car dealership owner. Or maybe its just a sign of the times when competition is forcing out the small and medium size dealers. Hhmmmmmmmmm, 10 days have gone by and not a single message. Either everyone's sleeping or has nothing to say?!

njdevilsrn · June 2004

Hello all,

Decided to check in on what all you Intrepid owners had to say. Looks like a lot of the old regulars have moved on.

Mike372 - good luck with DC Customer (Dis)service. They were horrible to deal with. My 5 star dealer (I think they're all that nowadays) Dayton Dodge, refused to give me the name or number of the local customer rep. I spoke with the Service manager when my Intrepid was giving trouble and got nowhere. They really seemed abrasive and did not really give a darn about customer satisfaction or brand perception.

I recently rented an almost new Durango while on vacation, and was impressed with it, but given my history with Dodge, and a lot of others with similar concerns, I think I will pass on Dodge when my Explorer is due for replacement in a few years.

PS...I shopped my Intrepid at the local Chevy dealer (looking at a Tahoe) and at the Ford dealer (settled on the Escape for the wife) and the Ford dealer was actually offering more than the Chevy guy for my Intrepid. I was shocked that a 2 year old car that had a sticker of almost $23K and 18K miles was only worth $8000 on trade. Both dealers gave the same story "Dodge does not hold its value".

Anyone else get that invitation to go see the new Dodge vehicles and get the free silver coin for showing up?

andre1969 · June 2004

for the competition to tell you that a Dodge isn't going to hold its value. The Dodge dealer would tell you the same about a comparable Ford or Chevy, and if you brought a Taurus to a Chevy dealer or an Impala to a Ford dealer, you'd hear the same thing!

I had thought about trading in my Intrepid on two separate occasions. The first time, in late Feb/early March of '02, I was interested in a new '02 Altima. At the time, my 'Trep had about 56,000 miles on it. Well, they would've let me have the Altima for invoice, and given me $6500 for the Trep.

The second time was last September. My Dad wanted to get a car, and we went back to the place where I bought my Trep from. Wanna talk depreciation? He picked up an '03 Regal LS with 19.5K miles on it for $10,995! I think it was about $12,840 out the door, with tax, tags, an extended warranty he wanted to get, etc. But anyway, that was a car that probably stickered for about $26K new, although I doubt anybody really paid that for one!

Anyway, they had this nice black '02 Intrepid R/T with 35,000 miles on it for sale. It had originally been something like $18,995, but was marked down to $15,995. Initially they offered me $3500 for my car which, by this time, had 86,000 miles on it. They came up pretty quickly to about $4850 which, ironically, was what I owed on it!

I didn't try any further negotiation beyond that point, as it was getting late in the day. But I came back the next day, drove the car, wasn't THAT impressed with it, so just decided against it, with no further negotiation.

Today, I have about 92,500 miles on it, so I don't even want to think about how little it's probably worth! I'm sure by the time I get rid of it, the best route will be to donate it!

Jason5 · June 2004

My 2000 ES is about to turn 90,000--by the summer's end I suspect I'll be somewhere between 95 and 100K between regular trips and added excursions I'll be taking. She keeps humming right along. Right now the most significant problems are cosemetic. From a distance she still looks good...get closer and you notice the chips and debris nicks on the hood. The black air dam strip that hung off and under the front fascia is long gone. My alloy wheels have started to pit a bit as well. No doubt the high speed Interstate trips, 4 harsh winters and no garaging are taking their toll. Paint is holding up well...

andre1969 · June 2004

yeah, I had to pull that black air dam strip off, too. Back when I delivered pizzas, I hit a 'possum, and it pulled that air dam loose. Possum just waddled off the road like nothing ever happened.

Well, a few months later, I was on a delivery run late at night. It had been raining, but that stopped, and the air was damp and foggy. Well, up ahead in the road, I saw something sitting there that looked like a piece of trash, like maybe someone dropped out an empty 6-pack, still in the bag. So I didn't even bother to slow down, as I was planning on just swerving around it. Unfortunately, just as I swerved, it turned out to be a cat, and it leapt in the same direction I swerved!

I hit the brakes and slowed down, but it was too late. I heard and felt the thunk as that plastic air dam got it. But then I stopped and looked behind me, and there was nothing. No body lying in the road, and I could tell that, thankfully I didn't hit it with the tires.

I'm hoping that, just like that 'possum, it just got back up and slinked off into the woods, like nothing happened. I only heard one thunk, as it hit the air dam, so I'm hoping that maybe that knocked it flat so the rest of the car cleared it, and then it ran off as soon as I passed over it. Only sign that I hit anything with the car was that air dam was now pulled so low that it was almost dragging the street!

A couple weeks later, I cut that air dam off completely. I figured that eventually I'd catch something with it that would yank it off, and do some real damage!

Only other signs of damage are just the usual stone chips here and there. In the rear bumper fascia though, there's a small hole all the way through it...almost looks like someone shot at it with a gun, but from the inside out!

I'm very impressed with the way the paint's holding up, since it's silver. I dunno how Chrysler is, but with GM two of their least durable colors were metallic gray and silver. I just have the basic "twisted star" pattern wheelcovers, and they have the paint stripped here and there in spots.

I'll say this much for it though...overall I think it looks to be in better shape than any other car my family has had, when it reached that kind of mileage. But then, usually my family's cars would be more like 7-8 years old or more by that time, whereas I did it in 4 1/2!

mike372 · June 2004

really hard to keep clean considering the snowy winters we've had for the past few years. But the alloy wheels are better than the std steel wheels and hubcaps. I have seen quite a few Treps with rusted steel wheels that are only a few years old. The alloy wheels on my Celica GTS are in remarkably good condition, considering the car is a 1991. They are painted silver from the factory which could help explain why they look so good.

As far as depreciation goes, the Chrysler vehicles seem to be worst off than other American makes. Ford seems the best out of the domestic manufacturers. Plus 2 door coupes ie. the Monte Carlo hold up better than 4 door sedans.

Jason5 · June 2004

Ah yes...I think we all have "How I lost my lower air dam" stories. Makes for a nice alternative to "What I did on my summer vacation". I think part of the reason my paint has held up has to do with the two years of regular and multiple applications of Zaino wax. After we sold the house and I "lost" my garage--I ended up having someone else wax my car twice yearly.
Has anyone reading this replaced their struts yet? I have to say that I"m simply amazed that I've never replaced a bulb in this car in close to 5 years and 90,000 miles. Looks like my tires (warranted to 70K) are going for the duration as they have considerable tread left. Struts anyone? Anyone?

andre1969 · June 2004

about the struts myself. With shock absorbers, don't they usually have to be replaced around every 30-40,000 miles or so? I know that struts are supposed to last longer, but I know they can't last forever!

I've lost a few bulbs, however. On the inside, one of the bulbs that lights the climate control knobs is burnt out. At night it makes it hard to see the the positions for the selector on the right. And I have two taillight bulbs out, one on each side. I know I should get them fixed, but I guess since I still have one working on each side, I've gotten a bit lazy!

I have to admit that I've been pretty lazy about washing my car, and it's never been garaged. I can't even remember the last time it was waxed! I know I waxed it last July before taking it to the Carlisle All-Mopar Nationals. Can't remember if it's been waxed since then, though. That's one problem with silver...it can get really filthy without really showing it. Maybe my next car should be black, so I'll start feeling a bit guilty when it gets dirty!

ceprise · June 2004

Dear Lee87:
I have a Chrysler Concorde with the 2.7L engine, and have had a major failure. My mechanic opened the heads and said the problem was inside the motor. It could be the same as your wrist pin problem. Can you tell me what happened? What was the outcome? Please e-mail me at ceprise@att.net

mike372 · June 2004

I am going to rent a Monte Carlo the next time I go on vacation. If I like it enuf, I just may sell my Trep since I have not been overly happy with it. And the engine seems to be consuming more oil than gas lately, kind of brings back memories of my sisters 1974 Chevy Vega. That car was a complete disaster.
The struts on my GTS with 117,000 miles still seem to be in good condition. I did replace one of them in the front with a Monroe Strut. I was attempting to fix a noise that appeared when the car when over a pothole, but it didnt fix the problem. I was told if they dont leak fluid, then they probably are still good.

mike372 · June 2004

I came across a very good article written by Doug Anderson of Engine Rebuilder magazine. It is full of accurate info and gives some good theories as to why there are so many 2.7L engine failures. The site is http://www.pera.org/CoreTalk/eb40430.htm
The oil is obviously breaking down in these engines and probably is due to high engine operating temps. I am going to switch to Mobil One.

ceprise · June 2004

Thanks for the info. The "opportunity" cited by the article to rebuild these failing engines is a $3,500 selling price for the rebuilt engine plus $1,500 to $2,000 labor to install. My 1999 Concorde is now worth $500 without an engine. It will be a long time before I buy another Chrysler product again!

smithed · June 2004

Just want to add a little better cheer to contrast all this negativity. My Intrepid just hauled us to Key West and back and performed flawlessly as it turned over 83,000 miles. (which I know is not a lot for a '99)

Admittedly, the engine is a 3.2 liter.

Sorry to hear about all these bad 2.7 engines. Didn't that engine win awards when it was introduced?

Sounds like a story similar to the ones about the Toyota 3.0 v6 awhile back.

ES '99

andre1969 · June 2004

and you'll probably catch up to me soon! My '00, with the 2.7, is now at around 93,000 miles. But my driving has dropped considerably over the past few years. I hit my first 30,000 in about 11 months, but then it took about 17 more months to get to 60,000, and about 21 months more to get to 90,000!

I'm guessing I might hit around 100,000 by the end of the year. My engine has performed flawlessly (although last year I had a scare when the oil light kept coming on at idle, but that was a wiring issue), but I also have an extended warranty. If I didn't buy that warranty, I'm sure it would be dead by now! :-P

And yeah, I think the engine did win some awards when it first came out. For awhile it also had bragging rights for having the highest horsepower-to-liter ratio in its class. Actually it might still be near the top in that regard. Only car I can think of right off-hand that would top that is the Honda Accord V-6, which gets 240 hp out of a 3.0.

mike372 · June 2004

to earn is an award for the worst designed automobile engine in recent history!!!!!!!!!!!

emale · June 2004

interesting article, but does it tell the entire story? first off that guy rebuilds engines...so of course he doesn't see ones that don't have any problems. imo, you really don't know whether or not the chrysler 2.7l has more problems percentage wise vs say the 3.0l v6 toyota engine (which has also been accused of having oil sludge problems). i know a couple people with the 2.7l in their intrepids...and they haven't had any problems...one has well over 100k miles. andre also hasn't had any problems. seems to me that alot of folks jump to easy conclusions around here...

andre1969 · June 2004

I don't know anybody, right off-hand, who's had any transmission problems with their current-generation Intrepid. So maybe the rumors are true and Chrysler really HAS licked most of their tranny problems?

smithed · June 2004

Having read about the failures of trannies in the past, I have been scrupulous about changing that fluid at recommended intervals and making sure the correct stuff goes in. No problem at this point.

Jason5 · June 2004

As we've discussed before in this board... The 2.7 IS a solid engine...particularly when you parce out those whose problems are not self-inflicted or fabricated.
My 3.2 is about to turn 90,000 and will likely pass 100,000 by fall. I'm hopeful that it will continue to work well. I'm not one to drive "gently" all the time so I'm wondering what role the synthetic oil has played. Think I'll probably do another transmission flush, filter and refill after 100K and keep her as a winter car.
Anyone else have this problem--ONE piece of exterior trim; the black piece which runs vertically where the windshield meets at A pillar is losing it's black paint. The other is fine...just one... ODD..

smithed · June 2004

If the 'Trep becomes your winter car, what is your summer car? Your experience with your 3.2 ES sounds much like mine. I hope they keep going for miles and years to come. When (or have you already) will you have the timing belt changed?

andre1969 · June 2004

keeping my Trep around as a beater/spare car as it ages, and then getting something newer. I have a feeling though, that my Intrepid, or any modern car for that matter, really isn't going to make a very good "beater".

My roommate has a 1998 Tracker, and I was thinking about, when the time comes, swapping cars with him, and having him pay me the difference in value if there is one, and then trading his Tracker in on a new car. My Intrepid gets much better fuel economy than his Tracker, better performance, handling, nicer stereo, etc, and it's easier to insure. I'm with Erie Insurance, and my rates are pretty cheap, but they refused to even touch my roommate, because they say his vehicle is too dangerous! I think my insurance is about $750 a year, and it would be under $400 if I had liability-only on it.

But then, if something like the tranny or engine were to go out on it, he probably wouldn't be able to afford to get it fixed. His Tracker already has another used tranny in it, that was put in about 2 years ago. Cost about $1100. That's not TOO hard to swallow, but I think an Intrepid tranny is about $2200-2500! His Tracker is getting to the point that things are starting to break here and there (about 112,000 miles), but I'd feel guilty as hell if we swapped and I traded it, and then my Trep started crapping out on him!

I already have an '85 Silverado that I can use as a beater, and a '79 New Yorker, but in many ways it's in better shape (and lower mileage) than my Trep, so I kind of want to preserve it!

I think I'm just going to drive my Trep until it drops dead. I only have 6 more payments on it. It's the only car I've ever owned that I made payments on it, and I've never liked that feeling! So it'll be good to get back to being payment-free again! Of course, that's probably when the monthly repair bill will exceed what the monthly car payment was! I have a friend with a '95 Grand Marquis that's currently doing that to him. He bought it used in '99, and just paid it off earlier this year. Now, at 175,000 miles, it's starting to need repairs here and there, so he's thinking about getting something newer.

If I end up getting a newer car, I've got my little heart set on a Chrysler 300C right now, or whatever the Dodge sedan version ends up being. But I'm not prepared to pay that much for a car just yet! Maybe I'll wait until the rebates and other incentives kick in! Or until they start to hit the used market. Either way though, I don't think I'm going to keep my Trep around. I'll either drive it till it dies and isn't worth fixing, or trade it (hopefully) before it reaches that point.

And no cracks, Mike 372, about it already being beyond that point! ;-)

mike372 · June 2004

there may be a FEW good Intrepid 2.7L out there, but I am not too impressed with mine. I mean, the ABS controller and CD player were defective from the time the car left the factory. And rotors lasting 12k miles, come on! Chrysler has a LONG way to go as far as quality control is concerned. And the design of this engine really concerns me, like placing the water pump INSIDE the engine. God forbid if you ever have to replace it. And I never heard of a timing chain tensioner being dependent on the oil pressure to function properly. Plus having to religiously change the oil at 2500-3000 miles, and then hoping for the best. Something is wrong here, however, unlike some on this site, I was never a Mopar fan and will never be one.

I was going to buy a Grand Marquis, but didn't like the rear wheel drive. Those cars have a reputation of lasting forever, just look at all the police depts. that have them and taxi services that run them. And, believe me, they dont meticulously maintain these cars.

emale · June 2004

mike,

if you are so utterly worried about your car...why not get out now? if i really felt so bad about a car/truck...i wouldn't keep it. but i get the feeling you would rather keep the car just so that you can keeping whining incessantly about it...

Jason5 · June 2004

Smithed... Our engine doesn't have timing chains but belts. If memory serves I had the belts changed somewhere in the 70K range--they ought to last until well in the 100K mark according to the service manager. Clearly I could have gone with the original belts but the damage done when they go is not desirable. Still would like to know if anyone has changed their struts and when!
   As to my choice of a "summer car", I'm most likely going with a Magnum or Grand Caravan SXT. I know, I know...a bit of a dichotomy. My daughter is a fan of the GC SXT! Incidentally, my mother has an immaculate and dependable 1994 Intrepid ES which she will likely keep as a winter car too--she's eyeing a Magnum. When those 73 year olds hit their "late-life crisis" there's not much to be done.. Listing the Intrepid as my "work" car and the other as a "leisure" car would help keeps the rates down too.
    Unfortunately Mike, I can't support your atypical experience of the Intrepid and/or the 2.7. In addition to experiences with two Dodge service managers, several personal owners, and a senior manager for Enterprise Car Rental. The 2.7 and Intrepid do not display the quality lapses and "design problems" that you would have us believe you experienced. Sorry if it was your experience, personally I'm having trouble with it. And ultimately, Emale makes a deft, velvet hammer observation. Quite your "itchin-bay" and sell it, apply the readily available lemon laws or get a lawyer if you've been wronged or get comfortable with your decision to "suffer"..it will help your mental health in the long run.
    Incidentally...Grand Marquis' ought to be dependable thought they aren't "remarkably reliable" according to the data--they rely on technology roughly as old as I...
    Anyone go to Premiere night..?

emale · June 2004

hey jason,

i went to premier night. unfortunately dealership had only one magnum, an SXT...and nobody could drive it. nice looking exterior but not really my style. interior a little blah for my tastes too...but materials/fit seemed pretty good. there were a number of people checking them out...i have a feeling they will sell pretty good. as for the 300, they haven't been able to keep the C models on the lot for more than a day...other models last a bit longer but are also selling very well! looks the the 300 is a bonified hit! me personally, i can't wait to see the charger next spring. unfortunately i'm stuck with my accord for 2 more years worth of lease...grrrrrr!

hayneldan · June 2004

If you are interested in dumping the Accord before the lease is over do a google search for "auto lease buyout

Jason5 · June 2004

Two local 5 Star Chrysler dealers seem to have all of their 300's flying off the lot. Obviously the "C" seems most popular--but I've noticed that their Limited and Touring--as well as base models are moving smartly.
At a Dodge dealer I caught a shipment of Magnums for fleet sales to Enterprise Car Rental--they had a special fleet discounted option package which included the ESP, antilock and brake assist for several hundred dollars. I think I'll rent one from Enterprise for a trip I must take to see how it drives and spare some miles on my Trep.
Enjoying your accord?

emale · June 2004

the accord has a great powertrain (engine especially) and the interior is nice...but other than that nothing special. and to all those that thought only chrysler had rattles...think again! my '03 coupe has some very annoying ones!

anyway, i'm sure i'll keep it until lease is up as i'm not about to pay a bunch of money to try and get out of it. i'm just hoping the charger doesn't look too good when it's released...

smithed · June 2004

The timing belt is supposed to be changed at 105,000 miles according to the manual. I have not changed any belt or hose as yet (5 years and 83,000 miles) The dealer does the service (gave me some great discount coupons when I bought the car), and they have never said anything about any belt or hose.

Regarding minivans, they are about the most useful vehicle one can find. I have a 1990 Aerostar (sorry for bringing up Ford here), with 148,000 miles that I use to tow a boat. It has been great, and if they still made them, I would buy another. Rear wheel drive is just generally better for towing. Only option now for that is an Astro, and Yuck!!!

I suspect the Magnum would make a decent tow vehicle. I don't know what the tow rating is.

Anyway, minivans are great people movers and (when the seats are removed or stowed), wonderful for carrying things. They have gotten a bad reputation as "mommy cars", and considered less "rugged" than SUVs. Still for a lot less money.....

Regarding your mother and a Magnum, she isn't from Pasadena by any chance?

andre1969 · June 2004

I want to say the Magnum's maximum tow capacity is about 3500 lb? That may sound kind of low, but it probably isn't too bad by today's standards. It may offer V-8 and RWD and be beefier than most of the FWD cars around today, but I don't think it's going to be as well-suited to trailer towing as the typical pre-downsizing '70's full-size or intermediate.

Smithed, I think the service interval for the accessory belts is 60,000 miles. I'm not sure about the radiator hoses though. I don't think the owner's manual states an interval for them. I had my accessory belts changed last August, around the 84,000 mile mark, and also had a coolant flush. The mechanic said I should probably do the coolant again at 150,000 miles, and have the hoses changed out at that time. However, he might have been basing that on the mileage I had been driving up to that point, which would've averaged out to 22-23,000 miles a year. Most of my miles were put on early in the car's life though, so I'm probably not even doing 10,000 miles a year now!

ceprise · June 2004

Hey, I don't manufacture or fabricate my 2.7L problems! You can understand my frustration that my '99 Concorde 2.7L is now a $500 flower pot at 98K.

I'm a degreed Mechanical Engineer; I've been involved in industrial power transmission design and preventative maintenance; I work with a local shop owner/mechanic from my church to maintain my cars. (His 90K rebuild on my '96 Lumina that my son drives to college has now passed 130K.) We had just done a chain pensioner and water pump replacement on the Concorde. Oil was changed every 3-6K since I purchased it at 58K. The failure is in a crankshaft component.

I wish I did have the 3.2L engine and a problem with one piece of trim. If the 2.7L was sooo goood, why was it discontinued?

EdK.

ceprise · June 2004

I don't want anyone to think that I am bitter toward Daimler-Chrysler. I was considering the purchase of a Pacifica, as I need jobsite capabilities and haul room for my Geotube business.

Instead, my '96 Mazda MPV/SUV is in my mechanic's hands for a 92K service (timing belt, motor and tranny fluid change, front U-joint boot replacements, etc.)

Yea, the Mazda is a freakin' truck. But at least it's honest and runs.

Sorry, Chrysler!

EdK.

emale · June 2004

the 2.7l hasn't been discontinued...it's available on the LX cars...and JA cars.

smithed · June 2004

I know I push many wrong keys too,

but "chain pensioner" is just too funny. Maybe that's why the engine failed. It thought it was retired!!!

Jason5 · June 2004

Emale is correct.. The 2.7 is alive and kickin in numerous applications--including the Magnum, 300, etc... These kind of "catastrophic" reviews of the 2.7 have been extremely rare. In fact there is only one valid one I can recall--at least two others seemed or were verified as false. Unfortunately, when serious problems do arise it's difficult to know whether it's genuine or another of the neurotic "Chyrsler haters" who will fabricate anything... Shame...

ijennings1 · June 2004

I'm looking to buy either a Concorde or Intrepid with the 3.2 litre engine. Can you guys advise as to what the running costs are likely to be? Does this engine have timing belts or chains? If they are belts, how much and how often do Chrysler recommend change? Also, I do all my own servicing, oil, dic pads, plugs, filters etc. Is this an easy task? I've also heard Chrysler auto boxes are a bit frail and have a habit of collapsing at 50,000 miles? Finally, how about body work, any rust problems?
Thanks in anticipation. The Concorde LXI is incredible value at present due to the new 300. A lot of car for the money with apprently good handling too.

andre1969 · June 2004

I think the last year for the 3.2 was 2000. Or was it 2001? In either 2001 or '02, they replaced the 3.2 with a slightly de-tuned 3.5 that put out 234 hp.

The 3.2 and 3.5 are the same engine family, and use a timing belt. I don't know how much it costs to replace, but I think the first interval is 105,000 miles.

As for fragile trannies, I think a modern Mopar tranny might still be a bit weak compared to the best trannies out there, but if you service it regularly, it should be okay. I get mine serviced every 30,000 miles, and never had any problems. But then I just have a 2.7, which doesn't have the torque of a 3.2 or 3.5. I have a theory that most of the tranny failures are in the bigger engines that have more torque, which just tears them up sooner.

But service it regularly, and I think you should be fine.

smithed · June 2004

There is indeed a timing belt that is to be changed at 105,000 miles. I have 84,000 on a '99 3.2 liter. The only engine things I have done is the oil and filters at the specified times and coolant at 5 years. The transmission has been fine, but I have also made sure that the servicing is being done regularly and that only the correct fluid is put in. This last point is very, very important for these transmissions. Only the Chrysler recommended fluid should be used. The only problems I have encountered have been speed sensors on 2 occasions, one replaced under warranty and one I paid for (about $135). There have been no rust problems, but then I don't live in a state where it snows, so the roads don't get salted here.

smithed · July 2004

There was a new 300 sitting in the parking lot near where I parked the Intrepid last evening. I compared the two, and came to this conclusion about my own taste. What I really like is the styling of the Intrepid--sleek, rounded. The 300 appears to be a throwback to 1965--boxy, like a brick. And the trunk can't be near the size of the Intrepid. What I really want is an Intrepid with a Hemi.

Dodge Intrepid

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