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Dodge Intrepid

18911131467

Comments

  • fuzzer34fuzzer34 Member Posts: 28
    Guess that makes the Intrepid R/T even more limited.....cool.

    I'd suggest going for the ES then, there's plenty of those around. :)
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    fastdriver,

    still, no matter what you lease, you are taking a chance by leasing past the warranty period, supposed quality or not...
  • ekentekent Member Posts: 4
    2001 SE, ES, or R/T Intrepids are not being made at the present time. Yes, there are plenty of ES models laying around, but none in Deep Sapphire Blue with Sandstone interior, let alone with the right combo of options. If I am to spend $20k on a vehicle, I plan on getting exactly what I want. I was just interested in hearing if anyone else had run into the temporary shutdown snag yet themselves.


    EK
  • fastdriverfastdriver Member Posts: 2,273
    ekent-

    Can't your dealer do a computer search for you and see if any other dealers in the area have what you're looking for?

    fastdriver
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    ekent,

    why don't you just order the car...that way you get what you want, for the most part...
  • coachditkacoachditka Member Posts: 11
    Turned over 40k on the 99 intrepid. All has gone pretty well except for a few problems that have been fixed by the quality (not) dealer service.

    We are going to trade the Tahoe in on a Durango. Anyone driven one? I think they drive better than any other sport utility on the market. Has anyone had a funny smell come from the a/c on the Intrepid?
  • davidudavidu Member Posts: 40
    Still love my 99 Intrepid, too. My wife and I drove a Durango RT a few weeks back to cash in on a $50 test drive coupon good for Dodge accessories or service.

    We drove a 2001 RT and an SLT, and decided the RT package wasn't really worth the extra $1,200 or so. Overall, we were very impressed- quiet, comfortable, lots of great features and big but not too big. From recent rental experience, I can attest to the fact that it does great on serious off road stuff as well.

    In the end, we decided to hang on to our paid-for 94 Explorer, and used the $50 to buy a Mopar custom fit trunk tray/liner for the Intrepid!!

    Dave
  • j_j_kiddj_j_kidd Member Posts: 19
    Your five star dealer with the help of tsb 241197 should be able to cure the a/c odor problem.
  • fuzzer34fuzzer34 Member Posts: 28
    Yep, I occasionally get that bad smell when going from A/C to heat and during my travels(12k-2000 R/T). It's some kind of bacteria buildup in the a/c baffles. I sprayed some Lysol in the intake and it killed it for the time being. My '96 ford truck has this problem too...the condensate pan doesn't fully drain and grows little colonies of the bad smelly stuff. You just have to make sure the a/c drains well in the summer time or it gets really bad....eck. :(
  • copperhead1copperhead1 Member Posts: 157
    A Lysol can will stop that smell.
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    Do Not use a Can of Lysol to stop the mildew smell!! It simply doesn't work. here is what you need to do:

    1)Start the car
    2)Set the exterior vents to the "Recirc" mode
    3)Set the temperature lever/knob to the highest setting for hot.
    4)Set the vents to either Face or Bi-Level (Face/Floor)
    5) Set the Fan (Blower) to the maximum speed setting.
    6) Exit the car
    7) Let the heater blow air thru the vents and into the cabin for at least 15 to 20 minutes. This will kill the mildew residing in the air circulation ducts.
    8) After 20 minutes open the exterior vents by setting them to the "Fresh" position...this will get rid of the burnt mildew residue and flush it out of the system.
    9) Repeat procedure as needed until bad smell goes away.
    10) Again do not even think of using Lysol or other sprays...it will not work.

    To prevent the bad smell from coming back:

    Whenever you start the A/C:

    1)To cool down the interior fast, set the exterior vents to "Recirc".
    2) After the interior has cool down, immediately set the exterior vents to "Fresh" as this will prevent mildew from forming again inside the vent ducts.
    3)If you live in a hot/muggy climate observe these steps religiously to avoid this pesky and embarrasing smell.

    Hope this helps.
  • sundevil57sundevil57 Member Posts: 2
    Intrepids are very good cars.I had a 1998 Intrepid base model, very nice car. It had 86,000 miles, and no problems. I sold it to my aunt who totaled it, oh well. I got a 2000 Toyota Celica GTS, totally different type of car, but it's okay. My mom is looking into buying a new Intrepid ES.
  • copperhead1copperhead1 Member Posts: 157
    USE LYSOL IT HELPS!!
    ALL CHRYSLER FORD GM NISSAN ETC. DEALERES USE THEM,BECAUSE IT WORKS!
    IHAD THE PROBLEM,AND NO MORE AFTER LYSOL!
  • mitchshinmitchshin Member Posts: 4
    Owner of '99 ES with almost 50k miles. Would like any suggestions on original tire replacements. The less road noise the better.
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    i've heard that bf goodrichs are good, but i don't know the particular tire model name. if i find out i'll post back again...
  • pobrepobre Member Posts: 3
    Sounds like a quick fix....I'll try that 1st before TEO's idea. Past 5000 mile mark and the Intrepid's doing fine. I'm itching to get a wing added and the back windows tinted. image
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    mitchshin,

    a guy over on usenet put michelin pilot xgts on his 97 intrepid and really likes em. claims they ride better, have more traction and are quieter than the eagle gas...
  • abbanatabbanat Member Posts: 57
    Mitchshin,

    I recently put a pair of Pirelli P6000 tires on my '96 Intrepid ES and have been very happy. My car had Michelin Pilot xgt on them before this pair and I found the Michelins to ride harder and noisier, though they had excellent grip. The Pirellis ride much softer (better to disguise the rattles and better for comfort) and I haven't noticed a significant compromise in grip (though I don't drive aggressively). They are H-speed rated, however, whereas the Pilots are V-rated, I believe. Good luck.

    -Brian A.
  • copperhead1copperhead1 Member Posts: 157
    Try Lysol,but make sure they spray it inside the evaporator,ask your Dodge dealer to perform the job for you ;there is no charge for that,it´s covered (warranty).
    They have to spray a "full can of lysol",make sure they do it right,there is a TSB for it from Dodge.
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    Is only a temporary measure. Anyone is welcome to use it, but the heather method has proven to be far more efficient in the long run.
  • copperhead1copperhead1 Member Posts: 157
    I used once Lysol,two years ago and no more bad odor.
  • copperhead1copperhead1 Member Posts: 157
    Reading again your post where you gave us your formula a pasted this :

    "9) Repeat procedure as needed until bad smell goesaway.""

    So, how many times do we need to perform your formula to eliminate the bad smell???

    In your post # 609 you said Lysol is temporary measure,so that means anyone using Lysol will need to apply it more than once,so the same applies to your formula.
    Which is the one??
  • copperhead1copperhead1 Member Posts: 157
    I used once Lysol,two years ago and no more bad odor.
  • j_j_kiddj_j_kidd Member Posts: 19
    CH: Which Lysol product do you use?? I assume its not the toilet bowl cleaner, as an Intrepid would block almost any drain after flushing.

    I tried Teo's method and perfer it, as it can be accomplished while driving, eliminated the trip to the dealer or the Lysol store.
  • copperhead1copperhead1 Member Posts: 157
    WOW you are so funny,you can almost be a clown,yes I had a very good time reading your post,so keep up the good work,you should NEVER stop,you make me laugh,and laugh,you are the best thing it happened to me in my life!
    BTW,you are right I used the bowl cleaner can,you are so SMART! how could this be possible,you knew the product I used!!!!
    And just tell us how does it feel,to try Teo´s method while driving?????? Driving at full heat,with the fan at max speed!!
    WOWWWWW!! YOU MUST BE ONE OF A KIND!!

    Take care,and you should be at the Guiness book,don´t you????????
  • j_j_kiddj_j_kidd Member Posts: 19
    I probably should have been more detailed in my post re: driving. Step 7 is accomplished while stopped for lunch etc. I set the controls, exit the car, using auto start restart the vehicle, do my own thing, come back, procede on my way and follow the remaining steps, thus eliminating the waste of time.
    I now use the three steps as explained in post 600 when using the a/c and the odor problem has not reoccurred.
    The first time I had the odor problem the local Chrysler dealer sent me to an a/c contractor, and their cure was as posted in 600, the contractor told me to definately not add any foreign products to the system as it will only mask the problem and eventually make it worse.

    Bottom line if the Lysol works for you, use it, but it shouldn't be necessary to flame others who use a different method, opinions can differ, but civility can also be maintained.
  • copperhead1copperhead1 Member Posts: 157
    Stop with this kind of advices:

    "but it shouldn't be necessary to flame others who
    use a different method, opinions can differ, but
    civility can also be maintained."
    Before giving the advice,behave as you would like others to behave to you,I don´t like people to make funny or flame me,but anyway,no hard feelings,and let´s keep it smooth ok?
  • sche1sche1 Member Posts: 1
    JJ Don't be too hard on the resident expert, there are always those present who believe they have the monoply on being correct. See the following copy

    "A Lysol can will stop that smell."

    I tried that cure, I put the can in the trunk left it there for three days, same problem. I then put the can in the glove comp., again for three days same problem. I'm not sure what i'm doing wrong, I followed those instructions to the letter.
  • Jason5Jason5 Member Posts: 440
    Gee.. I fail to log in for a few days and it seems we've become a male version of Heloise! See..this is why men don't have "helpful hints" columns or "housekeeping magazines".. Oh sure, we offer good suggestions, but then we have a few beers and start taking book over which method is better. Last ditch solution? Arm wrestling or dueling pistols....
  • Jason5Jason5 Member Posts: 440
    I was interested to see that someone mounted the Pirelli P6000's on their Intrepid. Have heard good things about them. Also heard that the Eagle LS tires (yup, from the LHS and formally the 300M) are a good choice--apparently they ride better, transmit less noise and offer improved traction. When the GA's on my mother's first gen Intrepid recently wore out, the dealer replaced them with Goodyear Regatta's. I've seen them available at a variety of locations, and they are less expensive and offer all season tread.
    Think I'd also consider the Avid H/4's, the new Goodyear Aquatred 3, and the Michelin MXM4 used on the Intrepid R/T...
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    #620: I Agree!
  • adf1adf1 Member Posts: 20
    Just got to 33K miles on my 98 ES. Touching (not really pressing) the breaks on high speeds, causes the car & steering wheel to viberate and if I want to stop, it extremely viberates. It happens only on high sppeds. I suspect it's the rotors and since I'm still under warranty I wonder if someone in the group has either had simila problem or knowledge about it. Appreciate any help.
  • copperhead1copperhead1 Member Posts: 157
    I had the same problem with mine,my dealer replaced the front and rear rotors,they replaced the 4 of them because they inspected them and saw they were out of specs.
    My service manager told me that it was caused by unbalanced wheels,since I took my car to their shop and they performed all the services,I was not charged for the new rotors;but he insisted that when a tire is not well balanced you will gently apply the brakes and your steering wheel,or the pedal or the rear of the car will vibrate,sometimes you can experience one or all the conditions.
    So make sure your tires are well balanced,try to align,rotate and balance your wheels every 6500 miles,you will have a longer life for your tires and no more brake problems.
  • 2000trep2000trep Member Posts: 30
    by what you describe, it sounds like your discs could be warped.
  • copperhead1copperhead1 Member Posts: 157
    No,they looked fine,they just pluged in a dial on them, and saw they were out of specs,caused by poor balanced wheels.
  • adf1adf1 Member Posts: 20
    Well, I balance/rotate mine every 5K miles, and thus I have this question if it's covered or not.
    I'd like to have this information BEFORE I go to the dealer, to have a better argument.

    Thx,
    A.D.
  • regalluvr1regalluvr1 Member Posts: 53
    Next year my wifes go to work car(91 Buick Regal Limited) will hit 140,000 miles so she wants to sell it and get a Champagne 98-99 ES with leather like the 98 ES we test drove in Aug 98.We choose between the 98 Dodge ES and a 98 GS Buick Regal and purchased the 98 Regal GS and like it fine.Our only experience with Dodge was a new 94 Intrepid that we traded off in 1995 with only 27,000 miles on it.It had lousy head lights,drivers power seat stripped out at 18,000 miles,computer went bad,AC worked half the time,etc.It drove good,3.3 had plenty of power,got good mpg,was roomy,but wasnt reliable.We traded it off for a new 95 Buick Regal Custom and our local Buick dealer had lots of trouble selling our 94 Intrepid.We have (4) liscensed Buick Regals 98 GS,91 Limited,86&85 T-Types, and all are good dependable cars.I'm a Buick man and would rather see my wife get a 97 GS or 97-98 LS Regal but she wants an Intrepid.I'm still concerned about the quality and reliability of the 98-01 Intrepids and their trade in value.Intrepid owners,you are going to have to convince me that we should consider a used 98-99 ES for my wifes go to work car.You see a ton of 1998-2001 Intrepids going down the highway but are they more reliable than the 93-97's were?I see alot of unhappy Intrepid owners posting here.
  • smithedsmithed Member Posts: 444
    Regal, I personally like our 99 ES with leather, and have had 24,500 trouble free miles. But I wouldn't buy one if I were you. You like Buicks and the Dodge will automatically sense this (they are like dogs in that way) and begin to fail you as soon as you drive off the lot. Your pheremones are set for Buicks, and I wouldn't rock that boat if I were you. Please, do yourself a favor and buy the Buick instead. You will be happier, just knowing it's a Buick and not a Dodge.
  • marsha7marsha7 Member Posts: 3,703
    Dueling pistols, please...10 paces and turn...hey, it worked for Alexander Hamilton...well, I mean it worked for Aaron Burr.
  • fastdriverfastdriver Member Posts: 2,273
    marsha7-

    Aha.... there you are! I knew something would drag you out of the bushes! LOL....

    fastdriver
  • ed12ed12 Member Posts: 100
    regaluver

    I also had a 94 Intrepid. I know what you mean about the headlights. Terrible. Also, I had some problems. I then got a 97 LHS which was much more reliable and had much better headlights.
    Now I drive a 99 300M which is up to 40,000 miles and has been flawless. Clearly, Chrysler is now building much more reliable, better assembled cars.

    Good luck with whatever you choose.
  • j_j_kiddj_j_kidd Member Posts: 19
    Your best choice might be anything but an Intrepid. The leading consumers magazine lists ALL Intrepids up to and including the 98 model as "used cars to AVOID", with a much lower than average reliability and resale value. The 99 00 01 are too new to determine if the reliability has increased, but with the same tired design and componets the chances of that happening are remote.
  • davidudavidu Member Posts: 40
    Well Regal Lover, I have a 99ES, which I absolutely love- it's even Champagne with leather!! In the 18 months I've had it I put about 23,000 miles on it, with the only problem being a failed power window motor.

    If you look for a used vehicle that's been well maintained and cared for, I don't think you'll have any difficulty.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,638
    I know a couple people with first-generation LH cars...none of them have anything really great to say about the cars, but none of them had anything really bad to say, either. A lady at work has a '94 Concorde 3.3, with over 100K miles on it. I forget what kind of problems she's had with it...nothing too major, but she has a little rust at the bottom of the driver's side door.

    As for the current generation LH, I can only speak for the one I own, a 2000 Intrepid 2.7 that now has about 33K miles on it. It's been a good car so far, getting around 19-21 mpg in city/pizza delivery type driving, and up to 30 on the highway if I don't push it too hard.

    Still, if your a die-hard Buick man, you may be happier with a newer Regal than an Intrepid. First off, the Regal has a bigger, torquier engine. My 2.7 will move if you floor it, but won't launch like an engine with plenty of low-end torque. I hear the 3.2 is better, but it still hits its peak torque at a much higher rpm than the Buick 3.8.

    I also agree with Smithed, about how if you're used to a Buick, you'll tend to be more forgiving of a Buick's faults and less forgiving of a Chrysler or Ford, or other products. My grandparents on my father's side always bought Fords (which is probably why my dad prefers Chevy/Pontiac). Well, in the 60's they tried Pontiacs because they liked the style. They had a 66-67 Tempest and then a 71 Tempest. Then they got a '75 Dart Swinger. Hated it. Traded it in for a '77 Granada that promptly dropped its transmission, and gave them all sorts of other problems, but to this day swear it was a better car than that Dart was. And they've bought Fords ever since.

    All of my cars have been either Mopar or GM, and since I'm used to them, I would probably be more critical of a Ford product.

    Sorry if this is starting to sound too much like an attempt at psychology!
    -Andre
  • marsha7marsha7 Member Posts: 3,703
    What, me worry?
  • Jason5Jason5 Member Posts: 440
    I think you can, in general, disregard the comments made by j.j. kidd. His commentary, while initially somewhat accurate is betrayed by the "tired design" comment. Sounds entirely too familiar and is more bias driven than data driven.
    While Consumer Reports has labeled the LH family, in general in the AVOID category--we discussed ad nauseum at this site CR's inherent bias toward Chrysler products. You need simply look up the LH's at MSN's Automotive site for a more balanced perspective. The two first gen Intrepids that I'm most famililar with (Aunt and Mother) have been solid, if not perfect, performers. They've had no significant problems--and that's with a 93' and a 94'.. My own experience with my 2000 ES has been a good one. I think you would do much better to research owner history on a used vehicle than other data per se.
    Which ever vehicle you pursue I hope you enjoy it!
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    jason5,

    the "sounds" familiar part of your post is right on. after all this time, i'm still occasionally amazed how some people never seem to be able to "get a life"! btw, has the wife decided on her next vehicle yet?
  • coachditkacoachditka Member Posts: 11
    was driving on the freeway this morning when I heard a thud and the check engine light came on. This worried me because the last 2 times the check engine light was on, the speed sensor went out and left me stranded twice! Now the 36k warranty has passed, but like a good consumer, i bought the extended service plan. What a bunch of crap! I arrived at the no star dealer in Conroe, TX. The sevice advisor told me that anything from the check engine light would be covered under warranty and even gave me loaner car (Mitsubishi Mirage). That was also a POS. Much to my suprise, I was called at word with the news that the EGR valve was bad and that it was not covered under the extended warranty. The dealer wanted $400 to replace a $100 part held on with 2 bolts. What a crock! They didn't even have the part in stock! So I told them to not repair the car and i would come and get it. That part i can do myself. Not hard and certianly not worth $300 in labor. I work hard enough for my money and don't want to give Chrysler another dime. So far on this 99 Intrepid we have had the following items repaired

    2 speed sensors
    1 window motor
    2 blend doors for the a/c
    3 sets of speakers
    1 thermostat housing
    1 EGR valve (not done yet)

    I used to like this car but I will soon be selling it and getting something else. Maybe a Maxima, or I30 or anything low maintainence!

    For those of you who have not had problems...congrats, i hope you enjoy your intrepids, but mine is soon to be GONE. If anyone in Houston wants one.... :).

    GO Bears!
  • coachditkacoachditka Member Posts: 11
    Forgot to mention that I was billed $85 for diagnostics and $45 for the rental. It's just money right?
  • fastdriverfastdriver Member Posts: 2,273
    coachditka-

    WAIT!!!! Isn't that part covered under the emissions warranty- 5 years/50,000 miles mandated by the government? Check it out!

    fastdriver
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