Sorry to hear about the trouble you and your wife are having. It's correct that you should start with the Service Manager. However, you should also let him/her know (in a reasonable fashion) that you believe your difficulties rise to the level of a "lemon" and you intend to continue to seek satisfaction. You might also call the regional manager and inform him of your difficulties and your attempts to work through the appropriate channels. Some flexibility also exists within "lemon laws"--though not widely known--so you might consider contacting them ASAP with your concerns. The problem that you are having is unfamiliar to me--in previous I've mentioned discussing the 2.7 with a friend who's a service manager--so I can't offer specifics about this "thumping". If, however, you'd like me to ask around, I"d be happy to. Contrary to some of the "theatrical" advice you are receiving, my concerns have been addressed in a reasonable and appropriate manner by both 5 Star Dealers I've dealt with. Buyer777--The belts on my 2000 ES were replaced at about 75,000. They might have gone longer, but were showing some signs of glazing and surface cracking--while it was in for routine maintenance, I opted to have them replaced.
Well, I called the local 5 star service manager for an appointment the other day. Told him my whole story. The guy was completely unsympathetic to my cause. Asked for a loaner because I had just spent $75 for a rental when it was in the week before and was refused. I was told the vehicle needs to have a "documented" problem before DC would pay for one. I guess the 5th trip in for the same problem is not enough for them.
I did some research on it, the thumping from the engine would only happen when stopped in reverse or drive gears, not in park or neutral. Talked to a buddy of mine who used to be a mechanic, said it sounded like a computer issue and mechanical issue of the engine, fuel system, and drive train not playing nice.
Also, the night before I was scheduled to take it in (Tues night) the power steering pump started whining like my wife when she yells about how much hockey I watch.
That made up my mind. I traded the Intrepid in Wednesday morning for a 2004 Escape XLT. I have several friends who own and have had zero problems. I know CR and Edmunds are lukewarm about the Escape, but the Intrepid came as "recommended" by both and look where that got me.
Anyhow, they wanted to give me $7000 for my 2002 SE with only 19000 miles on it. Sales manager said that Dodge cars "just don't hold their value", and that he wouldn't even put it on his used lot because of DC horrible reputation for build quality. They said it was going out to auction. I eventually got $8000 for it from them.
So, adios Intrepid, I can't say it was nice knowing you. And I can say for sure, I will never purchase a DC vehicle ever again.
sorry to hear about the problems with your Intrepid. Almost sounds to me though, like the dealer is the bulk of the problem. I think that's probably the main thing that shoots most nameplates in the foot when it comes to quality...bad dealer experience. If they'd fix the damn thing right the first time, and tried to make the ordeal as painless as possible, they'd probably hold onto a lot more customers.
I had a problem with my Intrepid a few months ago, where my oil pressure light would come on. Took 3 trips to the dealership before they finally fixed it right.
As for trade in values though, tell me about it! Back in September, my Dad and I were looking at cars, because he was in the market for one. We found an '02 Intrepid SE on the lot, in that nice steel blue, with about 38K miles on it, for about $8995. And I'm sure they would've come down, too! My Dad ended up getting an '03 Regal that only had 19K miles on it, for just under $11,000. I still preferred the 'Trep to the Regal, but I figured this one had half the miles, a good chunk of the original warranty, and GM's 3.8 V-6, which while antiquated, is still hard to beat for power and economy.
They did have an '02 Intrepid R/T on the lot, for $15,995, with about 35K miles on it. I was tempted, until I drove it. At the time, they offered me $3500 in trade for my '00 Intrepid base model (didn't start calling 'em "SE" until '01, I think). I had about 85,000 miles on it, though. They did offer to come up on the trade-in though, to what I owed on it at the time, about $4800. The negotiating didn't go beyond that though, because I decided to just hang onto my car. If I'm going to trade, it's going to either be because the car breaks down catastrophically, or I just have to have one of those new Magnums or 300C Hemi's!! ;-)
My father bought a '02 Escape new in Dec. 2001. He is pretty happy with it...only a couple of minor problems. Its an XLT. The V-6 engine has lots of power (it could easily outrun my 'Trep), but is noisy. At the time, Escapes were hard to get so he paid close to list price with no incentives offered by the manufacturer. He has about 28,000 miles on it. I tried to talk him into an Explorer but was unsuccessful.
about a Charger yet. No concept cars, other than that cool looking 4-door that looked like a coupe that made the rounds awhile back. Nothing mentioned on the Dodge webpage, at least that I could see.
I hope they do something though...because only offering the Magnum as a wagon, I don't think that's going to bring in enough sales to replace the Intrepid!
I agree that the fact that Magnum will be available only as wagon (at least for now) leaves a pretty big hole in the lineup. For now the biggest sedan will be Stratus. Don't you think that that will send people looking for a domestic (okay, I know it is a German car built in Canada) big sedan to GM or Ford? Maybe they think that 300 will fill that niche for them, but it is not a Dodge.
is pretty outdated by now, so that's not really leaving Dodge with much. About the only thing I think the Stratus has going for it is good looks (IMO, at least), a reasonable price, and a comfortable seating position (again, IMO, your mileage may vary!) They're actually supposed to be good-handling cars in the better trim level, and have good brakes. But there are just so many better cars out there.
Considering that the Intrepid was previously like the 3rd most popular full-sized car (behind the Impala and LeSabre) I think it's a risky move to make!
Does the Magnum have a third row of seats, that is a rearward facing seat like the old wagons? My parents had a Fury station wagon with a seat that faced rearward and folded into the floor. Now folding into the floor rear seats is all the rage as though it is a new thing, but all the old big wagons had them. 40 years ago.
My idea is that a wagon without more seating is just a sedan with a higher rear. After all, I can fold the rear seat backs down in the Intrepid and the darn thing has cargo carrying capacity for a whole lot of stuff.
first off, I don't think the Magnum would be big enough to offer 3rd row seating. Overall, it's actually shorter than an Aspen or Volare station wagon, and I don't think they had a 3rd row, but I could be wrong.
When it comes to small wagons (which, when you consider the way wagons used to be, the Magnum qualifies as small!), I don't think very many, if any, offered a 3rd row. I know the old Celebrity/6000/Ciera/Century did, but they were also FWD, so they had more room in back to play with.
I could be wrong, though. Just taking a wild guess here!
Was the Intrepid really the third most popular 'full size' car. What about the Crown Vic/Mercury Marquis or Lincoln Town Car? By the way, how is your Trep running (any further problems with the oil light). My steelblue Intrepid was almost history the other day when a _____ in a blue Ford Explorer cut me off on the highway with incredible precision. You see, he was in the left lane when the car in front of him was stopped (turning left across the highway) when he decided he could not stop in time. So he decided the right lane (my lane) was a safer alternative and I braked and had the choice of hitting the curb or staying in my lane waiting for him to hit me. I was so pissed off that I visited the local police station with his plate number but they said that I would have to personally issue a summons to the other driver and appear in court. So I just left. For a brief moment I thought about trading the Trep for a Chevy Avalanche.
The Crown Vic and Grand Marquis seem to have fallen from favor over the past few years. Now if you were to combine Grand Marquis/Crown Vic/Town car sales, they'd easily outsell the Intrepid, but lately, the 'Trep has been outselling any one model. Sometimes, the Grand Marquis or Crown Vic might beat the Intrepid in a given month, but in yearly totals, the 'Trep has usually been winning out.
My car's been doing okay. I haven't seen that oil pressure light since the dealer did that TSB on it, which must be over a month ago, by now! My fuel economy seems to have fallen a bit, but I guess that's understandable with the colder temps. Plus, I moved closer to work...about 3 1/2 miles versus around 14, so the car spends a greater portion of its running time just sitting, warming up. I doubt if I'm even putting a thousand miles a month on the car anymore! Far cry from the old days, when I'd do 3K a month easy. I think my record was back in '98, when I put about 13K miles on my Mom's '86 Monte Carlo, in the 3 months that I had it. I think my 'Trep is up to about 89,000 miles now.
Glad to hear your car didn't get wiped out by that Explorer! If it's any consolation though, a bigger, tougher vehicle won't always scare them off. I once had a Toyota Tacoma try an improper lane change, and bounce harmlessly off my '68 Dart! It caved in the rear part of his bed pretty good. As for me, well, I had been hit on that fender a few months before. All I had to do was take my fist and pound the dent back out! The police are pretty useless in cases like that, unless they actually see the act happen. About a year or two ago, a friend of mine was run off the road in Washington, DC, coming out of it where NY Ave turns into Route 50, right after the last light. Someone swerved into his lane, and he swerved to avoid them. Hit the curb, and popped 2 tires and blew 2 rims! He called the cops, and they wouldn't even come out to take a police report! He was stranded down there for a few hours. Took his useless insurance company about 3 weeks to fix the car, too!
I have a 2003 Dodge intrepid SE. I have a problem with it. At no certain speed, I have a high pitched whistle that sounds more like radio feedback (like when you put two walkie talkies together, or a PA system when your to close to the microphone). It is an intermittent problem, but appears to only rear its ugly head when the dealer doesn't have the automobile. I am open for suggestions. This is my third intrepid and I really like the cars and never had this problem. Please e-mail me.
I finally got around to applying for insurance from Haggerty for my 79 Firebird. I answered the questions online but have to mail them certain things, ie. a picture of the car. The only catch is that they say the car has to be worth a min of 3,500. This is somewhat subjective. Do they ask to see the car or require a professional appraisal of the car? I put 3,500 in the blank because if I put less they would not accept the application. The cost is $92 compared to $400 I am now paying for the car. I can meet all the other requirements, except possibly this 3,500 amount. Well, maybe I can stuff 2,500 in the trunk!?
you could probably get away with $3500, depending on how well the car shows up in pictures. That's all they ask for, is a couple decent pictures of the car. No appraisal, no inspection, etc. They might ask you if there has been any custom work done to the car (mainly major performance mods) but that's probably about it.
I have my Dart insured with them for $4,000, and honestly, I wouldn't give $1000 for it! Well, compared to some of the overpriced junk some people try to push at the Carlisle events, maybe I would...
Right now I'm debating on whether I want to insure my New Yorker with them as well, since it just became eligible on January 1.
Does that noise, by any chance, occur when you roll one or both of the rear windows down, but leave the front windows up?
I've found that if you drop the rear windows but not the fronts, it'll set up a nasty resonance that'll split your ears in no time flat! And it gets worse the faster you go. First time I heard it, I didn't know what it was, but somehow it got my ears "in tune" to that sound, where I can hear it in other cars where previously I couldn't. To this very day, I can hear that resonance in any car that has rear windows that don't roll down all the way! Even my '89 Gran Fury, where they go down all but about an inch and a half, I can hear that damned resonance if I don't crack a front window!
I received a call from Haggerty. My Firebird probably will not be considered since it looks like Haggerty is looking for a very good looking car. The problem with mine is that certain parts are painted in gray primer. I never got around to applying the final red paint, mostly due to lack of time and the cost of switching over to urethane paint. But it may be worthwhile to paint the primer areas this summer since the insurance cost will be considerably less than what I am paying now. Maybe I will just wait awhile before I send them the money and picture. What do you think?
has a picture of a new Dodge pickup (SRT-10) packed with the Viper motor. Its pretty fast, especially by 2.7 L Trep standards, as it does 0-60 in just over 5 seconds. How about an Intrepid with this motor? It would cut the Intrepids 0-60 time in half. Well, thats if the engine compartment grew by about a foot in length and height.
The oil pressure light comes on occasionally when the car is idling in Drive. Placing the car in Neutral or revving the engine makes the light go off. I’ve notice a few other posts on this site about oil pressure lights. Can anyone tell me about their experiences?
The car is a base model 2000 Intrepid with 85,000 miles on the car. The oil and filter have been changed every 3,000 miles.
My '00 did the same thing a few months back, and it started around the 83,000 mile mark. The dealer fixed it around mid-December, and it's never come on since.
When you take your car in for the repair though, make sure to tell them of the TSB (preferably, print it out for them). Otherwise, they'll probably try more expensive fixes first, instead of doing the TSB, which should be free.
I have been reading about After Warranty Assistance. This is offered to customers who pursue help in paying for repairs that are past the standard factory warranty period. Does any one know if Dodge offers such a program? And if so what are the requirements to be eligible?
i don't think a TSB has to be performed for free outside the warranty. might depend upon what the problem was. if it was a problem that bordered on being a safety issue...i could see the company coughing up the money. however, if it was something like say a rattle in a strut...then i doubt it'd be payed for out of warranty.
some interesting narative and photo of the new Chrysler 300C which is supposedly due out this month. It will replace the 300M/Concorde, and the Charger due out in July 05 will replace the 'Trep. It looks completely different than the current swooping looking Intrepid and 300M, more like a Bentley. But that supposedly was what the public wanted, a tough looking vehicle with lots of steel that more or less resembles a tank. Kind of ugly, in my opinion. Its about 6 inches shorter than the car it replaces, but reportedly has a whopping 120 inch wheelbase.
in that it looks like a stubbier, less graceful version of my old '79 Newport! Also seems to have a hint of '63-64 Chrysler in it, cars that were also stubby (for the their price class, and especially for that time!) and tank-like.
Main thing that worries me about them is the interior measurements. While it's supposedly larger inside than the model it replaces, legroom up front is a bit shorter. While it's not much shorter (something like 41.9" down from 42.2"), it's going to be critical to someone like me, who rides with the seat all the way back, and actually wishes my 'Trep had a bit *more* legroom! Hopefully though, the power seat will make it easier to find a comfortable position.
I prefer the Magnum front-end to the 300C, though. I know for Europe, they're supposed to graft the 300C nose onto the Magnum...maybe they could do the opposite and graft a Magnum nose onto a 300C, just for me!
The new 300 and Magnum certainly have a throwback look to them, circa 1962-1964. If only the automatics operated by push button and they were available in pastel green, like dad's '63 330 wagon. How about some dual headlights arranged in a slant fashion?
My oil light in my 97 Trep came on a few times over the summer (75,000 miles). Local mechanical changed the sensor and put in synthetic oil...light has not come on since.
BROKEN WRISTPIN Please let me know if anyone has had the wristpin that holds the rod to the piston break in the 2.7L dodge intrepid. Chrysler NOT helpful even after 2 mechanics say this should not have happened on this engine. Have maintaned excellent care of this vehicle and now its worth nothing!I loved my Intrepid but am so disappointed with dodge/chrysler.Cannot even get a salvaged engine because noone wants to touch this problem. Several salvage yards say this is way too common w/ this engine. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE!! PLEASE HELP WITH ANY SUGGESTIONS.
I now have enough miles and experience in snow to report that these tires are performing admirably on my '04 Intrepid. Good all-round performance at a reasonable price. Also put them on my wife's minivan-same story.
but everybody I've ever talked to *in person* says what a fine engine the 2.7 is. I've never heard a mechanic or anybody at all say anything bad about it, other than it's a bit overmatched in bigger cars, especially when you start loading it up towards its GVWR!
The internet is the only place I've heard of any problems. First sludging, and then this wrist-pin thingie. Now I'm not saying this kind of stuff *can't* happen, but I just don't think it happens all that often. I think the internet just tends to catastrophize things.
That's not unusual, as you probably know. Most folks who aren't having difficulties and aren't avid automotive enthusiasts don't think to look up an internet message board to make note of the fact that they aren't having difficulties and aren't automotive enthusiasts.
There is no issue with the fact that there are some who only come here when they are having a problem. After all, trying to help folks with whatever problems they may be having is certainly one of the reasons we're here. And I'm sure we all enjoy being able to help folks who are here looking for assistance.
does anybody know about what a used 2.7 out of a junkyard wreck would cost? It's been about 2 years since I've been to my local junkyard, which specializes in Mopars, but when I was there, they must've had at least 15-20 2nd-gen LH cars. All of 'em were front-end hits. Some had the engines pulled out, some didn't.
Main reason I'm wondering, I guess, is that my '00 Trep has about 89,000 miles on it now. While it's still running fine, anything can happen as a vehicle ages. I wonder, at this point, if the engine blew, would it be worth it to have a used engine thrown in, or just junk the car? I might call the junkyard tomorrow just out of curiosity, and ask for an estimate.
Back in '98, I bought an '89 Gran Fury from a shop that specializes in refurbished police cars. At the time, they told me that if the 318 went out in it, they could put in another used one for about $1,000. And another used tranny, in the unlikely event that it would fail (Mopar RWD trannies were tought back then), would only be about $300 to swap in another used one.
I guess those days are long gone though, even for used components!
to visit some other forums, like Accord or Camry or even Ford Crown Vic, to see if there are as many complaints about engines. I am not trying to pick favorites here, but these cars get good reviews when it comes to reliable, long lasting engines. And most junkyards will tell you that a Toyota, Honda or Ford engine is worth a lot more than Chrysler engines. Plus this may be more exciting that watching the Superbowl, at least from my perspective!
Emale and Andre1969...you are absolutely correct in your assertations--particularly in this forum. We know that folks exist whose sole motivation is to make certain manufacturers and their products appear worse than they are.. Of course people who have no "beef" might not use these forums until a problem appears. That being said..we should help people who are having concerns. In this particular instance, we've often made these recommendations--and then hear NOTHING from the poster. Obviously one should consult their regional Chrysler rep with the concern--AND--investigate the Lemon Laws in their state as well as the Better Business Bureau. Lastly...Emale and Andre--you are correct. Two service managers that I know personally have no record of such problems with the 2.7 and have found it to be one of the most problem-free engines.
the junkyard, and they said that a used 2.7 would run around $2700. Installation would be about another $700. Ouch! Thankfully, mine is still running fine!
$2,700 is a complete ripoff. You can get a reman. engine probably for not much more. I have found in all my years working on cars and looking for parts that junkyards are usually overpriced. Like when I needed a hood for my '89 TBird back in 1995 and the yard told me $200 and it needed an 'hour' worth of work. I said forget it and marched down to the local Ford dealer and with a 20% discount (which is not hard to get for the asking) I paid $333.00. Brand new OEM. Or when I needed a door in 1996 and they quoted me $500.00. I again said 'no thank' you and bought an ENTIRE wreck for $425 plus $50 auction fee from a salvage auction run by Allstate. So for $2,700 how many miles was supposedly on this used engine. By the way, which brand tires did you buy for your Trep. I need tires for a Honda Civic.
The only problem with asking Dodge service managers, or anyone who works for Dodge, is that they really cant say any bad about Dodge products or their job may be on the line. That being said, about 8 months ago, soon after I bought my Trep, I asked a Dodge tech at the local dealer about the 2.7L engine and potential sludge issues. He said to make sure you change the oil every 3K miles, not 4K or 5K or 6K. I asked him why, and he said 'the engine was a high performance engine.' He did not explain what he meant by high performance. But to have to change the oil so religiously may suggest that there is indeed a sludge problem if you do not change the oil EVERY 3K miles.
this junkyard was actually pretty reasonably priced, although I guess everything's going up. Once I bought a rust-free driver's side fender for my '68 Dart, and I think it was only $50.00. They also did a lot of suspension work for me back in '95, and it only came out to about $600. I thought it was a lot of money at the time, because I had just bought my condo, but in retrospect it was pretty cheap, especially compared to what that kind of work would have run up to on a modern car!
Heck, I bought a complete, running 1979 Newport from them back in late 1996. Brought it home on New Year's Eve, and it was actually driveable. Only cost $250. Let's not talk about the tranny though, which bailed out the following April, to the tune of $650.00...
As for this 2.7, the guy didn't tell me how many miles, and I just asked him for a ballpark figure, which was when he said about $2700. It's possible he might have over-quoted, I dunno. I'm sure they had several to choose from, so the mileage would probably vary.
Oh yeah, I ended up just getting some fairly cheap Yokohama Avid touring tires, but that was awhile ago now, like fairly early last year. I think the tires came out to around $250 (can't remember if I got them from Discount Tire or TireRack), and it was about another $50 to have them mounted. They're pretty good tires, though. I haven't had any trouble yet this winter, and we've had our fair share of ice! Plus, the place I recently moved to doesn't have a "real" driveway, whereas my condo had an asphalt parking lot that would melt fairly quickly. What I park on nowadays used to be gravel, but it's mostly grown over with grass now. Ice and snow don't melt off nearly as quickly, but I haven't gotten stuck...yet!
I want to know more about this "Mitsubishi-Designed 2.7" engine! That in and of itself should be enough to warrant anybody to take a site like that with a grain of salt! The 2.7 was a Chrysler-designed, Chrysler-built engine.
Now the 2.5 V-6 that was used in the '95-00 Stratus/Sebring/Avenger, *that* was a Mitsu unit. And so is the 3.0 V-6 that's currently used in the Stratus/Sebring coupes.
Also, $12,000 seems a bit excessive for a new engine, even if that is in Canadian dollars!
Those two referenced web sites above are hilarious. Do you think Ford or GM or whoever had those sites made had the spelling errors put in intentionally to make them look unprofessional?
I wonder if those engine parts showing "sludge" had ever had the oil changed.
I today almost bought Yokohama LS4's, but this was the second tire dealer that told me they no longer stock these tires because people were complaining about the low (30,000) miles they were getting out of the tires. The manufacturer says they are 60K mile tires. Its a shame because CR gave them a very good rating and the dealers also said they were great tires, notwithstanding the low mileage.I would go with the Pirelli's P400 I bought for the car a couple years ago but they are not the greatest in snow. One dealer said that Bridgestone Insignias were good but I dunno. I guess I have some decisions to make.
were also something like 60,000 mile tires. I think they have a treadwear rating of 620. I think I've put about 12-13,000 miles on them since I bought 'em, and they don't show the slightest sign of wear...yet.
FWIW, I went through the original Goodyear tires, with a 300 treadwear rating, in 30,000 miles. And they were essentially racing slicks by that time! I had replaced those with some cheap Continentals by General Tire, which I think had a treadwear rating of 500. Or maybe it was 560; I can't remember now. Anyway, I got about 46-47,000 miles out of them. They probably would have gone longer, but by that time one tire had a slow leak in it, one tire had two plugs in it, and one tire was severely worn from when the car had gone out of alignment. I got tired of having to run to the gas station every couple of days to fill up that tire!
I don't think driving your Intrepid to 120,000 miles will stop the whining, Mike. Then people will just say "Oh, you just got lucky", or whatever! Same thing that they'll say to someone who has a 1980 Citation that's still running, or a rust-free 1976 Volare or Accord!
Comments
The problem that you are having is unfamiliar to me--in previous I've mentioned discussing the 2.7 with a friend who's a service manager--so I can't offer specifics about this "thumping". If, however, you'd like me to ask around, I"d be happy to. Contrary to some of the "theatrical" advice you are receiving, my concerns have been addressed in a reasonable and appropriate manner by both 5 Star Dealers I've dealt with.
Buyer777--The belts on my 2000 ES were replaced at about 75,000. They might have gone longer, but were showing some signs of glazing and surface cracking--while it was in for routine maintenance, I opted to have them replaced.
I did some research on it, the thumping from the engine would only happen when stopped in reverse or drive gears, not in park or neutral. Talked to a buddy of mine who used to be a mechanic, said it sounded like a computer issue and mechanical issue of the engine, fuel system, and drive train not playing nice.
Also, the night before I was scheduled to take it in (Tues night) the power steering pump started whining like my wife when she yells about how much hockey I watch.
That made up my mind. I traded the Intrepid in Wednesday morning for a 2004 Escape XLT. I have several friends who own and have had zero problems. I know CR and Edmunds are lukewarm about the Escape, but the Intrepid came as "recommended" by both and look where that got me.
Anyhow, they wanted to give me $7000 for my 2002 SE with only 19000 miles on it. Sales manager said that Dodge cars "just don't hold their value", and that he wouldn't even put it on his used lot because of DC horrible reputation for build quality. They said it was going out to auction. I eventually got $8000 for it from them.
So, adios Intrepid, I can't say it was nice knowing you. And I can say for sure, I will never purchase a DC vehicle ever again.
I had a problem with my Intrepid a few months ago, where my oil pressure light would come on. Took 3 trips to the dealership before they finally fixed it right.
As for trade in values though, tell me about it! Back in September, my Dad and I were looking at cars, because he was in the market for one. We found an '02 Intrepid SE on the lot, in that nice steel blue, with about 38K miles on it, for about $8995. And I'm sure they would've come down, too! My Dad ended up getting an '03 Regal that only had 19K miles on it, for just under $11,000. I still preferred the 'Trep to the Regal, but I figured this one had half the miles, a good chunk of the original warranty, and GM's 3.8 V-6, which while antiquated, is still hard to beat for power and economy.
They did have an '02 Intrepid R/T on the lot, for $15,995, with about 35K miles on it. I was tempted, until I drove it. At the time, they offered me $3500 in trade for my '00 Intrepid base model (didn't start calling 'em "SE" until '01, I think). I had about 85,000 miles on it, though. They did offer to come up on the trade-in though, to what I owed on it at the time, about $4800. The negotiating didn't go beyond that though, because I decided to just hang onto my car. If I'm going to trade, it's going to either be because the car breaks down catastrophically, or I just have to have one of those new Magnums or 300C Hemi's!! ;-)
I hope they do something though...because only offering the Magnum as a wagon, I don't think that's going to bring in enough sales to replace the Intrepid!
Considering that the Intrepid was previously like the 3rd most popular full-sized car (behind the Impala and LeSabre) I think it's a risky move to make!
My idea is that a wagon without more seating is just a sedan with a higher rear. After all, I can fold the rear seat backs down in the Intrepid and the darn thing has cargo carrying capacity for a whole lot of stuff.
Just curious, not in the market actually.
When it comes to small wagons (which, when you consider the way wagons used to be, the Magnum qualifies as small!), I don't think very many, if any, offered a 3rd row. I know the old Celebrity/6000/Ciera/Century did, but they were also FWD, so they had more room in back to play with.
I could be wrong, though. Just taking a wild guess here!
My car's been doing okay. I haven't seen that oil pressure light since the dealer did that TSB on it, which must be over a month ago, by now! My fuel economy seems to have fallen a bit, but I guess that's understandable with the colder temps. Plus, I moved closer to work...about 3 1/2 miles versus around 14, so the car spends a greater portion of its running time just sitting, warming up. I doubt if I'm even putting a thousand miles a month on the car anymore! Far cry from the old days, when I'd do 3K a month easy. I think my record was back in '98, when I put about 13K miles on my Mom's '86 Monte Carlo, in the 3 months that I had it. I think my 'Trep is up to about 89,000 miles now.
Glad to hear your car didn't get wiped out by that Explorer! If it's any consolation though, a bigger, tougher vehicle won't always scare them off. I once had a Toyota Tacoma try an improper lane change, and bounce harmlessly off my '68 Dart! It caved in the rear part of his bed pretty good. As for me, well, I had been hit on that fender a few months before. All I had to do was take my fist and pound the dent back out! The police are pretty useless in cases like that, unless they actually see the act happen. About a year or two ago, a friend of mine was run off the road in Washington, DC, coming out of it where NY Ave turns into Route 50, right after the last light. Someone swerved into his lane, and he swerved to avoid them. Hit the curb, and popped 2 tires and blew 2 rims! He called the cops, and they wouldn't even come out to take a police report! He was stranded down there for a few hours. Took his useless insurance company about 3 weeks to fix the car, too!
dashcroft1@a-znet.com
I have my Dart insured with them for $4,000, and honestly, I wouldn't give $1000 for it! Well, compared to some of the overpriced junk some people try to push at the Carlisle events, maybe I would...
Right now I'm debating on whether I want to insure my New Yorker with them as well, since it just became eligible on January 1.
I've found that if you drop the rear windows but not the fronts, it'll set up a nasty resonance that'll split your ears in no time flat! And it gets worse the faster you go. First time I heard it, I didn't know what it was, but somehow it got my ears "in tune" to that sound, where I can hear it in other cars where previously I couldn't. To this very day, I can hear that resonance in any car that has rear windows that don't roll down all the way! Even my '89 Gran Fury, where they go down all but about an inch and a half, I can hear that damned resonance if I don't crack a front window!
The car is a base model 2000 Intrepid with 85,000 miles on the car. The oil and filter have been changed every 3,000 miles.
My '00 did the same thing a few months back, and it started around the 83,000 mile mark. The dealer fixed it around mid-December, and it's never come on since.
When you take your car in for the repair though, make sure to tell them of the TSB (preferably, print it out for them). Otherwise, they'll probably try more expensive fixes first, instead of doing the TSB, which should be free.
i don't think a TSB has to be performed for free outside the warranty. might depend upon what the problem was. if it was a problem that bordered on being a safety issue...i could see the company coughing up the money. however, if it was something like say a rattle in a strut...then i doubt it'd be payed for out of warranty.
Main thing that worries me about them is the interior measurements. While it's supposedly larger inside than the model it replaces, legroom up front is a bit shorter. While it's not much shorter (something like 41.9" down from 42.2"), it's going to be critical to someone like me, who rides with the seat all the way back, and actually wishes my 'Trep had a bit *more* legroom! Hopefully though, the power seat will make it easier to find a comfortable position.
I prefer the Magnum front-end to the 300C, though. I know for Europe, they're supposed to graft the 300C nose onto the Magnum...maybe they could do the opposite and graft a Magnum nose onto a 300C, just for me!
i've never heard of any 2.7l problems...and i personally know a guy who works on cars at large local chrysler dealership...
The internet is the only place I've heard of any problems. First sludging, and then this wrist-pin thingie. Now I'm not saying this kind of stuff *can't* happen, but I just don't think it happens all that often. I think the internet just tends to catastrophize things.
notice how many folks on edmunds alone don't post anything until they have a problem(?) to report...!
There is no issue with the fact that there are some who only come here when they are having a problem. After all, trying to help folks with whatever problems they may be having is certainly one of the reasons we're here. And I'm sure we all enjoy being able to help folks who are here looking for assistance.
Main reason I'm wondering, I guess, is that my '00 Trep has about 89,000 miles on it now. While it's still running fine, anything can happen as a vehicle ages. I wonder, at this point, if the engine blew, would it be worth it to have a used engine thrown in, or just junk the car? I might call the junkyard tomorrow just out of curiosity, and ask for an estimate.
Back in '98, I bought an '89 Gran Fury from a shop that specializes in refurbished police cars. At the time, they told me that if the 318 went out in it, they could put in another used one for about $1,000. And another used tranny, in the unlikely event that it would fail (Mopar RWD trannies were tought back then), would only be about $300 to swap in another used one.
I guess those days are long gone though, even for used components!
Of course people who have no "beef" might not use these forums until a problem appears. That being said..we should help people who are having concerns. In this particular instance, we've often made these recommendations--and then hear NOTHING from the poster. Obviously one should consult their regional Chrysler rep with the concern--AND--investigate the Lemon Laws in their state as well as the Better Business Bureau.
Lastly...Emale and Andre--you are correct. Two service managers that I know personally have no record of such problems with the 2.7 and have found it to be one of the most problem-free engines.
Heck, I bought a complete, running 1979 Newport from them back in late 1996. Brought it home on New Year's Eve, and it was actually driveable. Only cost $250. Let's not talk about the tranny though, which bailed out the following April, to the tune of $650.00...
As for this 2.7, the guy didn't tell me how many miles, and I just asked him for a ballpark figure, which was when he said about $2700. It's possible he might have over-quoted, I dunno. I'm sure they had several to choose from, so the mileage would probably vary.
Oh yeah, I ended up just getting some fairly cheap Yokohama Avid touring tires, but that was awhile ago now, like fairly early last year. I think the tires came out to around $250 (can't remember if I got them from Discount Tire or TireRack), and it was about another $50 to have them mounted. They're pretty good tires, though. I haven't had any trouble yet this winter, and we've had our fair share of ice! Plus, the place I recently moved to doesn't have a "real" driveway, whereas my condo had an asphalt parking lot that would melt fairly quickly. What I park on nowadays used to be gravel, but it's mostly grown over with grass now. Ice and snow don't melt off nearly as quickly, but I haven't gotten stuck...yet!
Now the 2.5 V-6 that was used in the '95-00 Stratus/Sebring/Avenger, *that* was a Mitsu unit. And so is the 3.0 V-6 that's currently used in the Stratus/Sebring coupes.
Also, $12,000 seems a bit excessive for a new engine, even if that is in Canadian dollars!
I wonder if those engine parts showing "sludge" had ever had the oil changed.
FWIW, I went through the original Goodyear tires, with a 300 treadwear rating, in 30,000 miles. And they were essentially racing slicks by that time! I had replaced those with some cheap Continentals by General Tire, which I think had a treadwear rating of 500. Or maybe it was 560; I can't remember now. Anyway, I got about 46-47,000 miles out of them. They probably would have gone longer, but by that time one tire had a slow leak in it, one tire had two plugs in it, and one tire was severely worn from when the car had gone out of alignment. I got tired of having to run to the gas station every couple of days to fill up that tire!