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Dodge Intrepid

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Comments

  • xtecxtec Member Posts: 354
    I just picked up 02 intrepid sxt with the R't
    engine,wheels and spoiler.What a car.Ihope these
    are good cars.Ive read your message board before i
    got the car and most problems seem minor.This is
    the first V6 that feels like a V8.I cant wait to
    drive it more,its a nice car to drive.I hope im
    this happy a year from now.Talk to you people
    some time soon.
  • kpfankpfan Member Posts: 1
    I had the same problem, 2002 Intrepid R/T. It looked like it might be alignment, but after research, its the tire pressure. I'm not sure if its just the 17" tires, but the factory settings are WAY TOO LOW! I've got my fronts at 40psi and rears at 36psi. The 17" tires can take up to 44psi, so I'm not concerned at all. The ride is a little rough on bad roads, but its great everywhere else. Firm ride, great grip, love the car.
  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    The factory that builds the computer runs only so many products per day at max output. So to build units for production(new cars) and service(dealer) ,they cant keep up. So sometimes the dealer must wait for parts.
    As for transportation , that is something between the dealer and customer. When you buy a fridge or stove or any other product for that matter and a part breaks and you have to wait for it to be fixed , does GE or Maytag bring you a appliance
    to use while yours is being repaired.I think not.
    One more thing its OTTOWRKR not OttAwrkr !!
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    interesting post, ottowrkr! keep us informed on the new LX cars...have you heard or seen anything new lately??
  • costenjcostenj Member Posts: 14
    Hey all,

    Here's a slight diversion from the posted topic but a fun story to relate nonetheless. I just purchased a pre-owned '99 Intrepid 2.7, loaded. After adding a K&N air filter (I notice a difference) I was driving home from my girlfriend's when I saw a very old looking muscle car in front of me at a red light. No idea what it was but it looked like it was from the early seventies or very late sixties. Anyway, it had the big decal numbers '442' on the right back trunk lid. (Maybe an old Olds' -- I don't know) Dual exhaust and sounded mean as hell too! The young guy driver had his blonde girlfriend (by my guess) next to him. I decided to pull up next to him at the next red light and maybe try to outpace him at the next green...
    Without looking at them and just staring straight ahead, I hit the gas at the green signal. He accelerated fast and hard, and loud too, and I didn't think I'd pull ahead. Then my speedo shot up to 85+ km/h (in a 60 km/h zone - Canada) and I pulled way ahead just as the lane converged into one! Then of course I braked and just proceeded slowly onwards. Yes it was fun! I'm not into racing and will not anymore as I like to take care of my vehicles but that was MY day. (Or so I like to think!) :) I'm sure he and his girlfriend will remember being beaten by a 'boat' of an Intrepid! :)

    Still have no idea what that old car was though, but after having looked it up on the Net, the 442 most likely did not mean the CID, but the configuration like 4 barrel, 2 exhaust etc. Regardless, I bet that guy was surprised! I know I was!
    Costen M.
    Oakville, Ontario
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    Depending on the year, it meant many different things. When it first came out, it was 4 speeds, 4-bbl, dual exhaust. Later on it meant 400 CID, 4-bbl, dual exhaust. By the late '80's it meant 4-cylinder, 4 valves per cylinder, and dual exhaust-tips!

    If that 4-4-2 was a late '60's, on up to maybe a '72, and running correctly, there's no way in hell a base Intrepid would beat it, unless the guy just stomped the pedal and just wasted a lot of time burning rubber, or just wasn't trying (or just didn't know how to drive ;-). My '00 Intrepid wouldn't even beat my '89 Gran Fury from 0-60, which only has a 175 hp 318-4bbl! It'll pull away at higher speeds, but not in a stoplight race.

    I think the 4-4-2 was just a graphics package by '73, so I'm sure one of those would be easy to dust, unless it had a 455 in it, and by the late '70's, they were down to about 160-170 hp.
  • scotianscotian Member Posts: 1,064
    When my 300M was under warranty, I was provided a rental allowance from DC which covered most of the cost of a rental. I agree that it should have covered the entire cost when the work is waranty work, and provide it until the part is in and working if the problem keeps the car from being useable.

    Of course, to attain such perfect customer satisfaction levels would require everything to cost just a little bit more. It's like when the government fines a company for something; the company just raises its prices a little bit to compensate. The company rarely suffers as a result, and the people, or the customers, always end up paying in the end. Nothing is free.
  • njdevilsrnnjdevilsrn Member Posts: 185
    Last week when my car was in for service, I did not ask for a loaner. It was in for a day and a half. I was off from work the first day, and the farthest from home I had to go was 0.8 miles. I rode my bike.

    The day I went and picked it up, I walked to get it, as the dealer is about the same distance from my home.

    When I asked for a loaner for my appointment this Thursday, the service manager said he would put me on the list, but said he could re-schedule my appointment for when they had a loaner as one of the loaners was stolen, and another was smacked up by a customer, leaving them with only 2 cars.

    When he asked what kind of job I'm having done, he assured me the job is about 1 hour to do, and that he would have a tech do it the first job the day I come, and I can just wait.

    PS...The part I need is in, I go Thursday, will let you know how it comes out.
  • alpx29alpx29 Member Posts: 2
    FOLLOW-UP ON the problems with the brakes
    on Dodge Intrepid ES 97 (alpx29 from Edmunds.com .Town Hall). SEE MY MESSAGE 1226.

    I have gone through tremendous service problems with this car only in relation to the brakes, and the problem is still not fixed.

    I am on the brink of nervous breakdown and almost
    ready to go to court or/and call Consumer Affairs.

    I went to three shops recently, two of them Dodge
    dealers, and they could not fix my car, although I
    paid so far ~ $4,000.

    The First said : brake fluid contaminated, and master cylinder leaking, plus front rotors blue from overheating; so they recommended change master cyl, resurface disks, new pads, new br fluid .

    After taking back the car from them the car was in
    incredible bad shape: slow to accelerate, lost power, huge gas mileage, very poor braking ; the brake pedal was very hard to push down and very unresponsive. In order to upshift at normal low speeds the engine had to rev-up to 2,500- 3,000 rev/min just to overcome the friction or the opposing forces. The front wheels got
    very very hot and soon the new semimetallic pads were smoking.

    This was the service from a Dodge 5 star dealer in New Jersey! Cost $725.

    The next day I took the car to a STS car service near my home.The Dodge dealer was closed on Saturdays.

    They found that the front calipers were stuck, with their sliders not working. They also recommended to replace the front rotors by being to thin. (* previoulsy just resurfaced at the first dealer). The new pads installed a day before were aready cracked. They replaced front calipers, rotors and pads. Cost $436.

    At this point it is incredible that the 5 star Dodge dealer did not check or observe the worn and stuck calipers.

    But the car was still with the brakes applying,
    overheating the front wheels really hard. (*even
    after this service at STS).

    Monday I went to another Dodge dealer in Metuchen, NJ.

    After looking at the car they said that:

    - the whole system was contaminated by a contaminated brake fluid (they suggested at Lube express facility where I had an oil change three days prior to these problems)

    - they said they found swollen hoses, and that the ABS pump and the main hydraulic control unit has to be replaced; basically with all the prior replacements and repairs now they were actually suggesting to continue to put a new brake system on: new ABS puMp, new hydraulic control unit, new hoses, and new rear calipers (although the problem was with the front wheels).

    Cost 2,865 (parts: $1,600 and they claimed 13.5 hrs of labor).

    - I made a case against Lube express and tried to recover damage from my insurance company; the
    insurance covered almost everything for this latter work except the full rate of labor. (paid from my pocket $800).

    Finally, yesterday I went to pick-up my repaired car with the new brake system installed.

    Unbelievably, the car has the same problem: brake
    drag, applying brakes all the time, overheating
    wheels, poor acceleration (since it it obviously
    running against opposing friction forces, the engine makes extra effort to push the car).

    Moreover, it seeemed that the brakes were not again working properly, 2-3 inches down of pushing the brake pedal: no response from the brakes! only if pushed to the floor really hard then the car was eventually stoppping at a much longer braking distance.

    Now, they say it might be from some air trapped in the system... and they took the car to re-bleed the brakes.

    But I think they actually did not diagnose nor correct the initial problem which is still there.

    What do you think and what should I do?
    Thanks.
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    I would have taken it right back to the first dealer and requested a car to drive while they straighten out the mess they created. I always give a mechanic a 2nd chance on a repair before looking elsewhere. I realize it was a Saturday, but letting more than one person get involved will cause them to start blaming each other. I would have tried renting a car from somewhere and getting the dealer to reimburse you if transportation was not available.

    That being said, I only go to dealers for warranty work, or things that are unusual that my "corner garage" cannot handle. They are under too much pressure to turn the cars around as quickly as possible.

    With three garages and one lube plae involved, look for a lot of finger pointing at each other.
  • njdevilsrnnjdevilsrn Member Posts: 185
    Well, the 2002 Intrepid went back to the dealer today for installation of the new computer. 3 hours and a new computer later, the car still does not run right. They have now ordered a new set of injectors, thinking that there must be a problem with the amount of fuel getting to the affected cylinder. We will see. If it is not right after this next attempt, lemon law will be pursued as the car is 7 months old with only 5400 miles.

    PS...alpx29 which Dodge dealer do you use for service? Who gave all the problems? I am from Central NJ and wonder if we are dealing with the same shop?
  • spidermacspidermac Member Posts: 1
    ...had the displeasure of owning. Or should I say financing? And I have owned some 'butes, a '92 Hyundi Scoupe (before Hyundi stopped using chewing gum and paper clips to assemble the cars), an '87(?) Sunbird (with that lovely 2.0L GM powerplant. you know the one with all of the head warpage because of the disimilar metal used in the block), a '72 Gran Torino that I had to push home, well actually after I pushed it home and fixed it, that was a pretty alright car, my first.

    I have a 2000 ES with the big V6 (3.2). The finish work is terrible, after about 2 months it sounded like I was riding in a can of marbles. The window molding decided that of didn't like being actaully attached to the window frame (replaced under warranty). The auto-stick is kinda cool but the car shifts roughly when I don't use it, especially in the upper range (trying to pass). Very disappointed with the gas milage, had a 4.6L Cougar XR7 that did better. A full size sedan should sound like I am riding in a full sized sedan, not like a can of marbles in a wind tunnel.

    Recently went to trade it on the new Marauder, but turns out the thing has depreciated to the point that I need 8K to get out of it. Some of that is my fault, rolled some negative equity into the financing.

    Well, it's not all bad, I could fit probably 6 or 7 bodies in the trunk, maybe some DC engineers/designers would like to ride back there?
  • njdevilsrnnjdevilsrn Member Posts: 185
    Well, after three trips to the dealer, a total of 4 days out of service (I got a loaner on the last trip in), a new cylinder coil and plugs, a new computer, and 2 new fuel injectors, my car is fixed!!!

    Here's to good luck for at least the next 5700 miles.
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    hey ottowrkr,

    i was just over at car-truck.com and they are giving some production dates for brampton. they say the LH production will end august 29th '03 and then LX production will begin feb 2nd '04.

    those number don't jive! there is no way that dc would have the plant down for changeover for more than 4 months! can you clarify any of this info?

    btw, i did read on the dc media site that production of the mercedes 5 speed for the LX cars starts in nov '03...
  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    No it wont be totaly down four for months . They have to retool so that may be 2 months , then we start building PVP (pre volume production) these cars do not get sold to the public . They use these to test build quality. Then we build a bunch that are used in rental fleets. This also checks quality . The final phase is customer cars and that is what we start on in Feb . So from Nov to Feb we will be building cars ( at a slow pace ) but not for the public.
  • costenjcostenj Member Posts: 14
    hey ottowrkr or anyone!

    I'm looking for the paint colour code on my 1999 Intrepid. Does anyone know where it is located?

    And has anyone experienced any loosening of the driver's side door material on the inside of the door? I noticed it sounded loose when closing and then I located some screws that required tightening...

    ---Costen
    Oakville, ON
  • david5545david5545 Member Posts: 1
    Let me start by saying that you can obviously run into problems with any make or model vehicle.
    Now, I'm no mechanic, but I've owned several different makes of cars, and I've never experienced problems like I have with my 99 Intrepid.
    In the past, I have owned a Toyota Camry, Nissan Pathfinder (Lease), Oldsmobile Cutlas Ciera, Honda Civic, amongst other vehicles.
    Not only is the quality of the intrepid obviously suspect, the service (both at the dealership and at Chrysler customer service) suck as well. The trembling of the front end and failure of the a/c system are just two of the problems I've experienced. I'm too frustrated right now to even go into the specifics. All I will say for now is that I will never purchase another Chrysler product. I should have listened to my brother when he warned my not to buy a Dodge. As soon as I can, you better believe I'm gonna dump this car and buy myself another Toyota Camry or Honda Accord.
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    wow, i had very good luck with all three (3) intrepids i owned. wouldn't even bulk a bit at buying another...
  • wkhowlandwkhowland Member Posts: 7
    Where did you purchase?

    Thanks,

    Raven
  • milliekaymilliekay Member Posts: 1
    Has anyone had engine problems with their Intrepids? Ours has about 75000 miles, but we have to put a new engine in it. I looked on the & it seems that I can find people in need of these engines, but none are for sale. I am wondering if this a mfg. defect and people just haven't reported it. Maybe I should be grateful that it has lasted 75000 miles, but I am just curious how many other might have the same problem.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    ...about any Intrepid engine, except for the earlier 3.5's and their tendency to eat water pumps.

    You might be able to find a wrecked Intrepid in the junkyard. Last time I was in our local junkyard, which specializes in Mopar, they had about 20 LH cars. Most of them were the first generation though, only a few '98+ models. If it's any consolation though, every single one was in there because of an accident. i.e.: none of them were there because of any catastrophic mechanical failure.

    I've got almost 66,000 miles on my '00, so I hope they don't have faulty engines!!
  • eeeleeel Member Posts: 57
    I just purchased a 2002 Concorde for my wife.

    This is our 5th LH car since 1993. All five have been flawless.

    93 Eagle Vision - 153,000.

    95 Intrepid - 50k when traded.

    98 Intrepid - 28k when traded.

    01 Intrepid R/T - 12k (current milage)

    02 Concorde - just got it.

    The Eagle still runs great, been hit 3 times,
    and keeps on ticking. AC was repaired under warranty. Water pump, too. Front end pieces replaced only after 2nd accident repair.

    The other LH cars, nothing but routine maintenance.

    I'd buy another in a minute.

    Thanks, Otto !!!
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    andre,

    a faulty engine would show up long before 60k miles...i'd bet you are completely safe!!

    btw, you thinkin' about those upcoming LX cars? i'd simply love to have a 2 door coupe with the hemi!! that would rock!
  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    No thank you-EEEL( 5 LH's WOW). Sometimes and I don't care what you buy you are bound to get a bad product. My company DaimlerChrysler built 3,985,600 cars in 2001, some will have problems.I don't wish problems on anybody, but they will happen.Cars are mechanical things with thousands of moving part and will break ,some sooner than others. Now the only hope we have is the dealer will do its job to repair the problem and get the car back on the road working again. The dealers seem to be our,and most other manufactures sore spot.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    I'm thinking about the upcoming LX's, but unfortunately, I have to sit this one out. I'm trying to save up now to buy a house, so my '00 is going to have to last me! I'm confident it will, though. It did finally hit 66,000 miles this past weekend, when we went up to the annual all Mopar Nationals in Carlisle, PA.

    I got a chance to drive an '02 Ram while I was up there. I need a truck like I need a hole in the head, but I have to admit that I kinda want one! Who was it earlier mentioning they were thinking about one? Jason5, was that you? It's hard to describe, but there was something cool about piloting that mammoth thing around a show field full of puny little Imperials, DeSotos, New Yorkers, etc!
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    yeah, trucks rule...but the gas mileage sucks!! if one of the LX variants is a coupe...i might just have to consider a lease at that time!!! 5.7l hemi should surely squeal the tires!!! it'd be like the old days with my first car all over (77 cordoba 400 cube 4bbl carb) again!
  • mathewmmathewm Member Posts: 1
    just wanted to post a word of warning regarding WestOaks Chrysler Dodge in Thousand Oaks CA. we left there last night after a miserable experience and after the general manager told us that it doenst matter to him what his salesmen say to a customer, whether true or not!!! i couldnt believe it.

    here is what happened. we went in on sunday to purchase a Dodge Intrepid. we made an offer and they came back with a very close counter. we said no thank you and left. the next day, the salesman called me back and said his manager approved it. i said great, we will be back tomorrow. the deal was a 2000 intrepid, still under factory warrenty, with an extended warrenty for an additional 3/36 with NO DEDUCTABLE, out the door for an agreed upon price. when we got there to make the deal, and i looked over the warrentee, i found that each incident of repair would have a 100 dollar deductable. well, after discussing it with the salesman and the manager, they agreed that the salesman miscommunicated (not with us)with his manager and finance guy. then they told me that it would cost several hundred more than we agreed upon. the GM was brought in, and he said "show it to me in writing", i told him i couldnt because we hadnt bought the car. we are here to buy the car based on the agreement we had with your salesman. the told me "the salesman miscommunicated with the manager and basically blew it". i agreed, and said, if it was his mistake and his miscommunication, you should honor what we agreed upon. and again, he said, "it doesnt matter what he said, show it to me in writing". i told him it was not a matter of legality and i wasnt trying to force them to do anything, it was a simple matter of integrity. he was totally adament, and even though he agreed it was there mistake, he would not come off the 300 dollars to fix their mistake and maintain their integrity. he even went on to say later and this is an exact quote "i guess this is good, because i dont want you as a customer. something will break and you will come in to have it fixed, and i won't do it"

    i know we all throw ourselves into the lions den when we go to buy a car, but this was way beyond what i had ever experienced.

    my advice, stay away from WestOaks C D of Thousand Oaks CA.

    mathew
  • wkhowlandwkhowland Member Posts: 7
    Ottowrkr,

    Any chance the Autostick will re-appear in the '03 ES as option or standard as in '01? I like that idea that the ES is now available with cloth (package 2DM, per Dodge "Build Your Own") as well as leather.

    Thank you
  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    AS far as I know the A/S is still not in the 03 ES.
  • lexus_onelexus_one Member Posts: 22
    ottowrkr: The dealers might not be as great a sore point if the factory workers were a bit more interested in quality.
  • beach15beach15 Member Posts: 1,305
    Amen! Although having read many a posts from Otto, it's clear that he is on the top end of better employees, but admits there are some who could still care less.

    Yes, many dealers do suck, but the cars have to be assembled correctly and of proper quality in the first place before the dealer even has to get involved!

    Oh, and I'm not talking like computer failures or anything supplier-related (but they should work to a high quality standard too!). But, things like misaligned panels, rattles, improperly installed components, etc., etc.

    In today's day and age, there should be virtually no "learning time". So, in essence, the first car out of the factory should have the same high quality as they last car that comes out. Chrysler is getting monumentally better lately, but there's always room for improvement!
  • lexus_onelexus_one Member Posts: 22
    I agree, Chrysler is getting much better, the Daimler influence is starting to show, although with such a low starting point even with the German influence it will take some time to make an acceptable product. If only robots could take over more of the assembly many more problems would be solved.
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    it's ironic that the german influence supposedly has raised chrysler group's quality while mercedes has slipped...are the german's not influencing themselves anymore??
  • beach15beach15 Member Posts: 1,305
    The problem with MB lately is that they're getting cheaper. Things like materials, build quality, etc., etc., it's just a lower grade than before. Remember MB's from before? They really were built like tanks, and it was very hard to find anything that wasn't vault-like on them. Go look at a 2002 E-Class or a G500 and you'll see what I mean.

    That, and another weird thing. While some MB's were often a little sterile and hard-edged, and Chrysler was softer, more flowing, and had more seductive shapes, the roles now seem to be reversed. Look in a new SL500 at the more cushioned, easy flowing, warm interior, along with the more seductive outside. Then, go look at a new Chrysler Pacifica. More chrome, more metal, more German-like shapes and engineering.

    It's a little weird, but just something I've noticed...
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    yeah, i think mercedes is getting dinged more on little niggling problems (wow, does that sound like chrysler of yore!) vs anything else.

    personally i think the latest mercedes cars have lost that sort of germanic...solid as a rock look. i much prefer the bmws over the mercedes.

    anyhoo, i also agree about the pacifica. when i saw the first pictures of the interior (especially dash) i was instantly reminded of what i consider a good mercedes interior to look like...
  • 300michael300michael Member Posts: 1,815
    The quality was improving before the MB take over, and has been increasing ever since. When the new joint cars, and trucks come out then we will see if the quality improves. You can not just say it is the assembly workers eather. Since most of the parts/ assemblies are preassembled the workers have no real part it it. The case in point (the dreded window motors) were actually imported from Japan) and the speed sensors (who knows where they come from). Robots like computers are only as good as their programers. Garbage in, garbage out.
  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    Thanks mike, we the guys who build the car can only build with what we are given to put on the car. DC decides the quality of the parts that go into its cars.
  • orangelebaronorangelebaron Member Posts: 435
    I found it hurtful to read that comment about assembly line workers hopefully replaced by robots.
    You can put most of any bad quality blame on the people who are at top... the management. They are the ones who decide to cut corners with poor design, substandard parts, last minute changes without time for testing (Ford). They are the ones who hire the workers as well..aren't they? So they are responsible for picking quality people and training them properly. The management should also be responsible for having a decent Quality Control and assurance program to make sure that the workers are doing their job. I once saw a "turbo" sticker placed upside down on a new Dodge Shadow at a dealer! Makes you wonder how much of an inspection these cars got as they left the factory!
    I don't like hearing people blame the average hard worker for for a lousy product. It's ultimately the people on top.
    Also... if you replace everyone with a robot, who is going to have a job anymore? People need jobs to buy cars.
  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    Yup you sound like someone who knows what they are talking about .Thanks
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    orangelebaron,

    i wouldn't get too uptight about what so and so said...he is likely a teenager anyway and what do they know!!!

    btw, anyone see the latest '03 accord pictures? what a disappointment! motortrend's sketches earlier this year held some promise, but the end result isn't that desirable, imo...
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    I think it is a strong product that takes what Honda is well known for, and adds some power. 240 hp and 31 mpg highway rating is pretty impressive, though handling and price are nothing to write home about. Compared to the horsepower and EPA ratings for the Stratus, it seems a step up.

    That being said, the often delayed new Intrepid will probably not have very impressive EPA figures if it is RWD and packing a v-8 under the hood. Of course, I don't consider them direct competitors.
  • djg1118djg1118 Member Posts: 1
    I got my 2000 Intrepid in September, 2000 from Spitzer in Parma, OH. While driving home from work Monday, I lost all power in my car. Since I had an appointment for Tuesday (fix broke CD player, tires rotated, oil change) I had the car towed to the dealer. To make a long story short, they are saying that the engine is burned out and they will not cover it with the warranty. The reason they are telling me is that there was no oil in the car. I have had all oil changes as scheduled - though not at the dealer because I could not leave my car for the day to have it done. I had no warning that anything was wrong with the car. It was not running sluggish, nor was there smoke or anything from the engine indicating that no oil was getting to it. No warning lights came on in the car. My car was not leaking oil either. The last oil change was about 6/7 months ago. The cost for an engine from a crashed Intrepid will be $ 5,000!
    Has this problem happed to anybody else? What can I do to make sure this is covered with the warranty? Thank You!
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    let's see, no leaks...no blue smoke from the exhaust...it appears either alien's stole your oil or the last place you had it changed didn't put enough in. or, you never check your oil and expect the car to run forever without it...

    btw, you could prolly buy a new engine for much less than 5k...
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    Before I bought my Intrepid, I drove a succession of beaters, some of them older than me, and some of them with mileage equalling roughly the distance between here and the moon. Naturally, some of those cars had a tendency to leak oil. It's been my experience that usualy, an oil warning light will come on once the level drops down to around 2-3 quarts. At that point, it would start to come on under hard acceleration, hard braking, or quick cornering...basically anything that could cause the oil to slosh around and drop too low to get sucked up by the pump.

    I would think you'd start seeing the warning light for the oil long before it actually ran dry. And then, it would start to make all sorts off hideous noises, giving you ample warning as it burned itself up.

    As for the price of a used engine, well hell, the dealer only offered me $6500 trade in on my '00 Trep back in February, when I was briefly considering a new Altima! If they want $5000 for a used engine, then I think I'm going to go ahead and start parting my car out! If anybody needs any parts, just email me with your requests! :-P

    Seriously, I'd think you could get a good used engine put in for around $2500-3000. Just a wild guess, though. There's a junkyard local to me that specializes in Mopars, and the last time I was in there, they had a few of the curent-generation LH cars, and about 15-20 of the first-gen. Every single one was in there because of an accident. Which means, every single one most likely still had a good engine and tranny. Even the supposedly-awful '93-95 models. Not a one was in the junkyard due to a bum tranny or engine. So there should be a pretty good supply of wrecked ones around.

    Call around to a few local wreckers and see if you can find an engine at a reasonable price...it'll be a lot less than the dealer. For instance, I have a friend who has a '98 Tracker, with a tranny that was about to die. Dealer estimated between $1000-3000 for it, which means, probably, closer to $3000. Well, I found him a used one and found a place to put it in, all for just under $1100. An Intrepid engine will be much more than a simple 3-speed RWD automatic, but that's just an example to show how expensive the dealer can be.
  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    Do you have all the bills from your oil changes at the other shop? Then call DC ,your car is still under warranty. Do not take no for an answer. Call ,call and keep calling.
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    ottowkr,

    i doubt dc would pay for personal negligence...which is what i suspect this is...or it's just a troll post!
  • costenjcostenj Member Posts: 14
    Hey guys,

    Has anyone encountered or heard any engine knocking sounds from under the hood? I've got the '99 2.7L and notice it knocking or pinging after I shut it off. I have the K&N air filter installed also. I've tried higher octane gas to no avail. Should it be tuned up? It still has another year on the extended warranty. Should I be worried?

    I've read that excessive engine knock can hurt the engine over the long-term. Any advice? Thanks. :)
  • hayneldanhayneldan Member Posts: 657
    The noise you are hearing after you shut down the engine is called run on. It is caused by carbon deposits in the combustion chamber which are still red hot and can cause the remaing gasoline in the intake manifold to ignite. Sounds like you do a lot of short trip or stop and go low speed driving.Any good Dealer or mechanic can fix this easily.
  • snowmansnowman Member Posts: 540
    Close friend of mine had 99 Avanger. He had the exact same thing you had but his was out of warranty. No warning no leak, according to him the car just stopped, I don't know all the details.
    And I agree with others, you can do better than $5K for the engine. Good luck.
  • lexus_onelexus_one Member Posts: 22
    djg1118: The response you got from your dealer is typical Chrysler. Call the district manager and if your lucky the person in that position might have the Daimler attitude rather than Chrysler.
    5000.00 for a used engine is a rip off, perhaps you could get the address of the salvage dealer that has all of the perfectly mechanically sound Intrepids in his inventory (post 1293) and he might be interested in buying yours if the body is good. After you do get the auto repaired the best move is to dispose of the lemon, trade it for a foreign model even if finances dictate that you have to buy one a few years older. An older Toyota or Honda will give you many more trouble free miles then a newer Chrysler product. On a recent trip I got stuck with a Stratus as a rental vehicle ( nothing else available ) what a disappointment! I hope the new Intrepid will be better, if not Daimler will have their hands full keeping the Chrysler ship afloat.
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