Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
My own Trep just went over 150,000 miles - it's being used less often since I bought the 1997 Town & Country on 5/18. The Trep now has it's own car cover and sits protected from the sun and the elements 6 days a week. Ironically I've put so much money into it that the car looks and runs like new...It would be hard to persuade the wife I need a new car!
Bob - I agree with Pat. This board would not be the same without you!!
I think in general the Mopar show is bigger than the Ford show at Carlisle, and the GM show is smaller than either one. Again, just the opposite of real-world sales!
My Trep will be 6 years old in November, and considering that it sits out all the time, I'm impressed at how good it still looks. They really have come a long way with paint durability over the years. Once upon a time, I don't think a silver car would last more than a few years before fading, but except for a few nicks and scratches and dings here and there, mine is still nice and shiny...when it's cleaned up, at least! One problem with silver is that it doesn't show off dirt like other colors, so I tend to let it go too long without washing.
Hey Pat, I'm just curious...could you tell me how long I've been a member? I can't remember when I first signed up, but I think I started posting regularly around the time I bought my Trep, November of '99. Oh yeah, how many posts have I made? Just wonderin'
Andre: I've been meaning to talk to you about your lack of ANY life whatsoever... and, you may be offered a starring role in Revenge of the Nerds 9... :shades:
Bob, aka marsha7...
OK, I wanted to get a tune-up on my 2000 Intrepid. It has 84,500 miles on it and I figured with gas prices they way they are and plus I'm nearing the 100K mark, I should at least replace the plugs.
I went to a Tune-Up Clinic and the guy told me $69.99 but since the manufacturer "requires" double-platinum plugs on my car, which were $8.50 each, the price jumped to almost $130. :surprise: Of course, they wouldn't warranty the job for the $4.50 single platinums.
Do Intrepids really require DPP or was he trying to get over on a "dumb girl"?
They do have a double platinum plug listed for $4.79, part # CHA7032.
"OEM" stands for "Original Equipment Manufacturer" so it looks like the car originally came with just the single platinums. FWIW, my mechanic told me that mine needed to be changed when he inspected them, around the 51,000 mile mark. I can't remember what kind of plugs he put in, though.
And don't feel bad, I don't think they were trying to get one over on a "dumb girl"...they'd probably do it to anybody! I'm a guy, and I didn't know what kind of plugs the car needed until I just looked it up! Looking back, I think I had my hair dyed blonde back then, so maybe my mechanic was taking advantage of a "dumb blonde" :P
I drove a Charger last weekend at a test drive event Chrysler was sponsoring at the Mopar Nationals in Carlisle, PA. It's not a bad car, but I don't know if its enough to make me want to ditch my Intrepid for it! For one thing, I don't like the interior as much...too plasticky compared to my '00 Intrepid, but to be fair they did start cost cutting on the Intrepid's interior around 2002. I also hit my head on the rear window in the back seat, and in some dimensions, the car is definitely smaller inside. For instance, I wouldn't want to try getting 3 passengers in the back seat, and the trunk is smaller too.
They only let us drive around on a short test course that we had to share with pedestrians and other show traffic, so I'll have to actually take one on a REAL test drive and see how I like it. But I have a feeling I'll be hanging on to my Trep for a bit longer.
One the bright side, the tranny is still working well at 66,000 miles.
We drove a Charger, too, but didn't buy it.
We do have a new 300C in the garage, however.
Trunk in the C is smaller than the Trep, and back seat is about the same--a little bigger than the Charger, I thought.
The reason we went with the 300 was it seemed most like the 99 ES. We shopped for 8 months.
ES
My 2000 ES just turned 120,000 miles and is doing well. Thought it might take until summer's end but it turned early. I anticipate hitting 125,000 by fall with trips and other committments. We just sent my mother's "antique" 1994 Intrepid ES (with 47,000 miles) off to college with my niece. Looks brand new and should continue to provide safe, economical transportation for 4 years (finger's crossed). Other than that, her replacement red 2006 Charger SXT continues to work well. I've certainly enjoyed the occasional drives I've had in it.
http://photobucket.com/albums/v247/jgandrew/Mopar%20Nationals%202005/
It's mainly older stuff, but I took a couple overview shots to highlight how good the Intrepid turnout was. Oh, and if anybody's interested, Intrepid.net has a club get together there and a tent, and they'll feed ya, too. I had registered under another club, but I'm thinking about joining with them next year. So if any Intrepid owners are up for it next year, think about registering for the fun field at the Carlisle Mopar Nationals next year!
Long story short, the noise has disappeared, but the shifting is still harsh. I believe it is the speed sensors, and for $14 for each sensor, I ordered them from Rock Auto.com. If that doesn't fix it, then it is off to my mechanic, but speed sensors are the most common issue that is often misdiagnosed.
Luckily still have Old Blue, my 94 Grand Marquis around, as I can take the time on fixing the Dodge.
Thanks for the great pictures. I am enjoying them. When I die, I want heaven to be just like that Mopar Nationals meet.
Ed
Thanks! That problem must be along the same lines as when my interior lights just come on while I am driving-always fun. And then there are all the blown-out bulbs on the dash. Has anyone had these replaced? I am presuming this is a dealer job-is it expensive? For now, if I get pulled over, I just tell the officer that I couldn't see how fast I was going and giggle (just kidding!). Thanks again...
This has been a GREAT car. An odd noise has developed in the last month, though. I can't here it from the driver's seat but I have had 2 passengers in the back seat tell me that on an uphill acceleration that it sounds like a flat tire! (no - there is not a flat or even a low tire). The car still seems to handle fine.
Any ideas on what might be happening? I know that with this many miles, there are bound to be some problems come up.
Thanks,
Good luck.
The miles are almost all highway, and the leather interior is in good shape, but I know that eventually the secondary systems are bound to die as the car ages. Does anyone have any idea as to the cost of these things? How safe is it to drive with the tie rods being shot? If we do get rid of it, might it be better to part it out somehow? Edmonds says that the car is worth $820 based on the mileage and the "rough" condition.
I know there's a lot of griping about reliability, but this car has never let us down, and it's fantastic for a kid to use to move stuff to college with it's huge trunk and folding seats. Wish they still made this car.
Everything else is strictly up to you...with a value of $820, I would put up to $500-$1000 into it, if everything is that good, and drive it until the wheels fall off, hopefully at a speed no faster than 3 mph...
Boil it down to this...if steering, suspension and brakes are working well, the car is generally safe...drive it until the floor drops out and Fred Flintstone rejects it as a trade-in... :shades: :shades:
I'm not sure about on something newer like an Intrepid, but I don't think a tie rod is a very expensive part to replace. As for belts, hoses, and the water pump, that stuff is just considered maintenance these days! But, once you start factoring in water pumps, that can be very expensive maintenance! I wonder how much the struts would cost to replace? I kinda miss the old days with shocks. Sure, you had to replace them every 30-40,000 miles or whatever, but you could usually do it yourself, and for under a hundred bucks!
Thanks, ( and yes, I love my intrepid, just looking to buy the next one!!)
with 209,000 miles I would fix the suspension stuff and try for 300,000 miles. Post your mileage on the Allpar website. They keep a list of Mopars with high mileage. You may be able to get it on there, now. We are only at half that mileage on our 99. I hope my son takes it to college in a couple of years and we approach 209K miles.
FrEa|<
FrEa|<
years old. Well now it's 5 years old and it just turned 40,000. I've noticed when i can to a stop my temp. goes up and the heat doesnt work but if I'm driving at a steady pace the heat will work and the temp. wont go over the half way mark. I thought it was low on coolent which I put in and that seemed to help but now it's doing it again. Any suggestions would be great. Its the 2.7 liter. Debateing if I should get rid of it. I heard a few bad stories about the engines on those.
Thanks
The car still runs fine, the exterior lights work fine, the AC/Heater unit works, but now cycles through defrost, feet, to vents, and from hot to cold, like it doesn't remember the previous setting.
Everything had worked fine previous to this, and I have checked the fuses for the various components, and they are all fine. The windows roll down just perfectly, and the doors lock automatically when the car gets over 15 mph.
I tried disconnecting the battery to reset the computer, but no dice. The radio will make a slight pop in the speakers when you turn it on, but you never get the clock or any response on it..
Any thoughts? Thanks guys...
But after reading your story, I'm starting to have second thoughts! :surprise:
Here's a rough rundown of the ordeal I went through that day, copied from a post I made awhile back...
Anyway, you basically have no choice but to jack up the car and take the tire off. You can see the battery from under the hood, but it's too big to bring it out that way, as about half of the battery is actually underneath the headlight assembly. It's best to take the air cleaner assembly loose though, because it does make access to the hold-downs much easier.
The little plastic panel in the wheel well is pretty easy to take off, but be careful, because it's held in place by these little bolts that go through these clips that are attached to the panel. They're not attached very well, and will fall off. Also, when you're taking off the bolt for the hold-downs, make sure you cover the positive terminal with a rag or something, or you'll most likely be hitting it with your socket, and making a nice little firework display of sparks. I wonder how many people have been electrocuted trying to replace one of these batteries?
I'd say the whole ordeal took me about an hour and a half, maybe a bit more. One reason it took so long though was because I had to keep hunting down tools, and the socket I used had something wrong with the ratchet. It kept going into, for lack of a better word, "neutral". Somewhere between on and off.
The battery in my '67 Catalina finally called it quits on Wednesday. I went out to the car after work, turned the key, and . Now, it's done that sometimes in the past, and all I'd have to do is jiggle the cables a bit to get it running again. But this time, no amount of jiggling would do it. Oh, and I also noticed that it had a Motorcraft battery in it! My first thought was, how did that get in there?! But then I remembered. A few years ago, my Granddad was worried about the battery in his Taurus. It was around 4 years old, I guess, and while it was still working fine, he just wanted a new one. Well, I figured I'd save him a few bucks, so I changed it for him, instead of having him go to the dealer. It's only like a 5 minute job in a '94 Taurus, almost the polar opposite of the Intrepid!
Well, I held onto the old battery, and I guess at some point I put it in my convertible, and forgot about it. Until Wednesday! One of my managers tried to jump start me with his '96 Accord, but I guess it just didn't put out enough juice. So he gave me a ride home, and I came back up to work later with my '79 NYer, and it fired right up.
So, in short, that little Honda just didn't have what it took to jump start that Pontiac with the Ford battery. No, it took a CHRYSLER to do it! :P Advantage, Mopar! :shades: