Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Dodge Intrepid

1151618202167

Comments

  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    Would it be cheaper to come to Canada to buy a brand-new car? If so, ottowrkr, I'll be putting in my request for an '02 ES soon ;-) Heck, if they're cheaper enough, I may just go for an R/T! I know there's gotta be a catch, though, somewhere.
  • lennylabratlennylabrat Member Posts: 1
    I just want to let all of you who are considering puchasing a Dodge Intrepid: My 1996(3.5) named Fred has over 118,000 miles on him, runs perfect and looks close to new. I still feel confident taking him on 500 mile round trips. So far I have proactively replaced the timing belt,had to replace the windshield wiper assembly,one motor mount,and two ball joints. Other than that it has all been routine maintenance. Things I have learned: Maintain the car well, including changing oil every 3k and transmission fluid and filter and you shouldnt have any problems. My original engine and tranny are fine. I would recommend this car without hesitation to anyone looking for a big,safe,powerful and fun car.
  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    I am pretty sure you cant take a brand new car south without paying duty on it. One year old and older cars are duty free , as per the free trade act between the U.S and Canada. Your best bet would be to contact your customs agency and ask what you would have to pay. With the exchange rate you pay like 50 U.S cents for one Canadian dollar , it may still be worth it .What a deal!!!!
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    Was in the dealer today for an oil change on my 2000 R/T. Have to say the changes from 2000 to 2002 on the R/T are not major

    Improvements

    - Illuminated entry now included
    - automatic temperature control included
    - Cloth in interior is now the same as the ES rather than the SE
    - Trunk escape handle

    Decontenting

    - No trunk lid liner
    - Front fascia no longer painted
    - Cassette no longer included in radio

    Matter of Opinion

    - Chrome wheels
    - rear spoiler
    - Engine very similar to ES now
  • yositoyosito Member Posts: 55
    Sorry but the ´02 Intrepids (ALL OF THEM) are painted,MONOTONE!

    Have a closer look at the car, i think you are mistaken.
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    yeah, how could you not paint the front fascia??
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    Edmunds doesn't have any '02 pics up yet for the Intrepid, and in fact, but the pic they show of an R/T (it looks kind of pinkish-red on my screen) appears to have an additional set of bars, along with the housing for the fog lights, mounted in the cross hairs of the grille, and it's all body-color. Maybe on the '02 R/T, the inserts are just not painted body-color any more.

    As for the whole front bumper cover, that extends around to the wheel wells, I'm sure THAT is still body color! Gawd, that would look horrible if they had that part be flat black plastic! Probably would be a lot more dent/ding/scratch resistant, though!
  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    Nothing has physically changed on the 02 Intrepid fascia, the only difference is the grill area that used to be painted black is now just left body colour. This saves money as only one paint job is needed not two.
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    It is the grill, not the entire front fascia that is not painted. My mistake of terms, I should have said the grill area of the front fascia is no longer painted black. It still has a ram's horn decal on the hood.

    Also, the illuminated entry is part of an option package, not standard. Their catalogue is not very clear on which packages are standard and what are optional. The dealer only had a couple 2002 Intrepids in stock, they seem to run a tight inventory on those until the 2001's are cleared out, since their is very little difference.

    With the badges moved, the car, like most new cars, has a very plain and monotone exterior. I much prefer the exterior of my 67 Galaxie XL, but apparently not many else want chrome and metal trim and badging right now.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    Hey gang, does anybody know how the '02 ES, with the de-powerred 3.5, performs in 0-60 and 1/4 mile times? Anybody know the EPA estimates for it?
  • scotianscotian Member Posts: 1,064
    I finally installed my custom airbox (which reminds me of a lunar lander) and all of its plumbing, and it works like a charm! While I get the desired deep throaty growl while accelerating, it is no louder than stock otherwise. It also feels more responsive.


    image



    The box:

    http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=1280646&a=13764864&p=55243320&f=0



    Final install:

    http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=1280646&a=13764864&p=55718914&f=0



    Plans:

    http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=1280646&a=13764864&p=55785794&f=0



    Old v. new:

    http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=1280646&a=13764864&p=54971393&f=0



    I have ordered two digital thermometers from JCWhitney so I can compare the temperatures between the inside and the outside of the airbox.

  • pcedprpcedpr Member Posts: 2
    This morning I inserted a CD to the fourth slot. It did not loaded correctly and the orange light that indicates CD presence is off. I tried to eject but it does not respond neither play. Also, this situation is apparently preventing slot 3 to eject. Slot 3 plays well. Any suggestion before taking the car to the shop?
  • Jason5Jason5 Member Posts: 440
    Greetings old friends...(you too emale!)

    Can't believe it's been since the spring/early summer since I last logged in. Hope all is well with you all---fellow Intrepid owners. I ventured back a few screens and see that our resident detractors are still about. My 2000 ES just is fast approaching 26,000 miles. No problems to report--other than some items resulting from having the front end removed by a poor driver back in February. Frankly I thought she'd get repaired and I'd end up trading her (you know the old "can't never fix them damn unibodies right once their broke"). So far she's as tight and sturdy as day one.
    The one problem I'm going to ask folks about again are the "incredible shrinking weather strips". Any else noticing this from the inside? My 5 star dealer said "tell the parts guy to order 4 and we'll put them in for you".. Thoughts? Good to be back..
    REALLY intrigued by the filter and air box installation...is it K&N?
  • scotianscotian Member Posts: 1,064
    It's an S&B cone filter. I bought it because I couldn't find a cone-in-a-cone version of the K&N filter. The airbox should fit the Intrepid; adjustments will have to be made in the plumbing at the TB for 2.7L engines.

    Get new weatherstripping. Make sure when they install them to flatten any kinks with heat, and to put cardboard between the strip and the interior trim before applying the heat. Or make sure its done right and do it yourself.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    I've got that, too. Around the 43,000 mile mark, the one around the rear drivers-side door started to come loose. I'm pushing 54,000 now, and they're all a bit loose. Unfortunately, I've checked my extended warranty, and it doesn't cover them. And I'm beyond the regular warranty...too danged much driving!

    Anybody know how much it would cost to fix those seals once they're out of warranty? Otherwise, the car's been pretty good. Needed new front brake pads at 39,000 miles, new rear pads at 52,000, when I also had to have the thermostat housing replaced because of a small leak.
  • Jason5Jason5 Member Posts: 440
    Try this Scotian.. I approached the service manager (who would consider us "buddies", I think) and told him that "a number of other owners on my listserv spoke of the problem, one even cited a service bulletin".. See what comes of it..
  • neuronbobneuronbob Member Posts: 43
    I've started to have some electrical problems on my '00 Intrepid.
    I went through a weak period a couple of months back, thinking about trading in for an Acura. Decided I'd rather keep my baby for a lot longer. However, my baby has been howling lately.

    The fuel indicator keeps dropping to empty. This is accompanied by the loud "bing" one hears when the gas tank is almost empty. Over and over and over again. It's become maddening! Occasionally, the overhead lights come on mysteriously, then go off. The driver's side front window sometimes won't open to command. The worst problem is that fuel indicator...."bing, bing, bing, bing"!

    I'm taking my 'trep to the dealer next week. What is the problem here?

    38700 miles in 25 months, still love the car, will love it better once the problem is solved!
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    On this date, 2 years ago, I bought my Intrepid. Roughly 53,900 miles later, and nothing too major gone wrong with it. At least nothing major enough to make me want to get rid of it yet! Well, one day that sexy blue Sebring 'vert parked next to it, and my attention, um, wandered. Hope the next two years go as smoothly!
  • Jason5Jason5 Member Posts: 440
    Hey group.. About three months ago my Trep, on two occasions, just "died". She'd start up, run fine. I'd park her, do my errand, then turn the key and "click, click".. A quick jump and she'd be up and running-without further incident. Last Saturday, she died, but GOOD! I thought it might have been something electrically related. The service manager told me that it was simply a "defective battery" and that was not "extremely uncommon". So, I have a new battery for no charge--although the rental car from Saturday thru Monday cost some.. Just a quick FYI....
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    ...what year is your Intrepid, again? I wonder how long a typical battery should last nowadays. I think that 3 years used to be a good rule-of-thumb. They could last longer, but could become unpredictable after that.

    I'm sure they've improved the technology though...at least I hope they have! How long did it take 'em to change your battery? I know it's buried in there pretty deep, and I don't look forward to the day mine needs to be replaced!
  • Jason5Jason5 Member Posts: 440
    Andre... Well a good news/bad news scenario. The good news is that they replaced the battery in less than 2 hours. I suspect it isn't really all that troublesome due to the access panel in the wheel well. The bad news is that my Intrepid is a 2000 and the battery lasted just less than two years. In fairness they did diagnose it as "defective" and it was replaced free of charge--now if only they'd have covered the three days of rental car I required. The OEM batteries in my Mitsubishi products tended to last about two years.
  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    I have changed battteries in less than 15 min. The fastest way is from inside the engine bay. Removing it from the wheelwell area takes way to much time. Take off the airbox and hose and just pull the battery up from the tray, that easy.
  • binubinu Member Posts: 81
    The battery on my 98 concorde lxi lasted 2.5 years. It just died one morning and my car had to be towed. There were absolutely no signs of any impending failure till that moment.
  • bigcheezbigcheez Member Posts: 11
    I currently have a 96 Interpid. Have been looking at other cars, not really considering the Intrepid again. Had to get the sunroof installed on my car, does it ever come installed from the factory on the 2002 models?
    I have to admit I am leaning toward Altima or Maxima, but I hate to not buy American.
    I don't like the looks of the newer ones as well as mine, but guess I should atleast take one for a spin.

    Any one have a new 2002, and if so comments.

    Thanks.
  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    Yes a sunroof does come from the factory on the 2002 Intrepids. Please take one for a drive,the difference between the 96 and the 02 are night and day.Not sure on what you want to spend but on a vehicle but take a look at the R/T Intrepid if you want something sporty . If you want something more luxurious take a look at the 02 Concorde, this year the styling on the outside is taken from last years LHS.Also if you want the top of the line sports sedan ,look no further than the 2002 300M ,a four door with a the mind of a sports car .As the Intrepid board is not very populated you may want to ask about quality issues to the guys on the 300M board. The 300 M,Concorde and Intrepid are all built in the same plant and share many of the same components. The 300 board is one on the most popular on this Edmunds site. They will be able to give you an honest answer to any of your questions. Good luck on your decision
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    I have a 2000 R/T, and compared to my sister-in-law's 1994 Intrepid, it is like night and day. Her 3.3 ohv v-6 sounded coarse, the 3.5 sounds like a sewing machine. The interior detail is much better, the exterior trim is higher quality, and it feels more substantial.

    I have the sunroof option, it is nice. I know there are deals to be had on all the LH's, so I would seriously consider one. Altima's and Maxima's are nice, but make sure to look at the Intrepid as well.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    I have a 2000 Intrepid, base model. 54000 miles so far, with no major problems yet. Truthfully, I didn't like the '98 redesign, either, at first. I thought it was ugly compared to the '93-97, but it's grown on me.

    FWIW, the December issue of Car & Driver has a family sedan comparo with an '02 Intrepid SE (base model) in it. I thought it was an unfair comparison, because they pitted a base Intrepid against an up-level Impala, Taurus, Camry, Altima, and Accord. They also tested an XG350 and Regal LS, which come well-equipped, even basic. The Intrepid finished 5th. Even though it was at a disadvantage, it still beat beat out the domestics, but still fell short of the XG350, Altima, Camry, and Accord. They should've tested an Intrepid ES though. I'm sure it would've scored much higher, with the stronger 3.5 and better equipment list.

    But anyway, take one out for a test drive before you make a decision. Even though it's been around since 1998, I think the Intrepid has aged very well, and still holds its own against the competition.
  • Jason5Jason5 Member Posts: 440
    Andre--Been a subscriber to C&D since the 10th grade and was a bit put out by their comparison. Shows a lack of good sense to use an SE among those other sedans. In fact, I priced it. They could have had an ES, WITH ABS, for less than many of the other sedans. I was, however, heartened by the fact that it soundly trashed the other domestics. An ES with no options still comes in under 24K. And frankly, we all know that most car mags would rather plunge to their death on a bed of knives than admit a "domestic" was comparable to an "import"... I've driven an Accord and it's a great car..but I'm a former linebacker and prefer the room, styling and overall competence of my Intrepid for the price.
  • Jason5Jason5 Member Posts: 440
    Forgot to ask... Has anyone driven a 2002 ES with the 3.5? I'm curious how it stacks up to the "high output" 3.5--or what most of us with memory understand was the "original" 3.5.. As well as the 3.2...
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    hey jason,

    to me the 3.2l in my '00 felt almost exactly like (horsepower, etc) the old cast iron 3.5l in my '96. if i remember right, the old 3.5l was rated at 214hp/221 torque. the new one is rated somewhere around 240 hp so i'd imagine it would feel a little more punchy. anyway, hope the trep is treatin' you good! i'm on my second s-crew. this fall i traded for a more luxurious one. intially had an xlt, now am the owner of a king ranch. the leather in the kr is to die for. anyway, you all take care and have fun. i do miss my intrepid! it just isn't as much fun "flogging" a truck as it is a car!
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    how the 2.7 that used to be standard in the ES compares to the 2.7 in the base model, like what I have. What exactly is an active intake valve?

    I'm looking at the 2000 Intrepid brochure they gave me when I bought mine, and it shows hp and torque curves for the 3.2 and 2.7 w/ active intake valve. For some reason they chose not to show the 3.5 and regular 2.7. But on the 2.7 curve, it looks like, judging from the distortion of the curve, that you get maybe 5 more ft-lbs of torque up to about 4200 rpm, where it looks like it peaks out at 195 ft-lb. Then it looks like it drops down to about 190 around the 4500 rpm level, but then creeps back up to maybe 192 right around the 5000 rpm mark. So I guess the active intake kind of gives it two peaks on the torque curve? As for hp, the curve has a distorted peak right around 5900-6100 rpm, so I guess that's where you see the benefit of the extra 2 hp!

    As for various 0-60 times, here's what I've heard...
    3.3 V-6 (153?-161 hp) 10-12 seconds
    3.5 V-6 (214 hp) 9.2 seconds
    2.7 V-6 (200 hp) 9.5-10 seconds
    2.7 V-6 (202 hp- active intake) 8.8 seconds
    3.2 V-6 (222-225 hp) 8.4-9 seconds
    3.5 V-6 (242 hp R/T): 7.8-7.9 seconds

    Of course, take 'em with a grain of salt...magazine tests can be innacurate, and so can my memory!

    With all this 0% APR hoopla, I'm almost tempted to try out an '02 ES, to see how that 234 hp 3.5 performs. If anyone else out there gets a chance to drive one, please report on it!
  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    This is how they(DC) detuned the 3.5 this year with the 3.5. They removed the active intake valve from the H.O and called it low output. The intake plenum has two sets of air runners, one set of long one set of short . Air going through these runners travels at different speeds, so for more power the valve makes the air go into the power runners ,when your just driving around town the air goes into the regular ones.
  • Jason5Jason5 Member Posts: 440
    Hello old friend! Best wishes for a happy holiday to you. Toss me an email if you can--maybe we'll try to put together that Dodge friendly group to visit the North American Auto Show in Detroit. Didn't get there last year but did get to New York in spring---that was fortuitous for many obvious reasons.
    My Intrepid is still going strong. Only obvious issues were the infamous dead battery and the "incredible shrinking" weather strips. I am rather envious of you buddy...I would NEVER by an F-150 but have drooled over that King Ranch edition. Really like that style of leather...
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    yeah, one of these years i need to try and make it to the auto show. unfortunately, i'm booked up again this year with family vacation stuff. anyway, i must admit that it is odd that i own a ford, but the s-crew is a decent ride. i checked out the new quad cab ram, but to tell you the truth, it left me a little wanting. the back seat just isn't as comfortable as that in the s-crew. plus, the dodge powertrains won't be up to snuff until the 5.7l hemi comes out next fall. anyhoo, good to hear that you are all doing fine. btw, my boss still has his '00 intrepid and seems to really like it. i'm not sure how many miles it has on it. he told me the other day that so far he did have to replace one window motor and also some sort of sensor that caused the "check engine" light to illuminate. all fixed under warranty. i guess he is seriously thinking about getting a new one since they are offering that 7yr/100k powertrain warranty through 12-31. that and 0% financing would be enough to "hook" me if i were in the market for a car...
  • njdevilsrnnjdevilsrn Member Posts: 185
    Hello everyone. Just took delivery of my first ever Dodge product last week, a Steel Blue 2002 Intrepid SE. We got the option package that has the keyless entry, etc. Didn't plunge for the higher trim lines, as the car is a basic transport vehicle for the wife, who puts maybe 7000 miles a year on a car. Traded in a 2000 Malibu that we were still making bank payments on, but we had the engine rebuilt at 10000 miles because of a piston problem. Anyhow, the 2.7 6 cylinder seems to give better pick up than the 3.1 in the GM did, and the Intrepid outweighs the Malibu by a couple hundred pounds.

    Any pearls of wisdom anyone can share about Intrepid ownership would be appreciated. Thanks!
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    The generation 2 Intrepid has a much better reputation than the earlier generation.

    They are pretty well equipped as is. Due to the air flow, there has been some issue with odd turbulence with the moon roof open, have to crack the rear windows slightly.

    There are some compromises due to the styling (rear door, low headliner getting in and out of the car), but I think you will find the car pleasently surprising, and will start to wonder why it doesn't sell better than it does.

    I've got a 2000 R/T, it is great.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    ...on your purchase! I have a 2000 base model, which has served me well for about 54,500 miles. Just made my 24th payment, and she's still going strong. I like that steel blue color, too. If they'd had it in stock when I bought mine, that's the color I would've picked.

    As for maintenance issues, here's what I've had done on the car (my apologies to the veterans around here, for the repeat)

    30,000 miles: new tires, transmission service
    35,000 miles: new power lock actuator in driver's door
    39,000 miles: new front brake pads
    43,000 miles: rear door rubber seal shrunk and came loose. Passenger side remote mirror quit working
    50,000 miles: new spark plugs, new rear brakes, new thermostat housing.

    That's about it, except for oil changes every 3-4000 miles, rotating the tires every 3rd oil change, a few PCV valves and air filters, a couple tire plugs, and a Viper alarm/remote entry (installed after someone broke into the car).

    Also, I used to deliver pizzas with this car, so it's probably seen more abuse than a typical car. On a busy night, this car would get turned on and off about 15-20 times, not to mention countless times of me slamming the door, and hopping in the seat. I could easily put a month's worth of "normal" use on that car in one night!

    As for mileage, I think the worst I ever got was just under 20, and that was while delivering pizzas, in the winter time, and running on oxygenated gas. I've actually gotten a bit over 30 on trips.

    I had a Malibu rental car back in May, and noticed the same thing. The Malibu's 3.1 is supposed to be quicker from 0-60 (don't know about the 1/4 mile though), but it just felt slow compared to my Intrepid.

    Oh yeah, as for odd turbulence like Jsylvester mentioned, my 'Trep was the first car I ever noticed that if you only put down the rear windows, they would vibrate once you got up over 30-35 mph or so. At higher speeds, the noise and vibration can give you a serious headache! Since then, I've noticed that all new cars do it, unless you crack one of the front windows a bit to neutralize it.
  • flyboytwtflyboytwt Member Posts: 1
    I've been very seriously considering purchasing a Dodge Intrepid, but have also been doing some comparison shopping. While at another auto maker the other day, the salesperson mentioned that Dodge was discontinuing the Intrepid line after the 2002 model year. I've done a considerable amount of research on all the makes and models of cars I've been considering, and have not run across any mention of this being the last year for the Intrepid. Anyone have any information on this, or is this just another instance of a competing salesperson/dealer spreading rumors about their competition? Thanks in advance for any insight.
  • canccanc Member Posts: 715
    What other competitors are you considering?

    As far as I know, the Intrepid will have a redesign, but not until 2004 or 2005. The new Intrepid is also supposed to have a 5-speed automatic transmission borrowed from Mercedes.
  • ehaaseehaase Member Posts: 328
    The salesperson probably confused with Intrepid with the Intrigue, which is being discontinued after 2002. Many auto salesmen know little or nothing about cars or the automobile industry.
  • njdevilsrnnjdevilsrn Member Posts: 185
    That was actually one of the questions I asked when I bought the car. Of the 3 dealers I visited, one said the car is tentatively for a re-design in 2 years, the others had no knowledge of that. None of them mentioned a plan to discontinue the Intrepid.
  • canccanc Member Posts: 715
    Supposedly the Intrepid will be based on a new platform on which the cab forward design will not be applied.
  • neuronbobneuronbob Member Posts: 43
    I've also heard about the impending design of the Intrepid. I've not heard about the 5-speed tranny from MB.

    '00 Intrepid, just passed 39000 miles today, still going....
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    ...is that the Dodge version of the LX, the car that will replace the LH, may or may not be called Intrepid. I'd heard that at one point they were considering the Super8 Hemi as a potential replacement for the Intrepid, but thankfully, that mutation didn't get a good response from the public. Personally, I kinda like it, but all I have to say is that if they produce it, I hope they have something more "normal" to save Dodge when that Super8 thing flops!


    I read this on http://www.car-truck.com/ which has a lot of info and speculation on present and future DC offerings.

  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    . Well we at the plant were given a newsletter about our next model change 2004. This is when we change over to RWD, we start production Jan 2004 .The info was rather vague ,but we were told we would build the LX ,LXI ,300N and something called the Allsport?? Nothing about Intrepid was mentioned . So does this mean the end for the Intrepid ? I hope not
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    With the new equipment levels in the R/T, the price and equipment level is getting pretty close to a 300M. There is no question 300M are pretty easy to find, and are deeply discounted. Not so sure about the R/T, the salesmen act like buyers are lined up for them.

    I have a 2000 R/T, and I love it, but I like leather, heated seats, and a nicer interior. The same powertrain in a 300M's interior sounds mighty tempting. Granted the brakes and suspension are firmer than the base 300M, but I could live with that.

    Is the $1,000 owner loyalty credit for a 300M lease available if you trade a DC vehicle, or just if returning off of lease?
  • njdevilsrnnjdevilsrn Member Posts: 185
    Hey a question for you all. I noticed the manual calls for oil changes at 7500 mile intervals on my 2002 Intrepid. I have never waited that long for oil changes, usually sticking to the old 3000 mile rule on my Explorer and former car (Malibu). What are your experiences, thoughts.

    PS...Anyone know of a good Dodge or Chrysler service department in Central NJ? There are a ton around, Dennis Adams Dodge is a stone's throw away.

    Also, the people on the Malibu board ripped on our choice of car, saying it is Chrysler garbage, etc. All I tried to do was say goodbye to my fellow posters on that board.
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    Ignorance is bliss, as they say. I had a Malibu rental once, it was okay for its role in life, but it ain't no Intrepid.

    The 2nd generation LH are probably the best sedan for the money on the road.

    I've always ran mine to the dealer for the oil changes, primarily because it is close, and the one time I didn't, the place I took it to used a filter with a bad backflow valve, which caused valve clatter on starting. The Mopar filters my dealer uses doesn't do that.

    I've never changed my own oil, but the 300M board here has a ton of info.

    Check out this website, though it can be kind of juvenile:

    http:\\www.dodgeintrepid.net
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    I do mine myself. I shoot for every 3000 miles, although I did stretch it to 4000 a couple times. I don't know if I'd stretch it to 7500 miles though, unless I did mostly highway driving. FWIW, I have an old 1971 Dodge Dart owner's manual, and even back then they had the 7500 mile interval listed.

    I don't know how hard it was to change the oil on your Malibu, but I can change my oil without even jacking the car up, which is a good thing, because there aren't too many spots for the jack under there!

    Also, don't worry about the Chevyheads giving you a hard time for buying a Chrysler product. That's been going on since cars had tailfins, and even before that, most likely!
  • Jason5Jason5 Member Posts: 440
    As I understand from a relative who is a Dodge dealer; one of the few that KNOWS anything, and my own research--two possibilities are likely. First scenario involves the Intrepid, Concorde, and 300N being moved slightly "upmarket" and converted to RWD using judicious tire selections and traction/stability controls to avoid alienating those of us who drive in snow and foul weather. This vehicle supports the use of DaimlerBenz platform technology and parts. The redesigned Stratus/Sebring would be marketed as the "less expensive, front drive family sedan" choice. This scenario is supported by some pictures of rear wheel drive prototypes under 300M skins seen in car mags.
    The other scenario, and one I hope for frankly, is that the Intrepid/Concorde will use a revised FWD platform, revised engines and transmissions--most like the evolution from the 1st to 2nd generation Intrepid. The RWD--if used at all--would be reserved for an "upmarket" 300N replacement.
    Oil Changes--My driving, while not torturous, is in town and brief trips. I realize that I have to "work through" my brainwashing about 3000 mile oil changes, but can't quite embrace the whole 7500 mile thing. So..I generally change oil at about 5000 miles. Each time I've asked the guys how the oil looks, and looked myself, and they have said "OK".. Not tarry, overly dark or broken down.
    Malibu??? Of course the Malibu contingent whines! My sister-in-law has one going on two years and I am rather underwhelmed. Styling aside--it has neither the room, handling or appeal of my Intrepid. Sure--it's cheaper and I'm sure it's a relatively solid car...but.... And ANYONE owning a GM vehicle that suggests a Chyrsler is junk should spend a bit more time with their therapist. But I guess when your engine technology and architecture has been around for 40 years---you should be doing something OK... Done with the snide comments...
    Question...Those of you who have replaced your tires. Please tell me what you used and how you like them.. I'm still thinking Goodyear Aquatred 3's when I hit 30-35 K..
    LAST ITEM.. You should all know that my 5 Star service manager told me to order 4 new weatherstrips for the doors and they'd be replaced free of charge. Mine are shrinking and while it's not a big problem--it's nice to know he's amenable to changing them. Sorry this was so long..
    2000 Steel Blue ES with Leather and 26K...
Sign In or Register to comment.