NHTSA Complaint #10058474 — 2000 DODGE INTREPID

I HAVE A 2000 DODGE INTREPID WITH A 2.7L ENGINE. MY WIFE, WITH MY DAUGHTER, WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING EXTREMELY ROUGH AT A STOP LIGHT. THE CAR WOULD BARELY MOVE CAUSING HER GREAT DIFFICULTY IN GETTING OUT OF THE INTERSECTION. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE JEFF SACH'S DEALERSHIP IN FRANKFORT, KY FOR REPAIR. WE WERE THEN TOLD THAT THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE ENGINE TYPE.THEY SAID THAT THEY COULD RE-BUILD THE ENGINE BUT COULD NOT GUARANTEETHAT THE ENGINE WOULD LAST A WEEK. THIS VEHICLE HAS 80,000 MILES ON IT AND IS HALF PAID FOR AND CHRYSLER SAYS THAT THE DESIGN CAUSES IT TO BE REPLACED ONCE IT GOES BAD. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED US THAT CHRYSLER KNEW IT WAS A POOR DESIGN BUT THAT WAS THE TRADE OFF FOR MORE POWER OUT OF A SMALLER ENGINE. WE CALLED CHRYSLER AND WERE INFORMED THAT IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY SO THERE WAS REALLY NO NEED TO CALL THEM. IN A DAY WHERE TUNE UPS ARE NOT REQUIRED FOR THE FIRST 100,000 MILES ON MOST VEHICLES,ONE WOULD SEEM TO EXPECT AN ENGINE THAT DID NOT FAIL BEFORE THEN EITHER. I HAVE SINCE DISCOVERED THAT THIS PROBLEM IS EXTREMELY COMMON. FORTUNATELY MY WIFE WAS STOPPED AND NOT DRIVING IN TRAFFIC WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED. IF THAT HAD BEEN THE CASE SHE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD POWER STEERING OR BRAKES WITH WHICH TO CONTROL THE CAR.