NHTSA Complaint #10066360 — 2001 DODGE INTREPID

OIL LIGHT COMES ON UPON IDLING AFTER DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ALSO HAVE NOTICED OIL LEAKING. A POOL OF OIL ON GROUND WHERE CAR IS PARKED. TOOK TO DODGE DEALERSHIP TO EXAMINE. CAR STILL UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY UNTIL DEC 2004. UPON EXPECTION DODGE ADVISES THEY NEED TO REPLACE OIL PRESSURE SWITCH (UNDER WARRANTY) & GASKET IN OIL PAN. I AUTHORIZED THOSE REPAIRS. ALSO ADVISED REPLACING OIL FILTER & 1 BOTTLE OF OIL. CAME OUT PAYING $82.00. ONCE I GOT HOME AND LOOKED AT MY RECEIPT THEY ALSO ROTATED MY TIRES (NOT SURE WHY I JUST HAD THAT DONE IN JAN. 04), REPLACED POWER STEERING BELT. A WEEK LATER STILL NOTICE OIL LIGHT COMING ON & OIL LEAK IS WORSE. TOOK CARE BACK TO DEALERSHIP & UPON INSPECTION THEY HAVE ADVISED I HAVE A "SLUDGE" BUILD UP FROM USING 10W30 OIL. ENGINE NEEDS TO BE FLUSHED ESTIMATE $287. I REFUSE AND TAKE CARE HOME. I HAVE FRIEND FLUSH ENGINE FOR FREE. NO SLUDGE WAS VISIBLE UPON FLUSH. OIL LIGHT STILL COMES ON & OIL LEAK STILL PRESENT. THIS TIME I DECIDE TO TAKE IT TO A MECHANIC INSTEAD OF THE DEALERSHIP. UPON THEIR INSPECTION THEY SEE A MAJOR LEAK COMING FROM TIMING CHAIN COVER. THEY ALSO REMOVED OIL PRESSURE SWITCH & HOOKED MANUAL GAUGE AND RAN TESTS. OIL PRESSURE WAS GOOD IN ALL CONDITIONS THEY SAW NO PROBLEM WITH PUMP OR ENGINE BEARINGS. THEY CONTACTED MY WARRANTY WITH ESTIMATE TO REPAIR TIMING COVER OIL LEAK. WARRANTY APPROVED REPAIRS. UPON REMOVING TIMING COVER THEY REPLACED BAD GASKET AND REPLACED CRANK SEAL. TOTAL CHARGES $223.73 WARRANTY PAID $206.26. NO FURTHER PROBLEM WITH OIL LIGHT OR OIL LEAK AT THIS TIME. I CHANGE MY OIL EVERY 3000 MILES. CONSIDERING THE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR OKLAHOMA, 10W30 OIL IS SATISFACTORY, MY CAR ONLY HAS 55,000 MILES ON IT. LUCKILY I PURCHASED THE EXTEDED WARRANTY WHEN I BOUGHT IN 2 YEARS AGO. I WILL DEFINITELY BE LOOKING TO SELL THIS CAR BEFORE THE END OF THIS YEAR AFTER REVIEWING ALL THE SAME COMPLAINTS ON THE DODGE 2.7L ENGINE. *AK