NHTSA Complaint #10086406 — 1999 DODGE INTREPID

WE BOUGHT THE CAR WHEN IT WAS TWO YEARS OLD WITH 21,000 MILES ON IT. FROM THE MINUTE WE DROVE IT HOME, THE AIR WOULDN'T COOL IN THE SUMMER AND THE HEAT WOULD GO OUT IN THE WINTER. EVERY TIME WE BROUGHT IT IN TO BE LOOKED AT, THE DEALER COULD NOT IDENTIFY A PROBLEM WITH IT. WE'VE NOW OWNED THE VEHICLE SINCE FECURARY 2002 AND THE IDLE WAS ALWAYS A BIT ROUGH. WE WERE TOLD THAT, THAT WAS THE WAY THE ENGINE WAS SUPPOSED TO SOUND. A FEW WEEKS AGO THE VALVES STARTED CLATTERING. WE CHANGED THE OIL TWICE AFTER BEING TOLD THAT, THAT WOULD RECTIFY THE ISSUE AND IT DIDN'T. ON 8/7/2004 WE WERE ON THE ROAD THE ENGINE STARTED CLATTERING REALLY LOUD, WE PULLED OFF AND HAD OUR OIL CHANGED PROFESSIONALLY THIS TIME. AFTER GETTING BACK ON THE ROAD THE IDLE SEEMED BETTER BUT THE CLATTERING GOT WORSE AND WAS FOLLOWED BY AN ADDITIONAL NOISE. SHORTLY AFTER THE ENGINE MADE A LOUD NOISE AND SEIZED. THE CAR IS A 1999 WITH 72,000 MILES ON IT AND THE ENGINE IS BLOWN, THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE!*AK