NHTSA Complaint #10132320 — 2001 DODGE INTREPID

MY 2001 DODGE INTREPID 2.7, THE ONE THAT HAS HAD OVER 9500 COMPLAINTS IN MY AREA ALONE. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN A LOUD RATTLING NOISE STARTED COMING FROM THE ENGINE. IT SOUNDED LIKE A CARD IN A BICYCLE SPOKE. I CHECKED THE OIL AND ALL THE FLUIDS UNDER THE HOOD ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT TIME FOR A CHANGE WAS OK. THEN I PROCEEDED DOWN THE ROAD WHEN IT LOST POWER AND QUIT LEAVING ME STRANDED. AFTER HAVING THE CAR TOWED AND GETTING 5 MECHANICS TO LOOK AT IT, EVEN AT THE DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD THE MOTOR WAS BLOWN. IT WAS HISTORY WITH JUST 84,000 MILES ON IT. DODGE ADVERTISES YOU DON'T EVEN NEED A TUNE UP UNTIL 100,000 MILES. APPARENTLY THAT IS WHY! I STILL OWE 11,000 ON THE CAR, MAKING PAYMENTS FOR ANOTHER YEAR NOT INCLUDING INSURANCE THAT I MUST CARRY BECAUSE IT IS MORTGAGED PROPERTY. EVERY DEALERSHIP THAT I HAVE TALKED TO HAS TOLD ME THAT THE 2.7 MOTOR FROM DODGE DOESN'T LAST PAST 70,000 MILES. IT WILL COST ME BETWEEN 6500 TO 7000.00 FOR ANOTHER MOTOR AND MOST MECHANICS DON'T WANT TO FIX IT BECAUSE OF PREVIOUS HISTORY'S WITH THE DODGE 2.7 MOTOR. I CAN'T TRADE IT BECAUSE IT HAS NO VALUE NOW. I CAN'T SELL IT WITHOUT A RUNNING MOTOR, SO APPEARS THAT I WILL HAVE AN EXPENSIVE LAWN ORNAMENT FOR THE NEXT YEAR. ONE MECHANIC EVEN TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT TO DODGE CONCERNING THE 2.7 ENGINES, BUT I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND IT YET. I HAVE SEEN MORE COMPLAINTS POSTED ON THE WEB ABOUT THIS ENGINE AND OTHERS LOOKING FOR THE CLASS ACTION SUIT, THAT I AM SHOCKED. I HOPE NO ONE ELSE HAS TO GO THROUGH WHAT WE HAVE WITH THIS CAR. I WILL CERTAINLY NEVER BUY ANOTHER DODGE VEHICLE. *JB