NHTSA Complaint #10149895 — 1999 DODGE INTREPID

CAR 99 INTREPID WITH 2.7 ENGINE BEGAN MAKING A RATTLING NOISE AND OIL PRESSURE DROPPED. CAR WAS PULLED OVER AND A TOW TRUCK WAS CALLED. THE FAILURE IS DESCRIBED AS MAIN BEARINGS BREAKING UP AND DAMAGING ENGINE. CAR HAD JUST BEEN TO DODGE DEALERSHIP WITHIN THE MONTH HAD OIL CHANGE AND PAN WAS REPLACED DUE TO WEAR FROM PREVIOUS OIL CHANGES. WAS SUFFICIENT OIL IN CAR AND THE PROBLEM WAS EXPLAINED TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE INTREPID 2.7 ENGINE. THE ONLY FIX IS TO REPLACE ENTIRE ENGINE. IT HAS BEEN EXPLAINED TO ME BY NUMEROUS AUTO PLACES THAT THIS HAPPENS SO FREQUENTLY IN INTERPIDS THAT THERE IS SURPRISE IT HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS INADEQUATE TRANSFER OF OIL AROUND ENGINE DUE TO POOR DESIGN, WHICH EXPLAINS HOW EVEN CARS THAT HAVE PLENTY OF OIL AND HAVE BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED SUFFER FROM A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE DUE TO BEARING SHREDDING UP AND DESTROYING THE ENGINE. WE ARE CURRENTLY GETTING QUOTES FOR REPLACEMENT OF MOTOR VARIOUS AUTO PLACES RECOMMEND REPLACING WITH A 3.2 OR 3.5 AS THE MOTORS ARE EASIER TO GET A HOLD OF AND ARE RELIABLE AND ARE NOT BELIEVED TO BE PROBLEMATIC LIKE THE 2.7. *JB