NHTSA Complaint #10155656 — 2001 DODGE INTREPID

MY DODGE INTREPID SE 2.7L ENGINE SUFFERED A BLOWN ENGINE WITH NO WARNING ON 4-16-06 ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF A PROBLEM, NO WARNING LIGHTS AND NO SIGNS OF OVERHEATING. I SUDDENLY HEARD A RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE THAT INCREASED QUICKLY TO A LOUD BANGING. I GOT OFF THE EXIT IMMEDIATELY AND COASTED INTO A HOTEL PARKING LOT. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND RAISED THE HOOD TO SEE ANTIFREEZE ALL OVER THE ENGINE. I REMOVED THE CAP TO THE COOLANT CONTAINER AND BROWN ANTIFREEZE BOILED OVER ONTO THE GROUND. THE OIL HAD BEEN CHANGED ON 2/7/06 AND THE FLUIDS TOPPED OFF. THE OIL AND FLUIDS HAD BEEN CHECKED EVERY WEEK AFTER THAT UP UNTIL THE ENGINE BLEW AND THE FLUIDS WERE OF NORMAL COLOR AND CONSISTENCY. THE CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 65,000 MILES ON IT WHEN I PURCHASED IT AND PROPER MAINTENANCE HAD BEEN MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT THE TIME I HAVE HAD MY IT. THE CAR HAD JUST RECENTLY REACHED 100,000 MILES AND I STILL OWE NEARLY $5000 ON THIS CAR, HAVE NO VEHICLE TO GET TO WORK AND CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY A NEW ONE WITH THE CAR PAYMENT I HAVE TO MAKE ON IT EACH MONTH. I HAVE BEEN TOLD REPEATEDLY THAT THE 2.7L ENGINE IS WORTHLESS AND THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS CATASTROPHE FROM OCCURRING. IT WOULD COST ME APPROXIMATELY $2000-$3000 TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE ENGINE WITH NO GUARANTEE IT WOULDN'T SLUDGE UP AGAIN AND BLOW A SECOND TIME. I ALSO EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS OTHER PROBLEMS FROM DAY ONE, SUCH AS CONSTANT SQUEALING FROM THE BRAKES AND ROTORS DESPITE CHANGING THEM OUT TWICE, FOLLOWED BY PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING FROM SUSPENSION PROBLEMS AND PROBLEM STEERING BOLTS. THE PROBLEMS ON THIS CAR FROM DAY ONE RANGE FROM THE ISSUES MENTIONED BEFORE TO ELECTRICAL SHORTS, FAULTY STEERING BOLTS, BROKEN THE-ROD ENDS AND SUSPENSION PROBLEMS ALL OF WHICH ARE COMMON ISSUES I HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND ON NUMEROUS BLOGS AND WEBSITES SUCH AS DODGEINTREPID.NET. *NM