NHTSA Complaint #10175004 — 1999 DODGE INTREPID

DEC 1, 2006 - MILEAGE: UNDER 78K - PROBLEM: IT WAS TIME FOR ROUTINE TUNE UP ON MY CAR, ONCE I POPPED THE HOOD I WENT DIRECTLY FOR THE OIL TANK/ENGINE FIRST THING. PCV VALVE NEEDED REPLACING, UPON TAKING SAID VALVE OFF I NOTICED A LOT OF HEAVY GUNK OR "SLUDGE" IF YOU WILL. PUT ON BRAND NEW PCV VALVE KIT BOUGHT FROM MOPAR AND CONTINUED ON WITH THE REST OF THE TUNE-UP. THINKING BACK TO ALL THE SLUDGE I FOUND ON THE OLD PCV VALVE I BEGAN TO REALLY WONDER AS THIS AMOUNT OF SLUDGE WAS NOT NORMAL FOR A CAR THAT'S KEPT UP WITH EXACTLY HOW THE OWNERS MANUAL DICTATES. UPON RESEARCH I FOUND THAT "OIL SLUDGE" IS THE NUMBER ONE PROBLEM WITH THE DODGE INTREPID 2.7L ENGINE AND POSSIBLE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF SAID PROBLEM INCLUDED: "HEAVY AMOUNTS OF SLUDGE FOUND ON PCV VALVES, SLIGHTLY NOTICEABLE GREY/BLUE SMOKE FROM EXHAUST AND OVER ALL DIMINISHING PERFORMANCE" ALL OF WHICH MY CAR HAS/IS SHOWING SIGNS OF. FROM ALL THAT I'VE READ AND ALL "SIGNS TO LOOK OUT FOR" I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THIS ENGINE IS MORE THEN LIKELY READY TO BLOW IF NOT THIS YEAR THEN EARLY NEXT YEAR. FROM THE SAME AMOUNTS OF COMPLAINTS I'VE SEEN ON THIS ENGINE I REALLY FEEL THIS SHOULD BE CHRYSLERS RESPONSIBILITY TO RECALL THIS ENGINE AS IT DOES POSE A VERY SERIOUS, HIGHLY DANGEROUS THREAT AS THE MOTOR WILL STOP AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT WITH NO WARNING AND NO IMMEDIATE NOTICEABLE CAUSE. IT'S NOT FAIR ONCE THIS FAULTY ENGINE DIES THAT THE CONSUMER GETS SLAPPED WITH THE REPAIR BILL! *NM