NHTSA Complaint #10211875 — 2000 DODGE INTREPID

MY 2000 DODGE INTREPID 2.7L DOHC ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I HEARD A NOISE THAT COULD BE DESCRIBED AS A "DIESEL ENGINE" SOUND WHILE MY CAR WAS IDLING AND RUNNING AT LOWER SPEEDS. I HAD SEVERAL FRIENDS LISTEN TO IT AND THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM WITHOUT GETTING "INSIDE THE ENGINE". I PLANNED ON TAKING MY CAR TO THE SHOP THE NEXT DAY, AND WHILE MY CAR WAS PARKED AND IN IDLE, THE CAR DIED. WHEN TRYING TO RESTART IT, IT WOULD RUN FOR 5 TO 10 SECONDS AND THEN DIE AGAIN. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC SPENT THREE HOURS DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM AND CREATING AN ESTIMATE. THE BILL WAS $280.00 INCLUDING THE TOW AND LABOR. THE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND SUBSEQUENTLY CRACKED THE VALVE COVER AND DAMAGED THE VALVES, AMONG OTHER COMPONENTS. THE ESTIMATE TO REPLACE MY ENGINE IS $4500.00 INCLUDING PARTS AND LABOR. I HAD APPROXIMATELY 70,000 MILES ON MY INTREPID. UPON RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND THAT MANY OTHER VEHICLE OWNERS WITH THIS SAME ENGINE CAME INTO THE SAME PROBLEM, MOST LOSING THEIR ENGINE BETWEEN 30,000 AND 70,000 MILES. I HAVE NOT HAD THE WORK DONE TO MY CAR YET, DUE TO THE OUTRAGEOUS COST, AND I HAVE TO DECIDE NOW IF IT IS WORTH IT TO REPAIR IT MYSELF OR JUST PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE. SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS IF MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR