NHTSA Complaint #10261310 — 2001 DODGE INTREPID

I PURCHASED THIS CAR IN APRIL OF 2002 FROM A DODGE DEALER. IT WAS A PROGRAM CAR AND HAD ABOUT 16,000 MILES ON IT. THE CAR WAS NEVER RUN HARD WHILE I DROVE IT AND OIL WAS CHANGED APPROXIMATELY EVERY 5,000 MILES. THIS CAR WAS GREAT AND RAN LIKE A TOP FOR 2 1/2 YEARS. IN THAT TIME, THE ONLY CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE REQUIRED ON THE CAR WAS MINOR BRAKE WORK IN SEPTEMBER 2004. OCTOBER 8, 2004: NOTICED A SLIGHT KNOCKING FROM ENGINE, SO I DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO JIFFY LUBE FOR AN OIL CHANGE. THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS SOME OIL DEPOSIT BUILD-UP AND THEY WOULD FLUSH THE ENGINE BEFORE REPLACING THE OIL. CAR STILL KNOCKED AFTER THE OIL CHANGE, SO I CALLED A LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP IN DANVILLE IN TO INQUIRE ABOUT SERVICE. I WAS TOLD TO BRING THE CAR IN ON THE FOLLOWING MONDAY (OCT. 11) FOR TESTS. I DID NOT DRIVE THE CAR THAT WEEKEND. MONDAY MORNING, I STARTED THE CAR, AND IT SOUNDED AWFUL, BELCHING SMOKE. I WAS UNABLE TO MOVE THE CAR OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, SO I CALLED A WRECKER SERVICE AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE NEXT DAY, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CALLED AND INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS EXCESSIVE OIL-SLUDGE BUILDUP IN THE ENGINE "DUE TO NOT CHANGING THE OIL EVERY 3,000 MILES." I WAS QUOTED A COST OF $4,560.00 TO REPAIR THE ENGINE, OR $7,700.00 TO REPLACE IT. I DON\'T CLAIM TO HAVE RELIGIOUSLY CHANGED MY OIL; LIKE I SAID, ABOUT EVERY 5,000 MILES. BUT THIS IS NO DIFFERENT THAN EVERY OTHER CAR (13) I HAVE OWNED AND THEY ALL LASTED WELL OVER 100,000 MILES OR AT LEAST UP TO THE TIME THAT I SOLD THEM. I STILL HAVE 30 MONTHS LEFT TO PAY ON MY 60-MONTH LOAN, AND OWE $8,100.00. DEALERS WILL ONLY GIVE ME $500.00 IN TRADE. I'VE DECIDED TO REFINANCE THE CAR OVER 72 MONTHS, WHICH HAS CUT MY PAYMENTS IN HALF, AND JUST YESTERDAY PURCHASED ANOTHER CAR THAT I WILL ALSO BE PAYING FOR THE NEXT SIX YEARS. I FIND IT IRONIC THAT I HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THIS ENGINE, BUT NOW EVERYONE I TALK TO IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY HAS LONG KNOWN ABOUT JUST WHAT JUNK CHRYSLER HAS PUT OUT. *TR