NHTSA Complaint #10817281 — 2004 DODGE INTREPID

IN OCTOBER 2015 I BOUGHT A 2004 DODGE INTREPID FROM A PRIVATE OWNER/DEALERSHIP. I DIDNT EVEN HAVE FOR A WEK AND WAS ON HIGHY DOING 60 M.PH. ON HWY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN PWERED DOWN AND TURNED OFF AND STEAM COMING OUT FROM UNDER HOOD. I PROCEEDED TO GET OUT OF MIDDLE LANE TO BREAKDOWN LANE. (VERY DANGEROUS) WHEN CAR NOT RUNNING. LET IT COOL OFF AND DROVE HOME AND BROUGHT TO DEALER. DEALER COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG. SENT ME ON MY WAY. WEEEK LATER WAS BACK THERE AGAIN WITH OVERHEATING ISSUE AGAIN. STILL SAID COULD NOT FIND OUT WHATS WRONG. VERY FRUSTRATED I TOOK CAR HOME. FROM THERE IT RAN FOR LIKE A MONTH AND THEN STARTED OVERHEATING AGAIN. I HAD NOTICED THAT SOMETIMES WHEN I DROVE I COULD TAP GAS PEDAL AND TEMP INDICATOR GAUGE WENT BACK DOWN. WEIRD. DID SOME RESSEARCH ONLINE WHEN THIS FIRST HAPPENED AND SAW ALOT OF PEOPLE HAVING ISSUES WITH THIS CAR AND PREVIOUS ENGINE 257 WAS IN A LAWSUIT FOR BAD ENGINE. SAID THEN ENGINE I HAVE 318 WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BETTER DESIGN BUT STILL SAW ALOT OF SAME ISSUES. I FINALLY HAD TO TAKE IN BECASUE IT STARTED HAVING STARTING PROBLEMS. I DID NOT TAKE BACK TO DEALERSHIP CUZ WOULD HAVE NOT MADE IT THAT FAR AND I WANTED A SECOND OPINION. THEY FOUND A WEEP HOLE IN WATER PUMP THAT WAS LEAKING AND A CAM SENSOR PROBLEM WHICH HE STATE HAD A SERVICE TECHNICAL BULLETIN. SO I CALLED CHRYSLER AND THEY SAID NEED TO TAKE BACK TO THE DEALER TO IDENTIFY THAT ISSUE . SHE CHECKED MY VIN NR AT CHRYSLER AND SAID THAT IN 2012 THE CAM SENSOR WAS REPLACED . BUT STILL HAVE THAT ISSUE SO SAID DEALER WILL HAVE TO REQUEST CHRYSLER TO DO AGAIN...THIS CAR LOOKS GREAT INSIDE AND OUT BUT THESE ISSUES ARE RESONANT IN NUMEROUS CARS. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION IF SHUTS DOWN OR OVERHEATS WHILE DRIVING. CHRYSLER NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS AND SHOULD HAVE NEVER SOLD THESE VEHICLES WITH THIS ENGINE.