2000 DODGE INTREPID Steering Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE INTREPID. WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, THERE WAS A BURNING ODOR. IN ADDITION, THE STEERING WHEEL MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE WHEN TURNING IN BOTH DIRECTIONS AND ALL LIGHTS, METERS, AND GAUGES ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE REAR LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.

AS I WAS DRIVING ALONG AND APPROACHED MY EXIT, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO CONTROL THE CAR. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR SAFELY HITTING SOME BRUSH ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES WERE INCURRED, BUT THIS WAS VERY FRIGHTENING! NOW, THE STEERING IS STILL GETTING STUCK ON TURNS AND I HAVE NO HORN! THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS NOW SHOWING AND I DON'T KNOW WHATS GOING ON WITH THIS CAR! SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. NO WARNINGS, OR RECALLS HAVE BEEN MADE, AND THERE A MANY CONCERNS OF OTHERS GOING THROUGH THE SAME ISSUE WITH THIS CAR. PLEASE ADVISE ON WHAT IS GOING TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED! *JS

MY 2000 INTREPID S ENGINE BLEW UP 2 YEARS AGO AND AGAIN 2DAYS AGO THERE WAS NO WARNING. MASTER CYLINDER IS FAILING AND THE STEERING PIN BROKE IN THE CAR AND LEFT ME HELPLESS I ENDED UP IN A DITCH. I CALLED DODGE AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T HELP BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY PAST 7 YEARS AND ITS ONLY BEEN 2. *JS

VEHICLE HAS EXCESSIVE PLAY IN STEERING WHICH CAUSES CAR TO WANDER WHILE DRIVING, ESPECIALLY AT HIGHER SPEEDS. REQUIRES CONSTANT ADJUSTING WHILE DRIVING THIS CAR IS UNSAFE AND MAKES ME A LITTLE LEARY ABOUT DRIVING IT AT ALL. THIS SEEMS TO BE A BIG PROMBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AND I WONDER WHY THE DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION AND HIGHWAY SAFETY HASN'T DONE ANYTHING ABOUT IT! *TR

2000 DODGE INTREPID THE POWER STEERING STARTED ACTING UP, PROBLEM'S LIKE WINING AND HARD TO STEER AT TIMES. THAN FINALLY IT WENT OUT ALL TOGETHER WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL SHOP AFTER TWO POWER PUMPS AND A NEW STEERING RACK-N-PINION THE MECHANIC STILL COULDN'T FIGURE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS.WHEN HE CALLED AND SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE HE COULD DO ABOUT THE STEERING PROBLEM AND HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS CAUSING IT TO STEER SO HARD,SO HE TOLD US TO COME AND GET THE !@#$%'THING OUT OF HIS SIGHT ! SO THAT'S WHEN I WENT ON LINE AND READ ABOUT ALL THE PROBLEM'S EVERYONE ELSE WAS HAVING AND ALSO CONFIRMED MY SUSPICIONS ON WHAT MIGHT BE THE PROBLEM. (THE WRONG FLUID IN RES.)SO NOW THAT I DRAINED THE FLUID AND FLUSHED ALL THE LINES A COUPLE TIMES THE THING WORKS FINE . *TR

ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. CAR STARTED SHAKING SO WE PULLED OF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE INNER TIE ROD BUSHINGS WERE COMPLETELY GONE WITH JUST THE BOLT AND WASHER HOLDING THE TIE ROD ON THE STEERING RACK. HAD TO REPLACE THE INNER TIE RODS, BUT STILL NEED TO REPLACE THE STEERING RACK.

BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE IN 2000 DODGE INTREPID ES WITH 140K MILES, THERE WAS A LOUD POP AND HAD COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING IN THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL. THE BOLT THAT SECURES THE TIE ROD TO THE RACK AND PINION HAD COMPLETELY PULLED OUT OF THE RACK AND PINION. IF THIS HAD OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING, IT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT. RACK AND PINION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I DID NOT HAVE THE PART REPLACED, SO I STILL HAVE THE OLD PART. I HAVE PARKED THE CAR AND REFUSE TO DRIVE IT. *TR

THE 2000 DODGE INTREPID ES 3.2L MODEL HAS A RACK AND PINION PROBLEM. MINE STARTED AROUND MAY OF 05 AT ABOUT 63,000 MILES. IT STARTED OUT JUST AS A CLUNKING NOISE. I HAD REPLACED ALL KINDS OF PARTS WITHIN THE PAST FEW YEARS LIKE LOWER AND UPPER BALL JOINTS, INNER TIE RODS (TWICE), FRONT END ALIGNMENTS, ETC., THINKING THAT THE NOISE WOULD BE FIXED. AFTER ALL THAT WAS REPLACED ON THIS CAR, I FIGURED THAT THE CAR WAS JUST MADE THAT WAY. AS OF THIS YEAR, THE STEERING STARTED MAKING A LOUDER CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TURNING AND STRAIGHTENING THE WHEELS. AT THIS POINT IT JUST KEEPS GETTING LOUDER AND LOUDER. I'VE HAD THIS LOOKED AT TWICE BY DIFFERENT MECHANICS. THE DEALER IN PITTSBURGH SAYS THAT THE REPLACEMENT IS $875.00 (WHICH DOES NOT INCLUDE LABOR) AND THAT IT IS ON BACK ORDER AND THAT THE REMANUFACTURED ONES ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE....

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE INTREPID. WHEN TURNING THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WOULD NOT RETURN TO ITS NORMAL POSITION. THE CONTACT HAD TO PULL THE STEERING WHEEL BACK MANUALLY. THE VEHICLE THEN BEGAN MAKING A CLUNKING NOISE IN THE FRONT END. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE RACK AND PINION STEERING HAD INTERNAL PLAY AND THE STEERING GEAR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 1900101 (STEERING). THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 67,445. UPDATED 10/03/08 *BF UPDATED 10/06/08. *JB

STEERING ON CAR MAKES LOUD CLUNKING NOISES AND FREEZES/LOCKS AT LOW TO MEDIUM SPEEDS( PREVENTING ANY OPERATOR CONTROL FOR 1 TO 5 SECONDS). USUALLY SEEMS TO BE WHEN TURNING LEFT HOWEVER THAT IS NOT STEADFAST EITHER. EVEN TURNING WHEEL TO BACK CAR OUT OF DRIVEWAY WILL MAKE LARGE CLUNKING SOUND IN FRONT END. SEEMS TO BE USUALLY WITHIN FIRST FIVE TO 10 MINUTES OF CAR RUNNING HOWEVER THAT IS NOT STEADFAST. THIS CAR HAS NOT CRASHED YET BUT THE POTENTIAL HAS PRESENTED ITSELF MORE THAN ONCE. AT THIS POINT I REFUSE TO LET MY SMALL CHILDREN RIDE IN CAR. *JB

DT: 2000 DODGE INTREPID BOUGHT IN APRIL USED WITH 11,000 MILES. SINCE THEN IT HAS BEEN IN SHOP 9-10 TIMES, MOSTLY CONSISTING OF STEERING PROBLEMS, SUCH AS RACK AND PINION AND THE STEERING COUPLER. THERE WERE OTHER ISSUES, BUT THIS WAS THE MAIN CONCERN. ONE WEEK AGO THE CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, FRONT END IMPACT FOR WHICH THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER SUSTAINED INJURIES. NO REPAIRS AFTER THE ACCIDENT BECAUSE THERE WAS OVER $6,000 WORTH OF DAMAGE. *AK EMERGENCY BRAKE HANDLE WAS LOOSE. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE IT WAS NOT CONNECTED. THE DEALER REPOSITIONED/REASSEMBLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE KEY WOULDN'T COME OUT OF THE IGNITION BECAUSE THE SHIFT INTERLOCK CABLE BROKE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE WIRING TO THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. *NM

STEERING STICKING WHILE TURNING CAR. NABILITY TO CORRECT TURN ONCE INPUTED, HAS LEAD TO THE CAR LEAVING THE ROAD SEVERAL TIMES.*AK

TRAVELING AT 70 MPH ON INTERSTATE 65, THE VEHICLE WAS DRIFTING RIGHT AND THEN VEERED RIGHT. VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND. VEHICLE HIT RIGHT GUARDRAIL AND WAS DEFLECTED TO THE LEFT ACROSS 3 LANES AND IMPACTED THE CENTER CONCRETE DIVIDER.

STEERING DEVELOPED 'PLAY' IN LATE 10/03. BY 11/12/03 IT WAS CLUNKING, WHEEL WAS COCKED TO THE RIGHT. STEERING WHEEL WOULD STICK/LOCK UP. CONTACTED DEALER IN SANTA ROSA, CA. WAS QUOTED $175 ESTIMATE. LATER, SAME DAY LEARNED THAT RACK WAS BROKEN AND PUMP WAS LEAKING AND COST WOULD BE A MINIMUM $2000 TO REPAIR. I OPTED TO GO TO ANOTHER MECHANIC AND HAD THE CAR TOWED AWAY FROM THE DEALER SHOP.

SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR ON OCTOBER OF 1999, I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER 31 TIMES TO FIX THINGS. I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT A CAR 100 DAYS. I HAVE PAID OUT OF POCKET $3,137.64. I AM NOW ON AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. I STILL OWE $8,000.00 ON MY CAR. IT HAS 60,000 MILES. I HAVE MAINTAINED IT EVERY 3,000 MILES AS SUGGESTED IN THE OWNERS MANUAL. I ONLY USE 97 OCTANE GAS. I AM A VERY CAUTIOUS DRIVER. I TAKE CARE OF THE CAR BUT THE CAR HAS LEFT ME STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF HIGHWAYS PUTTING MY LIFE AND THE LIVES OF MY PASSENGERS IN DANGER. I NEVER KNOW WHEN THE CAR IS GOING TO BREAK DOWN AGAIN AND WHERE SO I AM ALWAYS UNDER TERRIBLE STRESS. I PRAY AS I DRIVE THAT I MAKE IT TO MY DESTINATION. THIS CAR HAS BEEN A LEMON SINCE I BOUGHT...

ENGINE IN 2000 CHRYSLER INTREPID STARTED TAPPING NOISE AT 58017KM BROUGHT TO DEALER WITH COMPLAINT, TOLD THEY WOULD NOT TAKE ENGINE APART TO CHECK NOISE. I TOLD THEM I HAD BEEN TOLD THAT THE 2.7 ENGINE HAD PROBLEMS WITH SLUDGE THAT PREVENTED THE OIL FROM CIRCULATING PROPERLY. THEY STILL REFUSED TO CHECK ENGINE. AT JUST OVER 62000 KM ENGINE BECAME NOISY. BROUGHT IT BACK TO DEALER WHO KEPT THE CAR FOR TWO WEEKS, THEN TOLD ME ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $6500.00 AND THERE WOULD BE NO WARRANTY COVERAGE OR GOODWILL. I GAVE THEM A COMPLETE HISTORY OF MAINTENANCE RECORDS SHOWING THAT PROPER MAINTENANCE WAS DONE WITH IN THE REQUIRED MILEAGE AND TIME. THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT THE INVOICES DO NOT CLEARLY IDENTIFY MY 2000 BLACK INTREPID AND THAT IT COULD OF BEEN ANOTHER CAR. I ONLY OWN ONE 2000 INTREPID. THE INVOICE SHOWS THE...

THE VEHICLE'S STEERING WHEEL HAD SO MUCH PLAY. THE VEHICLE CROSSED THE CENTER LIME OF THE HIGHWAY WHICH FORCED THE ONCOMING CARS TO THE SHOULDER. *PH *NLM

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITH NO WARNING STEERING BOLT WILL LOSE AND IT IS CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO JUMP AROUND, MAKING IT HARD FOR CONSUMER TO STEER THE VEHICLE.*AK

I HAVE FOUND AN EXCELLENT AND INFORMATIVE WEBSITE AGAINST DAIMLER CHRYSLER AT WWW.DAIMLERCHRYSLERVEHICLEPROBLEMS.COM FOR ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION MAINLY IN REGARD TO INTREPID, 300M, CONCORDE, LHS PREMATURE ENGINE, STEERING, TRANSMISSION AND OTHER COMMON FAILURES. I HAVE EXPERIENCED MANY OF THESE PROBLEMS MYSELF AND DAIMLER CHRYSLER SIMPLY DOES NOT CARE, I COULD HAVE EVEN BEEN KILLED IN ONE INSTANCE. AFTER OWN ANOTHER VEHICLE AND PUTTING NEARLY 30,000 MILES ON IT I HAVE NOT HAD ANY OF THE RIDICULOUS PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED WITH CHRYSLER'S DODGE BRAND OF VEHICLES. THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION CONSUMERS NEED TO KNOW THAT DAIMLER CHRYSLER DOES NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT THESE VEHICLES AND THEIR COMMON PROBLEMS CHRYSLER IGNORES, SOME OF WHICH ARE POTENTIAL SAFETY CONCERNS SUCH AS THE DEFECTIVE SEAT BELT DESIGN CHRYSLER CONTINUES TO USE AND DEFECTIVE STEERING DESIGN AND OR COMPONENTS THAT CAN CAUSE SUDDEN LOOSENESS OR CHANGE OF RESPONSE IN...

LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. VEHICLE VEERED RIGHT AND WOULD NOT RESPOND. *JB

THE STEERING LOCKED UP, WHICH CAUSED CONSUMER TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.*JB

WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE AND MAKING A LEFT TURN STEERING WHEEL WILL TURN, BUT WHEEL WON'T FOLLOW THROUGH. CONNECTION IS NOT ABLE TO IMPACT. CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 35MPH ON HIGHWAY, WENT TO TURN VEHICLE LEFT, AND VEHICLE WENT STRAIGHT. HE ENDED UP IN A DITCH.*AK

STEERING MECHANISM FEELS LOOSE. AT A HIGH WAY SPEED VEHICLE NEED CONTINUAL ADJUSTMENT IT WANDERS. THIS DEFECT IS NOT ALLOWING CONSUMER TO HAVE FULL CONTROL OF VEHICLE. DEALER HAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED DEFECT OR PROVIDED REMEDY.*AK THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT SOLVED AND THE VEHCILE IS UNSAFE. *YH