Like EVERY OTHER 2000 DODGE INTREPID my car broke down on me while traveling at very high speeds on the freeway. Shame on you Chrysler for not taking care of your customers first, it's been so obvious that the engines have bad problems. Lucky my car made it so long because the first owner (I am the second) took such ridiculously good care of it and maintained it himself. I followed his recommendations and had oil changed very often, but there's been a lot of problems and I've been on the side of the freeway too many times.

Engine is toast. It got a lot of miles, but the sludge seriously ruins this car and makes it worth nothing

On 2/17/11 I purchased a 2000 Dodge Intrepid 2.7L from Cherry Creek Dodge in Denver, CO. I had a decent experience with them, even though I paid over listed price, until I took my vehicle in for a free multi-point inspection on 7/20/11 in their Service Department. I used a coupon that had been emailed to me by Dodge with my VIN on it and an expiration date of 7/31/11. I still have this coupon. I advised the person I made the appointment with and the service tech when I arrived for my inspection that I was on unemployment and could not afford ANYTHING but the free inspection. (I have a witness that was with me from long before my appointment at Cherry Creek Dodge all the way to the point my car came off the tow truck at his house. I have another witness for a partial time of the whole experience.) When I handed my keys to the service tech my vehicle was running fine, fluid levels were within acceptable norms, gauges were at normal, and the only light on was my check engine light which was on when I bought it. The only problem I ever had with the vehicle was a slow coolant leak. Being poor, I used a sealant and if that didn’t work I was going to take my car in to a mechanic to be checked over. The sealant worked and had for a month with no problem. Before purchasing the car on 2/17/11 I was told by the salesman not to worry about the check engine light that was on during the test drive because all older cars do that. Also on the test drive, I heard a “tick” and asked the salesman what it was. He said it was just the brakes and it was okay. The front brakes did need replaced and I had that done by my mechanic. (I learned after buying the car the tick was in the engine). I also had a problem with the heat running hot and cold but that stopped when I put the sealant into the radiator overflow per instructions. Anyway, back to the incident. After waiting about 30 minutes from arrival I was brought an estimate of $220 just to hook it up to machines which I had never asked for. The coupon states that an estimate will be given once the free multi-point inspection was done. I again reminded them that all I wanted done was the free multi-point inspection just to see if my car needed service. The service tech grumbled and just walked away. The service tech then approached me later and handed me a receipt with a zero balance. First, it stated that I refused the free multi-point inspection due to my witness telling them not to do it. The only thing my witness ever said to them was not to do any extra work. In any case, I was the owner of the vehicle and the only person they should have accepted any statement from regarding my car was me. Also, it stated that I said there was a coolant problem and that I could smell coolant. This is false as well. I never mentioned the cooling system to them because it was working fine. When I questioned the service tech about the coolant statement, I told him there was no coolant problem, my gauge was reading normal, my overflow was in acceptable norms, there were no leaks, and I could not smell coolant. The service tech stated that even though everything appeared fine he could smell coolant and he “just knew”. At this point I was already quite upset due to their poor customer service and lack of interest in me from, what I thought to be, the fact that I was using a free coupon. Upon walking out to get my car from the rear of the Service Department, both my witness and I couldn't help but immediately see a dried milky white substance all over my car from the front bumper to the top of my windshield. The dried fluid was particularly intense on the windshield and, as I was later to learn, my engine. I had to get to an appointment, so I used my windshield washers and was on my way with a false sense of security because I was just leaving the dealership Service Department. After all, they were the experts, right? Within one mile of leaving the service department I heard a pop from somewhere in my car and it hesitated for about 5 seconds. It was a fairly quiet pop and I only noticed it because I know my car. I listened to my car quite intently and it sounded as if it was running normally, no warning lights on, and normal gauge readings. After reaching my destination and starting to leave, my Intrepid simply would not start. After waiting for an hour and a half for my roommate to get from across the city from where I was, I tried one more time to start my car and it did start. We immediately looked under the hood with it running. This is also when I noticed the white, thick, milky fluid all over my engine. Everything appeared to be normal aside from the dried fluid and it was making no strange sounds nor indicating any coolant fluid loss. I then checked my dashboard and there were no lights on or gauges that did not read normal. At that moment I had no reason to think of checking the oil as I had just topped the oil off a week before and had never had a problem with the oil or the engine itself. With my roommate following me, just in case something happened, and my main witness in my car with me, I made it a few miles trying to get my car home where it would be safe until I could get to a mechanic. All of a sudden, my car started sputtering, smelling like smoke, the coolant gauge began reading cold, and my oil light started blinking for a couple of seconds then came on steady. I immediately parked the car. We opened the hood and it was smoking, not steaming, and smelled terribly of burned oil. I immediately called Cherry Creek Dodge's Service Department at 6:41 pm and spoke with the tech who had handled my car. He insisted that my car was literally "never touched" because my witness had supposedly told him not to. He also stated that I was only there for 20 minutes so they hadn’t had time to touch it and my Intrepid was never even taken into a bay. The facts are that I arrived for my appointment at 2:05pm and my receipt states my vehicle was checked out of Cherry Creek Dodge’s Service Department at 2:55pm. Proof that I was there for almost an hour. Not only that but I personally saw my car in a bay (I can even point out which bay it was in), my car had plastic over the driver’s seat, and a paper floor-mat on the driver’s side of my car that indicate that it was truly in a bay. (I used to work in a garage in Chicago, so these things pointed to it definitely being “touched”). As I was talking to the service tech on the phone he began getting very defensive and kept insisting that my car had “never been touched” repeatedly. After a heated discussion, the service tech asked me what it was that I actually wanted. I stated that I just wanted my car returned to me in the same condition it was in when it went into their possession. After all, it had only gone in for an inspection and no actual work. After more arguing, the service tech said to me to hold on and let’s stick to one issue. I agreed to that and the question I asked was what the milky white substance all over my car and engine was as it hadn’t been there before. The service tech asked the mechanic who supposedly never touched my car what it was and the mechanic stated that it came from the coolant system. (The mechanic he was talking to must have been right next to him because I heard the mechanic state this over the phone.) If my car really was “never touched” and “never taken into a bay” as the service tech kept insisting, how would the mechanic know this? The conversation ended with the service tech insisting they “never touched my car”, they didn’t know what I was talking about, and they wouldn’t do anything to remedy the situation. I then attempted to contact the Service Manager, however he was out of the office. I waited a few days until he would be back in the office as told to me by the receptionist when I called. (Meanwhile I called Dodge Corporate to file a complaint as well as the Better Business Bureau.) When I finally reached the Service Manager several days later and was trying to explain what had happened in the service department, expecting help to discover what had happened to my vehicle, the Service Manager began yelling at me (literally) and stated "We never touched your car, I don't care, and if you don't like it you can take it up with Chrysler." Those were his final words. I called Dodge Corporate Customer Complaints department on 8/4/11 because I had not heard anything from them since my initial contact. They had closed my issue due to me being “unresponsive” to their attempts to contact me. They were trying to use my old cell number I had when I bought the car instead of the cell number I had gave them when making my appointment with the Service Department. They even gave me a reminder call to my current cell number on 7/19/11 at 4:52 pm so they had the correct number. The issue was reopened due to this and sent again to Dodge Corporate resolution team. I received a call from Dodge Corporate, at 8/5/11, at 1:25 pm, stating that my issue had been closed due to the number of miles on the vehicle and there not being a warranty on my vehicle. I explained to the representative that this had never been a mileage or warranty issue and that I was seeking resolution regarding the obvious lies and neglect at the dealership. The representative said I would have to resolve the issue with the dealership. When I explained that the dealership was completely denying ever even touching my car and they would not own up to their mistakes she said “that’s strange” but Dodge Corporate would do nothing. I’m sure I don’t need to state what I now know to be the obvious problem with the Dodge Intrepid 2.7L engine. Unfortunately for me, I did not find out about these problems until I began investigating what could have been wrong with my car. After extensive research, I believe that my engine is now beyond repair. I have found that there was a class action lawsuit brought against Chrysler several years ago for this very problem with the 2.7L engine however Chrysler got out of the suit by filing Bankruptcy. In Chrysler’s denials over the years of the 2.7L engine problem the company blames the consumer for not maintaining proper oil changes and that causes catastrophic engine failure, even when confronted with proof of timely oil changes. In my Dodge Manual, it states that the oil must be changed either every 6 months or every 7,500 miles whichever comes first. I have only had my car for a little over five months at this point. When I bought my car it had 126,435 miles on it per the contract and when I took it into the Service Department on 7/20/11 it had 131,009 miles. I haven’t even reached the point for my first oil change. My problem, however, is resulting from whatever was done to my car while in Cherry Creek Dodge’s Service Department’s sole possession. I now firmly believe that my car was in the beginning stages of the classic 2.7L catastrophic engine failure when I bought it and was lied to from day one (the tick I heard on the test drive). The tick in the engine was only the first sign of this problem and the salesman lied to me about what the tick was on the test drive. The vehicle was also listed at $2,499 yet in looking at my contract I paid $2,851.41. It also took repeated calls on my part to get my windshield replaced, as promised by the dealer as a part of the purchase. Also, I was charged $25.00 on my contract for a State Emissions Testing, yet I had to end up paying for that myself. I contacted the dealership about this but received no response. I simply could not afford to just replace my engine and sue someone for the bill. I became stuck with a 3,500 pound paper weight. Chrysler has known about the flawed design of the 2.7L Intrepid, 300, and Sebring engine since it went into production. Somehow, despite overwhelming evidence, they have evaded and denied any responsibility. The lesson learned from all of this? NEVER will I buy another Chrysler product!

I have a piece of crap 2000 Dodge intrepid with under 100,000 miles. I was driving down the road and the car started acting funny so pulled over, Heard the engine had a knock to it. Took the piece of junk to 2 different mechanics and the both said I need a new engine. Then did some research and found that dodge knows about the problem, Its all their fault in a design flaw. Dodge does not want to stand behind their products... That's not how too keep customers, that is how to lose customers! I will NEVER own any other dodge or Chrysler product because of this! I will make sure that EVERYONE I know does not buy any of their products either. I don't want to see someone else I know have any stupidity problems with any of their brands!

I have a Dodge Intrepid Base 2.7L V6 with a mileage of 127,900. When I bought the car used, my mechanic checked the oil pressure. It was low and he cleaned the oil pan to remove the oil sludge and changed the oil pan gasket. To prevent this issue, always use synthetic oil. I am using Pennzoil Ultra to prevent oil sludge build ups and clean your engine. It is also recommended by the dealer. Also, change your oil every 2500-3000 miles instead of changing every 5000 miles. It is better to spend money on oil that cost $100 than spending money for a new engine that cost $4000. I also use Chevron 87 octane gas because it is currently the best quality of gas in the market. Never use premium because it will decrease the performance of the engine and it is not recommended by the manual. Also, I always warm up my engine before running the car to prevent burning oil that could end to oil sludge build up. When my car is on stop/idle and I step on my gas pedal, I gently push it very slowly to prevent stressing the engine.

If the gas pedal is stepped on gently to accelerate rather than slammed to the floor to beat out the car in the next lane at a red light, better gas mileage is achieved. When the gas pedal is depressed hard, the gas engine burns fuel and stresses the engine. I am pretty sure 95% of those people in here who filed complaints did not follow those procedures and ended up this problem.

Add me to the pile of Dodge owners who had a car that literally became worthless in just seconds. Fortunately, I bought it used for about $2100 and it lasted me 2 years and about 30,000 miles before the engine simply locked up while I was driving 45mph on the highway (it's never in a nicely lit, easily accessible area, is it...?) My parents blamed me for not checking the oil enough, and perhaps that's true since some posters claim you could avoid this if you get an oil change every 2,000 miles, lol... Whatever, good riddance to an inevitable problem...

So, I just went and bought a 2000 Dodge Stratus for $1900 and anticipate it'll last a bit longer. A replacement engine for the Intrepid would've cost well over that and quite frankly, my gently used Stratus has a sunroof, sips much less gas and doesn't have weird electrical gremlins inside of it unlike the Intrepid, so life isn't too bad. If you bought a 2.7 Dodge Intrepid new, however, then I feel bad for you in a genuine way. I'll be sure to mention this to anybody considering a new Charger, Challenger or other car-of-the-moment they come up with.

The Intrepid was in the shop I normally use for one week, with no diagnosis resulting, so I had them send it over to the local dealership for further tests. They have had the car for over a month now, and told me the problem is oil sludge and stretched timing chain (and need to also replace sprockets and guides). In other words, the engine is shot. I researched this problem online and found this is common for the 2.7 engine. It has a design flaw that produces oil sludge, with some cars going out at under 50,000 miles. I also found that if I replace the engine I should go for a 3.2 or 3.5. We're in the midst of that discussion right now with the dealership service department. We're going on month 2, and what looks to be several thousand dollars later. Chrysler/Dodge should have done a recall on these engines.

Update from Apr 18, 2011: As an update to this complaint--it ended up taking over 6 weeks, after which I complained directly to the owners of the dealership. They put the shop foreman on it personally. The engine was so full of sludge that the timing chain would not stay adjusted, and the engine and oil lights would come on when it was tested. (I had always changed oil at 3,000 miles.) They found another 2.7 liter with 125,000 miles and offered to erase my past bill and install the newer engine for $1600. I took them up on it.

Just had the oil changed two weeks ago and yesterday my car started making clunking noises. Took it into the local Dodge Dealer and was told that I needed a new engine. That diagnosis cost me $129.06. Took it to an independent shop where I was told that Chrysler had big problems with 2.7 liter V6 engines and that there was actually a class action lawsuit regarding these faulty engines. The technician also told me that to avoid sludge build it I would have had to change my oil at least every 2,000 to 2,500 miles maximum!!!! Now that is really a surprise to me!!! Oh well I guess I'll just have to walk (if I'm able) or take the bus as this amount of money is out of my price range, being that I am a 71 year old widow living on social security. Seems a shame that Chrysler doesn't feel that they have to take responsibility for their faulty engines. See you on the bus......Thank You Chrysler Corporation!!!!

SH*T !!! Now I really needed this crap... I bought my 2000 Dodge Intrepid 2.7L DOHC new. I took really good care of it too. Had alot of problems with it, but got them all fixed ( at least I thought I had...) But then with no warning, on the way home from work, the car stalls 3 times at stop light and threw the town. The engine smoked really bad too. Now come to find out, engine is blown and lots of sludge in it. Water in the oil. I can't afford to buy another car at this time. Wasn't Dodge Corp. bailed out by our Gov.?? Didn't help... Should have let them hit rock bottom and find out what it is really like then. They need to have to answer to the Government for this miss use of funds and sticking it to the American people. Assholes !!!! I will Never buy another Dodge car again... Husband called local salvage yard, They said they didn't need anymore pieces of crap dodges. Had over 30something already.. Nobody wants to touch a Dodge right now, Not even the dealerships. The best advise I can give to anyone looking for a car... Don't buy a Dodge. If anyone hears of a law suit let me know...

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN WITH NO WARNING, MY CAR JUST QUIT RUNNING. THE ENGINE HAD SEIZED UP AND I COULD HAVE BEEN IN A VERY BAD ACCIDENT. THIS CAR WAS WELL KEPT UP, SERVICED REGULARLY AND OIL CHANGED FAITHFULLY. I HAD 2 DIFFERENT MECHANICS LOOK AT IT AND THEY BOTH STATE THAT IT NEEDS A NEW ENGINE, THEY COULD PATCH IT FOR AROUND 2000.00 BUT THEN I WOULD JUST BE BACK IN A FEW WEEKS OR SO NEEDING IT DONE AGAIN OR NEEDING A NEW TRANSMISSION.

I HAVE SINCE FOUND THAT THIS IS AN EXISTING MANUFACTURER MALFUNCTION IN THE WAY THAT THE ENGINE WAS MADE. I FEEL AS THOUGH DODGE IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND JUST CHOOSES TO DO NOTHING. NEEDLESS TO SAY I HAVE TO PURCHASE ANOTHER CAR AND IT WILL NOT BE A DODGE!!

I purchased this Dodge Intrepid for my 87-year old Mother. It had 32,000 miles and I had it checked out by the local Dodge dealer who gave it his stamp of approval. It needed a rear-view mirror so I went to a local salvage yard. When they came out to look at it the first question was, “Does this have the 2.7L engine?” I thought that was a strange question when I was looking for a mirror but when I replied, “Yes”, they all chuckled and said we will see you soon. They told me about the 2.7L engine was junk. Then they took me out back and showed me a row of over 35 Dodge/Chrysler autos sitting there with blown 2.7L engines. I got the mirror and thought these must have been driven hard. My Mother is lucky to do the speed limit. It made me nervous enough to take it back to the dealer and have them flush the engine and replace the oil with synthetic and a 5 micron oil filter. When I picked up the car, a mechanic told me very quietly, “This won’t help.” He knew what I was trying to avoid. He said these engines are junk. I gave the car to my Mother and she was very happy, for about 1500 miles when the engine blew due to an “Oil Sludge” problem, so said the dealer. Text book. I ended up buying a kit to have a 3.2L installed. I still have the instructions and you can email me at tmneu@bright.net if you want them. I learned, before purchasing a auto, check with your local salvage yard; you can learn a lot from them! Another lesson; this is a known problem with Chrysler/Dodge 199x – 2000 2.7L engines. Chrysler will not do anything about it. So, I will never ever buy another Chrysler product.