The Dodge Intrepid Was Unreliable And Plagued With Major Problems

[@Jordi7174]

Hi! My name is Diane. Mother of two fur babies. I'm on my way to pick up a lease on a new 99 Intrepid. I've leased my 96 Camry and loved it. It was worry free. Everybody keeps telling me I'm making a mistake by going from Toyota to a Chrysler product. But a month ago my sister Lucy got a new LHS. It was so roomy. And the interior was gorgeous. I'm a sucker for a good looking car and Toyota can leave a little to be desired on the eyes. My sister said the same about her Accord that she turned in. The Intrepid has a sportier interior that I like. So that's my choice! 😤 How bad can a car be for just 3 years? 2002: My sister and I are running back to Toyota and Honda! We can't give these LH cars back fast enough. We both have had three years of misery with these elongated clobber faced POS's. The design might be "cab forward" but the quality is a** backwards.

[@lordmaul3]

This type of tomfoolery is why Chrysler was on the verge of bankruptcy back in the 80's. A government bailout and the late Lee Iacocca saved the company from extinction. Chrysler had two models that were the most recalled cars in automotive history. They were the Dodge Aspen and it's nearly identical twin the Plymouth Volaré. These two vehicles alone nearly put them out of business.

[@Atomwaffen-y3s]

@@lordmaul3 Rust holes in the fenders came as standard equipment. The front suspension had issues, such as detaching itself from the rest of the vehicle. These things were such pieces of H$it that even owners of British Leyland products could look at themselves in the mirror and say, "yeah my car is a POS, but at least it isn't a Chrysler product."

[@lordmaul3]

@@Atomwaffen-y3s Not the rust holes in the fenders came as standard equipment lol.😂😂

[@jasonchristopher2977]

Toyota leads the pack. Honda close 2nd. Stay away from anything chrysler unless it's a older 24 or 12 valve Cummins diesel. Ford buy coyote, GM any LS. Do away with the cylinder deactivate crap.

[@sportyhuntley8914]

That's the best quote I've ever heard about anything in my life 🤣 "The design might be cab forward, but the quality is a** backwards!" 🤣😂🤣😭😭

[@Sweetwater20120]

I owned a 95 intrepid with a 3.3 and never had a single issue so I bought a 2000 intepid with a 2.7 and cursed that car the entire time I owned it

[@phantom0456]

The 3.3 was no powerhouse but it was dead reliable, like most of Chrysler’s pushrod V6 and V8 engines… but the 2.7 is one of the worst engines that Chrysler ever produced, unfortunately.

[@CedricB-v3n]

I had a 94 Concorde with the 3.3v6...it lasted a long time but the transmission were COMPLETE GARBAGE...THE 3.3V6 WAS BULLET PROOF!!!

[@jackdough8164]

The 3.3/3.8 were such tank of an engine design. They reliably outlasted the rest of the vehicles they were put in.

[@dmandman9]

I think the 1 Gen intrepid was a better vehicle overall than the 2nd Gen. especially the engine.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

@Sweetwater20120 yeah that 2.7 was something serious

[@kevinbarry71]

It amazes me up to this day how many people purchased Chrysler products and then are somehow surprised that they are not reliable. And I am old enough to remember when the K car debuted

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

I guess you got a point there

[@wainber1]

Chrysler was once a member of the so-called Detroit-3 and a stand-alone brand now merely a part of a major conglomerate based in the European Netherlands (Stellantis). Times definitely have changed since the 1990s.

[@TheCRTman]

That is funny because my Grandfather said Chrysler was junk even back in the 60's & 70's lol.

[@evos469]

They junk even before then ​@@TheCRTman

[@lilibethdoherty295]

Chrysler Vehicles have always been the Fastest from the Showroom to the Junkyard !

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Sheesh that’s probably true

[@Cogic]

I remember seeing the Chrysler firepower and wonder why it never hit the streets

[@NeedForMichael999999]

My father's 2000 Intrepid ES has got 230k+ miles on it, which was a 3.2. It's been pretty reliable other then Injector issues and the oil sensor leaking oil. Everybody seems to forget that the early chargers and 300's had this terrible 2.7 too.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

That is pretty impressive mileage!

[@kwasia4882]

I remember that ‘cab forward design’ ads everywhere then, and saw a lot of Intrepids and Concords on the roa. By mid 2000, you could count the remaining ones you saw on one hand.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Yep. The Intrepid didn’t last long.

[@testingtoseeifthisworks10101]

god the second gen intrepid looks so damn gorgeous now...

[@Vex-zz7br]

Too bad most of them are looking gorgeous in car hell, or rotting in someone’s grandmas driveway in the bushes

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Yeah they really do look good

[@Romiman1]

When a 30 year old car looks modern and futuristic, You know about the current car-design... :-(

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Yep. The Intrepid may not have been the most reliable, but they looked darn good.

[@D-is4-DAWG]

A woman I was messing with 10 years ago bought a 2002? Chrysler rebadge of the Intrepid for her very first car, and I didn't have the heart to tell her to take the car back to whoever she bought it from, and get her money back. She was so happy about finally having her own car to make it back & forth to work, and I didn't wanna ruin it for her. Fast forward about 5 or 6 months later (i'm surprised it even drove that long), she calls me and says the engine is makin a "funny noise" and kept stalling. I pulled up, and found out the engine had a bottem end knock louder than steel toe boots in a dryer, a host of other issues, and finally, the break pressure almost didn't exists. I had to Flintstone stop the car with my left foot out the door as I was attempting to move it out of the busy street... bruh

[@GenePoolChlorinator]

I had a 96 intrepid with the 3.5 as my first "real" car. Bought it off enterprise rental when I was 18, drove it all over north America, gave it to my mom, and she ran it well over 300k miles until it started having problems. It's still one of the best cars I've owned.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Glad to hear you had a good experience with it!

[@fgeiger41]

Great doc. The 2.7L is what hurt Chrysler the most. Their bean counters kept allowing flawed shortcuts into production. It also hurt the LX cars when they debuted. I had a 2001 R/T. It was actually the one used in the Tampa, Orlando, and Miami auto shows, though there was nothing special about it. It ran flawlessly before I traded it in on a 300 Special. The only design flaw was them putting the battery in the wheel well. The crazy thing is that the LH was designed to accept V8's, RWD. It had a lot of bandwidth and life designed in. There are pictures of RWD mules that were going to be the new generation of rear drive cars until the merger, and Mercedes killed the program and started selling their hand me downs through chrysler. The orthographic Charger concept was LX based with a SC 4.7V8, 5spd manual, and RWD. I still drool over it today!

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Wow, that's an interesting tidbit! I’ll have to check out those RWD prototypes. Thanks for commenting and watching bro

[@fgeiger41]

@@MotorMaster_Stunticon There's a video from the BBC where James May drives it along with a few other concepts. It'll make you mad when you hear the etc m exhaust and what could've been.

[@chadlehman3001]

And it still looks good today I think

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Yes they do

[@lloydandbethbeiler8127]

I didn't care for the second generation. The first generation was almost as radical as the '77 Caprice and the '86 Taurus when they came out IMHO.

[@izzatfauzimustafa6535]

Quite funny how the Intrepid also had fleet orders for few police departments back in the 90s despite its quality issues.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Yeah, that’s what I heard

[@izzatfauzimustafa6535]

@MotorMaster_Stunticon In retrospective, 2000-2006 Impala was way better than the Intrepid in the history of front-wheel drive (FWD) police car lineups in the States and Canada. Intrepid feels like "faking it until you make it" four-door yacht with wonky build quality.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Here where I’m at, they were still using second-gen Luminas in the early to mid 2000s, then made the switch to the 2006 Impalas once all the Lumina police interceptors were retired

[@JohnZornAscended]

Like Ford and GM?Which are the only companies allowed to count that as an actual sale, lol.

[@izzatfauzimustafa6535]

@@MotorMaster_Stunticon Lumina could easily been a good sleeper car for undercover officers if fitted with a powerful large engine, a good torque converter transmission and better ride & handling.

[@Chinunit22]

We had a 95 Intrepid base model with 3.3. Paint was gone on it, but it ran strong when it was sold on Craigslist.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Thanks for watching.

[@cmoore7700]

Bought a used 04 Intrepid no accidents/clean/1 owner/ 75 k miles . Well what a piece of junk! That car was in the shop more than my house I cannot list all the problems it had . I gave it to a friend who needed a car and it caught on fire and burned to the ground. Because of this car I will never buy any Chrysler product no matter what! I learned my lesson on did research on used cars before buying anything. I presently own an 01 and an 02 Buick LeSabre and will keep both of them forever. What a world of difference between the Dodge and my awesome Buicks Thanks for the video Stay well

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Glad to hear the 01 and 02 LeSabres are better all around.

[@phantom0456]

@3:01 the irony of the boxy Dodge Monaco being shown here as an example of other contemporary Chrysler styling at the time of the Intrepid’s release is that the Intrepid was built on the same basic platform as this very Monaco (which was also sold as the Eagle Premier.) The Eagle Premier was a car that was being developed by American Motors when Chrysler acquired them in 1987, and was yet another windfall that the Chrysler Corporation gained when they purchased AMC, along with the Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was also already well into development by American Motors when Chrysler purchased them. Many people don’t know this, but there would never have been a Dodge Intrepid or any of her sister cars had Chrysler not purchased AMC… but I would have loved to have seen how AMC continued to develop the platform had they not been bought out.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

You’re right. Thanks for imparting knowledge.

[@jonathanmorrisey5771]

Francois Castaing and his AMC engineering team came over to Chrysler with the acquisition. The bacic design under the Premiere evolved into the LH-platform. Early 1st-gen cars were also plagued with multiple A.C. evaporator failures too.

[@user-lr2lg6qz4e]

In 2001, I traded a POS 2001 Subaru on a lease return 2000 Intrepid 2.7. I may be biased because of how bad the Subaru was, but I loved the 2.7. I changed oil religiously for 300K km. It was a great car.

[@pascaldeslongchampsmoncton1490]

You were changing the oil at every 300K Km ? Are you sure about that?

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

I'm glad you had a good experience with it!

[@antiangelofmusic]

300 km is only 186 miles!

[@SE-kf7pe]

I am so glad this channel is getting the love it deserves. This is one of my favorite channels and this Intrepid documentary is well done as usual! The look was great, the car was not.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Thanks bro. And I’m still thinking about doing that Supra video you were talking about.

[@SE-kf7pe]

@ we can’t wait to see it if you do it!

[@tespenkr9924]

I remember seeing Gen 2 Intrepids all over the road, in Gran Turismo 2, and NASCAR. I thought they were really cool. Glad they chose a Stratus.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Thanks for watching

[@Cogic]

I had a 3000gt in gt2

[@lloydandbethbeiler8127]

Never liked them as much as the first generation.

[@wainber1]

The Dodge Intrepid had a nice design even if it was plagued with huge problems.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

I agree

[@LARAKKA]

Hemied and wide-bodied. Nuff Said

[@cantwealljustgetalong2]

it wasnt plagued with huge problems. these were good cars but people dont maintain their vehicles

[@dougfisher1813]

I had a 99. Comfy big interior and 29 mpg hwy.

[@wainber1]

@ As popular as the Intrepid may once have been, production of the most recent generation ended with the 2004 model year and hasn’t been restarted since.

[@halmrkcrdz2494]

I had the R/T which had the 3.5HO which had none of the problems of the 2.7. beautiful car wish I still had it

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Cool. I like the R/T and the 3.5 engine was probably the best choice

[@lordmaul3]

That 2.7L V6 was trash. These engines were so bad a class action lawsuit was filled against Chrysler and DaimlerChrysler Corporation. The lawsuit claimed that the engine design caused oil sludge to build up, which led to engine failure, excessive wear and tear, and in some cases, fire or explosion. The lawsuit sought damages for those who had to repair or replace their engines. My brother owned a Sebring convertible of this era with the same trash engine. I told him to get rid of that car but he didn't listen. I'm sure you can figure out what happened afterwards. Chrysler's poor reliability and subpar quality control is the main reason why I never considered buying any of their vehicles. There were exceptions like the Eagle Talon and Plymouth Laser which is a rebadged Mitsubishi Eclipse. The Dodge Colt a rebadged Mitsubishi Mirage. The Dodge Stealth which is the twin of the Mitsubishi 3000GT.

[@Stressless2023]

Virtually all 2.7L engines died early deaths because not only did Chrysler have the brilliant idea to make the water pumps “internal” running off of the timing chain but they also did not design a weep hole to allow coolant to leak onto the ground when water pumps failed so they ultimately allowed coolant into the crankcase which contaminated the oil when the water pump failed which typically destroyed most of those engines and gave them a horrible reputation - A few owners got lucky and replaced the water pumps before catastrophic damage occurred somehow which is why you’ll still see a few with higher than 100k miles still running around, but the factory water pumps which for some reason failed very prematurely on most 2.7L’s are ultimately the culprit.

[@lordmaul3]

@@Stressless2023 This type of nonsense is why Chrysler was on the verge of bankruptcy back in the early 80's. They would be extinct today if it wasn't for a Lee Iacocca and a government bail out.

[@terranceaddison4599]

Holy crap..🙁😦

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

@lordmaul3 Yep, that’s a story!

[@goclunker]

Now, imagine if you actually maintain that engine. I know that maintenance is a foreign concept to Chrysler owners.

[@colinschmitz8297]

Enjoy the video! The 2.7 L V6 is one of three things that deserves the lion's share of Chrysler's bad reputation. The key problems with the design was they used a timing chain driven water pump And it had poor ventilation. The examples of people that had a longer life of the engine where people who usually used synthetic oil and had one of the later versions where the water pump at least had a weep hole. If the water pump was failing, it would leak out the weep hole instead of within the crankcase. If Chrysler had stuck with the 3.3 for the second generation Intrepid, it would have outshined the first generation intrepids reliability the 42LE in the second generation had ATF + 4 versus ATF + 2 or 3 which really helped the transmissions reliability. Having owned both, My second generation Intrepid equipped with a 3.5 had a lot less problems with little things breaking and overall had a better build quality and was more refined. If you had a second generation LH car with the 3.5 or 3.2, chances were as long as you maintained the transmission fluid in the 42LE correctly using exclusively ATF + 4, then you had a increased probability of a happy car ownership as I did. The cars weren't perfect of course, but if you avoid the 2.7 and you took care of the transmission usually you'd have a happy experience. The only other weakness was usually with the steering.

[@SimpleNHumble]

Bro wrote a whole essay 😂 I give you props

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Thanks for taking the time to respond to this video. I agree with everything you said here. I admit, I do like Chrysler products, but that 2.7 gotta go lol

[@colinschmitz8297]

@MotorMaster_Stunticon Same here. As a Chrysler fan, it was frustrating having that engine in so many models I wanted to buy resulting in me not being able to buy the car since I didn't want the problems I knew they had.

[@colinschmitz8297]

@@SimpleNHumble thank you. I'm very long winded and opinionated.

[@drewjansen7825]

I enjoy your videos more with each new one. You have a wonderfully relaxed delivery. I saw a 1994 Eagle Vision ESi in pretty darn good shape at the grocery store here in Arkansas the other day.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Thanks for the kind words. It's very much appreciated! Darn! I’d love to see an Eagle Vision in good shape. Rare nowadays

[@ProG3rmanator]

Dope vid! I can iconically see the “cloud” shape returning to vehicles in the next decade. Once the boxy trend has run its course

[@doug6191]

@@ProG3rmanator "iconically"? 🤔

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

I agree!

[@ProG3rmanator]

@@doug6191 the cloud cars are seen as outdated. But i believe one day that shape, slightly reworked, will probably make a come back

[@kyledexter485]

I bought a 2001 Dodge Intrepid in 2006 only had 45k miles when I got it. Yes it had the 2.7L. After I got the car I did an oil change. And I used the 5w/30 just like the owner manual said to use. Crazy thing was the oil light would flicker on and off when the car was at Idle. So I switched the oil to 15w/40 rotella T. The engine was happy and the oil light never flickered again. Drive it trouble free for 150k. Then sold it.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

That’s great you got 150k out of it!

[@tymac3306]

These made a huge huge impression on the public. It was loved. Outstanding new design, great handling power, economy, and comfort as well as pricing. There were an abundance of failures but overall a good car. Gen 2 was a whole different story....😮

[@timothyleake8750]

I've had 3 Intrepids and have NEVER had a problem with any of the 3 that have been in my garage! Currently, I have a 2002 Intrepid SE that I bought brand new and it has the 2,7 V6 engine which has performed flawlessly for the past 22 years! No sludge, nothing!!! It now has 130000 miles on it and is still running strong!!! The car itself still looks brand new and I still love it as much today as I did when I brought it home from the dealer!!!!!

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Glad to hear you’ve had a great experience with your Intrepid! Great for a 2002 to only have 130k. That’s super low miles for the year.

[@spencerolson1532]

Awesome video rob i always loved the looks of the first generation dodge intrepid

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Same. Thanks for watching bro!

[@spencerolson1532]

​@@MotorMaster_Stunticonno problem bro

[@autochatter]

Great vid Rob! Former AMC people,now with Chrysler, played a large hand in the LH sedans design. Even the platform borrowed some from the Eagle Medallion. And the 2.7 engines were terrible. Edit...Almost did Intrepid myself this week! Doing a different MOPAR instead.

[@doug6191]

Eagle Medallion... Nice pull. Nobody remembers that car. 😂

[@autochatter]

​@@doug6191It got lost in obscurity very quickly.

[@autochatter]

@doug6191 😀 Petridge Farms remembers.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

@autochatter Thanks man. Dang I forgot about that Eagle Medallion!

[@foursquarehomerepair]

We had a second gen with the 2.7l. It was, bar none, the most reliable vehicle we ever owned. It gave us 150-thousand trouble free miles. I did an alternator and a wheel hub. That's it. Comfortable, roomy and quick. And then it blew up for the same reason they all do. Which was also a blessing as there was no dumping money into it, no back and forth should we fix it or not, just toast.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Glad to hear you got such good use out of it before it went out!

[@MrCalverino]

I remember we had a 2000 model with leather, that boy was super nice

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Leather is always a nice touch!

[@MrCalverino]

@MotorMaster_Stunticon it had a nice sound system too, it was a rental 😁 we had it for like a week

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Yeah man, that sound system is one of the first things I check out when renting or test driving a car

[@mhbbej1]

I was a Sales Representative for a trucking company back in 2002. The company gave me a 2001 Dodge Intrepid to make Sales calls and use for my personal use. It was one of the best cars I ever had. Since it was a company car it cost me nothing. The company paid for all the maintenance and gas. I also had a Chevy Lumina and a Pontiac Grand Prix with two other companies I worked for. All three of these cars were my favorite because I did not pay anything.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Cool! Yeah the Pontiac Grand Prix was a pretty sweet car too.

[@dersteer]

I had a buddy who bought one of these with a blown 2.7 liter engine for next to nothing. It was a beautiful like new car without even a scratch anywhere on it. He searched the junk yards for YEARS trying to get a deal on the engine and never could. Ended up scrapping what looked like a brand new car!! The engines he did find from good cars went for absolute gold in the junk yards.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Yeah those engines were more expensive than gold in the junkyards.

[@michaelathens953]

A friend of mine had one of these cars, somehow it got us from salt lake City Utah to Everett Washington without blowing up. She totalled it not long after we got up there.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Dang! lol

[@TheCRTman]

I used to see the 2nd gen ones everywhere as a kid. It feels like they're nearly all gone now. Very very rarely will I see one. I always hear bad things about the 2.7L V6. It's probably the #1 reason why they're all gone at this point. Sad. They did look cool.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Same here. Don’t see too many anymore.

[@DaisyLynn-xm1pl]

As a former owner of multiple Intrepids they really went baf from the 2001 model year on.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Thanks for sharing that

[@DucatiPaso750]

My understanding the 2.7 oil sludge problem is because the water pump was put inside an engine cover. When the water pump would start leaking, the antifreeze would mix with the oil that surrounded the water pump. Oil and antifreeze equals a milky oil sludge with way less lubricating properties and high engine wear and seizures. I remember when Craigslist was full of these cars. People were trying to get rid of them with very low prices.

[@freeplayfrank7736]

I loved the way Intrepids looked when they came out. But I never buy a car til' they've been out long enough to develop a reputation. Unfortunately, I heard all the bad stuff so never got one. The 2.7 sludged up because the water pump was inside the timing cover, so you couldn't see it leaking. My mechanic said change the water pump and timing chain every 80K miles and it will last forever. Expensive and no thanks, I will stick with my vintage cars. Good video, I love when she opens the doors to show that beautiful leather interior.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Indeed. Her opening the doors to show that marvelous leather was the best part.

[@sirxavior1583]

I remember Mythbusters used a Dodge Intrepid for an experiment. It got a flat tire and they had to first remove the Battery then got access to change the tire.

[@kenyokiel493]

The 2.7 required strict maintenance intervals which people didn't follow!! Had a 05 stratus with the 2.7. Changed oil every 3k miles and gave us zero issues. Most reliable car we ever owned.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Glad to hear your example was reliable. I wish more owners had a trouble-free experience with their 2.7s.

[@taxman1000]

Owned a 2000 Dodge Intrepid R/T. Build quality was iffy at best, and only had the car less than five years, which is a short time for me. Air conditioning went out twice, and only the first time was under warranty. Transmission grenaded once as well, after the warranty ended as well. When the air went out a second time, I traded it in 2005 for a used 2002 Grand Marquis LSE, which myself, my son, or my wife still drives as our 3rd vehicle every day. This vehicle and our Chrysler minivan is why I will never buy another Chrysler product.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Now that’s what I call unreliable. Thanks for sharing your story. I know the Grand Marquis are a ton more reliable, especially with the 4.6-liter.

[@vaughnparkes]

The second generation Intrepid had me feasting my eyes on it since seeing it for the first time back in 2000. This car had a unique look that made me wanting to own one so bad - despite being in my late teens and coming to the realization that I was not yet exposed to the world of work (a full-time job) to afford one. ☺

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Yeah and they still have a unique look, I don’t blame you for feasting your eyes on it.

[@joeljohnson3515]

We had a Gen 1 Intrepid and a Gen 1 Stratus. The only reoccurring issue on the Intrepid was the plastic molding on the C Pillar kept chipping along the top edge due to heat warping from the sun. The Stratus however, we drove the hell out of it for 20 years with standard maintenance with no issues. We even got 15 years out of the original battery. I wish they made something as bulletproof as that Stratus.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Sounds like you got a good one with that Stratus!

[@DrunkManDezReloaded]

I had an 99 intrepid, got it in 03.. had problems with it in 04 and I finally traded it in for the 04 explorer.. definitely an upgrade for myself, but I didn't hear about from 2 ppl I knew who had one at that time..

[@Ken-l2e]

Still have my 1994 intrepid. 3.3 , has package that included 4 wheel disk brakes, power 8 way drivers seat, tilt wheel power locks, windows etc… came with package 22D. Paid around 20,000 new. 54000 original miles. 1 round of brake pads, 4 batteries, an alternator, water pump,and new tires last year. Original good years were starting to crack between the treads. These first generation intrepids have all but disappeared. I am glad that I kept mine.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

That’s awesome you still got your ‘94. Yes, that have all but disappeared from the road. Thanks for watching.

[@MamesJatthew29]

The instant I read “Dodge Intrepid” I KNEW this would be about the 2.7 lol. Fucking oil sludge. I was a working in a shop when these came out and there were customers bringing in intrepids that were barely a year old, with sludge already building up. Problem was that these were base models, destined mostly for mom’s side of the driveway and rental fleets. Ya know- the “barely change their oil, let alone on time” crowd. The engine was still garbage, but with ZERO room for even basic maintenance delays- it was a time bomb. The 3.2 wasn’t AS bad, but sludge would still creep up with continuous extended maintenance intervals. The 3.5 and 3.5 “HO” were fairly solid engines. That said, the Intrepid was a great looking sedan- both generations, as were the first generation Chrysler cloud cars.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

I totally believe your story. And you’re spot on with the Cloud Cars. The 1995 Cirrus was a great looking sedan. The second generation Sebring looked and felt kinda cheap compared to the 95/96 coupe/convertible. Both Intrepid generations looked good too.

[@mikenb3461]

I had a 2000 ES with the 2.7L engine. I was diligent with oil changes so the engine wasn't problematic, but other things were. I only had it for a bit less than three years and it was towed to the dealer several times. The air conditioning failed just out of warranty with 61,000 km (36,000 miles) on it. The dealer and Chrysler Canada wouldn't help, even though it failed over winter and under warranty but I hadn't noticed. The dealer gave me a sweetheart deal on a 2003 R/T with the 3.5 L H.O. By then, Chrysler had de-contented the car in noticeable ways. The window switches were no longer lighted, and the inside of the trunk lid was now bare metal. Chrysler Canada pulled a fast on on customers since the US cars required an oil change at 5000 miles, but the Canadian service interval was 5000 kilometres - or just 3000 miles. The worst thing on the 2003 were the brakes though. I had a flat tire with maybe 15,000 km (9000 miles) on it, and the guy who fixed the flat told me I had no rear brakes as the pads and rotors were shot. From then on, every oil change also required either front or rear brakes. It was insane. I traded the 2003 in on a 2006 Mazda 3 GT. What a world of difference. I eventually traded the Mazda in on a 2010 Golf Wagon TDI (I think they were called Jetta Wagons in the US). The Mazda had 120,000 km on it (72,000 miles) and the brakes still had life in them. I have never owned a Chrysler product again, and likely never will. Utter junk.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Thanks for sharing your story, I appreciate the insight! A lot of people say they will not go back to a Chrysler product.

[@haru-10th]

I'm honestly surprised that someone here in my country (Philippines) even bought a '96 Intrepid back in the day because I saw a listing in the Facebook marketplace sometime in 2023. the engine was already converted to a Toyota 1KD engine though based on the description.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

It's interesting that they swapped it to a Toyota engine, maybe they were trying to take advantage of a parts availability thing going on there.

[@omostim2385]

My best friend had a 2nd gen Intrepid and it died a sputtering death on 45 somewhere between Huntsville and Houston. Also my dad’s coworker had an Intrepid for sale which I thought was a good deal. I tried driving it home and didn’t make it halfway. Thankfully the coworker gave me my money back. They still looked cool although my favorite was always the LHS

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Sounds like you dodged a bullet! Crazy you tried taking it home and it couldn’t even make it there. At least you got your money back.

[@EBLC90]

I don't own a Dodge Intrepid specifically, but I own a second-gen LH platform car, a 1999 300M with the 3.5 liter high output engine, which is quite good because in Europe we had the terrible 2.7 liter engine as standard. Well, I have to say that lots of problems affected those cars too, like cracking dashboards, various electrical problems like the infamous climate control screen going dark randomly or blown elements of the heated seats, valves ticking and mild oil sludging...mine is especially cursed as I managed to blow the head gaskets by just sitting in traffic, it was 102°F outside and I was stuck in traffic for 40 minutes, but still the 3.5 liter engine has problems too! It's an awesome looking car with plenty of space and I don't want to get rid of it, here in Italy LH cars are extremely rare to see, probably having 30-40 units still on the road, and people will always turn their heads to have a look at my 300M or stop to have a chat even though it looks a bit rough being owned previously by an elder gentleman who didn't take much care of it...but I soon realized how much of a disaster they were at the time and are today.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Glad to hear someone in Italy watches these videos. I like the 300M too. Nice that you still own one, and yes, I think they are a head turner, because every time I see one on the road, I do the same.

[@SecretlySeven]

These are still on the road here. So much of the internet seemingly doesn't understand that geographically 75% of America isn't cities and is poor. We'll keep fixing and driving these things for another decade or two.

[@CraigHARRELL-se9xm]

Inherited a '93 after my Dad passed away. When I got it it had only 58,000 miles. By the time it hit 93,000 it needed it's third transmission in two years. I finally got rid of it and bought a used '94 Camry. That baby had 115,000 miles and ran like a dream. I still see old 80s Camry's on the road. I've seen a damn Studebaker more recently than an Intrepidnd I was even at a car show.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Exactly. I haven’t spotted a single Intrepid on the road all year haha

[@mtatters3603]

Since most of these people nowadays want luxury trucks, I’d like to see a video on the early 2000s Lincoln Blackwood due to being a luxury truck before its time

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

In due time

[@randum160]

Bought an 02 intrepid rt last year for 500 bucks at 155k~ to use as a beater for the year,thing sounded like a bunch of cans rattling underneath when going over bumps,spun tires on accident all the time because they were bald af,and the headgasket was going. It lasted me till winter without breaking down (somehow) at 170k before I junked it for the same amount I bought it for 😂 Never experienced the car when new or in its prime but it was comfortable,had excellent visibility/easy to park even though it was longer,and had no issues keeping up with traffic at all. (Even in chicago traffic where everyones going 20 over MINIMUM) If you could find one for dirt cheap that isnt a 2.7 and you dont have kids,somewhere important to be,or much care for your personal safety its perfect pfft.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Thanks for sharing your story. I wouldn’t mind picking one up for 500 bucks.

[@dontelindsey5846]

My Sebring Convertible with that engine has 277k on it. Original transmission and motor. Needs a paint job and a top but doesn't run bad at all

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

It sounds like you’ve gotten a great one!

[@dontelindsey5846]

@MotorMaster_Stunticon definitely got lucky!

[@humanvideosponge4529]

We still have an old Stratus (Which looks like a scaled down Intrepid), The biggest problem has been rust. I think it's been OK mechanically but these cars were not built to last.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Unfortunately you’re right. They weren’t built to last.

[@dj33036]

I had a '98 Concorde LHI with the 3.2 engine and all the bells and whistles. . I traded if off with 180,000 miles and the only thing not working was the cruise control. It was a great car.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

That’s pretty good for a car with 180k miles!

[@TimEssDub]

I had first-gen Intrepid that was very reliable. The transmission was slipping when I traded it in for Buick Lesabre, another very reliable car.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Glad to hear you got to experience a Buick Lesabre. Those were nice cars.

[@1heavyelement]

i have a 99 300m with 92K on the clock.and its been garage kept for 25 years and hasn't seen so much as a grain of winter road salt. while the quality issues are a problem they can be repaired and upgraded. my car gets its maintenance done like clockwork.i know the issues these engines have, that's why it gets fresh oil every 2500 miles. fortunately chrysler didn't put that shit ass 2.7 in the american models. (european models got the 2.7 in the 300m's). there are other quality issues i have addressed. these cars are rare to see on the road these days. i can't go out anywhere without somebody talking to me about mine. just today i drew a small crowd of guys when i drove to the store. they couldn't believe how nice it is FOR WHAT IT IS. people can bitch all they want, but all manufactures build pieces of shit they'd like to forget they made. on a final note. most people DON'T follow their maintenance plans, and when the car fails, they deem it a dud. the fact remains the the chrysler LH platform was a very cool looking ride, that's why people fell over themselves to get one in the early years. thanks for the video.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

When you decide to sell it, let me know. I’d love to get my hands on a pristine 300M. Always thought they were just simply beautiful cars. Thanks for watching!

[@kaiser7525]

I can’t remember the last time I saw an intrepid on the road…

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Yeah you don’t see them too often anymore

[@GoingFission-iw4zl]

The water pump on the 2.7 acted as an idler pulley and was mounted internally INSIDE the motor. When the water pump failed at around 60 to 75,000 MI, water dripped into the oil and emulsified it, causing piston scuffing and engine slap😮

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Yeah I've heard a lot of horror stories about this motor.

[@GoingFission-iw4zl]

@MotorMaster_Stunticon engineers could have easily solved the problem, buy essentially mounting the water pump backwards in the block assembly so that the gearhead could still be used as an idler pulley but that when the pump would leak it would leak on the outside of the block

[@JackRusselMan]

I was looking at a 2006 Dodge Stratus and I talked to my dad and he has been a mechanic all his life and he said if they couldn't provide documents stating the oil was changed ever 3000 miles to walk away from it.

[@countryboyrt8054]

I think the water pump design is what really killed most of these engines. I owned two cars with the 2.7 engine and didn’t have a single problem other than just regular maintenance with either of them. I used full synthetic oil and I checked my oil every week to make sure coolant wasn’t leaking into it.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Good to hear you had two without any issues.

[@OLDS98]

I got behind on your videos. I am catching up. You are speaking from first hand experience. You are not the first person to say this about this car line. I recall when these came out and it was a huge departure from the Dodge Dynasty. I had heard it was bad with this car, but I did not realize it was that bad. People really did sour on these cars. Dodge more than made up for it with the Charger and Challenger. It will be interesting to see what direction Stellantis will go now Tavares has left the building. We do need cars back period. Thank you for your video. I do wonder about the 1994-1997 New Yorker/LHS.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

It’s good to hear you’re catching up! I’ll have to do a video on the New Yorker/LHS soon. I plan on doing some more GM related videos too.

[@OLDS98]

@@MotorMaster_Stunticon I look forward to more GM videos and one that you will do on New Yorker and LHS. You keep them coming.

[@Puiffanick]

I actually owned as my first car a 2000 Dodge Intrepid with the 2.7l engine. Brought it used a year old and learned all my mistakes on that car. I did have issues with the engine which I actually caused myself after not checking the oil correctly (yes, I had no clue what i was doing). Had to get the engine replaced because of my stupidity. Damn, I missed that car though. When I brought that car it had about 49k miles on it. I put another 50k on it until these NYC potholes caused its demise.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

That’s a shame, NYC potholes can really do a number on a car.

[@BurchellAtTheWharf]

0:08 I like the intrepid. It was packed up wit a transaxels with the V6 3.6

[@connor8099]

I was thinking about getting a 2000-2004 Concord for my first car cuz they're luxurious comfortable practical and I personally think they look gorgeous but my dad strongly recommended against it and told me and I quote "Those cars are pieces of shit" lol and after doing my own research on the Concorde and intrepid I quickly learned that he was telling the truth. 😭 Which is really unfortunate because I think they are very good looking cars and something unique that you won't see too often so I would stand out from the crowd but a car being horribly unreliable is not worth it at all and is the ultimate deciding factor for me. (Side note) Am I the only one that finds it funny how the catfish Camaro is literally just a sports coupe version of the Concorde in terms of looks and it's even more strange when you consider the fact that they both got a facelift in the same year that made them look so similar. So neither of the cars were out long enough to influence the other because both the facelifted versions came out the same year so maybe it's just a huge coincidence or perhaps some of the same designers worked on each cars cuz even down to some of the Minor details like blinker placements or tail light shapes are extremely similar it's like Chrysler decided to make a sports version of the Conchords to appease younger buyers lol.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Thanks for chiming in bro. I remember back in the 90s when the F-body Camaro got a refresh for 1998, it looked just like the 1998 Concorde up front, and that’s what everyone was saying about it. I don’t know, maybe they were both designed by the same person like you mentioned. Yeah there’s just too much similarities between the two cars front fascia. Check out the video I did on the 1998 Concorde. If you get an LH car, avoid the 2.7 and go for the 3.5.

[@connor8099]

@@MotorMaster_Stunticon Thanks for the advice cuz I definitely plan on adding a Concorde to my collection in the near future. 💗 And also I would love to see a video on the last generation Buick Riviera since I noticed you tend to do videos on cars from the late 90s-2000s era.

[@minipandora22]

Great video 🎉

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Glad you liked it!

[@meowmeow372]

When I first saw it in the 90s, it does stand out.

[@kaiserbillxiv1245]

I know 4 people who had them and all had transmission failures. The cars were not even that old or driven hard. My sister's 2014 4600lb "mini van" recently had a transmission failure.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Yikes!

[@mopargm9329]

I'm going to tell you right now the only bad ones were the 2.7 SE models. All the models with the 3.5, 3.5 high output, 3.2 l and on the first generations the 3.3 l were all great cars. My first car was a 96 Dodge intrepid 3.3 I was 12 years old my father gave it to me when he bought a brand new 2002 Dodge intrepid R/T and all of them went well over 300,000 MI with not a single issue and I also owned a 2002 Chrysler 300M special that I bought with 220,000 mi and unfortunate events happened and I lost it add 342,000 at the time and never a single issue. If you remember that all but the 2.7 and the 3.3 are timing belt motors and you remember to do the water pump and timing belt every 75k you will never have an issue with them and 3.3 for the first generation is bulletproof it was the most reliable of them all being a push rod overhead valve simple design.however the 2.7 was a horrible engine it was known for sludge and snapping timing chains and throwing them through the valve covers because tolerances were such crap in those engines and owner is running conventional oil in them or not changing at all made them sludge up you cannot run conventional in anything modern it needs to be full synthetic. Honestly I loved all my Chrysler Le cars just as much as I love my GM W-body cars with the 3800

[@joemoorman9103]

It's weird how certain cars get so recognizable and ubiquitous that you can immediately recognize when they're showing a generic version of it. The Kuruma from GTA III in 2001 was clearly an Intrepid, anyone would see the resemblance at the time. But nowadays if anyone played that game, they wouldn't think anything of it, and if I mentioned it, they'd ask, whats an Intrepid? So much goodwill wasted at Chrysler in the 90s, so many big dreams that never happened.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

I had GTA III in 2001 for the PS2. What was the guy’s name? Claude?

[@johnsradios484]

We had two intrepid’s. Mine got to 167k and transmission went. My wife’s car was 13 years old and all the brake lines were rusted out. But ok cars and the engines were ok. 2.7 L V6 if I recall.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Sounds like you got a lot of use out of them. Thanks for sharing that

[@jayelbee1111]

There was another LH car that was not mentioned in this video, and that was the Chrysler 300M. But those Dodge Intrepids were nice-looking cars. I saw a few Intrepids that were rebadged as Chryslers that mistakenly shipped from the Chrysler plant in Brampton, Ontario, Canada to Plymouth-Chrysler dealerships in the U.S. as well

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Didn’t mention the 300M since only the European version got the 2.7 engine. Most 300Ms sold in America were more reliable than the Intrepid solely because of the standard engine. Besides, the 300M had ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with this video lol

[@johanmichael6624]

American cars are gorgeous and cool design. Here in Sweden they are very known for their problems. The only American car maker that is viewed positively are Ford. We used to have Chevrolet and Cadillac but they stopped importing them here due to low sales which is a shame.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Glad to hear someone from Sweden 🇸🇪 watches these videos American cars *used to* have cool designs, now they’re just mostly SUVs lol

[@uptownsamcv]

you don't even see any on the road anymore. Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth front wheel drive cars were not meant to last. one thing that was cool about the Intrepid was the longitudinal front wheel drive drivetrain.

[@orbitty1354]

Honestly I think the Intrepid was the best car Dodge ever had. As long as you had a 3.3 in it.

[@lucasjohnstone1272]

It’s unfortunate that Dodge and Chrysler are being split apart my Stellantis. They need a huge revival.

[@jeffshadow2407]

I sold Oldsmobiles from 1990 to the end of production in 2004. Salesmen at our next door Dodge dealership were moving a LOT of Intrepids. I heard from my customers who came to see the Eighty Eight that "Oldsmobile was going out of business; Dodge said so". Well, that was in 1996 and once the Olds got the floor console and shifter as standard equipment (split seating could still be ordered), it became easy to sell to folks who had bought bench and 60/40 seats since the 1970s, especially if they had just seen the Dodge or Chrysler vehicles. It was a guaranteed switch when I advised them our car had the GM 3800 V6. Today you see far more GM B-bodies (88, LeSabre and Bonneville) than the Chrysler Corporation models. My owned example was a 1997 LSS!

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

I still see way more 3800 cars of that same era than the LH cars. Thanks for chiming in.

[@flotowncomputerguy6243]

The 2.7 absolutely needs modern full synthetic oil due to the sludge issue. Quality oil like Mobile 1 with high mileage protection gives a little breathing room if an oil change is late. Short drives will kill this engine fast due to not having enough time to fully heat and circulate the oil

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Yes, short drives will destroy that motor due to not fully heating the oil. Thanks for your input.

[@Mr_57ChargerRT]

FYI the 2005-2010 Charger, Magnum , and the 300 has the same 2.7L V6 as well.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Indeed it does

[@WillSmith-wg4hs]

We had a 98 intrepid. It ran till 200k miles but there was a recall for a paint flaw that year so if you see any that have no paint on the roof then now you know why. I don think it got stuck in park once.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Ok cool. Thanks for tuning in.

[@John8910]

Maintenance! Oil changes. Great cars except the 2.7. Ive seen piles with 200 plus thousand miles. Most are gone now due to rust and age. We are talking 20 to near 30 year old vhecles here lol. Some still driving around.

[@doug6191]

2:12 - I always heard the "wheels pushed out to the corners" line, but look at that "prestige gap" (the amount of space between the leading edge of the front door and the rear-most edge of the front wheel opening), and the wheels do no look pushed forward.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

I guess it sounded cool to say “wheels pushed out” lol

[@wadeepperson6906]

I used to love dodge cars. I had a neon in 2003 that I owned for years. I put almost 400k miles on the thing before I finally upgraded to a new Honda civic when they had the new body style after 2006 but before they changed it later. Not a single car has lasted nearly as long as that neon. I never had any problems with it at all ever. I did have a faulty transmission that was covered under warranty when it barely had 50k miles I guess the reverse gear would shear off and crash into the forward gears then the transmission would just explode. They upgraded it to a srt transmission cuz that’s all they had at the time. Got my car back and only thing I replaced is oil spark plugs an ignition coil and air filters.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Whoa 400k miles is insanity. I’m glad you got a lot of use out of that neon.

[@wadeepperson6906]

@ yeah for sure I’ve been kinda depressed about every car I’ve owned since. Besides the Honda, I had a cobalt later the steering column broke at 8k. Then a journey that ate up tires like no tomorrow every 20k miles just because the way the torque worked. A sonic that blew up turbos every 30k miles I replaced 3 under warranty 1 myself and got rid of it. Then I had an optima that was fine that I traded for a soul with a rickety engine in 2000 miles which I traded for my atlas recently that’s treated me well. I did have a cavalier that also magically ran forever that some guy when I was in the army slammed into me going 101 destroyed my poor cavi ss and my spine 😂 definitely wouldn’t suggest getting in an accident in a cavalier at all you’ll probably die. My neon totaled a cavalier and a grand am in one accident when the grand am hit me at 55 at a stop light and pushed me into the cavalier in front of me only cost me 800 to fix my car. If I can find a neon srt 4 in decent shape I’ll probably pick it up that’s how well it treated me.

[@normantor]

Had a 95 and every time the car got warm the entire instument cluster would turn off. Fantastic.....

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Whoa!

[@johnanthony2154]

Don't forget the fact that there were lawsuits from the car flying off the highway due to a terrible tie rod design.

[@joeg5414]

my dad always got these as a company car in the 90s. These and Chevy Corsica's.

[@GoingFission-iw4zl]

The other engines were old school pushrod motors, that would last forever. The only downside with the pushrod engine, is that a can't stand being over revved😮

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Good point. Thanks for watching

[@MikeekiM-vh5se]

Only the 2.7 was problematic, but remember Toyota during those years had engines blowing up and a bigger engine sludge issue than Chrysler of those years. 3.3,3.2 and 3.5 were 300,000 bulletproof engines!

[@roryj625]

I remember watching a video from Marsspeed about the dodge intrepid failing, 2000 was the worst year of the intrepid. v6 engines were becoming an issue

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Yeah I remember Marsspeed

[@J.Wick.]

Like any other Chrysler product. They make a fine lease. Wouldn't think of owning one past 6-8yrs old.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts

[@2009polostar]

1st gen Avenger/Sebring coupe wasn't a Chrysler product, it was a DSM. That's why it rarely had any problems.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

You’re right

[@judyArsh]

First generation Intrepids were great cars. It still looks good today. Sadly Chrysler never got to make another car themselves without foreign bosses calling the shots.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

I agree with you! They were solid cars back in their day, and they've aged well.

[@brianbeswick3646]

I used to have a 1993 Intrepid and later a 1997 both with the 3.3l and that was a great engine. The problem with those cars was front suspension would wear out a lot, My friend had a 1998 Intrepid with the 2.7l and he couldn't get rid of it fast enough which was a shame because he said it rode well andit had no rust on it but he couldn't trust it because of that engine.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

The 2.7L was a real lemon.

[@brookmeyers6621]

I don't remember the last time I saw one running?

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

They are uncommon nowadays

[@Vex-zz7br]

and to think I was considering buying a stratus R/T w/ this engine used, 130k miles. Now I know why they go so cheap

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

That’s exactly why. Glad you learned something.

[@Stressless2023]

Virtually all 2.7L engines died early deaths because not only did Chrysler have the brilliant idea to make the water pumps “internal” running off of the timing chain but they also did not design a weep hole to allow coolant to leak onto the ground when water pumps failed so they ultimately allowed coolant into the engine which contaminated the oil when the water pump failed which typically destroyed most of those engines and gave them a horrible reputation - A few owners got lucky and replaced the water pumps before catastrophic damage occurred somehow which is why you’ll still see a few with higher than 100k miles still running around, but the factory water pumps which for some reason failed very prematurely on most 2.7L’s are ultimately the culprit.

[@timothykeith1367]

If the owner regularly monitored the coolant and immediate addressed the low coolant scenario the 2.7 could survive. Low coolant or coolant in motor oil is detectable, but must be fixed quickly or the oil will badly sludge the engine

[@Stressless2023]

@@timothykeith1367 Yeah that wasn't a very realistic expectation in general since most of these engines died when the vehicles were still fairly new, which ultimately is why so few still exist today even in the newer base model Chrysler LX cars which offered the 2.7L standard until 2010.

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Thanks for the technical explanation.

[@tylerfrogge6533]

This is why once I get a car it's not going to be a Chrysler product, but the 1993 Intrepid was a very reliable car for its time

[@MotorMaster_Stunticon]

Thanks for your input