After a few days of a January thaw in the last week of the month, the snow on Detroit's ice-clogged streets actually started to melt. At this time of year the build-up of frozen slush that has accumulated behind the tires of vehicles finally breaks off and falls away.

The problem was, one afternoon, one such beach-ball-sized chunk of ice broke off of an 18-wheeler that was driving in front of the Intrepid one afternoon. Cars unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity began swerving to avoid the frozen debris, but our news editor was not so lucky. A large iceball smacked the front right fascia of the Intrepid just before the car beside him nipped a fallen piece of ice with its front tire and sent it flying into the Dodge's driver's side door. Once safely off the highway, John Clor assessed the damage: the flying ice did indeed dent the driver's side door and the huge snow chunk had cracked and splintered the lower front fascia.

After speaking with several body shops, Clor discovered that the Intrepid's bumper cover is one large piece and cannot be repaired easily; it needs to be removed, repainted and re-assembled at a cost of $800 to $1,000, depending on who you call. We called Assistant Body Shop Manager Robert Diber at Pointe Dodge, who estimated a $1,060 repair fee for fixing the cracked bumper, the dented door and the scuffed rear bumper that we mentioned a few months back. They were so busy, however, that we could not get an appointment until the end of February.

In the meantime, Clor drove the Intrepid to Chicago for a midmonth auto show. It was here in the Windy City that the vehicle's "check engine" warning light decided to illuminate. Clor looked under the hood but did not find any leaks or oil problems, so he drove it back to Detroit and over to the Pointe Dodge service department.

Unfortunately, the place was a zoo. When the customer service manager finally asked if he could help Clor, he told our editor that he couldn't leave the Intrepid, even with the engine light problem. We had to make an appointment and the earliest one available was the same week the car was scheduled to have the body work done. No problem, they'll do it all at once. As for the engine? We can only hope it holds up until then.

Other problems logged this month include the transmission slipping when the car is cold and an interior rear door panel that nearly falls off every time someone slams the door shut. With all of these headaches, one would think our editor would be glad to get rid of the Intrepid. Not so. The Clor family says they will miss the stylish and versatile family-hauler when it goes to live in the Big Apple this March ... but they won't miss the trips to the dealership.

Current mileage: 17,638
Best Fuel Economy: 24.8 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 17.1 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $0
Maintenance Costs: None
Problems: "Check engine" light illuminated, transmission slips when cold, left rear inner door panel comes loose when door is slammed, 12-volt power point still inoperative.