Used 2001 Dodge Intrepid Sedan Consumer Reviews

Intrepid---241,000 miles--

Well, I have decided after driving my 2001 Intrepid for 241,00 miles, it warranted a review for consumers. I did not have any mechanical issues with the car until it reached the 170,000 mark. I have always maintained the normal with the required oil changes, etc. At the 100,000 mark...one of the cooling fans quit working..timing built, alternater replaced,...I loved my Intrepid;s solid performance and was not ready to purchase a different automobile, decided to make the necessary mechanical repairs. To my pleasant surprise my Intrepid is reached 241,000 miles!!!

Best Car Ever!! 2014 and Still Going Strong 232000 miles

I bought this car in 2008 for only $1400 because it had 150,000 miles. In 6 years I have had to go only regular maintenance - oil, tires, plugs, breaks oh and 1 tire rod. It's so much fun to drive but the shop I take it to says I have to change the timing belt they are concerned it has soo many miles. Honestly, I know they are right and it should be done. Great Car in fact the best car I have ever bought and I've had only new cars up to the day I bought it...it was suppose to be an interim car til I decided what next. 6 years later I still Love IT

my second Dodge

I am on my second Intrepid. I went for the R/T Motorsports edition this time and am totally pleased. The ride is great and the additional power of the 3.5L vs. 2.7L really comes in handy on the interstate. My 2001 is much quieter than my 1998 base edition, and the ride is exceptional for a car in this price range. Driving about 50K per year I really need a car that is comfortable and reliable and my Intrepids have certainly been that.

My first car

This was the first car I ever had, and I must say I loved it. I got it when it was just over 100,000 miles and I had it until 118,000. It would be still running today, but a drunk driver hit it and it was totaled. It was a great, reliable car. But it is important to keep up with oil changes and services. The interior is very comfortable and can easily fit five people-six uncomfortably. The trunk is huge, which was a great plus. This body style looks a lot nicer than the old one, all in all I think this is a great car.

All good but the engine.

Bought the car new with 18 miles on it. Everything was great up until around 75000 miles and the water pump goes out and the water and antifreeze get mixed into the oil. Had it fixed for $1300. Then a few thousand miles later the oil light would come on at idle. Had to have the oil light indicator sensor replaced. And a bad rattle also developed and had to have the timing chain and guides replaced for $1500. Had them check the oil pump while they were at it, said it was okay. Oil coming on at idle again. Maybe I'll run it till she dies. Sure do love to drive it!!

2000 Intrepid RT

I have owned this car since 2001. I bought it with 14000 miles on it and drive it hard. The car is now 10 years old with 120,000 miles on it and I have never had anything on the drive train cause me a problem. The one area that has been a pain is the upper front sway bar link which has been replaced by me twic in 10 years. I replaced the brakes once so far but have to replace the front rotors and pads again. I also need to replace the front struts which is not bad as they are the originals. This car is in Massachussetts with its winters, the car is terrible in snow, and the worst streets and highways in the country. I would buy this car again in a hearbeat.

Not so good

When I bought this SE car in 2002, it ran great, no trouble at all for 5 years. At 86,000 miles and after spotless maintenance checks and oil changes-- the engine died (2.7L). I found out from many forums online-- that the 2.7L engine was total junk. The oil passages in it are microscopic which leads to oil starvation of the various parts. This is a design flaw! There is no warning! One minute the car is running, the next it stops. In my engine, the timing chain tensioner quit (oil driven)-- the OHC failed, leading to valve breakage-- result, total junk engine. For those of you whose engine is still running- you are extremely lucky! But beware-- your engine could fail at any moment!

i must have got the only good one

i have a 2001 se with 2.7 v6 and 123,000 + miles on the original engine and tranny. had to replace battery once and brakes as needed water pump at 100k did it myself and timing chain & guides while I was in there anyway. damn good car runs like new. I wonder if all the complainers ever heard of regular oil changes? I'll buy another one when this one dies if ever!

AWESOME CAR!!!!!!!!

I bought this former rental car off a Dodge dealer's lot in Mar. 2002 with 35,000 miles and a MFG date of 06/01. My baby NOW has as of today's date (06/06/09) 218,171 miles on it!!!!!,,,It's a V6 2.7. Most of my miles came from highway miles. Read this and weep people, this car (MY CAR) IS AWESOME!!!!!,,,,I've done regular maintenance, tires, in fact, I went to the maximum width tire on 17 inch rims. The only major thing done on this car is the power steering pulley. It still has trhe orig tranny and batt. THANK YOU for this awesome car!!!!! I hear Dodge made a 2009 Intrepid?????

Love my Intrepid!

I bought my car less than 1 yr old with 20,000 miles on it. I've taken it to Vegas 3 times, LA nmerous times and my baby is as strong now as she was when I first bought her. Oil change every 4 months, full tune up every 10 months, 2 sets of tires and now she has 198,000 miles and still going strong. 2.7L engine could use a little boost, but love it just the same. Especially on cruise control going uphill. What a boost in rpm's! And road curves? What cornering! What road hugging. Makes me feel like I'm driving at Talladega Speedway!

Wouldn't buy it again

Car was bought new and had no significant motoric or electrical problems for several years. The first non-driver related issue (that I can recall) was a cooling fan stopped working. This came about in 2006/07. The alternator seems to be going out now, 2009. The oil has been changed on a regular basis. A new battery was required, for the first time, a few months ago.

Cheap, but very reliable

Cheap (i.e. painted plastic bumpers), difficult to maintain (i.e. water pump driven by timing chain, $1,200 to replace). Poor quality (i.e. electric issues, plastic pieces breaking). 220,000 miles and still runs strong. Regular oil changes with good oil, never had any issues so far. It will die one day, probably because either being involved in an accident or an expensive repair.

A ONE TON PAPERWEIGHT!

loved my car until I reached the 79000 mile mark. My water pump failed allowing antifreeze to mix with oil which fried out all the bearings. Had to pay $600 just to cover the labor for the mechanic to get to the part. It will cost more to replace motor than the car is worth. I never imagined a car could fail so completely at this low of miles. Now that it's fixed my mechanic says I should dump the car because their transmissions have a 50% failure rate. Nice work Dodge! You can be sure I won't be purchasing your product again.

MOVING GARBAGE PAIL

This has been THE worst car I have ever owned. As a result I will NEVER buy another Chryler product. Chryler does not stand behind it's product and provide unacceptable customer service. Got buy a Honda or Toyota, you won't have to worry about bring stranded in the middle of a busy freeway during rush hour traffic.

I love my car

Touchy, but reliable and fun to drive

As of now, over 205,000 miles on original engine and transmission. Car is touchy due to hit and runs, and the lack of real bumpers. The painted plastic bumpers immediately missalign and the paint cracks. Car runs fine, except for normal wear and tear, no issues (yet) considering the bad engine reputation. But we keep up the maintenance and don't let an unknown kid touch our car. Too many specifics. Did you know that there is a second transmission fluid compartment which has to be drained and filled seperately from the main transmission? See? Gas mileage is great for a car this size, on the highway going the speed limit of course we get 28 miles, city and short distance drips 15.

My baby

Overall fun car, I had it since college graduation. It has taken me everywhere no problem. It is a big car but it handles just fine. Add on a few aftermarket products to enhance mileage and performance and you'll be set for quite a while. It's reliable, dependable and just plain fun. General maintenance upkeep, regular wash and wax and it to this day still looks brand new. I have the dark blue one and I still love driving it to this day. 8 years and still going strong, best vehicle ever made, best vehicle I ever owned.

2001 Intrepid R/T Motorsports

The R/T is the top of the intrepid line & it performs like it. The Motorsports edition is very rare & was only made in 2001 to celebrate the return of Dodge to NASCAR. There were only 383 of these cars made. I love the looks of this car & its extremely roomy.

GOOFY

Roomy, fun to drive and reliable.

Intrepids are underrated

I can see why Consumer Reports made the car a Best Buy, but I don't understand why they don't get more respect from consumers. Roomy, comfortable, handsome, and accelerates and handles surprisingy well for a large car. Climate control is nice and it has a Great stereo, too! Not a Bimmer, but they cost 40 percent less. Very good "bang for the buck!"

MAINTANANCE NIGHTMARE

The comfort and everything about this car is nice. The dependability is terrible. I payed $2500 for the car. i know a great eal , until i started having to repair it. in the past two years i have paid out almost $12000 in repair. if its not one thing its another. i have replaced the engine the torque converter, the brakes the shifter cable, cv joint( snapped when i was driving .... not fun ) struts. and the list goes on and on. I could have bought a new car for that. i know i kinda did it to myself but i can't get a loan to pay for a car.

Do.Not.Buy.This.Car

Listen to all of these reviewers when they say that the 2.7 engine will die on you. Because it will! Mine just happened to chose 5 months after I bought it. And replacing the engine was not an option because they are so hard to find and the fix will cost more then what the car is worth. Do yourself a favor. Stay away from this car!!

2001 Dodge Intrepid- SE 2.7 Engine

This vehicle has been the most reliable car I've had. My car is a garage baby at work and home. I purchased this car at 82,000. It now has 152,000. I have people coming up to me often wanting me to notify them if I decided to sell my car. So far, I've had front alignment work, (2) wheel bearings, intake manifold and the serpentine belt replaced. I just got that all done this year. I get regular oil changes every 3000 miles and a tune-up every year. The only other complaint is that I have an oil leak but I do keep a close eye to make sure there is enough oil. I had a Saturn that died at 148,000 miles before I got this vehicle which was crap. I think my next car will definitely be a Dodge.

The Best Car I've Ever Owned

I went to Dodge to get a new-used car as a Christmas present for myself and after not getting approved for a couple of cars that I was looking at, they had approved me for the 2001 Dodge Intrepid with only 75K miles and a 2-yr warranty. At first, I was not interested. Boy, am I glad that I took a second look at it the next day! After all, I was tired of driving my 1996 Pontiac Bonneville with no heat or air conditioning. With living in the desert, a/c and heat is a must! Besides, after putting about $1,300 worth of new parts and labor into the car, I was tired of dealing with my Bonneville. I'm so happy to be a new owner of my '01 Dodge Intrepid!

The only car I'll buy now!

Absolutely love it! I bought it three years ago and now it has over 200,000 miles on it. Still runs like it was brand new. I haven't had any problems with the engine. Everything is original. It sat for over a year due to having no license and the only thing that had to be replaced was the battery. I have heard that if you don't look for a specialist of this type of car you are dooming yourself. I live in the very bad wintering midwest. It runs awesome in the snow. I have driven on ice covered and completely snow covered rodes. Of all the many cars I've had this is my favorite!!!!!

Excellent car!

I like this car so much that the couple of times I've gone to a dealership to trade it in, I ended up deciding to keep it. I test drove numerous brand new cars, but couldn't find any I liked as much as this one.

Good Choice

Purchased this ES Intrepid as a lease turn in with 30.K miles. It now has 70.0K miles and has been a good reliable vehicle. Gas mileage around town is average but on the road it gets 27 mph. Wife drives the car daily and we take it on most of our road trips. Very enjoyable vehicle

Stay Away

The engine had a tapping noise, couldn't repair it, Had to have the engine rebuilt by a third party company. Dodge will not acknowledge the poor design of the engine. I had a 94 Intrepid it was a much better car, better suspension, better everything, except transmission, my 94 tranny went at 69,000, and again at 117,000, so far the 2001 has 99,000 and tranny is still good, but starting to slip. If they put a 3.3L(like the 94) or even a 3.0L engine in it I would buy another. But I will never buy a car with a 2.7L Engine.

Custom ES Intrepid

Since I purchased my 01 Intrepid ES in 04 she hasn't ceased amazing me! I live in NORTH Idaho where the weather turns quickly & have NEVER had traction or handling problems even in the very worst conditions. Talk about comfort!!! My husband is 6'5" & has room to spare! Not only is it a roomy, quick family car, she has tons of personality. Custom striping, purple LEDs in the headlight compartments & tint & she turns the head of even the most dedicated of the street racer crowd! I love my Intrepid & wished they still made them! Only costs I've incurred are those of maintenance which aren't bad!

Worst thing ever built!

This car is honest to goodness, the biggest piece of junk ever! We have owned it since 2002 & have had nothing but trouble. The brakes have been a major issue from the start. The air has gone out multiple times. Replaced the engine at 60k miles. Oil light flickers..been to 2 dealership, neither can seem to figure it out. Had to replace a window motor. Now the heater box needs to be replaced. Nothing is simple to fix on this beast. Nickle & dimed to death. Way too may issues for one vehicle. I have cursed this car for many many years & this week I finally get to junk it! Yea! Done with Dodge!

A ONE TON PAPERWEIGHT

Purchased in 2002. A pretty good car. The only work it needed was routine maintenance like oil changes, tires etc. I've taken great care with it. The other day it stalled out on me and I had it towed to repair shop. Turns out the water pump failed allowing antifreeze to mix with the motor oil which fried all the bearings. I only had 79000 miles on it. I'm blown away that such inferior garbage such as this 2.7L engine can do this and is actually what you can expect to happen. I have an extended warranty but it may not cover the expense of a new motor since the warranty won't exceed the value of the car itself. I'll never ever buy Dodge or Chryseler again!

Sleek, stylish, big can be cool, too

After bringing it home, discovered auto tranny leak from hose fitting. Repaired under warranty at selling dealer - bad experience. Am now having fun driving to work, hauling the family around and on road trips. The factory stereo in the ES is pretty close to all you'll ever need. Not happy with the stingy amount of leather - trimmed seats. Trunk space is unparalleled for a full-size. Replace air filter and muffler/resonator and you'll have loads of HP!

Bad Motor

Well the car broke in the middle of the highway and It didn't turn on again so call a tow truck ($80) to take it to the mechanic just to check it ($60)/ He told me that the oil pump went bad and it basically burned the motor so he told me that he can get me an used one for $1500 or a new one for $3000 and he also told me that those cars are very bad cars to get rid of it and I will as soon as I get more money.

2001 Dodge Intrepid SE 4dr Sedan (2.7L 6

I bough my 01 SE when it was 14 months and 20500 miles old. Now 72000mi. Dealer change electric fan second year. Check engine light which dealer took 6 months to figure it was an leaking polution hose. Under extended coverage dealer changed a/c coil under the dash. I changed front rotors radiator drain plug tune up tires and pads.Had smog stuff serviced. Headlight buckets getting dull. Engine and front wheel drive noise after 50000 mi.

Dependable and Stylish

I bought this former rental car off a dealer's lot in 11/01 with 24,000 miles and now has over 135,000 miles on it. I commute 60 miles a day primarily freeway driving and consistently get 23- 25 MPG. I'm 6"6" so I need a roomier car and this fits the bill and I get good mileage to boot. Good reliability as the car still is working off the original battery and I didnt replace first set of brakes until 80,000 miles. It has yet to start leaking any fluid and still has orginal transmission. I've replaced a water pump that expectedly went bad at about 120,000 miles but that's about it so far. I may trade in '08 for something new-but will need to go long way to beat value this car provides.

Great car!

I love this car. The power of the R/T is great! There is some road noise, but it is easily drowned out by the radio! Lots of room, huge trunk, and a great ride. Very comfortable leather seats.

get ride

havent had the car long enough to have any great times with it yet but i guess the best so far has been the abliatly to be able to have the power to get out of the way of the other drivers that cannt drive or just dont care about other drivers

Roomy, good looks and pep

I have had this car about 9 months now and enjoy it very much. It is very roomy with a extremely large trunk, drives well and gets good gas milage (I have averaged 26 mpg). The car tends to overstear a bit and the road noise is quite loud on rougher roads, but the excellent handling and peppy engine make this a fun car to drive. I agree that the low front end makes it harder to judge distance while parking, but I have not had a problem getting in and out of the car (I'm 6'1") as some others have said. Overall this is a good car and the price is reasonable. I would not hesitate to get another one.

GM sounds really good.....

Started out as a great car with 24k. I now have to replace the rack and pinion, sway bar links, and struts. I have excessive tire wear on the front passenger side. Quote from dealership for the rack is $1200. This is, by far, the worst car I have ever owned. I come from a Dodge family, Chrysler would have to do a serious overhaul of it's engineering dept. before I buy another.

Intrepid rocks!

Love it! great colour (Burgandy) tonnes of room! comfort, fun to drive, looks cool and its impossible to lock your doors with keys left in ignition!

Buy it if you can...

I chose to buy a mid-range top of the line vehicle. You may ask, "why top of the line?" Quite simply, they are built better and with higher quality parts. My 2001 Dodge Intrepid R/T is very comfortable, sound, and reliable. Of course, I keep the vehicle maintenence and I plan on driving the vehicle through 200,000 miles. Outstanding gas mileage - 26 MPG. Very roomy - plenty of leg room

Good Car

My R/T drives very well when I don't have any of these problem. The problem that I had is the entire exhaust was replaced due to a buzz noise in one of the muffler. My passenger side door has been squeaking from the start, the booster (power brake was replaced), my car is alway pulling to the right & all of my windows make noise when rolling the windows upward of down. If the dealer can fix these problems it would be a perfect car.

Great car

I bought that car in January 2001 with only 24k miles and I am now approaching 85k miles. The only thing I have done to the car is a new set of tires, and regular oil changes along the way. THIS IS A GREAT CAR. I have added an oil air filter to the car which has increased the gas mileage by +15%. I am getting about 30 miles/gallon. The ride is nice, the road noise is fine (as far as I'm concerned) I will be looking to get another one when I replace this one.

Great Car for Us

Excellant handling, roadability, driveability. Looks was one of the primary reasons for the purchase of this vehicle. However, once it was driven, we were sold on it. Got the best deal we could find and signed on the dotted line. We are glad that we did.

Intrepid

Great feature such as cruise, power windows, power seats, and electric trunk lid. But, I don't feel like the engine is all that great. Had to install a new timing chain tensioner at a little over 80,000 miles and now at a little over 100,000 miles its doing the same thing. Pretty sure it needs another timing chain tensioner installed. This is definetly not normal. I've been using Sea Foam which seems to be taking care of the problem pretty well but when ever I change the oil I have to add more Sea Foam. Eventually this will not work any more.

good car, great buy

Mine has the 2.7 V-6, I wish it had the 3.2, I miss the power, and driving a FWD for the first time takes getting used to, but this is a great buy, a great car, all things considered, when you look at features versus cost. The nearest thing to it is over $30,000.

Love the Car

I bought this intrepid with 26,000 on it. It was a program car. It has never given me any trouble. I change the oil every 3,000 miles. Have one set of tires other than the originals that were new when I bought it. I have the original battery. The only mechanical repair was replacing the brake pads. It is the most comfortable car. I have taken many long trips and sit in the front and back. It rides like an expensive car. Would buy another intrepid.

Good solid car

Vehicle has been dependable and looks nice. I have driven it in a sales territory. I drive a great deal. Good car.

Awesome Car!!!

I bought this car to drive to college 215 miles away. I have put almost 5000 miles on the car in the last few months. It runs perfect. It gets great gas mileage for a car this big. I expected 24, but I get a minimum of 26 in all conditions. On the interstate with the cruise at 70 I get 30 mpg, 28-29 with the AC on. I bought this car well below blue book trade in value. It was a company leased car. It has a few scratches and dings, but nothing terrible. The price made up for the problems. It drives great and is really smooth.

Love my Intrepid

In the 15 months since my wife and I purchased our Intrepid we have been extremely happy with the decision to purchase this vehicle. A used car with 12,000 miles from Thrifty's rental fleet, the Dodge now has 36,000 miles on the odometer and our only expenses have been for fuel and oil changes. What the base 2.7L engine may lack in low end torque is easily forgotten as the RPM's climb. Fuel economy is excellant for a vehicle of this size.I have experienced fuel mileage in excess of 30MPG for highway driving with an average of 18-20MPG city and highway. It handles and looks great. I will not hesitate to purchase another Intrepid when replacing this car.