2000 Dodge Intrepid Exterior lighting Problems

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

NHTSA ID

10715019

Incident

Feb 24, 2015

Mileage

135,000 mi

THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE MAINTAINED A YELLOWISH TINT TO THEM AND DRIVING AT NIGHT IS VERY HARD AS THE LIGHTING IS IMPAIRED. THIS HAS GONE ON FOR ABOUT 6 YEARS NOW. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHERE PURCHASED HAS OFFERED TO BUFF AND CLEAN THEM AT $100.00. THERE ARE CRACKS IN THE PLASTIC COVERS. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN IN A CRASH. ALTHOUGH WHEN WE TOOK CAR FOR 6000 MILE OIL CHANGE AN EMPLOYEE PARKED THE CAR BEHIND A DODGE TRUCK. THE OWNER OF THE TRUCK CHOSE TO LEAVE AND BACKED OVER THE FRONT END OF THE CAR. WE FINALLY WORKED OUT THE DETAILS AND HAD TO REPLACE THE HOOD AND FENDERS AT A LOCAL BODY SHOP AND WAS PAID FOR USE OF A RENTAL VEHICLE. THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS HAVE BEEN BLINKING OFF AND ON FOR ABOUT 5 YEARS NOW. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT OCCASIONS TO CHECK THE WIRING, SWITCHES, CONNECTIONS, ETC, BUT THEY ARE UNABLE TO FIND PROBLEM. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THE LIGHTS ARE TURNED ON OR TURNED OFF-THE BLINKING OCCURS RANDOMLY DURING THE DAY OR NIGHT WHEN DRIVING. IT'S SCARY AT NIGHT AS OTHER DRIVERS MAY FEEL I AM FLASHING MY LIGHTS AT THEM. ORIGINALLY WHEN THE CAR WAS MADE THE RUBBER COVERING THE DOOR WINDOWS WAS FOR THE STRATUS SO I HAD TO HAVE THEM REPLACED. THEY HAVE NOT REMAINED IN PLACE SINCE THEM. THEY ARE CONSTANTLY COMING OFF. THE DEALERSHIP WANTS TO CHARGE ME FOR FIXING THE PROBLEM SO I HAVE JUST DEALT WITH IT. WHILE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY THE DRIVERS SEAT MECHANISM TO ADJUST FOR YOUR BACK FAILED AND WOULD COST ME OVER $800.00 TO FIX. SO I HAVE JUST LET IT GO. IT SEEMS LIKE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY I PURCHASED RARELY COVERED ANYTHING. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE HEADLIGHT COVERS REPLACED AND THE ENTIRE LIGHTING REPAIRED TO PREVENT A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OR DEATH. *TR

NHTSA ID

10272749

Incident

Aug 25, 2003

HAD MILD TAPPING SOUND FROM ENGINE A FEW MONTHS AGO, TOOK VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC AND THAT IS WHERE I LEARNED THE REPUTATION OF THE 2.7 LITER ENGINE. HE ADVISED THAT WE SHOULD LOOK FOR ANOTHER VEHICLE BEFORE WE BECAME THE LATEST VICTIM. UNFORTUNATELY, ON THE WAY HOME FROM WORK ONE AFTERNOON THE ENGINE STARTED DEVELOPING AN EVEN MORE PRONOUNCED CLATTERING, KNOCK AND VIBRATION; AS IF IT WERE ABOUT TO TEAR ITSELF APART. PULLED OVER TO AVOID SUBJECTING ENGINE TO EVEN MORE DAMAGE. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED HOME. WILL NOT SPEND ANOTHER DOLLAR ON THIS VEHICLE UNTIL CHRYSLER HANDS ME A CHECK FROM A LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10232661

Incident

Jun 20, 2008

Mileage

122,541 mi

THE SPECIFIC REFERENCE I HAVE IS A 2000 DODGE INTREPID. THE ISSUE IS THE PLASTIC COVER FOR THE HEADLAMPS HAVE UNDERGONE A MATERIAL FAILURE?THEY HAVE A SERIES OF MICRO-STRUCTURED CRACKS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PLASTIC COVER THAT SCATTERS A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE LIGHT FROM LAMPS PREVENTING NORMAL FUNCTION AND GOOD VISION FOR THE DRIVERS. PLASTICS DO NOT CRACK ON THEIR OWN AND THIS EVENT IS NOT FROM AN ACCIDENT OR OTHER UNIQUE EVENT ON THIS CAR. I HAVE A PH.D. IN CHEMISTRY FROM HARVARD UNIVERSITY AND MY EXPERTISE IS IN MICRO/NANO-TECHNOLOGY. THIS EDUCATION WHICH IS UNIQUE HAS ENABLED ME TO INVESTIGATE THE REASON OF A ?HAZY? HEADLAMP COVER. THE DEALERSHIP MIS-DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AND INITIALLY SOLD A ?COSTLY? ($50 PLUS LABOR) CLEANER KIT. MICRO-CRACKS CANNOT BE FIXED BUT SUCH A METHOD AND WHEN I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP BACK TO EXPLAIN THE THIS WAS NOT DIRT OR A HAZE BUT CRACKS; THEY ADMITTED THEY DID NOT LOOK CLOSELY AT THE PROBLEM AND DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO AND SUGGESTED CALLING CHRYSLER DIRECTLY. I CONTACTED CUSTOMER SERVICE AT CHRYSLER WHO BASICALLY IGNORED MY COMMENT, SAID THAT THEY WOULD DO NOTHING ABOUT SUCH A CLAIM, AND TOLD ME SINCE THE CAR WAS TOO OLD I HAD TO PAY ALL EXPENSES OUT OF MY POCKET. I TURN TO YOU BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO SEE IF THIS IS A LARGER PROBLEM; WHICH FROM MY EXPERIENCE WITH MATERIALS BELIEVE IT HAS TO BE. UNLIKE WITH BRAKE PADS OR OTHER CONSUMABLE/WEAR-DOWN ITEMS IN A CAR, THE PLASTIC COVERS FOR LIGHTS SHOULD NOT FAIL OVER TIME. SINCE THE CAR STILL RUNS AND THE LIGHTS ARE TECHNICALLY ON ALTHOUGH THE VISIBILITY IS GREATLY DIMINISHED, THEY MIGHT NOT REALIZE THEIR SAFETY IS AT RISK WITH DIMINISHED VISIBILITY. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT CRASH INVESTIGATORS DO NOT LOOK AT THE QUALITY OF THE PLASTIC COVERING THE HEADLAMPS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF MICRO-CRACKS LIMITING VISIBILITY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME IN READING MY COMMENTS. SINCERELY, ADAM WINKLEMAN, PH.D. *TR

NHTSA ID

10224753

Incident

Mar 25, 2008

THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. MY CARS CLEAR PLASTIC HEADLIGHT COVERS HAVE BEEN GETTING MORE AND MORE YELLOW THROUGH THE YEARS. AT NIGHT I CAN BARELY SEE THE STREET AS THE YELLOWED COVERS SUBSTANTIALLY DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT THE HEADLIGHTS CAN GIVE OFF. THE COST OF REPLACING THE COVERS IS PROHIBITIVE FOR ME AS YOU NEED TO REPLACE BOTH ASSEMBLY'S COMPLETELY. THIS SITUATION IS DANGEROUS AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. MAYBE YOU CAN GET CHRYSLER TO REPLACE THEM. I WILL DO THE LABOR BUT NEED THE NEW ASSEMBLY'S. THANK YOU *TR

NHTSA ID

10198536

Incident

Aug 1, 2007

Mileage

120,000 mi

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN APPROXIMATELY JANUARY OF 2006 HE DEVELOPED A CRUSTY, FOGGY FILM ON BOTH HEAD LIGHTS OF HIS 2000 DODGE INTREPID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS INHIBITS THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT. THE DEALER SAID THIS CONDITION CAME FROM THE HEAT ON THE HEADLIGHTS AND THEY HAVE A PROCESS TO CLEAN THE HEADLIGHTS. THE CONTACT STATED HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR AND DOES NOT FEEL THAT THIS IS REASONABLE. . *JB UPDATED 2/16/2007 -THE LIGHT OUTPUT HAS BEEN REDUCED BY ABOUT 50% OF THE ORIGINAL OUTPUT AND CONTINUES TO GET WORSE OVER TIME. *NM

NHTSA ID

10179014

Incident

Jan 18, 2007

Mileage

30,000 mi

I HAVE 2000 INTREPID, THE HEADLIGHTS ARE BADLY DISCOLORED ALMOST AS IF THE LENS ARE MELTED. I HAVE SEEN A NUMBER OF OTHER DODGE VEHICLES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, INTREPID, MINI VANS ETC. THIS IS SUCH A PROBLEM THAT DRIVING WITHOUT THE HIGH BEAMS AT NIGHT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO LACK OF LIGHT COMING THROUGH THE DEFECTIVE LENS. I ALSO OWN A 2004 DODGE DURANGO THAT WAS RESENTLY ROLLED OVER, THE ROADS WERE SNOW COVERED. I WAS TRAVELING 15 MPH MAX WHEN THE DURANGO SLIDE SIDEWAYS OFF THE ROAD AND THE BACK END STARTED TO SLIDE OVER A SMALL EMBANKMENT AND THEN ROLLED OVER, I DO NOT FEEL THAT IT WAS STEAP ENOUGH THAT THE DURANGO SHOULD HAVE OVERTURNED. LUCK IS NO ONE WAS HURT. *JB

NHTSA ID

10147480

Incident

Nov 23, 2005

Mileage

60,000 mi

2000 DODGE INTREPID. HEAD LAMPS. PLASTIC LENS COVER IS DETERIORATING AND BECOMING CLOUDY/TRANSLUCENT. HEAD LIGHT INTENSITY IS DECREASED DUE TO DISCOLORATION AND FOGGING. NO VISIBLE MOISTURE INSIDE LENS. APPEARS TO BE UV DAMAGE TO THE PLASTIC. COST PER UNIT IS OVER $300.00. WAS TOLD BY MANUFACTURER THAT THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY (3 YEARS/36,000 MILES) AND THIS IS A MAINTENANCE ITEM NOT A SAFETY ITEM. AT END OF THE WARRANTY THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF THIS PROBLEM. LOCAL DEALER SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD WITHOUT DIRECTION OF MANUFACTURER. *JB

NHTSA ID

10145694

Incident

Dec 20, 2005

Mileage

97,554 mi

THERE WAS A YELLOW SUBSTANCE OUTSIDE THE HEADLIGHTS LENS. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED. *JB

NHTSA ID

10101510

Incident

Sep 24, 2004

Mileage

50,000 mi

HEADLIGHT LENSES BECAME DISCOLORED. THIS CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE HEADLIGHT LENSES WERE NOT COVERED UNDER A RECALL. *AK

NHTSA ID

10090130

Incident

Jan 1, 2004

Mileage

42,000 mi

ENGINE IN 2000 CHRYSLER INTREPID STARTED TAPPING NOISE AT 58017KM BROUGHT TO DEALER WITH COMPLAINT, TOLD THEY WOULD NOT TAKE ENGINE APART TO CHECK NOISE. I TOLD THEM I HAD BEEN TOLD THAT THE 2.7 ENGINE HAD PROBLEMS WITH SLUDGE THAT PREVENTED THE OIL FROM CIRCULATING PROPERLY. THEY STILL REFUSED TO CHECK ENGINE. AT JUST OVER 62000 KM ENGINE BECAME NOISY. BROUGHT IT BACK TO DEALER WHO KEPT THE CAR FOR TWO WEEKS, THEN TOLD ME ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $6500.00 AND THERE WOULD BE NO WARRANTY COVERAGE OR GOODWILL. I GAVE THEM A COMPLETE HISTORY OF MAINTENANCE RECORDS SHOWING THAT PROPER MAINTENANCE WAS DONE WITH IN THE REQUIRED MILEAGE AND TIME. THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT THE INVOICES DO NOT CLEARLY IDENTIFY MY 2000 BLACK INTREPID AND THAT IT COULD OF BEEN ANOTHER CAR. I ONLY OWN ONE 2000 INTREPID. THE INVOICE SHOWS THE WORK THE MILEAGE AND MY NAME AND DATE. NEXT ME THEY TOLD ME THE INVOICE NUMBERS WERE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER. THE WORK WAS DONE AT FOUR DIFFERENT GARAGES. THEN THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS SLUDGE THAT SHOWED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PROPERLY MAINTAINED. THEN THEY ASKED ME THE BRAND OF OIL THE GARAGES USED AS IT MAY HAVE BEEN FAULTY. END RESULT IS THAT THEY REFUSE TO CHANGE THEIR POSITION IN REGARDS TO WARRANTY COVERAGE OR GOODWILL REPAIRS AND I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE AN ENGINE THAT WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW IN MAY 2001. I AM FRUSTRATED AND DO NOT KNOW WHERE TO TURN. ANY ASSISTANCE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

NHTSA ID

10071392

Incident

Jul 15, 2003

Mileage

58,017 mi

I HAVE ALSO REPLACED FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR. NOW THE DRIVER SIDE BACK LOCK ACTUATOR IS GOING OUT. I HAVE NOT FIXED THE RADIO, DASH LIGHTS OR DOME LIGHTS. I AM OUT OF MONEY FOR THE TIME BEING. I HAD TO REFINANCE AND ADD $4900. TO GET MOST OF THE REPAIRS DONE. MY ENGINE BLEW DUE TO SLUDGE AND I NOW HAVE A USED REBUILT ONE THAT WILL PROBABLY DO THE SAME THING.

NHTSA ID

10068795

Incident

Jun 15, 2003

Mileage

83,500 mi

THE HEADLIGHTS LENS DEVELOPED A MILKY WHITE COLOR WHICH REDUCED THE LIGHTS ILLUMINATION. THIS RESULTED IN POOR VISIBILITY. THE ENTIRE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

NHTSA ID

10052173

WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT IN FOG HEAD LIGHT BEAMS PROJECTS OFF A BRIGHT LIGHT. THE LIGHT IS SO BRIGHT THAT IT CAUSES THE DRIVER TO HAVE POOR VISIBILITY. TS. HEADLIGHT BEAMS PROJECT OFF A BRIGHT LIGHT. LIGHT BEAMS ARE REFLECTED UP DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF VEHICLE. THE LIGHT ILUMINATES THE FOG, AND VISIBILITY IS GREATLY REDUCED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10004131

Incident

Jan 3, 2003

Mileage

32,000 mi

TRIED TO OPEN DRIVER WINDOW, AND IT WOULD NOT GO DOWN. WHEN USING THE SWITCH, YOU WOULD NOTICE THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD FLICKER. IT IS NOTED AS A TSB, BUT THE GARAGE HAS NOT BEEN CHECKING ON THE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

720318

Incident

Mar 1, 2000