Takata recall: I was involved in a head on collision in which the airbag deployed and a piece of metal went through my eye causing immediate blindness and subsequent loss of the left eye. The piece of metal was pull out in the er. There were no other injuries. This happened on a city street in detroit mi traveling about 20 MPH. I've been wearing a prosthetic eye since.
The worst 1996 Dodge Intrepid problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Steering153
- Fuel system86
- Engine83
- Suspension45
- Transmission44
- Brakes37
- Airbags34
- Electrical32
- Body24
- Lights24
- Visibility15
- Acceleration7
- Locks7
- Tires7
- Seat belts6
- Wheels6
- Seats4
Specific symptoms reported on the 1996 Dodge Intrepid
Ball joint 63Fuel leak 32Headlights 24Fire or smoke 20Overheating 17Power steering loss 16Steering noise 16No deployment 13Fuel smell 10Brake failure 9Harsh shifting 9Knocking 8Pulling 7Wipers 7Airbag light 6Stalling 6Grinding brakes 5Check engine light 5Transmission failure 5
Recalls 2
Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: floor shift
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles, the floor shifter ignition-park interlock may fail and allow the shifter to be moved out of the park position with the key removed. An inoperative interlock may also allow the key to be removed when the shifter has not been placed in the park position.
- Risk
- Either circumstance may result in the vehicle rolling away without warning.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a new load-limiting push rod into the floor shifter lever of the affected vehicles. Owner notification began on june 14, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 04V021000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles built with 3.5l engines. The fuel injection delivery system can leak fuel from some of the sealing o-rings or from hair line cracks in the thermoset fuel injection rail.
- Risk
- Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the fuel rail o-rings and reinforce the outlet (passenger) side fuel rail. Vehicles showing fuel leakage on the outlet fuel rail must have the outlet rail replaced which includes changing the upper and lower injector o-rings. However, if a vehicle is leaking fuel from the o-rings or from a cracked fuel line, the vehicle should be taken into a dealer to have this repaired as soon as possible.
Recall number 98V184000 · Recall details
See all 2 recalls for the 1996 Dodge Intrepid
Defect investigations
Fuel rail, brake fluid, chassis
On september 5, 2004, mr. Robert galenty of iselin, nj, petitioned the agency to conduct defect investigations of certain model year (my) 1993-1997 vehicles produced by daimlerchrysler corporation.his petition identified three issues of concern: 1) fuel leaking from the fuel injector rails; 2) brake fluid contamination resulting in brake failure; and 3) susceptibility of the vehicle frame to damage while the vehicle is being towed.mr. Galanty alleged that his 1996 dodge intrepid had each of these three problems.concerning fuel rail leakage, daimlerchrysler commenced a recall (98v‑184) of approximately 722,600 vehicles to address engine fuel rail leaks that could lead to a fire, including those vehicles cited in the petition and the petitioner's 1996 dodge intrepid.on october 7, 1998, the federal safety agency opened a recall query investigation (rq98-018) to evaluate the adequacy of the recall remedy.that investigation was closed on july 8, 2002 without requiring further action by daimlerchrysler.very recently, on june 9, 2004, the federal safety agency denied a petition (rp04-001) to reopen rq98-018 after finding that there was no new information that would indicate any basis for reopening it.this is still the current position of the federal safety agency on this issue.concerning brake fluid contamination and frame alignment, a review of the federal safety agency's database shows no other complaints on either one of these issues on the vehicles cited in the petition.
DP04007
Auto trans ignition-park interlock
The manufacturer reports above are based on daimlerchrysler?s (dc) analysis of model year (my) 1998 (population = 356,384) and 1999 (population = 486,948) ja, jx and lh family subject vehicle data (earlier mys excluded).the population number includes all mys.the precise number of duplicates between odi and dc reports cannot be determined due to missing or incomplete information.the fatality incident involved an elderly person who attempted to stop a roll away vehicle and received fatal injuries.odi also gathered information on my 1997-99 prowler vehicles in this investigation. The prowler vehicles were manufactured with a different design shifter mechanism (the shift lever is shorter).there are no complaints of prowler interlock failure in odi?s database, and dc has received no reports either.the prowler is excluded from the recall scope.the investigation involved a condition where the interlock system could fail (or be made inoperative by the operator) during vehicle use, possibly inadvertently.the interlock system is required under fmvss 114.with the transmission in the park position and the ignition key off, the combined action of pressing the shift button and pulling the shift lever rearward may result in the operator overcoming the interlock system and cause the mechanical linkage of the system to disconnect.when this occurs, there is no overt indication to an operator that the system is defeated, and an increased risk of vehicle roll-away exists.under recall 04v021, dc will replace damaged shift mechanisms, and will install on all vehicles a device which inhibits the operator?s ability to overcome the interlock and defeat the system.beginning with my 2000, dc incorporated a brake and transmission shifter interlock (btsi) system into the subject vehicles.introduction of btsi involved design changes to the shift mechanism, one of which resulted in reduced mechanical advantage (rma) of the shift button.the rma shifter requires increased forces to overcome the interlock system, making the shifter less susceptible to damage.
EA03011
Steering system rack and pinion
There is no summary currently available
EA99031
Steering system rack and pinion
Since opening the preliminary evaluation (pe), odi has received 6 additional complaints.during the pe it was determined multiple failure modes are involved in this matter.the warranty claim rate is high for a steering system concern.the issues reported involve premature wear out at the rack and pinion interface with the inner tie rod end(s), binding and sticking of the steering gear, cracked or broken tie rod ends, sheared rack and pinion assembly bolts, and wear out of the rack and pinion mount bushings.many of the complainants mention steering wonder and loose steering.three of the most recent complaints allege a complete loss of steering due to sheared bolts.odi is upgrading this pe in order to perform a thorough technical analysis of the various system failure allegations and to quantify the effect that these failures have on vehicle control.
PE99044
Fuel injection delivery system fuel leak
RQ98018
Technical service bulletins for the 1996 Dodge Intrepid 81
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Charging System, Battery Diagnostic Tools and Warranty This information only bulletin discusses using the...
- Repair Parts Used For Structural Repairs This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard...
- Use of Salvage/Recycled Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to...
- Use of Aftermarket Parts This bulletin involves discussing FCA US LLC position with regard to collision...
- Valve Body
- Child Seat Tether Anchor Installation This bulletin describes procedures to install Child Seat Tether...
- Flash programming failure recovery. slc
- Subject regarding low or no cabin head, engine cooling system system fill procedure. tt
- Subject regarding camshaft / bearing service. tt
- Subject regarding airbag / clock spring service for various models including 2002 model year jeep liberty. tt
1996 Dodge Intrepid fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.3L 6‑cyl | FWD | 17 | 24 | 20 |
| 3.5L 6‑cyl | FWD | 15-16 | 24 | 18-19 |
What 1996 Dodge Intrepid owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
After purchasing car from auction, we took for emissions testing in order to purchase a tag. We were told the test could not be done because the computer had not finished the tests. We were advised how to complete the driving requirements and to come back after that. After several trips the tests still showed incomplete. Now six years later the odbii still will not complete and actually restarts every time the car is started. After lots of research we discovered the problem has been widespread and a defect that requires the ecu to be flashed with updated program information. There is even a tsb #181897 which covered this. Dealers are either unaware of this problem or want to charge close to $100. We believe that they should do this service at no charge since it is s defect that they are aware exists. There are no codes being thrown and we have been unable to tag the car for many years.
The air bag light stays on constantly which affects the electric windows & the heating/AC component. When the air bag light came on the windows & heater/AC stopped working. Additionally, the steering wheel locking mechanism is defective because it does not lock the steering wheel at all when the ignition is in the off position. I had a 1993 dodge intrepid with the same airbag light problem described above, I was able to get the light to go off at times by adjusting the steering wheel which allowed the electric windows and heater/AC to work until the light would come back on. The difference is I cannot get the airbag light to turn off at all on the 1996 model, the difference being between the two models is that the 93 had the gear shifter on the floor console; while 96 is on the column. The fact that the 93 and 96 both have the same airbag light affecting the electric windows & the heater/AC is not a coincidence. I've been told by mechanics that one thing should affect the other, but my personal experience shows that to be untrue. In my opinion there is a safety issue with either the sensors or something in the ignition switch, or possibly the wiring within the steering column due to possibility of manufacturing issues. This does pose as a safety issue because the windows will not roll down and the heater/AC will not cool/heat the car and the defroster cannot clear the windows of condensation; which creates obstructed view. The nonworking heater/AC severely restricts the times you can drive the car, unless you would like to risk heat exhaustion during summer or frostbite during the winter.
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 dodge intrepid. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, smoke started to emit into the vehicle. The contact mentioned that once she merged to side of the road the vehicle became completely engulfed in flames. The fire department was contacted however, the vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was not inspected for the cause of the fire. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage was 176,000.
Vehicle was getting serviced for an oil change when technicians noticed the smell of gasoline in the engine oil. The vehicle was taken to a shop where the fuel rail was deemed to be leaking gasoline. The vehicle/part was listed (according to chrysler) as having been replaced in 1999.
On 15mar12 at approximately 5:30pm I was driving around a slight curve when the steering wheel suddenly pulled to the left. I immediately corrected while letting off the accelerator. After I regained control, the steering still felt extremely loose.
I have owned a 1996 dodge intrepid for 6 months now and when I bought the car I was aware that the steering was a little loose, what I did not know was that the entire rack and pinion system as well as most of the tie rods around them were completely shot. My steering wheel grinds when I turn it left and right now and my steering has a horrific drift when turning from extreme to extreme. The bushings on the rack and pinion (as told by my mechanic) are completely gone. The broken pieces are rattling and vibrating so violently that the shimmying I feel on my car is actually caused by the steering. When I brake at high speeds (50mph) the steering pulls to either an extreme left or right. After doing research, I found out that I wasn't the only one struggling with these same issue. It seems like every owner of a 1996 dodge intrepid is experiencing the exact same issues. My mechanic said to me that he has no guarantee that my steering will work right. Driving down the road now I'm afraid I'll lose control of the vehicle. My girlfriend might frequently drive the vehicle but I am afraid that the steering may go out when she is driving it. I spoke with my mechanic and I am in the process of getting the defective parts replaced. I plan to save the parts that are defective in hopes that I will get some compensation for them.
The airbag light will not go off it stays on all the time when it is on the heater windows horn and rear back up lights and rear defroster do not work with no heater/defroster it is near impossible to keep the ice off the inside and outside of the windows even while having the passenger constantly trying to scrape off the ice it just instantly re freezes causing very dangerous and hazardous driving conditions due to this the car went off the road and crashed into a deep ditch the air bags did not deploy and we had to be towed out of the ditch with a hoist and a lift and back to the road by a commercial wrecker from what I have seen and heard when searching the internet for information this problem is most likely caused by the clock stop the same problem which prompted a recall on dodge and chrysler mini vans of the same year why wasn't this car recalled too? I know I am not the only one with this problem there are thousands and thousands of complaints listed on the internet for this same problem by other dodge intrepid owners this is a very serious safety hazard also the fact the windows don't work can cause entrapment in the vehicle
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 dodge intrepid. While driving approximately 5 MPH on normal road conditions, proceeding to make a left turn. There was a loud popping noise outside of the vehicle. Suddenly, there was a complete loss of steering. Immediately, the driver stopped in the middle of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to the residence. A certified mechanic inspected the vehicle. The failure was contributed to broken bolts which supported the tie rod bushing, and the rack and pinion. The vehicle was repaired for the malfunction. The failure mileage was unknown. The current mileage was 177,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 dodge intrepid. The contact smelled a strong odor of gasoline coming from the vehicle. He also noticed that the fuel gauge indicator was moving faster than normal. The spark plugs were changed and the contact noticed gasoline leaking from the fuel injectors. He discovered the federal safety agency campaign id number 98v184000, but was unaware if his vehicle was included in the recall. The current and failure mileages were less than 160,000.
Compare the 1996 Dodge Intrepid
Other model years
Questions about the 1996 Dodge Intrepid
Is the 1996 Dodge Intrepid reliable?
Owners have filed 504 complaints about the 1996 Dodge Intrepid, 1.5 times a typical Intrepid model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1996 Dodge Intrepid?
Steering, with 153 complaints, typically around 85,000 miles. Next is fuel system (86).
How many recalls does the 1996 Dodge Intrepid have?
2 recalls, covering power train and fuel system, gasoline.
What gas mileage does the 1996 Dodge Intrepid get?
Official estimates for the 1996 Dodge Intrepid range from 18 to 20 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.3L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 17 city and 24 highway.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 1996 Dodge Intrepid?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history