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1997 Dodge Intrepid problems

The most common problem on the 1997 Dodge Intrepid is fuel and propulsion system, typically around 95,000 miles. Its complaint count is close to a typical Intrepid model year.

Typical yearClose to a typical year
Owner complaints
342
Recalls
2
Service bulletins
84
Worst area
Fuel system
Fuel economy
18-20mpg

The worst 1997 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.

Specific symptoms reported on the 1997 Dodge Intrepid

Ball joint 29Fuel leak 25Fuel smell 24Fire or smoke 20Headlights 14Stalling 12Wipers 11Harsh shifting 8No deployment 7Check engine light 7Power steering loss 7Overheating 6Airbag light 5Engine failure 5Transmission failure 5

Recalls 2

Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: floor shiftReported January 13, 2004 · 2,315,768 vehicles affected
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 systemReported August 6, 1998 · 722,600 vehicles affected
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 1997 Dodge Intrepid

Defect investigations

Fuel rail, brake fluid, chassisOpened October 13, 2004, closed October 27, 2004

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

Remedy failures of recall 98v‑184Opened March 1, 2004, closed June 22, 2004

The petitioner, philip mcbroom,alleges that there was a fuel leak in the fuel rail, and or fuel o-rings, which caused an engine compartment fire.this event occurred after the recall (98v‑184) remedy was performed on his vehicle.he has petitioned the federal safety agency to investigate the remedy adequacy of safety recall 98v‑184.on august 10, 1998, daimlerchrysler notified the agency that it would recall approximately 722,600 vehicles built with3.5l v6 engines, including the 1997 intrepid.daimlerchrysler reported that a fuel leak could result from deteriorated o-rings or hairline cracks in the plastic fuel rails.follow-up investigatons, rq98-018 and rp00-001, established that post repair leakage complaints would level off to approximately 20 per year and most are not related to the recall remedy.since these investigations, there has been no new information that would indicate any basis for initiating a new investigation.for the foregoing reasons, further expenditure of the agency's investigative resources on the issues raised by the petition does not appear to be warranted and the petition is denied. For details, see federal register, vol. 69, no. 111 (june 9, 2004).

RP04001

Auto trans ignition-park interlockOpened July 17, 2003, closed January 30, 2004

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

Fuel injection delivery system fuel leakOpened October 7, 1998, closed July 8, 2002

RQ98018

Technical service bulletins for the 1997 Dodge Intrepid 84

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 84 bulletins for the 1997 Dodge Intrepid

1997 Dodge Intrepid fuel economy

Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.

EngineDriveCityHighwayCombined
3.3L 6‑cylFWD172520
3.5L 6‑cylFWD15-162418-19

What 1997 Dodge Intrepid owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Apr 11, 2015 · Fuel system · WI

The pressure on my fuel rail does not hold so that means a leak.if I ask first chrysler any thing they say no recalls.I know better 98v184000.

Filed Feb 18, 2015 · Fuel system · WI

Hard starting leaking fuel rail 3.5.

Filed Aug 1, 2012 · Driver assistance, Electrical · 169,000 miles · PA

I bought the car for 1500$ the inspection ran out at the end of that month, inspection was completed as a "lickem stickem" the car 2 weeks later was determined by an outside mechanic unsafe to drive and hazardous to public safety, car was left at place of purchase for two (2) weeks in which time nothing was done to correct the issue car remains unsafe to drive and not running.

Filed May 29, 2012 · Suspension · 190,000 miles · WI

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 dodge intrepid. The contact reversed and drove over a two inch beam. As a result, the front passenger side control arm fractured. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic and the contact was told that the control arm would need to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact of a recall associated with the failure under the federal safety agency campaign id number: 99v215000 (suspension: front: control arm: lower arm). The recall however, was only issued for the 2004 model dodge intrepid and not the 1997 model. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was unavailable. The failure and the current mileages were 190,000.

Filed Nov 22, 2011 · Steering, Suspension · 98,000 miles · OH

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 dodge intrepid. The contact noticed that the ball joints, tire rods, sway bar bushing and motor mounts wore prematurely and needed constant repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure however, did not offer any assistance since there were no recalls. The current mileage was 128,000 and the failure mileage was 98,000.

Filed Mar 11, 2011 · Steering · 186,112 miles · CA

Rack and pinion / steering issues in 1997 dodge intrepid. After just driving 65-70 on the I-15 in southern california, I felt an odd vibration and pull in the steering of the 1997 dodge intrepid I was driving. Exited the highway and attempted to turn into a business parking lot to examine the issue when the front end sent a pop sound and the vehicle came to a screeching halt. Driver side front wheel was stuck in a right turn position during any position set on the steering wheel, while the passenger side remained intact and normal.

Filed Apr 23, 2009 · Suspension · 95,700 miles · FL

Tl*the contact owns a 1997 dodge intrepid. While driving relatively low speeds including 10 MPH, there was shaking sensation accompanied by difficulty steering. The dealers technician stated that the control arm would cost $1000.00 to be replaced. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 95,700 and the current mileage was 95,890.

Filed Jan 2, 2009 · Steering · 222,000 miles · CA

Tl*the contact owns a 1997 dodge intrepid. While attempting to operate the vehicle, the contact noticed that the steering column was inoperative. A technician stated that the rack and pinion fractured and needed to be replaced. In addition, the bolt in the kit offered by the dealer has a smaller head and an improper locking pad that would inevitably lead to a failure. The contact is in the process of having the vehicle repaired and is waiting for a response from the dealer. The failure and current mileages were 222,000.

Filed Mar 16, 2008 · Engine, Lights · 11 miles · IN · crash

1997 dodge intrepid-169,610 miles > > I only had this car for 1-1/2 years with less than > 3,500 miles driven. > > today on march 16, 2008 at 1:15pm, I came back to > college from spring break. I noticed that I was 29 > miles away from the college and the steering wheel > started to jerk to the right and move on its own. I > turn the steering wheel back to the left and had to > force the wheel to turn and move where I need to go. > > > the steering wheel never made noises as I was > driving > today, but I noticed that I had to force the wheel > hard to make a turn into the parking lot. When I > tried to park, the wheel would not respond, so I had > to force the wheel to turn and still did not work. > I'm now trapped in the parking lot because I'm not > sure that I'm safe on the road. > > I'm located in southfield, mi and in 8 weeks, I need > to drive back to indianapolis, in (approximately 312 > miles, 7-9 hours). Incident two I was 4 miles away from school and noticed that I had steering problems. As I was forcing the wheel to corporate a truck was to my right and I could not control the car as the car jerked to the right. Causing me to hit the trunk from my front right to the passenger tire. Now my engine is having several problems that deal with one of the cylinders not responding after the incident. The car shakes violently if idled for seconds and moving sometimes. When this happened, my steering still didn't work so could not move the car without help and my car blocked several cars. I have spent over $1400 in keeping the engine from collapsing to the ground after the incident, a part that keeps the car from flipping over when turning. I still continue to have problems with the steering wheel.

Filed Feb 28, 2008 · Steering · CA

Problems with the rack and pinion steering hesitant on turns when turning the steering wheel. Took it to hayward dodge repair they told me that I needed a $4500.00 of repair this is along with some other things they say is wrong with the vech. They didn't acknowledge the main problem of the steering . Also after I picked up the vech. I was driving on the free way & my hood flew open & came through my windshield. I was charged $135.00 for this 21 point inspection. With my hood &winshield damaged I went back the next day, the service mgr.told me to take him to court they wont take responsibility for the damage.

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Questions about the 1997 Dodge Intrepid

Is the 1997 Dodge Intrepid reliable?

Owners have filed 342 complaints about the 1997 Dodge Intrepid, close to a typical Intrepid model year.

What is the most common problem with the 1997 Dodge Intrepid?

Fuel and propulsion system, with 83 complaints, typically around 95,000 miles. Next is steering (61).

How many recalls does the 1997 Dodge Intrepid have?

2 recalls, covering power train and fuel system, gasoline.

What gas mileage does the 1997 Dodge Intrepid get?

Official estimates for the 1997 Dodge Intrepid range from 18 to 20 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.3L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 17 city and 25 highway.

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