We started noticing a strong gas smell in our car and bad fuel economy. The smell was so strong that it was making us sick after being in the car for more than 15-20 minutes. I took the car to a shop and they told me that it the "fuel rail is leaking and the fuel injection o-rings need to be replaced also". The shop cannot get the parts due to a shortage. They said that the parts are only being used for "safety issues for dealers first". So nothing is being done to fix the problem. We need our car and it could possibly catch on fire due to this problem and we cannot get it fixed.
1997 Dodge Intrepid: fire, smoke or burning smell
20 of the 342 complaints about the 1997 Dodge Intrepid describe fire, smoke or burning smell.
- owner complaints
- 20
- of this car's complaints
- 6%
- typical mileage
- 95,000
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 9 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Fire, smoke or burning smell by model year
What owners say
Dt: the contact owns a 1997 dodge intrepid. Vehicle was taken to the mechanic to have a coil and tie rods put on the car. Picked up the car this morning after she got home with the vehicle and it caught on fire under the hood. *ak
While driving 20 MPH steering wheel vibrated uncontrollably. Driver noticed smoke coming from the steering column. Vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced.
While driving, the consumer noticed smoke coming from the hood. The consumer pulled into a drug store parking lot and flames were coming from the bottom of the vehicle and the vehicle burned beyond recognition. Provide further details.
Vehicle caught on fire while driving. Vehicle was serviced regularly, and this incident occured only two weeks after the last service date.*ak
Car engine compartment was cleaned using hose water. After driving car for approx. 10 miles, engine compartment caught fire around eletrical and battery area under the hood. Car was a total loss.
Owner was driving on the freeway at highway speed when the vehicle caught on fire.
The vehicle's fuel rail cracked causing fuel to leak. The consumer is concerned that the vehicle will catch on fire. The vehicle has been recall and repaired, however the problem still exist. Please provide any additional information.
The last couple of months the headlights would go out without warning. Upon clicking the high beam switch they would come back on. Intermittent wipers starting not working also. High beam switch stopped working (not staying in place) day prior to meltdown. While driving home on 11/22/03 there was a smell of something burning. I checked under hood and around outside of car when I got home. Smelled nothing outside. Got back in car and at that point the headlights would not work. Brought car to mechanic and the inside of the steering column (module for high beam/signal/wiper and wiring harness) completely melted. I don't believe there was any fire. Please check into this.
I started smelling gas and was going to get it fix the next day the very nest day while driving to work my car caught on fire. I still owe almost 3,000 dollar on it and just found out that the dealer should have gotten it fix before he sold it to me. By it being my first time buying a car I really wasn't aware of these things. I'm not sure if there is really anything I can do I just thought I would see if I have a complaint and if there is some way to rectify this situation. I wasn't aware of the recall. And they should the car to me as is. No letter or statement of any recall or damage was given to me. I have had minor work done on the car but I didn't know that this was a problem.
While driving vehicle caught on fire. Dealer notified.
Engine light came on repeatedly and engine caught fire. The fire had come from the rear hood area. The dealer stated that the fire started from the #5 fuel injector/wiring harness/fuel rail. The vehicle also lost braking power and revved during the incident. There was an oil leak prior to the incident where the rocker arm cover was replaced, the power steering was noisy, leaked, and was replaced, and the bleeder screw was broken and the thermostat housing was replaced. *scc
Service bulletins that may apply
- Subject regarding airbag / clock spring service for various models including 2002 model year jeep liberty
- Subject regarding wire splice repairs
- This bulletin provides a revised wire splice procedure and related parts
- Condition with keyless entry (RKE) transmitter batteries discharge prematurely
- Vehicle may experience remote keyless entry transmitter batteries discharge prematurely
- Vehicle may expereience inoperative cd player sales code raz radio
- INFORMATION REGARDING the federal safety agency AUTHORIZED AIRBAG DEACTIVATION FOR MEDICAL NECESSITY. NLM
- Concerns with cd player not accepting cd when attempting to insert the disk into the radio
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 1997 Dodge Intrepid fire or smoke
Is fire, smoke or burning smell a common problem on the 1997 Dodge Intrepid?
20 of 342 owner complaints about the 1997 Dodge Intrepid (6%) mention fire, smoke or burning smell. The model year with the most reports is 1996.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1997 Dodge Intrepid?
There are 0 recalls and 9 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1997 Dodge Intrepid
Ball joint 29Fuel leak 25Fuel smell 24Headlights 14Stalling 12Wipers 11Harsh shifting 8No deployment 7Check engine light 7Power steering loss 7Overheating 6Airbag light 5Engine failure 5Transmission failure 5
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