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.
Dodge Intrepid steering lock-up problems
32 of the 6,218 owner complaints about the Dodge Intrepid describe steering wheel locks up, most of them for the 2000 model year.
- owner complaints
- 32
- worst model year
- 2000
- typical repair cost reported
- $900
- typical mileage
- 72,000
By model year
Often reported together
Stalling 3Knocking 3Engine failure 3Airbag light 3Slipping 2Power steering loss 2Sudden acceleration 1Power windows 1
What owners say
As I was driving along and approached my exit, the steering wheel locked up and would not allow me to control the car. I was able to stop the car safely hitting some brush on the side of the road. No damage or injuries were incurred, but this was very frightening! Now, the steering is still getting stuck on turns and I have no horn! The airbag light is now showing and I don't know whats going on with this car! Something needs to be done. No warnings, or recalls have been made, and there a many concerns of others going through the same issue with this car. Please advise on what is going to be done about this problem before someone gets killed!
Loss of steering, klunking in the front end, and steering wheel lock up..
Steering became very problematic starting in july 2006. When turning the car, there were catches when turning in either direction and the problem has grown worse. The car was serviced in early august when the shop diagnosed it and replaced the tie rods. That did not fix it and was then told that the steering gear rack also needed to be replaced. There have been several near-misses as the steering locks when making turns in parking lots or tight spaces.
I was driving and all of a sudden something started bonging and I looked down to notice that the check engine light was light up and then the check oil light came on. I was trying to pull over so that I could get out of traffic but the steering wheel froze up and made it extremely difficult to steer so that I could get out of traffic. Finally, after trying to steer the dead car out of traffic I called aaa and they towed it to the mechanic who has come to the conclusion it is the engine. It has been sitting there ever since due to the amount of money it will cost me to fix. After doing research regarding issues with the dodge intrepid I have come to see that I am not the only one having this problem. Dodge has known about this issue and refuses to send out a recall. I find that this could be extremely fatal depending on where a person is.
Dt*: the contact stated while making a turn the steering wheel locked. The vehicle was driven to an independent repair shop where the steering rack was replaced. Updated 4/14/2006 - the steering problem began on 1/05 and fluctuated between being stiff when making turn to being very loose when making turn. Eventually the steering locked up on 3/28/05.
I own a 2000 dodge intrepid with a 2.7 letter engine. On june 16 2005 when returning from vacation my car while I was in transit developed a crackling noise coming from the engine which then LED to the instantaneous failure of the engine. Before I even had the chance to pull off the road the engine was dead and the steering wheel locked up while the car was still in motion. The following week my dodge intrepid was towed to an authorized dodge dealer for inspection. Simply locating the problem entailed disassembling the engine which cost $700 alone. I was then informed that a rod bearing had come dislodged causing it to fall in the oil pan. The cause of the problem I was told was the result of oil sludge build up which caused a lack of oil flow in the engine. The repairs were quoted at costing $6,900 for the replacement of the engine. My car has received oil changes at the recommended intervals which I have retained documentation of and at the time of the engine failure was just due for an oil change.
Dt: while driving I noticed the steering wheel was off set. The steering locked up. After driving home the wheel locked up again. Took vehicle to mechanic, and they said the rack and pinion was completely broken. Also, they said that it would be dangerous to drive the car. Called the manufacturer, and they said that they could do nothing. This was going to cost consumer about $900.00 to repair.
Dt: while driving the consumer heard a clattering noise then the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to american engine of baton rouge. Sludge build up caused the oil screen to become clogged an resulted in a blown engine. Service mechanic stated oil screen was defected. *nm when the engine failed, the steering wheel locked up along with the brakes. The failure was caused by a defect in the oil pan. The vehicle had gone off the road. *sc
While at a steering wheel locked up. The vehicle was towed. The dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Dodge Intrepid steering lock-up
Which Dodge Intrepid years have steering wheel locks up problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2000 (8 complaints), 2001 (8 complaints) and 1999 (5 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix steering wheel locks up on the Dodge Intrepid?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $900 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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