I'm looking at used cars for my son and he's interested in a 2004 Dodge Intrepid with 120K miles on a 2.7L V6. I've read the horror stories about sludging, oil starvation, and catastrophic engine failures during the 1999-2002 model years for this motor. My question is: does anyone know if DC fixed the design of this engine by 2004 so it's a reasonable bet the engine is okay? Or should I just avoid them all.
Dodge 2.7L V6 - Sludging Problems - Fixed by 2004?
- Thread starter Ramjet Roger
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There are ways to deal with the sludge on most sludge monsters, so if you found the perfect car, you might still consider it and pull the valve cover to check for sludge.
Yeah -- just check. My father just sold his 01 Intrepid with 130K miles on it. He had no problems whatsoever. He ran Conklin Convoy for the life of the vehicle.
I also think in lets say 4000 miles running a Auto-Rx clean & rinse you can deal with the sludge. So maybe a warranty to cover than time period.
Dodge made some improvements in the 2001 MY (or was it 2002?). Didn't completely solve the problem but helped from what I've heard. I know they added a heat exchanger to the PCV system.
The biggest keys to keeping that motor running are regular oil changes and keeping an eye on the water pump for leaks (Internal pump...exposed to oil).
The biggest keys to keeping that motor running are regular oil changes and keeping an eye on the water pump for leaks (Internal pump...exposed to oil).
Inspected the car today and found the area visible from the oil filler cap was very clean. Turns out this was a lease car, so its maintenance history is anyone's guess. Looks like by 2004, this engine was doing much better. It sure sounded and drove strong and smooth. Unfortunately, my son didn't like the car and opted, instead, for 98 Olds Intrique with the 3.8L V6. Looks like I'll be replacing the intake gasket and flushing out the Dexcool next weekend...
A 98? Does it have a crank start?
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