2003 Dodge Intrepid problems
Owners have filed 140 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Dodge Intrepid. Engine is the most reported problem area, at 45% of complaints. After that come transmission (12%) and brakes (11%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 140 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 45% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 6 and 10
- Injuries and deaths
- 15 and 1
- Typical mileage
- 66,000 miles 99 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 10 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 17 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 13 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 24 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 19 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 4 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 5 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 5 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 2 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 99 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 66,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 79,000 miles (47 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 6 complaints mention a crash; 10 complaints mention a fire; 15 injuries reported; 1 death reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2003 ranks 12th most-complained-about out of 12 model years of the Dodge Intrepid with enough data (107 complaints in that window).
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl*- the contact owns a 2003 dodge intrepid with a current and failure mileage of 58,000 the contact was driving under normal dry conditions about 55 MPH when the vehicle pulled hard to left and hit a tree. Prior to the crash the contact felt the vehicle shaking. The contact got out and looked at the vehicle and found that nothing was wrong. After the vehicle hit the tree it caught on fire. The driver and two passengers were injured in the crash. The police and fire department came to the scene.
This intrepid was purchased to use as a patrol unit. We have had numerous problems with the brakes not functioning properly. The brakes failed on about december 22, 2004 just 3 weeks after it was worked on by a dodge dealership. The failure resulted in an accident, seriously injuring a deputy and an innocent bystander. The deputy has since learned that there are alot of complaints about the dodge intrepid brakes (especially from other law enforcement agencies).
The 2.7 liter engine on our 2003 dodge intrepid seized without warning while on the road. We were on a two-lane highway on a bridge with no shoulders, in-between two large motorhomes traveling at 60 MPH with no power steering and limited braking ability. We were extremely fortunate that we were able to coast across the bridge and get to the shoulder of the road without further incident.
The air bag system in my dodge has failed four times since march/april 2007. It has been repaired 3 times. Each time for a different reason. The car has less than 34,000 miles on it and has never been involved in an accident or damaged in any way. This will be the fourth service call for an air bag alarm.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge intrepid. The contact stated that none of the rear seat belts would secure the passengers firmly in place. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was told that the rear seat belt pulley systems would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 40,000 and the current mileage was unknown.