Upon it's introduction as an all-new 1993 model, the first generation Dodge Intrepid (1993-1997) won numerous press awards for its styling and impressively nimble handling for such a big, roomy, and comfortable car. The shape was futuristic and attractive, looking like the 1987 Chrysler / Lamborghini Portofino Concept. But that beautiful exterior turned ugly skin deep as the years went on. Quality problems and poor workmanship showed that the LH platform was indeed a horrible used car. Here are my real world findings.

To further research the Intrepid myself, I purchased a low-mileage 1994 ES model equipped with the powerful 3.5L SOHC 24-valve V6. The 214-hp at the time provided strong acceleration, needing only 8.1 seconds to run from 0-60 mph. That is where the good news ends. Before the car even made it home, the water pump gave out, apparently constructed mostly out of plastic, and left me stranded on the side of a busy interstate highway. I did not want to chance it any further since I would have blown the head gasket within the next minute. I had the car towed home.

Chrysler may have internally acknowledge the flaw and changed the water pump design and pulley widths in model year 1995 3.5L. I took it to my mechanic and had him change the timing belt, water pump, and timing belt tensioner ($450). More driveability issues arised during my ownership including misfires that were severely violent, feeling as if someone threw a 2x4 piece of plywood into my transmission while the vehicle was in motion. That was linked to bad plug wires ($80) and coil pack ($100), all prematurely failing well before the recommended replacement intervals as per owner's manual.

The EGR valve threw a trouble code and needed to be replaced ($250) because the plunger on the unit was stuck and could not be reused despite rigorous cleaning with mineral spirit. The idle air control developed a mind of its own by shaking the whole dashboard while the engine was running in park. Fortunately enough, its ghostly presence disappeared once the car was put into drive, so I left that part alone. Next was an oil leak around the pan gasket ($40). And I changed the PCV valve well before hand to avoid any oil leaks, geez. Then the transmission started dripping fluid around the edges. So I had my mechanic drop the pan, put on a new gasket seal, change the screen filter, and flush the tranny altogether ($180).

Another week later, the ignition switch ($25) and key lock cylinder ($14) were screwed. I started to get erratic instrument cluster readings and gremlin lights coming on and off for no reason. An electronic scan revealed a bad transmission output sensor ($80) and body control module aka BCM ($200 from a junk yard because a brand new one costs $800 from the dealer, and no aftermarket one exists). I happened to learned about a recall with the faulty transmission interlock safety switch, which was replaced by a Chrysler dealer free of charge, thankfully.

Finally, enough was enough. I sold the car and took a significant loss on it, and learned a valuable lesson about this vehicle. To give the LH another chance, I picked up a low mileage 1996 ES, again with the 3.5L. This time, the newer car was plagued with front-end and chassis glitches, such as bad A-frame bushings ($179), ball joints, tie-rods, struts, and ABS module (all unrepaired). The water pump was starting to go bad because I noticed air pockets in the coolant when the car started to overheat intermittently. This was after the new radiator pressure cap ($7) and thermostat ($13), by the way.

I got rid of the '96 Intrepid quickly within two months after realizing the domino effect of one thing going after another will be the continuous result. On a lighter but informative note, the 1996 and 1997 3.5L models has a total of four oxygen sensors (at $85 a piece, you do the math) to potentially go wonky, as oppose to two of them in the '93, '94, and '95s. The only positive comment I will say about the 1996 is the addition of OBD II, which in return can help pinpoint the "Check Engine" light codes instead of the vintage and annoying "key dance" method.

There were other things wrong with my 1994 that I did not care to fix such as the strut dampers and the struts itself. The driver's panel was in the process of falling off the door itself, which seemed humorous at the time. The paint started to peel, sort of resembling pencil sharpener shavings. I left it that way for the subsequent owner because it wasn't worth it to invest anymore money into the Intrepid. To cope with steep depreciation on a well-built automobile is one thing, but to give your hard-earned paychecks away for a headache car that does not hold its value is certainly another.