1998 Dodge INTREPID: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
340 owner complaints analyzed
3 distinct recall campaigns
84,679 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1998 model year. Data snapshot: . 183 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 111 of 340 complaints (32.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 39 | 11.5% |
| Engine operation | 37 | 10.9% |
| Steering behavior | 37 | 10.9% |
| Transmission and shifting | 28 | 8.2% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 13 | 3.8% |
| Fuel system concerns | 1 | 0.3% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 111 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 52 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 20 |
| Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls | 17 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 13 |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 9 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Rotor | 9 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System | 8 |
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 111; Engine And Engine Cooling: 52; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 20; Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls: 17; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 13; Air Bags:Frontal: 9; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Rotor: 9; Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System: 8
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 9 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 6 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 40 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 72 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 49 |
| 150,000 and above | 7 |
Under 25,000: 9; 25,000 to 49,999: 6; 50,000 to 74,999: 40; 75,000 to 99,999: 72; 100,000 to 149,999: 49; 150,000 and above: 7
75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (72). 157 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 25 |
| 2001 | 27 |
| 2002 | 34 |
| 2003 | 67 |
| 2004 | 78 |
| 2005 | 54 |
| 2006 | 30 |
| 2007 | 9 |
| 2008 | 9 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 2 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 1 |
2000: 25; 2001: 27; 2002: 34; 2003: 67; 2004: 78; 2005: 54; 2006: 30; 2007: 9; 2008: 9; 2009: 2; 2010: 2; 2011: 1; 2012: 1; 2013: 1
Pattern summary
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 39 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 37 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 37 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10000307 · 2002-12-20 (December 20, 2002)
I HAVE A 1998 DODGE INTREPID AND I'M HAVING MOTOR PROBLEMS. I ONLY HAVE 76,000 ON THIS CAR AND EVERYONE THAT I SPEAK TO TELLS ME THAT THE TYPE OF MOTOR WHICH IS A 2.7 IS NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS. I HAVE SPOKE TO REPAIR PEOPLE WHO HAVE TOLD ME THAT THEY ARE REPLACING THIS MOTOR IN 2002 CAR! TS
Owner-reported narrative. 76,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000307 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10002489 · 2003-01-10 (January 10, 2003)
WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER COULD HEAR THE ROD KNOCKING IN THE MOTOR.*JB
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10002489 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10003194 · 2003-01-22 (January 22, 2003)
VEHICLE WAS IN A MINOR COLLISION. HIT ANOTHER CAR IN REAR AT LESS THAN 15MPH. AIR BAGS DEPLOYED HITTING DRIVER. VERY LITTLE FRONT END DAMAGE. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED, AND I AM CONCERNED FOR OUR EMPLOYEES SAFETY. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME WE HAVE HAD AN INTREPID DEPLOY AIR BAGS AT UNDER 15MPH.
Owner-reported narrative. 57,325 miles reported. Look up ODI 10003194 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10004447 · 2003-01-22 (January 22, 2003)
WHILE DRIVING 1MPH, THE POWER BRAKE BOOSTER FAILED CAUSING LOSS OF BRAKES. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS
Owner-reported narrative. 23,397 miles reported. Look up ODI 10004447 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10004486 · 2003-01-23 (January 23, 2003)
CONSUMER STATED THAT IT WILL BE HARD TO START THE VEHICLE AND THEY WILL HAVE TO TRY NUMEROUS TIMES BEFORE THE VEHICLE WILL START. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10004486 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10005495 · 2003-02-07 (February 7, 2003)
MY ENGINE STARTED MAKING A AWFUL TAPPING NOISE 3 BLOCKS AWAY FROM HOME. GOT HOME, TOWED MY CAR TO MY MECHANIC AND HE PROCEDED TO TELL ME I HAD BLOWN THE ENGINE IN MY CAR. MY MECHANIC DICUSSED MY PROBLEM WITH OTHER MECHANICS AND THE TOLD HIM THAT THE 2.7 LIT ENGINE IN THE INTREPID HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS FOR MOST INTREPID OWNERS. MY CAR WAS FULL OF OIL AND I ALWAYS FOLLOWED THE SERVICE SCHUEDULE. RIGHT NOW I AM REBUILDING THE ENGINE THAT HAS A BAD BEARING, HAS A CRACKED CAM SHAFT AND ALSO THREW A PISTON. THE REBUILDER HAS NO EXPLINATI…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10005495 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10005578 · 2003-02-10 (February 10, 2003)
STEERING RACK FAILED PREMATURELY
Owner-reported narrative. 68,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10005578 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10008204 · 2003-02-27 (February 27, 2003)
1998 DODGE INTREPID JUST REACHED 87,000. THE 2.7 ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THIS CAR HAS BEEN ADVERTISED NOT TO NEED ITS FIRST TUNE-UP UNTIL 100,000. HOWEVER, WE HAVE PROVIDED REGULAR MAINTENANCE. WE HAVE DONE A LITTLE RESEARCH AND HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME THING. SHOULDN'T THE MANUFACTURER BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR SUCH A PROBLEM THAT IS VASTLY WIDESPREAD? *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 87,038 miles reported. Look up ODI 10008204 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
3 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
03V035000 · Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner
Reported: 2003-02-05 (February 5, 2003)
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, SEAT BACK RECLINER BOLT BREAKAGE CAN OCCUR RESULTING IN THE SEAT BACK RECLINING UNEXPECTEDLY.
Consequence: IF THE SEAT BACK UNEXPECTEDLY RECLINES WHILE THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN, IT COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE RECLINER BOLTS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON APRIL 23, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA campaign record ↗04V021000 · Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Lever And Linkage:Floor Shift
Reported: 2004-01-13 (January 13, 2004)
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FLOOR SHIFTER IGNITION-PARK INTERLOCK MAY FAIL AND ALLOW THE SHIFTER TO BE MOVED OUT OF THE PARK POSITION WITH THE KEY REMOVED. AN INOPERATIVE INTERLOCK MAY ALSO ALLOW THE KEY TO BE REMOVED WHEN THE SHIFTER HAS NOT BEEN PLACED IN THE PARK POSITION.
Consequence: EITHER CIRCUMSTANCE MAY RESULT IN THE VEHICLE ROLLING AWAY WITHOUT WARNING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW LOAD-LIMITING PUSH ROD INTO THE FLOOR SHIFTER LEVER OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JUNE 14, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA campaign record ↗98V049000 · Air Bags:Frontal
Reported: 1998-03-09 (March 9, 1998)
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLE. SOME PASSENGER AIR BAG MODULE ASSEMBLIES ARE MISSING SOME REQUIRED COMPONENTS.
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE AIR BAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY TO THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AIR BAG MODULE IN THESE VEHICLES.
NHTSA campaign record ↗