Your vehicle report
1996 Dodge Intrepid
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 505
- Received Feb 1996 to Jan 2016
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Power steering rack leaks fluid43 complaints · 8.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline33 complaints · 6.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Tie rod ends break or come loose32 complaints · 6.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #04V021000On 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.
- Recall #98V184000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles built with 3.5L engines. The fuel injection delivery system can leak fuel from some of the sealing o-rings or from hair line cracks in the thermoset fuel injection rail.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 32 crashes, 22 fires, 23 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 21 |
| 1997 | 20 |
| 1998 | 50 |
| 1999 | 94 |
| 2000 | 81 |
| 2001 | 58 |
| 2002 | 50 |
| 2003 | 38 |
| 2004 | 30 |
| 2005 | 29 |
| 2006 | 4 |
| 2007 | 12 |
| 2008 | 7 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 505 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power steering rack leaks fluid | 43 | 8.5% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 33 | 6.5% | – | NHTSA recall #98V184000 |
| Tie rod ends break or come loose | 32 | 6.3% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 24 | 4.8% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 24 | 4.8% | – | |
| Steering wheel clunks or clicks when turning | 21 | 4.2% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 20 | 4.0% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 15 | 3.0% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 14 | 2.8% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 12 | 2.4% | – | |
| Air conditioner blows hot air or fails | 12 | 2.4% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 11 | 2.2% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 9 | 1.8% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 9 | 1.8% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 8 | 1.6% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 8 | 1.6% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 8 | 1.6% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 7 | 1.4% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 6 | 1.2% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 6 | 1.2% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #04V021000January 13, 20042,315,768 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: floor shift
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.
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 recall #98V184000August 6, 1998722,600 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles built with 3.5L engines. The fuel injection delivery system Can leak fuel from some of the sealing o-rings or from hair line cracks in the thermoset fuel injection rail.
Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source Can result in a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the fuel rail o-rings and reinforce the outlet (passenger) side fuel rail. Vehicles showing fuel leakage on the outlet fuel rail must have the outlet rail replaced which includes changing the upper and lower injector o-rings. However, if a vehicle is leaking fuel from the o-rings or from a cracked fuel line, the vehicle should be taken into a dealer to have this repaired as soon as possible.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1996 Dodge Intrepid.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN