Your vehicle report
1998 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
- 377
- Received Mar 1998 to Jan 2013
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Engine knocking from rod or main bearings24 complaints · 6.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Front brake rotors warp and wear early18 complaints · 4.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Engine suddenly shuts off while driving17 complaints · 4.5% 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 #03V035000On certain passenger vehicles, seat back recliner bolt breakage can occur resulting in the seat back reclining unexpectedly.
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: 30 crashes, 12 fires, 25 people injured, 5 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
1 more problem
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 |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 9 |
| 1999 | 28 |
| 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 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 377 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine knocking from rod or main bearings | 24 | 6.4% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 18 | 4.8% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 17 | 4.5% | – | |
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 17 | 4.5% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 16 | 4.2% | – | NHTSA recall #98V049000 |
| Power window regulator fails and window drops | 14 | 3.7% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 12 | 3.2% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 8 | 2.1% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 8 | 2.1% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 8 | 2.1% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 7 | 1.9% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 6 | 1.6% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 6 | 1.6% | – | |
| Gear shifter fails to register Park | 6 | 1.6% | – | NHTSA recall #04V021000 |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 5 | 1.3% | – | |
| Air conditioner blows hot air or fails | 5 | 1.3% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 5 | 1.3% | – | |
| Engine won't start or cranks intermittently | 5 | 1.3% | – | |
| Vehicle rolls backward out of park | 5 | 1.3% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 5 | 1.3% | – |
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 #03V035000February 5, 20031,066,000 vehicles affected
seats: front assembly: recliner
On certain passenger vehicles, seat back recliner bolt breakage Can occur resulting in the seat back reclining unexpectedly.
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 recall #98V049000March 9, 199854 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal
Vehicle description: passenger vehicle. Some passenger air bag module assemblies are missing some required components.
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.
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 1998 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