Your vehicle report
2001 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
- 656
- Received Jan 2001 to May 2023
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Engine knocking from rod or main bearings43 complaints · 6.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Engine suddenly shuts off while driving42 complaints · 6.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Engine burns excessive oil between changes42 complaints · 6.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #03V035000On certain passenger vehicles, seat back recliner bolt breakage can occur resulting in the seat back reclining unexpectedly.
- Recall #01V273000Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles (non-sunroof only) fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 201, "occupant protection in interior impact."
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: 22 crashes, 22 fires, 17 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
- Engine knocking from rod or main bearings
- Engine suddenly shuts off while driving
- Engine burns excessive oil between changes
9 more problems
- Timing chain fails and destroys engine
- Check engine light comes on repeatedly
- Head gasket leaks coolant into engine
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
- Ford Escape engine overheats from coolant intrusion
- Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline
- Transmission fails or loses power while driving
- Engine stalls and loses power while driving
- Fuel pump fails and engine stalls
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
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
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
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 |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 6 |
| 2002 | 18 |
| 2003 | 53 |
| 2004 | 124 |
| 2005 | 132 |
| 2006 | 135 |
| 2007 | 75 |
| 2008 | 62 |
| 2009 | 25 |
| 2010 | 6 |
| 2011 | 5 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 4 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 656 |
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 | 43 | 6.6% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 42 | 6.4% | – | |
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 42 | 6.4% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 31 | 4.7% | – | |
| Timing chain fails and destroys engine | 27 | 4.1% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 23 | 3.5% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 20 | 3.0% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 20 | 3.0% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 11 | 1.7% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 10 | 1.5% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 10 | 1.5% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 8 | 1.2% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 8 | 1.2% | – | |
| Ford Escape engine overheats from coolant intrusion | 8 | 1.2% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 6 | 0.9% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 6 | 0.9% | – | |
| Power steering rack leaks fluid | 6 | 0.9% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 6 | 0.9% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 5 | 0.8% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 4 | 0.6% | – |
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 #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 #01V273000August 2, 2001282,470 vehicles affected
structure: frame and members
Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles (non-sunroof only) fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 201, "occupant protection in interior impact."
In the event of a crash, there is a potential for injury if the occupant's head were to contact the b-pillar.
Remedy
Owners will be sent a storage bin accessory unit that Can be attached to the b-pillar along with installation instructions. However, if an owner wishes, the dealer Can perform the installation. Owner notification began december 17, 2001. 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 #00V366000November 9, 20001,211,756 vehicles affected
child seat
Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles, pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of FMVSS no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." some of the owner's manuals for these vehicles are missing instructions that provide a step-by-step procedure, including diagrams, for properly attaching a child restraint system's tether strap to the tether anchorage.
In the event of a crash, the child seat may not be properly attached increasing the risk of injury to the child.
Remedy
Owners will be provided with an addendum to the owner's manuals.
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 2001 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