Problems · NHTSA complaints

2004 Dodge Intrepid problems

Owners filed 129 complaints about the 2004 Dodge Intrepid with NHTSA between Dec 2003 and Apr 2021. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (79).

Complaints
129
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
9
Reported by owners
Fires
5
Reported by owners
Injuries
7
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine and engine cooling79
  2. Engine12
  3. Steering10
  4. Power train10
  5. Air bags7
  6. Electrical system7
  7. Suspension5
  8. Service brakes4
  9. Exterior lighting3
  10. Structure3
  11. Tires3
  12. Vehicle speed control2
  13. Service brakes, hydraulic2
  14. Equipment2

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20031
20044
200520
20069
200723
200824
200914
20107
20116
20125
20134
20146
20154
20160
20170
20180
20191
20200
20211

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine and engine cooling

79 reports1 crash2 fires
“I HAVE A 2004 DODGE INTREPID I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE MOTORS I HAVE PUT MORE MONEY IN THAT CARD AND I PAID FOR IT I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE DEPENDABLE IT ONLY HAS 60,000 MILES ON IT AND NOW AT THE TIME I HAVE ON THAT THERE'S ONLY 70,000 MILES ON IT ADDED TO THE 60 ITS BEEN IN THE SHOP MORE THAN I HAVE DRIVEN YET EVERY TIME I TURN AROUND THERE WAS ALWAYS A PROBLEM THAT CRACK MY HEAD BUT IT NEVER RAN HOT TO GIVE ME ANY WARNING BECAUSE THE WATER PUMP LEAKAGE THE MOTOR HAS ALWAYS HAD LOW OIL PRESSURE NOBODY EVER TOLD ME WHEN I HAD IT WORKED ON BUT THE 2004 DODGE INTREPID MOTORS ALL HAVE TROUBLE WITH OR PRESSURE MY CAR IS NO LONGER WORKING IT IS SITTING OUT IN MY YARD THE BODY IS GOOD INTERIOR IS GOOD I JUST PUT NEW TIRES ON IT I HAD TROUBLE WITH THE LIGHTING FOR THE HEADLIGHTS BECAUSE GETTING MOISTURE IN IT HAD TROUBLE WITH THE RIGHT SIDE I HAD TO HAVE IT FIXED THE BALL BEARING THE JOINTS THAT AXLE I NEED HELP [XXX] PUT A USED MOTOR IN IT BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND YOU MOTOR COST MONEY AND IT WILL PROBABLY WIND UP HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE 2004 DODGE INTREPID IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR LIKE TO COME TAKE A LOOK AT MY CAR…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 15, 2015Suspension, Engine and engine cooling, Exterior lightingODI 10790438

Engine

12 reports2 fires
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE INTREPID. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HER FIANC WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT TOW LOT. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 170,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 1, 2021EngineFire reportedODI 11405986

Steering

10 reports1 fire
“WE ARE WRITING TO LET YOU KNOW OF A MAJOR CAR FIRE THAT OCCURRED IN OUR DODGE INTREPID. THE DRIVER WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. THE HOT/COLD NEEDLE BEGAN MOVING UP AND DOWN. THEN THE BRAKES GAVE OUT. THEN, THE POWER STEERING GAVE OUT. THE CAR STARTED SMOKING PRODUCING BLACK CHEMICAL SMOKE INTO THE CABIN. THEN, FIRE STARTED SHOOTING OUT OF THE VENTS. WITH NO BRAKES AND FIRE AND SMOKE INTO THE CAR, THE DRIVER WAS FORCED TO JUMP OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND ROLL ONTO THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSTATE WITH THE CAR STILL GOING 30-40 MPH. THE DRIVER WAS IN EXTREME DANGER INSIDE THE CAR AND OBVIOUSLY LAYING ON THE INTERSTATE AS WELL. THE CAR ENDED UP IN THE DITCH WHILE COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. HE WAS ABLE TO GET ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. THEY DETERMINED THE FIRE STARTED INSIDE THE AREA OF THE HEATING CORE. THE FIRE WAS SO HOT THAT IT MELTED THE BOLTS WE WERE TOLD BY THE FIRE MARSHAL. THERE OBVIOUSLY WAS SOMETHING FAULTY WITH THE HEATER CORE TO GIVE THIS MUCH DAMAGE. THE DRIVER WAS TREATED AT THE ER FOR SMOKE INHALATION. THE CONTENTS IN THE CAR WERE EITHER BURNED, MELTED, OR HAVE SEVERE SMOKE DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE IS A…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 1, 2019Steering, Service brakes, EngineFire reportedODI 11283205

Power train

10 reports2 crashes
“IN OCTOBER 2015 I BOUGHT A 2004 DODGE INTREPID FROM A PRIVATE OWNER/DEALERSHIP. I DIDNT EVEN HAVE FOR A WEK AND WAS ON HIGHY DOING 60 M.PH. ON HWY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN PWERED DOWN AND TURNED OFF AND STEAM COMING OUT FROM UNDER HOOD. I PROCEEDED TO GET OUT OF MIDDLE LANE TO BREAKDOWN LANE. (VERY DANGEROUS) WHEN CAR NOT RUNNING. LET IT COOL OFF AND DROVE HOME AND BROUGHT TO DEALER. DEALER COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG. SENT ME ON MY WAY. WEEEK LATER WAS BACK THERE AGAIN WITH OVERHEATING ISSUE AGAIN. STILL SAID COULD NOT FIND OUT WHATS WRONG. VERY FRUSTRATED I TOOK CAR HOME. FROM THERE IT RAN FOR LIKE A MONTH AND THEN STARTED OVERHEATING AGAIN. I HAD NOTICED THAT SOMETIMES WHEN I DROVE I COULD TAP GAS PEDAL AND TEMP INDICATOR GAUGE WENT BACK DOWN. WEIRD. DID SOME RESSEARCH ONLINE WHEN THIS FIRST HAPPENED AND SAW ALOT OF PEOPLE HAVING ISSUES WITH THIS CAR AND PREVIOUS ENGINE 257 WAS IN A LAWSUIT FOR BAD ENGINE. SAID THEN ENGINE I HAVE 318 WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BETTER DESIGN BUT STILL SAW ALOT OF SAME ISSUES. I FINALLY HAD TO TAKE IN BECASUE IT STARTED HAVING STARTING PROBLEMS. I DID NOT TAKE BACK TO DEALERSHIP CUZ WOULD HAVE NOT MADE IT THAT FAR AND I WANTED A…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 31, 2015Power train, EngineODI 10817281

Air bags

7 reports5 crashes1 fire
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2004 DODGE INTREPID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, A DEER JUMPED IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND CAUSED THE CONTACT TO STRIKE THE ANIMAL. IN ADDITION, THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 136,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 4, 2015Air bagsCrash reportedFire reportedODI 10788234

Electrical system

7 reports
“I WENT TO LEAVE WORK AND MY CAR WOULD NOT START. AT FIRST I THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS THE BATTERY OR STARTER. AFTER HAVING BOTH OF THESE TESTED AND SEVERAL MECHANICS LATER WAS TOLD THAT MY ENGINE WAS SEIZED. I HAVE ALWAYS CHECKED THE OIL AND HAD IT CHANGED ACCORDINGLY. THIS IS NOT FAIR I TRUSTED THAT THIS CAR WOULD BE RELIABLE AND DEPENDABLE NOW I AM STUCK WITH NO VEHICLE IN A TOWN WITH LITTLE TO NO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. HOW COULD CHRYSLER/DODGE KNOWINGLY LET PEOPLE PURCHASE THIS ENGINE WHEN THERE ARE SEVERAL THOUSAND COMPLAINTS ON IT? HOW ABOUT A RECALL AND SOME INTEGRITY AND HONESTY IN YOUR PRODUCT INSTEAD OF SCREWING SINGLE MOTHERS LIKE ME... *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 17, 2013Electrical system, EngineODI 10503338
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.