1995 Dodge Intrepid Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe automatic transmission trouble — shuddering, delayed or missing shifts, fluid leaks and rebuilds — usually well past 50,000 miles and sometimes shortly after prior transmission work. Fuel smell or leakage around the injection rail and O-ring seals is the other recurring theme, and steering and front suspension wear (tie rods, rack, struts, control arms) shows up mainly on higher-mileage cars. Cooling-system parts such as water pumps were replaced more than once on some vehicles.

1. 1
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission shudder, harsh or missing shifts, fluid leaks

   • 108 complaints (18%)
   • median 104,209 mi at 10.0 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,435 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 1995–2011

   Complaints describe the car shuddering at low speed or when cold, hesitant or delayed gear engagement, and occasional episodes where it will not shift past second gear until the engine is shut off and restarted. Several owners report transmission fluid leaking, and some say the unit was rebuilt or replaced and the symptoms returned; dealers sometimes described the behavior as a known 'glitch'. Some complaints were filed after transmission-related repair or recall work. Reported from roughly 20,000 to 180,000 miles in the sample, with many between 55,000 and 120,000 miles.

   Recall 04V021000

   What to check: Test drive from cold and check for shudder or delayed engagement, and inspect under the car and the fluid color for leaks. Ask for transmission service records and whether the floor-shifter interlock recall work was performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Dodge transmission on intrepids, caravans, and neons have a history of failing and needing to be replaced or rebuilt. My vehicle only has 55800 miles on it all original. Even though the car is 15 years old it has always been maintained since it was purchased from the dealer brand new in 1995. I believe that if Dodge is not held responsible for the problems then someone can seriously get injured from them. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10369402, filed 2010-12, 55,695 miles

   “I was driving along with my family, in medium traffic flow, when all of a sudden without warning, the transmission dropped into 2nd gear, and would not shift out of 2nd gear. Scc ***dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis****770802****”

   NHTSA complaint #10006659, filed 2002-12, 122,000 miles
2. 2
   Fuel system

   Fuel smell or leak at injection rail / O-rings

   • 99 complaints (17%)
   • median 85,000 mi at 10.2 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 16 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $700 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 1995–2014

   Owners describe a gasoline smell inside or around the car, sometimes with visible fuel on top of the engine or near the intake manifold, and stalls or loss of power before or after the smell appears. Dealers or mechanics in the complaints identified leaking O-ring seals or a cracked fuel injection rail, and some repairs were done only after the owner paid. A few owners report the leak recurred after the recall-related seal work. Mostly reported between about 12,000 and 200,000 miles, spanning cars from a few years old to nearly 20 years old.

   Recall 98V184000

   What to check: Smell for fuel with the engine running and look for wet residue around the injectors and rail; check whether the fuel-injection O-ring recall was completed for this vehicle.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Gas fumes are entering the cockpit of the vehicle while driving. I noticed gasoline setting on top of the transmission housing under the hood. I believe it is a fuel rail problem or o ring problem causing the leakage. I am taking it in to a dealer today to have it checked.”

   NHTSA complaint #10230907, filed 2008-06, 201,000 miles

   “The vehicle was recalled for faulty o-ring and were replaced under recall 98v-184. After repair the consumer took vehicle to personal mechanic for routine maintenance where the technician diagnosed a fuel leak from the o-ring seals. The consumer feels the recall work was either not done or the o-ring were replaced with the same recalled o-rings.”

   NHTSA complaint #8019623, filed 2002-09, 75,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine cooling

   Stalling, repeated water pump replacement, engine sludge

   • 37 complaints (6%)
   • median 98,000 mi at 9.7 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1997–2014

   Complaints describe the engine shutting off without warning while driving, sometimes restarting after sitting, and difficulty starting. Some owners report repeated water pump replacement at low mileage, and one reports engine replacement due to heavy sludge; others mention leaking intake manifold or valve cover gaskets. Reported from about 54,000 to 180,000 miles; the multiple water pump case was under 60,000 miles.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Check coolant level and look for weeping around the water pump, and ask for service records on pump and gasket replacement. Note that a service bulletin describes valve body work related to overdrive cycling.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Rocker arm and rocker arm support failure on 26 sept '03 while driving to work my 1995 Intrepid (3.3 liter) began making a ticking or clacking noise. Aftter discussion at work,the noise was diagnosed as a missing cylinder, the ignition systems should be looked at. I brought it home and replaced the plugs and wires and checked the spark. All normal, still the clacking noise. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10040980, filed 2003-09, 98,000 miles

   “I have a 1995 Dodge Intrepid. Until 4 months ago, it never had a problem, only did routine maintenance and that was constantly done. It has a new transmission and radiator (under extended warranty), and new starter, alternator, and battery. The fuel pump was replaced about 2-3 years ago. Four months ago, the car started to act up. First, I noticed a burnt oil or anti-freeze smell. I took it to my mechanic, who I have had for more than 15 years. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10312947, filed 2010-02, 133,600 miles
4. 4
   Steering

   Steering play, tie rod and rack wear

   • 80 complaints (14%)
   • median 133,000 mi at 11.0 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2016

   Complaints describe wandering or wobbling at the front wheels, clunking or snapping noises over bumps, and in a few cases sudden loss of power assist or loss of steering control at low speed. Owners report tie rods replaced, sometimes more than once, and rack-and-pinion or power steering pump repairs. Mostly reported between about 40,000 and 195,000 miles, with many over 100,000 miles.

   What to check: Have the front end inspected on a lift for tie rod, rack and ball joint play, and check for steering noise or vagueness on a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Rack and pinion issues. Issues with front wheels and steering. I've had it fixed three times, very expensive. I was pulling out of a parking space, when the steer stopped controlling the wheels. I'm grateful I wasn't on the free way.”

   NHTSA complaint #10905974, filed 2016-09, 175,000 miles

   “Since owning the 1995 Dodge Intrepid we purchased brand new, these are the problems experienced since owning and the problems being experienced now. We have had steering problems which required the power steering pump to be replaced, also some arm had to be replaced due to the right front wheel wobbling. Our electric locks have engaged as if holding the switch for a couple of seconds on the passenger side and the driver side. Never was fixed due to dealer not duplicating. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10102667, filed 2004-12, 5,000 miles
5. 5
   Suspension

   Front suspension noise and control arm / strut problems

   • 41 complaints (7%)
   • median 100,000 mi at 10.5 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • filed 1995–2008

   Owners describe rattling or clunking from the front end, vibration while driving, and in some cases broken strut mounts or springs. Several complaints mention the lower control arm recall, with owners saying parts or tools were unavailable or that the repair was not covered for their vehicle. Reported from around 85,000 to 150,000 miles in the sample, mostly on older, higher-mileage cars.

   Recall 99V215000

   What to check: Ask whether the front lower control arm bracket recall was completed, and listen for front-end rattles or clunks over rough pavement.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Factory struts(suspension) are inadequate to support the weight of the vehicle. My strut mount/plate &bolts broke at 55 mile per hour & the strut went through the strut housing/plate. The steering/suspension system is completely affected when the struts begin to fail on all vehicles. When struts fail springs also fail causing even more stress on the other steering/suspension parts(all bushings, tie rods. Control arms, ball joints, cv joints, transaxle, sway bar. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10246723, filed 2008-10, 150,000 miles

   “While driving could hear noise coming under vehicle and consumer did think that noise was coming from shock absorber, but a technician said that noise was coming from bushings, and tha tthis vehicle should not be driven on a county road.”

   NHTSA complaint #878400, filed 2001-01

Buying note. These are old, high-mileage cars, so condition and records matter more than the model itself: have the transmission and front end checked by a mechanic, confirm the fuel-injection and control-arm recalls were completed, and budget for cooling-system and suspension wear.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.