Most common 2003 Dodge Intrepid problems
Share of the 106 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Dodge Intrepid complaints by model year
Best Intrepid years: 2003, 2004, 2002. Years to avoid: 2000, 1999, 2001, 1995. Compare all years →
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2003 Dodge Intrepid:
Throttle control failure
Based on the low failure rate, the absence of failures over the past year, the absence of injuries, and odi's field investigation of incident vehicles, a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists.the agency will take further action if warranted…
What 2003 Dodge Intrepid owners say
Engine & cooling all 63 →
The car has major engine problems like all the 03 2.7 l eng se. Connecting rods is falling out, and etc. The car is unbalance. I took the car today to find why the oli light was coming on when the vehicle thermostat rises. Turn out the engine isn't allowing the oil to reach the upper part of the engine and that is causing my vehicle to overheat and make noises on startup. And also when you reverse you hearthe car make a bad knock sound and feel the vibration. This car only has 86000 miles and the mechanics could only shake their heads. This car should be in better condition then this. Anyways, the cost for new engine with warranty is over $6000. And that includes everything! Now who has that type of money and why didn't Dodge recall this problem on the 03 Dodge Intrepid??? All I want is the engine replace and Dodge could do that at any of their companies or auto lots. …
Driving on the freeway in az the car started to loose power and than trail smoke.... As we pulled off smoke rolled out the front of the vehicle... Checking the passenger side, there was melting plastic running to the ground and the top of the hood was hot.. Car later burnt before fire department was able to put out the fire.. Time from it lost power to when it was consumed by fire was less than 10 min.. I can only assume a transmission line, power steering line, or fuel line started to leak and started a fire by spraying the fluid on the catalytic/exhaust system on the passenger side of the vehicle... Car was a total loss.. I've owned this car for 11 or 12 years... It was in good shape... We later looked at the car and in the same storage lot was a second 03 Dodge intepid with the exact same failure and brunt front end... I believe the two failures are related..
Transmission & drivetrain all 20 →
The car has major engine problems like all the 03 2.7 l eng se. Connecting rods is falling out, and etc. The car is unbalance. I took the car today to find why the oli light was coming on when the vehicle thermostat rises. Turn out the engine isn't allowing the oil to reach the upper part of the engine and that is causing my vehicle to overheat and make noises on startup. And also when you reverse you hearthe car make a bad knock sound and feel the vibration. This car only has 86000 miles and the mechanics could only shake their heads. This car should be in better condition then this. Anyways, the cost for new engine with warranty is over $6000. And that includes everything! Now who has that type of money and why didn't Dodge recall this problem on the 03 Dodge Intrepid??? All I want is the engine replace and Dodge could do that at any of their companies or auto lots. …
I purchased a used 2003 Intrepid police car with 81,000 miles on it. Ran and shifted fine until 3 months ago. While braking from about 45 at a light, the MIL lamp came on and the car went into limp mode. We were able to reset it and get to the dealer who advised the transaxle valve body and solenoid pack needed replacement. After replacement, the car ran fine for 2 months. Now the same issue is occuring again. Again, the car went into limp mode while braking (a loud pop is heard each time it does this). The MIL lamp comes on and the DTC codes are p0700, p01776, & p0841. From research on the internet, it seems that this problem happens rather frequently with this model Dodge, but there is no clear answer as to what the underlying issue is (sensor, computer, valve body, etc). Could this be reviewed for possible manufacturer defect?
Brakes
While traveling at freeway speed a scraping noise was heard followed by the rear passenger wheel locking up. Tire and rim were ground down, while I brought the vehicle to a stop. Mechanics notes: "ebrake came apart passenger rear and locked brake up, causing backing plate to rip apart from ebrake mounting. Ebrake adjuster bracket damaged as well. The bracket adjusts the brake shoes and holds the brake cable in place. The part is not available from any vendor and has been discontinued by the dealer. Consequently new ebrake shoes and hardware can not be installed." of course a part can fail on a now 17 year old vehicle, but it seems that the routine failure mode and effect analysis overlooked this part. A less able driver might have lost control of the vehicle and crashed. As far as I know, the emergency brake has never been used in the 17 year life of this car.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Dodge Intrepid. The contact stated that after shifting into reverse the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and crashed into a concrete wall. The contact indicated that during the failure the vehicle would not stop when the brakes were applied. The contact and the front passenger both suffered headaches and the contact also suffered an upper back injuries. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 153,874. The consumer stated on June 13, 2014, immediately after she put the vehicle in reverse, the vehicle jerked suddenly and accelerated out of control. She tried to apply the brake but the vehicle would not stop. The consumer stated the air bags failed to deploy. Updated 09/03/14
2003 Dodge Intrepid engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.7L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 19 / 27 / 22 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 25 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Large car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Dodge Intrepid a good car?
Based on 106 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 Intrepid rates better than average: 78% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Intrepid at the same age. It is one of the best Intrepid years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Dodge Intrepid?
The engine & cooling — 63 complaints, 59% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (20) and brakes (14).
How many recalls does the 2003 Dodge Intrepid have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2003 Dodge Intrepid. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Dodge Intrepid?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2003, 2004 and 2002. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2000, 1999, 2001 and 1995. See the full Dodge Intrepid years comparison.
At what mileage do 2003 Dodge Intrepid problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 70,000 miles; 29% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.