Early Intrepids were riddled with problems.
Owners liked style and space but bills kept mounting.
New 2.7 L engines in 2nd generation expired rapidly.

MARK TOLJAGIC

For a few hapless owners, their Chrysler Intrepid has become an expensive lawn ornament.

"I have an Intrepid sitting in my yard. After being told to replace the motor a second time, we decided to park it,"
blogged the owner of a '98 model.

Faced with a $5,000 to $10,000 bill for a new engine, some others have done the same.
The cost is typically more than the vehicle is worth.

It's a pretty ignoble end for what was billed as Chrysler's "comeback kids" — the bread-and-butter LH cars that were
going to replenish the Number 3 American auto maker's coffers.

Unveiled for 1993, the Dodge Intrepid, Eagle Vision, Chrysler Concorde and LHS were front-drive cars that brought
contemporary levels of refinement and driving dynamics to the big-sedan segment.

Sadly, the early Brampton-built cars were riddled with problems, readers told us, including big-buck repairs involving
the transmission and air conditioning. One Toronto owner confessed to spending $14,000 to keep her 1995 LHS running.

The second-generation cars, launched for the 1998 model year, were supposed to correct some of the earlier weaknesses.
In some ways, they succeeded. But models equipped with the all-new 2.7-litre V6 introduced a new, unwelcome wrinkle.

"I bought my 2000 Intrepid used and the engine blew one month later. I bought another 2.7 L engine and had it installed for $5,200.
Guess what? It just blew up, too!" posted one frustrated owner.

CONFIGURATION

Chrysler made a big deal about their second-gen LH cars, touting the fact they were redesigned by computer exclusively
("paperless" engineering) in a speedy 31 months.

Chrysler retained the floorpan of the outgoing models and fashioned new body stampings for the Chrysler Intrepid,
Concorde and LHS. A truncated, "five-metre car" called the 300M was drawn up for the European market and became a
surprise hit in North America.

Knowing excessive weight deadens a car's dynamics, Chrysler specified a magnesium steering wheel, a plastic gas tank
and an aluminium crossmember in the rear suspension. The bigger Concorde and LHS got aluminum hoods, too.

The new cars' sleek styling fortunately didn't cramp the spacious interior. Occupants were treated to wide-cabin comfort and
a tasteful dash, although base models seemed plasticky. Buyers could choose between a pair of buckets or a three-person
bench up front. The enormous trunk was accessible through a split-folding rear seat.

Two updated engines and one all-new motor motivated the LH cars. The 3.2- and 3.5-litre aluminum V6s were overhauled
versions of the old iron-block 3.5-litre, employing a single overhead cam and a belt to drive the 24 valves.

The 3.2, optional in the Intrepid, made 220 hp and 222 lb.-ft. of torque, mated to Chrysler's AutoStick automatic transmission.
The 3.5 made 253 hp/255 lb.-ft. of grunt and came standard in the range-topping LHS and sport-tuned 300M.

With dual overhead cams (DOHC) driven by chain, the base 2.7-litre engine produced a healthy 200 hp and 188 lb-ft of pull.

Each four-door model provided escalated equipment levels befitting of their price range, with the Intrepid fulfilling the entry-level function.

The cars changed little over the years.

In 2000, the new Intrepid R/T got a 242 hp version of the 3.5-litre V6, burning regular gas. The LHS expired at the end of 2001.
The remainder of the LH cars bought the farm after 2004, replaced by the rear-drive 300C.

ON THE ROAD

Despite their girth, the LH models were surprisingly nimble and composed on the road. With their well-tuned rack-and-pinion steering,
wide track and long wheelbase, the cars felt planted and secure at speed.

The mid-range 3.2-litre V6 could propel the Intrepid to 96 km/h in 8.7 seconds — about average for the class.
The sedan could generate 0.77 g on a circular skidpad and required 190 feet to come to a standstill from 70 mph.

The performance-oriented 300M and Intrepid R/T could shave almost a full second off the acceleration time, and could circle
the skidpad at 0.81 g, thanks to the bigger tires, larger anti-roll bars and other suspension tweaks.

Where the Intrepid fell down was in perceived refinement. The engines turned gruff at higher r.p.m., wind-and-tire noise was
sometimes intrusive and the transmission would make an erratic shift occasionally.

WHAT OWNERS REPORTED

Intrepid drivers love its style, cavernous space, driving dynamics and decent gas mileage.
If this is the all-American sedan reshaped for the 21st century, then Chrysler did a good job of meeting expectations.

However, the cars continued to exhibit some of the troublesome traits of the earlier LH models, namely finicky transmissions
and air conditioners. A common fix was the speed sensor serving the transmission.

Other sore spots include short-lived brakes and rotors, power-window regulators and front-end suspension and steering components.
More than a few owners noted their entire rack-and-pinion steering system had to be replaced.

There are also various electrical glitches involving fans, dash lights and sensors.
The cars have a poorly engineered battery terminal that's susceptible to corrosion.
The door seals are known to shrink and detach themselves.

But the biggest headache is the 2.7-litre V6. This engine is notorious for sludge formation, the result of oil passages in the head
and block being too narrow and clogging with sludge, which can rob parts of the engine of lubrication.

Reports of sudden and catastrophic engine failure are rife on the Internet, to the point where owners are organizing
class-action lawsuits.

"We're now approaching 1,500 complaints on Chrysler's 2.7-litre engine," Clarence Ditlow of the Center for Auto Safety
told CBS News.

While DaimlerChrysler may have addressed the problem in later models (2002 and up), used-car shoppers are probably
wise to pass on any model with a 2.7-litre under the hood.