1994 Dodge Intrepid problems & reliability
718 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1994 Dodge Intrepid, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
40 complaints report injuries (46 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1994 Dodge Intrepid vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 160 | 22% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 111 | 15% |
| Steering | 75 | 10% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 72 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 68 | 9% |
| Suspension | 64 | 9% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 62 | 9% |
| Structure | 58 | 8% |
| Exterior Lighting | 57 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 42 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 110,000 miles (middle 50% between 70,000 and 148,500 miles), based on 33 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I was driving down the road and I started smelling gas. The fuel rail on top of the engine started leaking by the passenger side front injector. There was a recall issued for this vehicle for the same issue that was supposed to correct it and the recall work was done according to the manufacturer. Years later it…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Mar 18, 2021
“Tl* the contact owns a 1994 dodge intrepid. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked when he smelled a strong odor of gasoline fuel. The contact examined the vehicle himself and noticed that the fuel lines were leaking. The contact patched the leak himself on several occasions, but the failure continued. The…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Jan 3, 2012
“The vehicle started to turn itself when driving and could not be controlled while driving. This lead to us taking it to a tire shop and we were told the bushings on the rack and pinion and the bushings on the tire rod were gone off the car. The vehicle was not able to be driven until the bushings were repaired because…”
Steering · filed Jan 31, 2010
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FUEL RAIL, BRAKE FLUID, CHASSIS
Defect Petition DP04007 · opened Oct 13, 2004 · closed Oct 27, 2004
- AUTO TRANS IGNITION-PARK INTERLOCK
Engineering Analysis EA03011 · opened Jul 17, 2003 · closed Jan 30, 2004 · led to recall 04V021000
- STEERING COLUMN SEPARATION
Defect Petition DP03002 · opened May 7, 2003 · closed Jul 22, 2003
- STEERING SYSTEM RACK AND PINION
Engineering Analysis EA99031 · opened Oct 29, 1999 · closed Sep 13, 2001
- STEERING SYSTEM RACK AND PINION
Preliminary Evaluation PE99044 · opened Jun 28, 1999 · closed Oct 29, 1999
- ENGINE CRADLE/CONTROL ARM BRACKET WELD
Engineering Analysis EA98025 · opened Dec 31, 1998 · closed Aug 19, 1999 · led to recall 99V215000
- FUEL INJECTION DELIVERY SYSTEM FUEL LEAK
Recall Query RQ98018 · opened Oct 7, 1998 · closed Jul 8, 2002 · led to recall 98V184000
- ENGINE CRADLE/CONTROL ARM BRACKET WELD
Preliminary Evaluation PE98044 · opened Aug 11, 1998 · closed Dec 31, 1998
Technical service bulletins
79 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1994 Dodge Intrepid. The 10 most recent:
Valve Body. These may cause over drive cycling.
R2118796A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 26, 2016
Child Seat Tether Anchor Installation This bulletin describes procedures to install Child Seat Tether Anchors based on Customer Request. Retrofits are subject to part availability. Vehicles in the following list that…
23-014-15 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 23, 2015
Flash programming failure recovery. *slc
1802002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 24, 2002
Subject regarding low or no cabin head, engine cooling system system fill procedure. *tt
0700202 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 4, 2002
Subject regarding camshaft / bearing service. *tt
0900801 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 2, 2001
Subject regarding airbag / clock spring service for various models including 2002 model year jeep liberty. *tt
0801001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 25, 2001
Some owners may experience loose feel or clunk in the steering wheel as the wheel is moved from side to side. *tt
1900101 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 23, 2001
Automatic transmission fluid usage atf+4. *tt *mj
2100601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 16, 2001
On some vehicles the front seat cushion pan cracked or the mounting weld nuts broke loose. *jb
2304600 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 29, 2000
Subject regarding wire splice repairs. *sb
0800600REV · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 29, 2000
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1994 Dodge Intrepid has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1994 Dodge Intrepid?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 110,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.