Cooling Fan problems of the 1998 Chrysler Concorde

I own a 1998 Chrysler Concorde with a 2. 7 l engine. We have maintained it according to the schedule in the handbook, with oil changes approximately every 4500 - 7500 miles. The car has 79000 miles on it. About a week ago we noticed an engine noise that sounded like a fan going out. We took the car into an independant shop and they diagnosed a failure of the cooling fan. That was repaired, but at the same time a much large problem was found. The engine is making a clicking noise that sounds like lifters. The shop determined it was not upper engine, and hence not lifters. We can't afford to have the engine torn apart and replaced ($7,000) but the problem is apparently lower engine. I found literally a hundred reports of engine failure on Concordes and intrepids with this same engine, many of which indicated that the engine failed (blew up) while driving - which is obviously very dangerous. I was a lucky one - that so far hasn't had the engine blow up, but if it does or if it had, since I live in a dallas suburb with massive amounts of traffic it most likely would have been fatal. I will be keeping off the highways if I drive it at all.