1995 DODGE NEON Complaints

PARKED CAR IN A PARKING LOT. TURNED CAR OFF. LIGHTS WERE OFF. WENT INSIDE AND 30 MINUTES LATER SOMEONE SAID, "YOUR CAR IS ON FIRE." WENT OUTSIDE AND FOUND THE CAR ENGULFED IN FLAMES. FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND PUT THE FIRE OUT. WITNESSES SAID THAT THE FIRE WAS COMING FROM THE DASH AREA ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. INSURANCE COMPANY TOTALED THE CAR. REPORTED IT TO DODGE. THEY SENT AN INSPECTOR WHO TOOK A FEW MINUTES TO INSPECT AND A FEW PICTURES. RECEIVE LETTER FROM DODGE STATING THAT, "FIRES CAN AND DO OCCUR AND WE ARE NOT AT FAULT." *AK

MOISTURE GETS INTO POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM,) CAUSING DRIVEABILITY MALFUNCTIONS, INCLUDING STALLING. STALLING OCCURS WHILE DRIVING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

ATTEMPT TO HAVE CHRYSLER FIX HEAD GASKET FAILED; WOULD NOT AUTHORIZE REPLACEMENT OF HEAD GASKET BECAUSE CAR IS USED, NEAR 100000 MILES, AND SIX YEARS FROM MANUFACTURE; HEAD GASKET MUST BE REPLACED BY ME AT MY OWN COST; A/C LEAK HAS NEVER BEEN COMPLETELY DETERMINED, ALTHOUGH SEVERAL LEAKS WERE FOUND AND FIXED; BLOWER MOTOR RECENTLY DIED. LINKAGE "BLEW APART" AT SOME POINT IN 2001 AND HAD TO BE REPAIRED USING OEM WASHERS AND NUTS. *AK

THE HEAD GASKET FAILED, WHILE DRIVING DOWN BUSY ROAD WITH ONE MONTH OLD DAUGHTER IN VEHICLE, I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN DODGE, THAT THEY HAVE NOT RECALLED HEAD GASKETS ON 1995 DODGE NEONS. *AK

VEHICLE SURGES AND HESITATES INTERMITTENTLY AT ANY SPEED. A PRIVATE MECHANIC HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND STATED POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE WAS FAULTY. MANUFACTURER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT AFFECTED BY RECALL 94V033000. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / ATTACHMENTS. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 25 MPH VEHICLE HIT A BUMP AND BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED UNEXPECTEDLY, SHATTERING WINDSHIELD. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN EXAMINED BY DEALERSHIP TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / ATTACHMENTS. *AK

HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE CHECKED BY 3 INDEPENDENT MECHANICS, ALL 3 DIAGNOSE THAT THE HEAD GASKET IS FAULTY AND THAT THIS IS ACOMMON PROBLEM WITH DODGE NEONS. OUR DODGE DEALERSHIP DENIES THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND AFTER DIAGNOSING THE CAR HAVE TOLD US THER IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT.*AK

THERE HAVE BEEN TRACES OF AN INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL COMPONENT BURNING/OVERHEATING SMELL IN THE CAR FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS. NO OTHER SYMPTOMS WERE EVIDENT. ON 10/25/01, AFTER TURNING ON THE HEADLIGHTS IN THE EVENING BEFORE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS A PRONOUNCED ODOR OF AN ELECTRICAL COMPONENT BURNING OR OVERHEATING, FOLLOWED SHORTLY THEREAFTER BY THE LOSS OF THE HEADLIGHTS. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH, THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR AND THE STEERING COLUMN MOUNTED MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. VISUAL INSPECTION REVEALED OVERHEATING/BURNING/MELTING OF THESE COMPONENTS AS WELL AS THE INSULATION AROUND SEVERAL WIRES. I HAVE RETAINED THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH AND WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR FOR FUTURE INSPECTION BY ANY INTERESTED PARTIES. THE STEERING COLUMN MOUNTED MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH HAD TO BE RETURNED TO THE DEALER DUE TO A CORE CHARGE. THE TOTAL COST FOR PARTS AND LABOR TO EFFECT NTHE REPAIRS WAS $363.15. I BELIEVE THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DESIGN PROBLEM ON THIS VEHICLE SINCE NO COMPONENT SHOULD FAIL IN SUCH A WAY AS TO CAUSE THE OVERHEATING/BURNING OF OTHER COMPONENTS, CONNECTORS OR WIRING.*AK

VEHICLE WILL NOT START. CONSUMER PURCHASED VEHICLE AS IT WAS, DID NOT CHANGE ANYTHING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

I DISCOVERED THAT THE FUEL TANK FILLER PIPE HAD CORRODED AND SEPARATED FROM THE FUEL FILLER DOOR ASSEMBLY (PIPE FROM FUEL FILLER DOOR TO FUEL TANK). FUEL TANK FILLER PIPE WAS FOUND LOOSE AND DANGLING WITHIN THE RIGHT REAR FENDER BEHIND THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL. FORTUNATELY, NO APPARENT LOSS OF GASOLINE WAS DETECTED AT THE POINT OF DISCOVERY. CONTACT THE LOCAL CHRYSLER/DODGE SERVICE REP INDICATED THAT THEY HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS TYPE OF SAFETY DEFECT AND NO RECALL ON RECORD. I AM PROCEED WITH THE REPAIR OF THIS SAFETY DEFECT AT MY OWN EXPENSE.*AK