1997 DODGE NEON Complaints

DRIVING AT 35 MPH, A PICKUP TRUCK PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF AND I CRASHED INTO THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. UPON IMPACT, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, THE SEAT BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN ME FROM SLAMMING FORWARD, AND THE SEAT LOCK DID NOT ENGAGE. THE CHRYSLER INVESTIGATOR CLAIMS THAT ALL THREE RESTRAINT SYSTEMS WORKED PROPERLY YET THE DEALER REPLACED BOTH THE SEAT BELTS AND THE SEAT LOCKS.*AK

I CONTACTED CHRYSLER DAIMLER 800-992-1997, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS NO REPAIR ASSISTANCE OR RECALL. ALTHOUGH THE SERVICE BULLETIN SHOWS AN UPGRADE AND A CHANGE IN THE HEAD GASKET AND ADDITIONAL INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS TO BE MADE. THIS BECAME KNOWN IN 1998, 1 YEAR AFTER MY VEHICLE WAS BUILT. THIS SEEMS LIKELY TO BE A DEFECT AND QUALITY ISSUE.*AK

CONSUMER TOOK VHEICLE TO A MECHANIC FOR A BAD OIL LEAK. MECHANIC SHOWED CONSUMER 36 DIFFERENT CRACKS IN HEAD OF MOTOR.ALSO, TRANSMISSION WAS SHATTERED, VEHICLE WAS NOT SHIFTING RIGHT. CONSUMER TOOK TO DEALER AND IT WAS FULL OF PIECES OF METAL. CONSUMER STATES THAT DEALER REPLACED HEAD. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE WITH THE 1995-1998 NEONS AND THE HEADGASKET FAILING ANY WHERE FROM 40000 MILES TO OVER 50000;IF YOU GO TO THE WEBSITE LEAK NEONHEADGASKETS.COM OR NEON HEADGASKETS YOU WILL SEE HOW MANY PROBLEMS PEOPLE HAVE HAD. DAIMLERCHRYSLER WILL NOT REPAIR THE PROBLEM FOR FREE. THEY OFFER A VARIETY OF "GOOD WILL" ASSISTANCE BUT I FEEL WITH THE NUMBER OF CARS AND PEOPLE BEING AFFECTED THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL AND THE HEADGASKETS FIXED FREE OF CHARGE. I WAS AMAZED AT HOW MANY PEOPLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAD TO FIX OTHER THINGS THAT WERE RELATED TO THE HEADGASKET LEAK AND ALL THEY WOULD AUTHORIZE WAS $300 ASSISTANCE WHILE I HAVE TO PAY OVER $550. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. THEY WOULD NOT EVEN LET ME SPEAK TO THE OWNER OR DISTRICT MANAGER. *AK

VEHICLE JUST SHUT OFF WHILE STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN, AND WOULD NOT RESTART. ALSO, BATTERY LIGHT AND SEAT BELT LIGHT CAME ON.CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER.*AK

AUTO TRANSMISSION 3 SPEED I HAVING A PROBLEM THEY IS ALWAYS A BIG GERK WHEN TAKING THE CAR O UT OF GEAR OR PLACING THE CAR IN PARK I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER THEY STS THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION BUT I HAVE HAD IT THERE 4 TIMES FOR THE SAME THING. *AK

CLIP THAT GOES INTO THE BUCKLE OF SEAT BELT HAS A PLASTIC CATCH THAT LOCKS. PLASTIC CLIP THAT LOCKS SEAT BELT AROUND PERSON WHEN DISCONNECTED PLASTIC CLIP POPS OFF.*AK

TRUNK LEAKS, CAUSING BACK SEAT FLOOR TO FLOOD. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

I CAN NOT BELIEVE THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY RECALLS ON THIS CAR FOR THE ENGINE, WITH THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS YOU HAVE LISTED. WHEN I GOT THIS CAR IT STARTED WITH CYLINDER # 1 MISFIRING, THEN THE R & R COMPRESSOR WAS FAULTY, POWER STEERING PUMP WAS LOOSE, THE FAN RELAY SWITCH BLEW AND NOW AFTER MY LAST PAYMENT THE HEAD CRACKS AND CYLINDER # 2 DOESN'T HOLD ENOUGH PRESSURE. I HAVEN'T HAD A PLEASANT EXPERIANCE WITH MY DODGE NEON.*AK

THE FIRST ISSUE WITH THE BLOWN HEAD GASKET, OCCURED AROUND 32,000 MILES. IT WAS FIXED WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. I AM NOW HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AGAIN; OIL LEAKING, EXTREMELY ROUGH IDLING, AND HAVE SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT TO GET MY CAR IN. HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE COVERED UNDER MY ADDED WARRANTY. THE SECOND PROBLEM IS WITH THE PAINT JOB. THE ORIGINAL PAINT IS LIPIS BLUE AND IS PEELING AND FLAKING OFF IN MANY PLACES. AT 35,500 MILES, THEY TOUCHED UP THE PROBLEM AREAS, TOLD ME OF THE DEFECT IN THE PRIMER, AND THEN INFORMED ME THEY COULD NOT PAINT THE ENTIRE CAR, ONLY THE PANELS WHICH DID NOT PASS THE TAPE TEST. I HAVE CONTACTED THEM AGAIN MORE RECENTLY BECAUSE OF OTHER PEELING PROBLEMS. IT IS MY BELIEF THE CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAINTED COMPLETELY WHEN THEY INFORMED ME OF THE DEFECT.*AK