1997 DODGE NEON Complaints

OIL LEAKGES AFTER TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE, VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO DEALER FOR LEAKAGES, AND DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT PROBLEM WAS DUE TO A HEAD GASKET FAILURE. *AK

TRANSMISSION IS SLUGGISH AND HEADGASKET LEAKING, TOOK TO DEALER. *AK TRANSMISSION IS NOW COMPLETELY FAILED. *YH

NOTICED OIL LEAK, TOOK TO MECHANIC, WAS TOLD HEAD GASKET WAS GONE. I HAVE ONLY 37,000 MILES ON THIS CAR AND IT HAS BEEN ROUTINELY MAINTAINED. I AM WAITING FOR THE DEALERSHIP TO LOOK AT IT AND DECIDE WHEN THEY WILL PAY FOR IT TO BE FIXED. THEY ARE LOOKING AT THESE CASES ON A ONE ON ONE BASIS, WHICH SHOULD SHOW THAT THESE CARS NEED TO BE RECALLED OR PAID TO BE FIXED BY THE DEALER OR CHRSYLER. *AK

WELL LETS SEE THE FIRST DEFECT WAS A FAN RELAY WHICH WAS REPLACED 5 TIMES BEFORE A WIRING DEFECT WAS FOUND NEXT WE HAVE "HARD BRAKES" WHICH CONTRIBUITED TO AN ACCIDENT WHICH CAUSED 7000 DOLLARS IN DAMAGE AND 1 MINOR INJURY DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, WE FOLLOW THAT UP WITH A LEAKY HEAD GASKET WHICH CHRYSLER WAS KIND ENOUGH TO RETURN 1/2 OF MY OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES ALONG WITH WIRING DEFECTS AND AIR BAGS THAT DON'T COME OUT OTHER THAN THE FACT I HAVE HAD MORE PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR THAN EVERY OTHER CARS I HAVE EVER OWNED THEY MADE UP FOR THIS LEMON BY HAVING A BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOO.

THE CAR HAS BEEN OVER HEATING AND CUTTING OFF FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS. THE COMPANY HAS ONLY PUT A PATCH ON THE PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP ABOUT 13 TIMES FOR THE PROBLEM. I FEEL THAT THIS CAR IS A SAFTY FACTOR AND IS VERY DANGEROUS.

I FOUND OUT ABOUT A POSSIBLE HEAD GASKET PROBLEM WHEN I TOOK MY CAR TO AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP FOR ANOTHER SERVICE. THE REPAIR MAN WAS GOING TO CHANGE MY TRANSMISSION FLUID/PAN BUT THEN DISCOVERED THAT THE SEAL TO THE PAN ON THE HEAD GASKET MAY BE LEAKING, BUT THE PAN WAS SEALED WITH SOME TYPE OF SEALANT THAT HE COULD NOT REMOVE IT. ALSO, WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE ARE DEFECTS IN THE AIRBAGS AND THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN RECALLED, BUT I HAVE NEVER GOTTEN ANY INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THIS "VERY IMPORTANT" ISSUE. ALSO, THE PAINT ON MY CAR IS LITERALLY FALLING OFF IN PATCHES. IT APPEARS TO ONLY BE THE ONLY COLOR (PURPLEISH/BLUE) OF THE NEON'S THAT THE PAINT IS COMING OFF. MY CAR (KEEP IN MIND ONLY 2YRS OLD) ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE A SPOTTED COW. I CAN TAKE MY FINGER AND PEEL THE PAINT OFF WITH EASE. THERE ARE CARS THAT ARE 10YRS OLDER THAN MY 97 AND THE PAINT LOOKS 100 TIMES BETTER! DODGE IS ALSO AWARE OF THIS "BAD PAINT" BUT THEY WANT TO CHARGE $300 TO GET IT RE-PAINTED--THE EXACT SAME COLOR??!!! DODGE SHOULD REPLACE THE PAINT FREE OF CHARGE ON ALL THESE MODELS WITH THIS COLOR PAINT. IT MAKES ME NOT EVEN WANT TO DRIVE MY 2 YR OLD CAR WITH PAINT MISSING FROM FRONT,BACK,SIDE TO SIDE.

THE BRAKES ARE HORRIBLE.. GRIND AS IF METAL ON METAL.. HAVE HAD THEM CHECKED BY DEALER AND TWO OTHER BRAKE SPECIALITS. ALL SAY BRAKES WORK FINE.. HOWEVER GRIND HORRIBLY.. AND CHIRP CONTINUOUSLY.. NOBODY CAN FIGURE IT OUT. THE PAINT IS ANOTHER ISSUE. IT PEELS ALL OVER INCLUDING TRUNK, DOORS, ROOF, ETC. SEEMS TO BE ONLY LAPIS BLUE COLOR THAT DOES IT. I HAVE A LIST OF 12 VEHICLES IN THIS COLOR THAT ARE PEELING AS WELL AS SEVERAL PHOTOS. DEALER WANTED ME TO PAY, EVEN WHILE UNDER WARRANTY.. PHONED DAIMLER CHRYSLER AND IT TOOK 4 MONTHS OF FIGHTING WITH THEM TO AGREE TO RE-PAINT HOWEVER THEY WILL ONLY RE-PAINT WHERE IT IS PEELING.. UNACCEPTABLE, AS MORE PAINT WILL CONTINUE TO PEEL IN OTHER AREAS. THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND SHOULD BE COVERED WITH NO QUESTIONS.. THEY ARE WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.. THE BRAKES SHOULD BE FIXED ALSO. I DID NOT BOUGHT A NEW CAR TO AVOID PROBLEMS LIKE THESE.. THIS CAR IS A LEMON AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. THERE ARE SO MANY PROBLEMS LISTED ON THE COMPLAINT PAGE FOR THIS VEHICLE.. HOW LONG WILL IT BE BEFORE SOMEONE AT THE NHTSA DOES SOMETHING FOR US??*AK

I HEARD ALOT OF HEAD GASGETS ON 95-99 NEON HAVE FAILED AND CHYSLER HAS PAID TO REPAIR THEM EVEN WHEN THEY ARE OUT OF WARENTY. WHEN I CALLED THEM THEY ACTED LIKE THEY NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM BEFORE I TALKED TO THE DEALER AND THEY JUST BLEW ME OF TO . MY BILL WAS $900.00. I CAN'T BELIVE THERE WAS NOT A RECALL WHEN SO MANY HEAD GASGETS HAVE FAILED.

THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT DAIMLER CHRYSLER IS WELL AWARE OF. THEY SHOULD RECALL THIS AND MANY OTHER NEONS INSTEAD OF MAKING ME PAY FOR THE REPAIR MYSELF. IF ONE LOGS ONTO THE INTERNET IT BECOMES PAINFULLY APPARENT WITH A QUICK SEARCH THAT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCE AS ME.

WHEN DRIVING OVER A PUDDLE OR WHEN DRIVING IN THE RAIN POWER STEERING BELT GETS WET, CAUSING STEERING TO BECOME DIFFICULT WHICH CAUSED DRIVER TO ALMOST HIT A PEDESTRIAN. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. DEALER HAS REPLACED BELTS AND HAS TIGHTENED THEM. HOWEVER, PROBLEM RETURNS WHENEVER IT RAINS. MANUFACTURER HAS PROVIDED DEALER WITH INSTRUCTION TO TIGHTEN BELTS, AND CHECK THE TORQUE EVERY THREE THOUSAND MILES.*AK