1997 DODGE NEON Complaints

HEAD GASKETS LEAKING HAD TO BE REPALCED AT47272 PROBLEM STARTED AT 28000 MILES STOCKTON DODGE KEPT TELLING NOTHING WAS WRONG UNTILL I WAS LOSING A QT OF OIL A WEEK AND POWER FAILURE WS GETTING WORSE AND HAS CONTINUED EVERY SENCE. ENGINE POWER FLATENS OUT I HAVE NO EXCELORATION ABILITY DURING THAT TIME ENGINE SURGES WHICH CAUSES THE CAR TO LOSE SLOW DOWN WHILE AT HIGH SPEEDS. GAS MILEAGE HAS DROPED TO 1/2 THE NORMAL RATE OF 300 MILES PER TANK OF GAS. HOWELING NOISE FROM NEWLY INSTALLED TRANSMISSION AT 20-30 MPH AND AGAIN AT 55-65 MPH. *AK

I BOUGHT MY NEON USED (BUT ONLY A YEAR OLD) I HAVE HAD MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR MY BLINKERS COME ON BY THEMSELVES, MY TRUNK AND BACK FLOORS ARE GETTING DRENCHED (PUDDLES OF WATER 3 INCHES) MY BRAKES ARE SQUALING, MY DOOR LIGHT IS SHORTING MY REVERSE LIGHTS ARE BLOWN MY HEAD GASKET HAS BLOWN TWICE. I HAVE ALSO HAD PROBLEM WITH MY FIRES UNDER THE HOOD. THIS CAR IS MADE POORLY. I AM TRYING TO TRADE IT AND IT NOT AS MUCH AS I OWE. TALK TO DEALER BUT DOES NOT SEEM LIKE THEY WANT TO HELP.

SPARE TIRE CAVITY WAS FULL OF WATER. THIS CAUSED THE SPARE TO BE RUSTED AS WELL AS THE FLOOR UNDER THE TIRE AND THE JACK. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO USE THE SPARE SO I DONT KNOW HOW LONG THE WATER HAS BEEN THERE. FROM THE AMOUNT THAT WAS IN THERE, I WOULD SAY IT HAS COLLECTED EVERY RAIN DROP SINCE I HAVE HAD THE CAR. THIS CAUSED ME TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED INSTEAD OF BEING ABLE TO USE THE SPARE. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN VERY BAD IF I HAD BEEN IN A RURAL AREA OR IF I HAD NO CAR PHONE. IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU CAN DO, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. A REAR TAILLIGHT WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY WHEN I FIRST GOT THE CAR DUE TO WATER INTRUSION. MAYBE THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM.

TRANSMISSION FAILED AT ONLY 75,000 MILES. CAUSE WAS UNKNOWN. NO PRIOR WARNING.*AK

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP. VEHICLE WAS LEAKING OIL FROM UNDERNEATH/ ALSO, THERE WAS OIL INSIDE SPARK PLUGS. *AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED OVERHEATING DUE TO HEAD GASKET FAILURE. DEALER/MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

MY SISTER IN TN HAS A NEON THE DEALER FIXED HER HEAD GASKET THESE CARS I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY ONE AUTO REPAIR THAT HE FIXES THESE HEAD GASKETS AT LEAST ONE EVERY OTHER WEEK DODGE SHOULD HAVE DONE A RECALL OR AT LEAST FIX THE PROBLEM I CAN NOT GET ANY ONE ON THE PHONE AT CHRYSLER AND I LIVE HERE. THEY SHOULD PAY THE COST THEY KNOW THAT ITS A PROBLEM. THE UP AND DOWN STREAM SENSORS WENT BAD IT COST ME $300. TO FIX. I KNOW A GENTLEMAN THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM HIS WENT BAD TWICE AND THE CAR DEALER PAID FOR HIS. I ON THE OTHER HAND COULD GET NO ONE HELP WITH THIS EITHER. CHRYSLER NEEDS TO BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE PROBLEMS WITH THERE NEON'S AND PAY TO CORRECT THESE PROBLEMS I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER ONE. IF CHRYSLER WANTS ME TO BUY THERE PRODUCT AGAIN THEY NEED TO MAKE THE FIRST ONE RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONCERN.

OIL LEAK DETECTED BY MYSELF AT ABOUT 40-45,000 MILES; HAD A NON-CHRYSLER MECHANIC LOOK AT IT AND TOLD ME IT LOOKED LIKE THE HEAD GASKET (50,000+ MILES BY THIS TIME) - COULDN'T AFFORD THE $400.00+ TO REPAIR AT THAT TIME. WHEN I FINALLY HAD THE MONEY (8/10/00 AND 88,000 MILES) MY MECHANIC REFERRED ME TO O-REILY'S BECAUSE HE HAD HEARD OF A RECALL. O'REILLY'S GAVE ME THE RUN AROUND. I AM PURSUING EVERY AVENUE TO GET THIS PROBLEM CORRECTED INCLUDING THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE. *AK

ON SUNDAY JULY 23, 2000, I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM A RESTAURANT WITH MY FAMILY, I CAME UP TO AN INTERSECTION AND STOPPED. AFTER APROXIMATELY 10 SECONDS AT THE STOP LIGHT, I NOTICED THE AIR CONDITIONER BEGAN BLOWING HOT AIR. I IMMEDIATELY GLANCED AT THE TEMPERATURE GUAGE IN THE CAR. IT HAD RISEN TO APROXIMATELY 3/4 OF THE WAY TOWARD THE RED MARK. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE AC OFF AND THEN TURNED THE HEAT ON AS TO NOT RAISE THE HEAT ANYMORE THAN WHAT IT ALREADY WAS. I WAS WITHIN A MILE OF MY MECHANICS , SO I DROVE OVER THERE AND DROPPED OFF THE CAR. ON THE NEXT DAY, MY MECHANIC CALLED ME TO TELL ME THAT MY HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN. HE THEN TOLD ME THAT THESE CARS WERE KNOWN FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM. I THEN CALLED SMITHFIELD DODGE ( WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR ) THEY GAVE ME THE SERVICE MANAGER AND HE TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE HAVING ALOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE HEAD GASKETS ON THE NEONS. HE TOLD ME TO CALL THE COMPLAINTS LINE AT DODGE/CHRYSLER AND THAT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY THAT THEY WOULD PROBABLY REPAIR IT FOR FREE AS THEY WERE ON THE VERGE OF A RECALL WITH THESE CARS. MY WIFE CALLED AND LEFT A MESSAGE WITH THE REGIONAL DISTRICT MANAGER WHO CALLED ME BACK AND TRIED TO STRIKE UP A BOGUS DEAL WITH ME, OFFERING TO FIX THE CAR FOR 544.00 SAYING THIS WAS THE BEST THEY WERE GOING TO DO. I HAD ALSO HEARD FROM PEOPLE OVER THE INTERNET WHO HAD ALSO HAD THIS PROBLEM AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR REPAIRS AND, THEY TOO WERE ALSO OVER THE WARRANTY. I ALSO HEARD THAT THIS IS NOT THE SAME GASKET, THEY HAVE REDESIGNED IT TO ACCOMADATE THE PROBLEM. THIS ALONE SHOULD BE RECOURSE FOR A RECALL. I STILL OWE TWO YEARS ON THIS CAR AND I CAN'T AFFORD BILLS LIKE THIS. I WANT A FULL REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE WORK I HAD DONE ON THE CAR. I HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED ALL MY VEHICLES AND KEPT THEM ALL IN EXCELLENT RUNNING CONDITION. THIS IS A PROBLEM WHICH IS OCCURING CONSTANTLY ON THESE VEHICLES. CHECK THE INTERNET IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME. PEOPLE ARE NOT HAPPY WITH DODGE. THEY'RE NOT !

MECHANIC ADVSD OF PROBLEM W/HEAD GASKET ON NEON & TO CALL CHRYSLER. CHRYS PAID 50% OF CHARGE, BUT NOW PAY 100%. DEALER ADVSD OF PROBLEM W/ORIG VENDOR PRODUCING FAULTY HEAD GASKET. CONTACT CHRYSLER FOR ASSISTANCE.