1995 DODGE NEON Complaints

I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE IN FOR INSPECTION TO A FEW DIFFERENT SERVICE CENTERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THE SAME. THE DIAGNOSIS REVEALS THAT MY HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING OIL. UPON INSPECTION AT EACH DIFFERENT SERVICE CENTER, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL NEONS BETWEEN 95-98 THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME TYPE OF PROBLEM. I HAVE EVEN BEEN TOLD THIS FROM A SERVICE REP AT THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP. I PURSUED THIS ISSUE BY CONTACTING CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE AND AFTER ROUGHLY TWO WEEKS, I WAS TOLD THAT CHRYSLER DENYS ANY CLAIM OF NEGLIGENCE IN THE MANUFACTURING OF MY HEAD GASKET. EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE AWARE THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER NEONS OR OTHER CHRYSLER VEHICLES WITH THE SAME SIZE ENGINE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, THEY WILL NOT ASSIST IN ANY REPAIR OF THIS KIND. *AK

SMELLED GAS BUT DIDN'T NOTICE ANY LEAK OR PROBLEM UNTIL ATTEMPTING TO REFILL GAS TANK. AT THAT POINT, NOTICED THAT FILLER TUBE HAD CORRODED AND BROKE AWAY FROM REFILL THROAT MOUNTING. DEALER SAID IT WAS CORRODED, BUT NOT UNDER RECALL. *AK

CONSUMER HAD EXPERIENCED TROUBLE WITH HEATER/DEFROSTER, AND HEADLIGHTS FLICKERING, AND SMOKE COMING FROM DASHBOARD. THIS FORCED CONSUMER TO DRIVE OFF THE ROAD BECAUSE OF POOR VISIBILITY. *AK

HEADLIGHTS WERE ON AND FLICKERED. SOMETIMES CAR FLUTTERED/ LOST POWER. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND HE COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING. WHILE DRIVING AGAIN SMOKE CAME FROM THE CRACKS OF THE DASH/AIRBAG COMPARTMENT AND VENTS. SMOKE FILLED THE CAR UP, AND DRIVER WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE, OR BREATH. THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. NO HEAT/ REAR DEFROSTER, OR BLINKERS. ALSO, WHEN TURN ON THE SIGNALS, CONSUMER WOULD HEAR A BUZZING SOUND, AND BLINKERS WOULD NOT WORK. ONLY THING THAT WORKED WAS THE RADIO ON THE DASHBOARD. *AK

OIL LIGHT CAME ON, CAR WAS LEAKING OIL, HAD CAR TOWED, INFORMED OF HEAD GASKET PROBLEM.

THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN TO OTHER DODGE NEON OWNER THAT I HAVE TALKED. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN THE SUMMARY.*AK

AS I WAS DRIVING MY 1995 NEON HOME FROM WORK, I NOTICED THAT THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON. I BECAME CONCERNED AND PULLED INTO THE NEAREST SERVICE STATION WHICH WAS LESS THAT 1/2 MILE AWAY. I ASKED THE SERVICE TECH TO LOOK AT THE CAR AND HE SAID THAT THERE WAS AN OIL LEAK. HE SUGGESTED THAT I HAVE THE OIL CHANGED AND SEE IF THERE WERE ANY LOOSE FITTINGS FROM MY PREVIOUS OIL CHANGE A FEW WEEKS EARLIER. THE OIL WAS CHANGED AND THE CAR STARTED ONLY TO CONTINUE TO LEAK OIL AGAIN. I WAS TOLD NOT TO DRIVE IT AND HAD IT TOWED TO MY DEALERSHIP THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THAT THE CAM SEAL/PLUG HAD CRACKED OFF AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. AS A RESULT, I WOULD NEED A NEW SHORT BLOCK INSTALLED IN MY 5YR OLD CAR AT A PRICE OF $3500.00. I FEEL THAT THE CAM SEAL/PLUG IS DEFECTIVE AND THAT IS WHY IT CRACKED OFF. I HAVE SPOKEN TO OTHER PEOPLE IN THE AUTO INDUSTRY/REPAIR INDUSTRY AND IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE NEON CAR. I CANNOT IMAGINE THAT I SHOULD BE HELD TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE WHEN I DID EVERYTHING I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO BY STOPPING THE CAR IMMEDIATELY. I SPOKE TO CHRYSLER DIRECTLY AND WITHIN MINUTES OF CONTACTING THE DEALER, THEY (CHRYSLER) AGREED TO PAY HALF OF THE REPAIR ONLY IF I HAD THE SERVICE DONE AT A DODGE DEALERSHIP. I APPRECIATED THIS GESTURE BUT I AM STILL LOOKING AT PAYING $1700.00 OUT OF POCKET FOR THE DAMAGE. I FEEL THAT CHRYSLER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THIS DEFECTIVE PART. I HAVE READ COMPLAINTS ON YOUR WEBSITE AND WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE A PHONE CALL TO SEE IF I CAN GET ANY HELP IN RESOLVING THIS ISSUE. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, I AM EXTREMELY UPSET AT THIS POINT. I HAVE CONTACTED MY DEALER AND WROTE A LETTER TO THE GENERAL MANAGER. I DID RECEIVE A CALL FROM THE SVC MGR, WHO WILL ADMIT NO FAULT. AT THIS POINT I AM WAITING TO HEAR FROM THE SVC MGR WITH A FIRM REPAIR PRICE BUT AS OF YET, HE HAS NOT RETURNED BY CALL. I FEEL THAT I AM BEING UNFAIRLY TREATED AND BEING PENALIZED BECAUSE I DID NOT BUY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY.

WHEN TURNING TO THE RIGHT AT AN INTERSECTION THE STEERING LOCKED UP AND ENGINE CUT OFF. *ET

I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED THE ENTIRE HEAD GASKET SYSTEM LESS THAN A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. ALREADY IT IS LEAKING OIL. THAT IS RIDICULOUS. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *AK

LEFT TURN SIGNAL ON, ALL LIGHTS IN BACK OF CAR FLASH. THEN APPLIED BRAKES, ALL LIGHTS WERE STEADY. TAKE FOOT OFF BRAKES, ALL LIGHTS IN BACK FLASHED AGAIN. FRONT LEFT SIGNAL DOES THE SAME THING. *AK