1996 PLYMOUTH NEON Complaints

WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED TECHNICIAN NOTICED AN OIL LEAK FROM HEAD GASKET. *AK CONSUMER WANTS CHRYSLER COMPANY TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR.*YD

WHILE DRIVING, FRONT DISC BRAKES WILL NOT RELEASE ALL THE WAY CAUSING THEM TO WEAR EASILY BECAUSE OF CONSTANT DRIVING WITH THEM ENGAGED, ALL BRAKES FAILED LEAVING CONSUMER WITHOUT BRAKES AT ALL. *JG

FROM MY MECHANIC'S DESCRIPTION, THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL, TO THE POINT A NEW STYLE GASKET IS AVAILABLE BUT AT A COST OF WELL OVER $800+ IN REPAIR COSTS TO THE CONSUMER, AND I UNDERSTAND A LAWSUIT IS BEING PROPOSED. *AK

WIRING HARNESS HAS BURNED OUT, CAUSING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND OTHER COMPONETS TO MALFUNCTION. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

HEAD GASKET CRACKED, CAUSING WATER TO GO INTO RADIATOR. IN LESS THAN A YEAR HEAD GASKET CRACKED AGAIN, SPRAYING OIL OVER THE ENGINE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND HAD TO REPLACE HEAD GASKETS TWICE.*AK

MY NEON HAS BEEN INTERMITTENTLY STALLING OUT WHEN SLOWING FOR STOPS, STARTING THE VEHICLE AND INTERMITTENTLY WHEN I AM AT IDLE. THIS BECOMES AN ISSUE WHEN I AM PULLING OFF THE HIGHWAY AND THE CAR STALLS, THUS MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR VEHICLES BEHIND ME TO STOP IN TIME. NO CRASHES HAVE INCURRED YET, BUT THEY ARE POSSIBLE. I HAVE TAKEN IT IN 3 TIMES NOW TO LEBANON CHRYSLER-PLYMOUTH FOR REPAIR. 11-19: FUEL PUMP AND VARIOUS CABLES REPLACED. PROBLEM RETURNED. !2-31: IDLE MEMORY NEEDED TO BE RESET. 1-2-02: THROTTLE BODY AND THERMOSTAT NEED REPLACED...ALL OF THESE ITEMS WERE COMPLETED ON DIFFERENT DATES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. MY CAR IS CURRENTLY AT LEBANON CHRYSLER AND HOPEFULLY THE PROBLEM WILL BE FIXED COMPLETELY THIS TIME, BUT IT HAS BEEN A SAFETY ISSUE WHILE I DRIVE. I LEAVE SUFFICIENT DISTANCE BETWEEN MYSELF AND OTHER VEHICLES, BUT I CANNOT PREDICT HOW OTHERS WILL DRIVE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP. LISA BRADY. *AK

WINDOWS FOG UP DUE TO SOME KIND OF MOISTURE GETTING INSIDE OF VEHICLE, AND CAUSING WINDOWS AND LIGHTS TO FOG UP. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED THIS WAS NOT SUPPOSE TO HAPPEN. ALSO, DEALER CALLED CHRYSLER, AND CHRYSLER STATED IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. *AK

FOR THE SECOND TIME NOW MY CAR HAS A LEAKY GASKET (WHICH HAS CONTRIBUTED TO HAVING TO REPLACE THE RADIATOR THIS TIME AS WELL). I HAVE HEARD ENDLESS STORIES OF THIS HAPPENING TO NEONS-WHEN WILL A RECALL BE ENFORCED? THIS IS OBVIOUSLY NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM WHEN IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE AMONG MECHANICS AND OWNERS OF NEONS THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN.

OIL LEAK DISCOVERED DECEMBER 1998 (45838 MILES ON CAR.) DIAGNOSED ENGINE HEAD GASKET BY DEALER SERVICE. WORKED DEAL WITH CHRYSLER SINCE PER INVESTIGATION THIS APPEARED TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. THEY FIXED FOR 1/2 WARRANTY COST ($180 PAID BY ME.) FEBRUARY 1999 (47364 MILES ON CAR) THE LEAK REOCCURRED. DEALERSHIP REPLACED AT NO CHARGE. DECEMBER 2001 (93648 MILES ON CAR) OIL LEAK CHECKED BY THIRD PARTY SERVICE ORGANIZATION AND DIAGNOSED THE HEAD GASKET LEAK AGAIN (APPROXIMATE COST TO FIX $1,400) THERE IS AN OBVIOUS DESIGN/ENGINEERING FLAW IN THE ENGINE/HEAD GASKET. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL AND FIX TO THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE EVEN ONE HEAD GASKET ON ANY VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED AND THIS ONE HAS NOW HAD THE ORIGINAL AND TWO REPLACEMENTS AND NOW NEEDS A THIRD REPLACEMENT PRIOR TO 100,000 MILES ON THE CAR. AGAIN, MY RESEARCH SHOWS ME THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS VEHICLE AND WHEN I QUESTIONED THE LAST REPLACEMENT, THE DEALERSHIP STATED THE HEAD GASKET WAS NEWLY ENGINEERED AND SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM. NOW, NOT ONLY DID I HAVE TO PAY $180 BACK THEN THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKED CARE OF BY A RECALL; NOW I AM GIOING TO HAVE TO BASICALLY GIVE THE CARE AWAY SINCE I REFUSE TO GET IT FIXED AGAIN IF IT IS GOING TO COST ME ANY MONEY. CHRYSLER'S INABILITY TO CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY FOR AN OBVIOUS DESIGN/ENGINEERING FLAW AND LACK OF ACTION TO RECALL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM HAS COST THEM THIS CUSTOMER FOR LIFE AND AS MANY PEOPLE AS I CAN TELL ABOUT THIS ISSUE. *AK

I BOUGHT THIS USED CAR FROM A DEALER. MY FIANCEE STARTED TO NOTICE THAT THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS RISING FAST. SHE STARTED TO HEAR BUBBLING GURGLING SOUNDS FROM THE COOLING SYSTEM. THE CAR STARTED TO LOSE POWER. I PHONED CHRYSLER TO SEE IF THEY COULD COVER THE EXPENSE SINCE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND HAD PRIOR OWNERS. I ENDED UP GETTING THE CAR REPAIRED AND CHRYSLER ONLY OFFERED A 15% DISCOUNT. THEY SHOULD HAVE PAID THE WHOLE BILL OF $1853.03. THERE IS SUCH A THING AS SILENT WARRANTY THAT I HAVE READ ABOUT ON THE INTERNET. I WANT THEM TO REIMBURSE ME AND I AM GOING TO FILE SEVERAL WRITTEN COMPLAINTS.*AK