1996 PLYMOUTH NEON Complaints

WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE WILL CUT OFF. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.*AK *NLM

THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, AND OIL LIGHT WOULD COME ON, AND NOW THE LIGHTS NO LONGER WARN THE CONSUMER, THE COIL PACK WAS REPLACED AS POSSIBLE CAUSE BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT SOLVED, THE CONSUMER TRIED SEVERAL SERVICE PLACES BUT NONE OF THEM COULD FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM, CONSUMER STATES HE FOUND A RECALL THAT STATES THE EXACAT SYMPTONS HE WAS EXPERIENCING, BUT WAS INFORMED THAT HIS VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.*JB

I PURCHASED MY 1996 NEON IN SEPTEMBER OF 2000. I HAVE NOT EVEN HAD IT FOR A YEAR AND NOW IT REQUIRES MAJOR ENGINE WORK. DAIMLERCHRYSLER SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS PROBLEM, WHICH IS A MANUFACTURER'S ERROR, ALTHOUGH IT HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. I TRIED TO HAVE MY CAR SERVICED AT SMITH CHRYSLER PLYMOUTH (12300 SAN PABLO AVE. RICHMOND,CA 94805)(510-215-4712), A LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP, WHERE AN EMPLOYEE IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF TO TELL ME THAT HE WOULD NEED 400 DOLLARS UP FRONT BEFORE LOOKING AT THE CAR. IF HE FOUND THE PROBLEM TO BE A BLOWN HEAD GASKET, THE REPAIR WOULD BE A TOTAL OF ABOUT 800 DOLLARS PLUS ANY OTHER PARTS THAT MIGHT NEED TO BE REPLACED. THIS GENTLEMAN WAITED FOR THE TOW TRUCK TO LEAVE AND THEN PRECEDED WITH THE STATEMENT "WELL, THE TRUCK LEFT YOU...WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?" I FELT THAT THIS GENTLEMAN LACKED PROFESSIONALISM, WHICH REFLECTED THE WHOLE SERVICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WHEN I CALLED BACK, THE MANAGER BASICALLY BLEW ME OFF AND TOLD ME THAT I MISUNDERSTOOD HIS EMPLOYEE, WHICH I KNOW IS INCORRECT. DAIMLERCHRYSLER KNOWS THAT 1995-1998 NEONS BLOW HEAD GASKETS QUITE FREQUENTLY, BUT THEY REFUSE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. ENTIRE WEBSITES ARE DEVOUTED TO HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS ON PLYMOUTH NEONS, THERE IS EVEN A RUMOR OF A "GOODWILL POLICY" ON BEHALF OF CHRYSLER, ACKNOWLEDGING THEIR ERROR BY PAYING FOR PARTS OF THE REPAIR. AS A COLLEGE STUDENT, I DO NOT HAVE MONEY TO PAY FOR SUCH COSTLY REPAIRS. I FEEL THAT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AND THE DEALERSHIP WHO TREATED ME SO UNFAIRLY SHOULD FOLLOW ETHICAL BUSINESS PRACTICES AND FIX THE PROBLEM, WHICH IS A MANUFACTURER'S ERROR.*AK

AIR CONDITION BLOWS OUT HOT AIR AND MAKES A NOISE. ALSO, WHEN SHE APPLIED BRAKES VEHICLE MAKES A LOUD GRINDING NOISE. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.*AK

WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE ABOUT 70MPH ON HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE STALLED OUT/ SHUT DOWN. THE DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

VEHICLE STALLED MOSTLY AT SPEEDS OF 65-70 MPH AFTER DRIVING FOR 10-15 MINUTES. THEN, IT TOOK 15-20 MINUTES BEFORE IT WILL START AGAIN. DEALER SAID IT WAS WIRING HARNESS SHORTING OUT. THERE IS RECALL, 96V026000, BUT THIS VEHICLE IS NOT AFFECTED. VEHICLE STALLS EVERY TIME IT'S DRIVEN.*AK

I HAVE SPOKE WITH NUMEROUSE MECHANICS AND NEON OWNERS AND THEY HAVE ALL HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY COMMENT AS SAYING NEONS ARE NETORIOUS FOR FAULTY HEAD GASKETS. I HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ONE THE FACTORY INSTALLED. SO I WENT TO THE DEALER AND PURCHASED ANOTHER HEAD GASKET AND REPLACED THAT ONE AND NOW 2YEARS LATER IT NEED TO BE REPLACED AGIAN. THIS IF REDICULOUS. I HAVE HEARD THAT THE HEAD GASGET THAT WAS ISSUED WAS FAULTY AND THEY REISSUED A HIGH PREFORMANCE ONE. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL. THIS IS A VERY EXPENSIVE THING TO FIX. I WOULD UNDERSTAND IF IT WAS BASIC MAITNANCE. THAT DOES NOT SEEM TO BE THE CASE IN ANY OF THE ONES I HAVE CAME ACROSS. IF YOU TOOK THE TIME TO SPEAK TO NEON SERVICE DEPARTMENTS AND OWNERS YOU WOULD SEE THAT IT IS AN OVERWHELMING ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESED AND THE OWNERS OF THESE VEHICALS SHOULD BE COMPENSATED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO TO HELP THE CONCUMER, DAMIEN MICHEL. *AK

VEHICLE IS LEAKING OIL FROM UNDERNEATH. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A GARAGE. *AK

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 75MPH ON ROAD AND NOTICED SMOKE. TOOK VEHICLE TO INSPECTION, AND PERSONNEL TOLD HIM THAT IT WILLL NOT PASS. *AK

VEHICLE STALLS 3-4 TIMES A DAY, MOSTLY AT 45 MPH AND WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER 2-3 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM, CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH VEHICLE. *AK