1995 PLYMOUTH NEON Complaints

TWICE NOW THE HEAD GASKET HAS FAILED ON MY CAR. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THE "NEW STYLE" GASKET STILL WILL ONLY LAST 70K MILES. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. I'VE HAD TO REPLACE NUMEROUS OTHER COMPONANTS BECAUSE OF IT. DODGE/CHRYS/PLYM. IS NO HELP AT ALL. *AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCING OVERHEATIN/RUNNING ROUGH AND LOSS OF COOLANT. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER, AND INFORMED OF A HEAD GASKET FAILURE WHICH WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK

VEHICLE HAS STALLED 4 TIMES AT SPEEDS OF 35-40 MPH. AT DEALER AT THIS TIME.*AK *JB

HEAD GASKET FAILED, CAUSING OVERHEAT AND COOLANT TO BUBBLE OUT OF THE OVERFLOW TANK. *AK

THE PAINT ON MY NEON--AS WELL AS A FLEET OF NEONS AT MY WORK--IS COMING OFF IN LARGE CHUNKS. MY ROOF IS COMPLETELY BARE, AND MY TRUNK AND OTHER SECTIONS ARE CLOSE. THE DEALER SAID IT IS A PROBLEM THAT IS CAUSED BY A FAULTY PRIMER THEY USED, BUT THEY HAVE OFFERED TO ONLY PAY HALF THE COST TO REPAINT. IT SEEMS THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL COSTS SINCE IT WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED IF IT WEREN'T FOR THEIR FAILURE.NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN SUMMARY. *AK

CONSUMER HAS NOT RECEIVED RECALL REPAIR (#741 STEERING COLUMN), ORIGINAL DEALER IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS AND THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP HAS FAILED TO RESPOND TO SIX ATTEMPTS FOR SETTING APPOINTMENTS. *MJS

LEAKS OIL EVERYWHERE, OIL CHANGED EVERY 3K ON THE DOT, HEAD GASKET FAILURE RATES IN 1995 NEON'S WAY TOO HIGH!!! "A COMMON PROBLEM" SAYS DEALERSHIPS

FOR THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR TO FAIL ON A CAR WITH ONLY 54,139 MILES IS UNHEARD OF. THIS 1995 NEON HAS BEEN WELL TAKEN CARE OF SINCE NEW OVER THE LAST 5 1/2 YEARS. THIS DEALER REPAIR WILL COST ABOUT $800. THIS TYPE OF COMPONENT SHOULD LAST MUCH LONGER. REGARDING THE EXCESS NUMBER OF PAINT CHIPS ON THE CAR--IT HAS CHIPPED EASILY DOWN TO THE PRIMER EVER SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED. IT HAS DOZENS OF CHIPS ON THE HOOD AND FRONT FENDERS AND EVEN ON THE ROOF. I HAVE 2 OTHER CARS-ONE IS 4 YEARS OLD AND THE OTHER IS 20-BOTH WITH ORIGINAL PAINT THAT DON'T EVEN CHIP AT ALL. THIS 1995 NEON'S HOOD PAINT IS SO COVERED WITH TOUCH-UP PAINT THAT THE HOOD NEEDS TO BE REPAINTED. THIS PAINT IS SO WEAK IT SEEMS LIKE THE ACTION OF RAIN HITTING IT IS ENOUGH TO CAUSE A CHIP ON ITS SURFACE. ONCE AGAIN, THIS CAR IS "BABIED"-WASHED AND WAXED BY HAND SINCE NEW AND SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. *AK

BRAKES FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE WHEN THEY WERE APPLIED. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP AND MECHANIC TEST DROVE VEHICLE. INFORMED OWNER THAT ABS BRAKES WERE WORKING JUST FINE AND WERE NORMAL. LATER, WAS DRIVING VEHICLE, AND WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO LACK OF BRAKING POWER.*AK

IN AUGUST OF 2000, I HAD MY OIL CHANGED AND NOTICED A FEW WEEKS LATER THAT I WAS LOW IN OIL. WHEN I HAD MY OIL CHANGED AGAIN IN NOVEMBER THEY TOLD ME THAT I HAD AN OIL LEAK AND THAT THE CAM SEAL NEEDED REPLACED AND IT WAS. ON JANUARY 4, 2001, I HAD MY OIL CHANGED, AND A FEW WEEKS LATER NOTICED THAT MY OIL WAS LOW AGAIN. I REPLACED THE OIL AND NOTICED THAT IT WAS CONTINUOUSLY USING ABOUT A QUART OF OIL A WEEK. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME THAT I HAD A BAD HEAD GASKET AND TO CHECK WITH THE DEALERSHIP SINCE IT WAS KNOWN THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS BAD ON THE NEON AND THEY SHOULD REPLACE IT UNDER THEIR GOODWILL POLICY. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE HEAD GASKET. I THEN SPOKE TO DAVE CASPER AT A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF HE COULD HELP ME. HE TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NO GOOD WILL POLICY ON THE HEAD GASKET WITH THE AMOUNT OF MILES I HAD. I EVEN TOLD HIM THAT THE GASKET HAD BEEN REPLACED BY THEM PREVIOUSLY WHEN THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY. I EVEN EMAILED CHRYSLER ASKING THEM ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND THEY SAID SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT THAT BUT IT WAS MY PROBLEM. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT I HAVE TO PAY FOR A PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN CAUSED BY A MANUFACTURING FLAW IN THE HEAD GASKET, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT HAS BEEN REDESIGNED AND I HAVEN'T BEEN GIVEN THE NEW PART. I HAD THE HEAD GASKET REPLACED ON FEBRUARY 19, 2001, BECAUSE I CAN'T WAIT FOR MY CAR TO BLOW UP BEFORE THEY RECALL THE FAULTY PART.*AK