1997 Dodge Neon

TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT, MAIN GEAR CRACKED, AND HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS. IN ADDITION, THE CONSUMER REQUESTED INFORMATION ON RECALLS AND WHAT JUSTIFIES THEM. *PH THE MAIN GEAR EXPERIENCED A CRACK IN THE CASTING AND STARTED TO LOST RELATING COMPONENTS. THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE CASING OF THE TRANSMISSION WAS WET. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE HEAD GASKET. *SC

I OWN A 1997 DODGE NEON - A MODEL (AND APPARENTLY, THE DODGE BRAND ITSELF) THAT HAS A REPUTATION FOR BLOWING HEAD GASKETS AT ABOUT 60,000 MILES BECAUSE OF A POOR COMPOSITE MATERIAL THE GASKETS WERE MADE OUT OF. *AK JUST TODAY, I FOUND THE TELL-TALE SIGN OF FLUID MIXTURE (OIL IN MY COOLANT LINES) THAT INDICATES A HEAD GASKET FAILURE. I CALLED CHRYSLER AND EXPLAINED MY SITUATION, AND THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP TOLD ME THAT BASED ON MY CAR'S YEAR AND THE MILEAGE (APPROX 54800), THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I'VE SCOURED THE INTERNET AND FOUND COUNTLESS TALES OF "SECRET WARRANTIES" AND "CUSTOMER GOODWILL MONEY." STORIES ABOUT CHRYSLER PAYING FOR THE ENTIRE COST OF A REPLACEMENT, $100 DEDUCTABLES, 50/50 SPLIT POLICIES, AND OF COURSE, DOWN-RIGHT REFUSALS AND DENIALS OF THE PROBLEM ITSELF, WHICH CHRYSLER ACKNOWLEDGED IN A SERVICE BULLITEN, LOCATED HERE: HTTP://WWW.NEONS.ORG/NEONTSB/TSB/09/090598.HTM THEY KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM, AND HAVE FOR MANY YEARS, BUT CONTINUE TO DENY CUSTOMERS THE APPROPRIATE COMPENSATION FOR A PROBLEM THAT IS THEIR FAULT. I'M GOING TO CALL MY LOCAL DODGE DEALERS TO SEE IF I CAN GET ANY DIFFERENT ANSWERS FROM THEM, BUT I DOUBT IT. MY COMPLAINT STANDS!

I OWN A 1997 DODGE NEON. PURCHASED JUNE 1997. THIS CAR TOO DATE HAS APPROXIMATELY 27,500 ORIGINAL MILES ON IT. STARTING IN AUGUST 1999 I HAD TO HAVE THE HEAD GASKET REPLACED ON 3 OCCASIONS.I HAD TO HAVE THE SAME REPAIR JOB DONE AGAIN IN JULY 2001 WHEN I HAD ONLY PUT ANOTHER 7,108 ON THE CAR. MAY 2003 I HAD FOR THE 3RD TIME THE SAME REPAIR JOBE DONE WHEN MY CAR REACHED 26152 (7,166 MILES ADDED AFTER 2ND REPAIR JOB). TOO DATE THE MANUFACTURE HAS PAID THE REPAIR BILLS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A $100 DEDUCTIBLE I HAD TO PAY THE LAST TIME THEY REAPIRED IT. I PROTESTED HAVING TO PAY THE $100 BECAUSE I FELT THE MANUFACTUR SHOULD HAVE PAID THE COMPLETE BILL. THEY REFUSED TO REFUND MY MONEY. THIS CAR HAS ON ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE HEAD GASKET. MY FEAR IS THE MANUFACTURE WILL REFUSE TO PAY THE REPAIR BILL THE NEXT TIME THIS HAPPENS AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT MY LEGAL RIGHTS ARE BECAUSE I FEEL I HAVE A LEMON.IT SEEMS THE PROBLEM COMES UP AS SOON AS I PUT 7,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I HAD ONLY PUT 14,000 MILES FROM THE FIRST TIME THIS REPAIR JOB TOOK LACE TO THE 3RD REPAIR JOB. I HAVE TRIED TO TALK TO CHRYSLER ABOUT THE SECRET WARRANTY I FOUND ON THE INTERNET FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM AND WAS INFORMED BY A CUSTOMER SERVICE REP.THAT THE SECRET WARRANTIES ARE ILLEGAL AND THEY DO NOT HONOR THEM. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY SEVERAL MECHANICS THIS IS A WELL KNOW ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE NEON'S AND CHRYSLER IS WELL AWARE OF IT. I WOUL APPRECIATE IF I CAN RECEIVE ANY ADVICE REGARDING WHETHER OR NOT MY CAR FALLS UNDER THE LEMON LAW CONSIDERING THE AGE OF THE CAR.

PROBLEM: WATER LEAKING INTO THE TRUNK THROUGH THE TAILLIGHT FILLED THE SPARE TIRE WELL AND SOAKED INTO THE BACK SEAT. WE NOW HAVE A MUSTY SMELL INDICATING A MOLD PROBLEM, PROBABLY FROM THE SEAT. WE HAVE USED PROFESSIONAL CLEANING SUPPLIES TO TRY ELIMINATE THE SMELL. THE CLEANING DID HELP BUT THE SMELL IS STILL THERE. SINCE MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER HAVE ASTHMA, AND ARE ALERGIC TO MOLD, I WILL MOST LIKELY HAVE TO REPLACE THE BACK SEAT. COST UNKNOWN. I STARTED SEARCHING THE WEB FOR SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH NEONS LAST NIGHT AFTER A NEIGHBOR, WHO ALSO OWNS A NEON AND KNEW ABOOUT OUR PROBLEM, CAME TO TALK TO ME BECAUSE THE SAME THING JUST HAPPENED TO THEIRS. PROBLEM SHOWED UP LAST SUMMER (2002)AT APPROXIMATELY 50,000 MILES.