1996 Plymouth Neon

THERE IS DEFINITLY A PROBLEM WITH 1995-1997 NEONS BLOWING HEAD GASKETS DUE TO POOR DESIGN. CHYRSLER IS AWARE OF THE SITUATION AND DOING NOTHING TO RECIFIY. EVENTUALLY SOMEONE WILL GET SERIOUSLY HURT DUE TO THIS FLAW IN DESIGN. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ENDLESS AND HAVE FIRST HADN EXPERIENCE AS I OWN A 1996 PLYMOUTH NEON AND HAD TO HAVE THE HEAD GASKET REPLACED. THIS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO....AND SOON.....

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE WAS CUTTING OFF AND STALLING, AND SOMETIMES CONSUMER COULDN'T GO OVER 30 MPH. WHEN CONSUMER TRIED TO GET OVER 30 MPH, VEHICLE WOULD STALL AND CUT OFF WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. ALSO, AIR CONDITIONER HAD PROBLEMS, AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. DEALER HAD TO CHANGE THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT, CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIR SERVICE ABOUT 10 TIMES, AND THE CONSUMNER JUST GOT THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE SHOP ON FEB 17TH. DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK

AMONG OTHER PROBLEMS, THE VEHICLE'S HEAD GASKET HAS HAD TO BE REPLACED 3 TIMES IN THE LAST 15,000 MILES. ALL REPAIRS HAVE BEEN PERFORMED AT THE CHRYSLER DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS AGAIN LEAKING OIL IN MY DRIVEWAY, AND I ASSUME THAT THE LEAK IS AGAIN STEMMING FROM A FAILURE OF THE HEAD GASKET, OR ANOTHER DEFECTIVE AREA OF THE ENGINE. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME WHEN THE VEHICLE LAST HAD A HEAD GASKET REPLACED (APPROX. 1,500 MILES AGO) THAT MOPAR HAD RECENTLY REDESIGNED THE PART DUE TO NUMEROUS FAILURES. THIS IS EXTREMELY UPSETTING, AND IF IT WEREN'T COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, VERY EXPENSIVE.

I HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED MY CAR REGULARLY, BUT I'VE HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH IT. FIRST OF ALL, I'VE ALWAYS HAD BRAKE TROUBLE, SECOND: MY TURN SIGNALS WILL SOMETIMES COME ON WHEN I HIT THE BRAKES (OR SOMETIMES NOT AT ALL), MY DEFROST KEEPS BREAKING (ONLY VENT AND BI-LEVEL WILL WORK); MY HORN DIED FOR NO REASON A FEW MONTHS AGO, AND TODAY MY CAR WON'T START (I DROVE TO CHURCH, AND IT WORKED FINE, BUT WHEN I LATER TRIED STARTING MY CAR, IT WOULDN'T START. IT APPEARED AS THOUGH THE BATTERY WAS DEAD <EVEN THOUGH I DIN'T LEAVE ANYTHING ON. SO A FRIEND JUMP-STARTED MY CAR. IT STARTED, BUT ON MY WAY HOME, THE ODOMETER, GAS GAUGE, AND HOT-COLD GAUGES WERE FLUCTUATING UP AND DOWN, AND THE RADIO KEPT RESETTING CHANNELS. THE SEATBELT AND BATTERY LIGHTS KEPT FLICKERING ON AND OFF, AS DID THE CHIMES. WHEN I GOT HOME, I CHARGED MY CAR, ALTHOUGH I FELT CERTAIN IT WAS NOT ONLY THE BATTERY CAUSING THE PROBLEM. NOW, MY CAR WON'T START AT ALL, AND I HEAR A CLICKING NOISE (IF ANYTHING) WHEN I TURN THE IGNITION. THE GAUGES ON MY DASH MOVE UP AND DOWN (EVEN THE SPEDOMETER) AND YET MY CAR REMAINS STILL. THE DOME AND DASHBOARD LIGHTS FLICKER ON AND OFF, AND THE RADIO CHANGES STATIONS, YET RECEIVES NOTHING. IT SEEMS LIKE SOME MAJOR ELECTRICAL OR COMPUTER PROBLEM. MY CAR WORKED FINE (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE BROKEN HORN AND USUAL PROBLEMS, UNTIL TODAY. ALSO, AT MY 36000 CHECK-UP, THE " ENGINE" CHECK LIGHT CAME ON, BUT THE MECHANICS SAID IT WAS NO CAUSE FOR CONCERN. I HAVE HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. PLEASE TELL ME IF OTHER PERSONS ARE HAVING SIMILAR DIFFICULTIES. COULD MY DEAD HORN HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY WHATEVER IS MALFUNCTIONING NOW? ALSO, I HEAR WIERD CLUNKING NOISES MANY TIMES WHILE DRIVING, ESPEC WHEN DRIVING OVER BUMPS OR AROUND CURVES. MY CAR MAKES SQUEAKING NOISES LIKE A BIRD CHIRPING ALSO. I HAVE TAKEN GOOD CARE OF MY CAR, WHICH IS WHY NOW I AM CONVINCED THAT THESE MUST BE MANUFACTURING PROBLEMS. I HAVE EVEN COMPLAINED TO THE DEALERSHIPS. PLEASE HELP. *AK