2000 Plymouth Neon

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 PLYMOUTH NEON. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE CONTACT CHANGED GEARS INTO REVERSE AND THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. SHE RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND SHIFTED INTO PARK; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. THE BRAKES FAILED TO WORK WHEN THE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SHIFT INTO PARK, BUT THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF A FEW MINUTES LATER. SHE WAITED A WHILE BEFORE RESTARTING THE VEHICLE AND IT RETURNED TO NORMAL. SHE WILL TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 100,000.

MY 2000 PLYMOUTH NEON LX LOST POWER AT AN INTERSECTION, I HAD IT TOWED, FOUND OUT THAT A HOSE (THAT I BELIEVE EITHER CONNECTED THE RADIATOR AND THE TRANSMISSION OR WAS FOR THE RADIATOR ONLY, NOT SURE, WASN'T EXPLAINED VERY WELL TO ME) HAD FALLEN OUT FOR NO APPARENT REASON, CAUSING ALL OF THE FLUID TO LEAK OUT. WHEN TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP, I HAD TO HAVE THE RADIATOR REPLACED, LUCKILY MY TRANSMISSION WAS OK. ABOUT ONE MINUTE BEFORE IT HAPPENED, I NOTICED THE CAR WAS SHIFTING HARD, AND SEEMED LIKE IT WAS TRYING TO SHIFT WHILE I WAS STOPPED AT THE INTERSECTION. BY THE TIME THE LIGHT TURNED, MOST OF WHATEVER FLUID WAS ALREADY GONE.

HEAD GASKET FAILURE AT 40,000 MILES. VEHICLE ONLY DRIVEN 6000 MILES BY FIRST OWNER (MY GRANDFATHER) AND IS NOW AT 40,000 WITH MY MOTHER AS CURRENT OWNER, WITH A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. ALL MAINTENENCE PERFORMED AS MANDATED BY DAIMLERCHRYSLER BY BOTH OWNERS. VEHICLES NOW HAS OIL LEAK, RESULTING FROM THIS DEFECT. REPAIR COST ESTIMATED AT APPROXIMATELY $1000 BY ASE-CERTIFIED KUMLER AUTOMOTIVE IN LANCASTER, OH. MECHANIC STATED THAT ORIGINAL DODGE/PLYMOUTH NEON HEAD GASKETS (GENUINE DAIMLERCHRYSLER PARTS) ARE MADE POORLY AND OFTEN FAIL ON 1995-2000 NEONS. AS THE FIRST GENERATION OF NEON VEHICLES USED THE SAME PART, THIS DEFECT HAS EXISTED SINCE 1995. AS A RESULT OF SUCH, DAIMLERCHRYSLER HAS WORDED THE WARRANTY STATEMENT IN SUCH A MANNER TO AVOID CORRECTING BEING REQUIRED TO CORRECT THIS DEFECT UNDER WARRANTY.*AK

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO HAVE ALL NHTSA ISSUED SAFETY RECALLS COMPLETED ON MY VEHICLE SERVICE REPAIR CENTER MANAGER. STATED THEY ONLY APPLIED TO CERTAIN NEON'S NOT ALL OF THE 2000'S. I HAVE YET AS OF THIS DATE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH NHTSA RECALL ID#99V043000, #99V114000 NOR HAVE I EVER RECEIVED THE ADDENDUM REFERRED TO IN NHTSA RECALL ID #00V366000. IN RECOGNITION OF THE RECENT PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED W/MY VEHICLE, OVERHEATING, INOPERABLE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW, HORN & AIRBAG SYSTEM AND MY HAVING ALSO EXPERIENCED BRAKE PROBLEMS, I FEEL THESE RECALLS ARE ESSENTIAL. HOWEVER, THEY ARE GOING UNRECOGNIZED BY ANNAPOLIS TATE DODGE. *NLM

WE HAVE A 2000 PLYMOUTH NEON AND HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN NUMEROUS TIMES TO DEALERS IN DIFFERENT STATES FOR STALLING. HAPPENS MOST OFTEN WHEN COMING TO A STOP, IT IS INTERMITTENT AND THEY CAN NEVER FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. I AM AFRAID THAT ONE DAY IT IS GOING TO GET ONE OF US KILLED. IT HAS STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF INTERSECTIONS, ON ON-RAMPS, AND OTHER PLACES AS WELL.

I PURCHASED A NEW PLYMOUTH NEON 2000 ON 12/11/99. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. IT WAS DISCOVERED AT MY FIRST GAS-UP THAT I WAS A QUART LOW ON OIL. I HAD ALSO EXPERIENCE A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE LOSING POWER WHILE I WAS SITTING IN TRAFFIC AT A STOP LIGHT. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP (WINDWARD DODGE-HAWAII)RIGHT AWAY. THEY TOLD ME TO BRING IN THE CAR FOR DIAGNOSIS. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR AND COULD NOT FIND ANY LEAKAGE. I CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. LOSS OF OIL, LOSS OF POWER AND STALLING. I WENT TO THE LOCAL DEALER 2 MORE TIMES BEFORE CALLING THE CORPORATION TO MAKE A CASE. I CONTINUED TO HAVE PROBLEMS AFTER CALLING THE CORP AND WHEN I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP A 4TH TIME, THEY TOLD ME THAT MY NAME HAD BEEN RAISED IN A MEETING AND THAT THEY WOULD TAKE CARE OF ME. WHEN I GOT THERE, I SURPRISED TO BE ASKED TO PURCHASE THIS NEW CAR AT AN ADDITIONAL $4000. I WAS TOLD THAT MY MODEL WAS DISCONTINUED AND THE ONLY CAR THEY HAD WAS AN UPGRADED MODEL WHICH COST MORE. I RAISED HOLY HELL IN THE PLACE. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS ORDERED TO FULLY INSPECT MY CAR AND PAY FOR A RENTAL FOR ME. STILL THEY CLAIMED THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. NOW, MY CAR BEGAN TO LEAK OIL IN FEB 2002. THIS TIME, THE LEAK WAS VISABLE. I TOOK THE CAR TO 2 DIFFERENT REPAIRSHOPS, WHO TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE CAM SHAFT GASKET. THEN WE TOOK IT TO FIRESTONE ON A MILITARY BASE. THEY SAID THAT IT WAS THE SAME PROBLEM AND GAVE US A MUCH BETTER RATE SO WE SCHEDULED THE REPAIR. BUT, ON THE DAY THAT WE TOOK THE CAR IN TO THEM, WE GOT A CALL BACK STATING THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT WHAT THEY HAD ORIGINALLY THOUGHT. IT WAS THE HEAD GASKET WHICH REQUIRES EXTENSIVE ENGINE WORK. THEY TOLD US THAT 15 CARS HAD COME IN TO THEM IN 1 WEEK WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. THEY WERE ALL PLYMOUTH NEONS. (DUE TO THE LIMITATIONS IN THIS FIELD, I AM UNABLE TO FILL IN THE DETAILS. PLEASE CONTACT ME REGARDING WHAT WE HAVE DONE SINCE). *AK