1998 Dodge Neon

AFTER DRIVING MY NEON FOR ABOUT A YEAR, I AM FINDING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS OTHER OWNERS ARE HAVING. ITEM NUMBER ONE, THE SUN ROOF HAS JUST BEEN REPAIRED. THE LAST ITEM IS THE MOST IMPORTANT. THE HEAD GASKET PROBLEM HAS ARRIVED. FROM WHAT I AM LEARNING, CHRYSLER IS AND HAS BEEN RECEIVING A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS PROBLEM FOR SOME TIME. THE COST IN THE REPAIR IS SOMETHING THAT CHRYSLER DOES NOT WANT TO BEAR. INSTEAD WILL CONTINUE TO PASS IT ON TO IT'S CUSTOMERS. I OWN TWO OTHER CHRYSLER PRODUCTS THAT ARE MUCH NEWER AND THEY TOO ARE TROUBLESOME. *JB

BLOWN HEAD GASKET WITH ONLY 60,000+ MILES ON CAR GOT IT USED AND HAVE ONLY HAD FOR 1 YEAR 6 MONTHS. ACTUALLY PROBLEM OCCURRED IN JANUARY 2003. OIL DRAINING FROM AROUND OIL FILTER. HAD REPLACED FILTER AND OIL STILL DRAINING AROUND FILTER AREA. TOOK SHOP A WHILE TO FIND PROBLEM BUT, THEN SAID THE HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND REPAIRED. APRIL WAS WHEN IT GOT INTO A SHOP, BUT CAR HAD SAT FROM JANUARY UNTIL APRIL. *JB

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK ONE MORNING I CHECKED MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND REALIZED MY TEMP WAS EXTREMELY HOT. THEN THERE WAS A CLOUD OF SMOKE ROLLING FROM UNDER MY HOOD. BEING 50 MILES FROM HOME AND KNOWING THIS AREA TOO WELL I WAS VERY HAPPY TO SEE A COUNTY SHERIFF PULL UP BEHIND ME AND OFFER ME A RIDE TO WORK. MY CAR STAYED ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY FOR 12 HOURS UNTIL I COULD GET SOME ONE TRUST TO COME AND TOW IT THE 50 MILES BACK HOME. THE CAR SAT FOR A WHILE UNTIL I COULD SAVE THE MONEY TO BET IT REPAIRED. IT WAS NOT EASY TO CONTINUE TO PAY A MONTHLY LOAN PAYMENT ON A CAR THAT WAS NOT DRIVABLE. FINALLY WHEN WE GOT THE MONEY I CALLED A LOCAL AND CHEAP MECHANIC TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. A BLOWN HEAD GASKET THAT IN RETURN CAUSED OIL TO CONTAMINATE THE RADIATOR. IT WAS ONLY AFTER SPEAKING TO MY COUSIN WHO IS A CLAIMS ADJUSTOR FOR A NATIONAL EXTENDED WARRANTY CO. DID I REALIZED THAT I COULD GET "ASSISTANCE" THROUGH CHRYSLER TO FIX MY CAR. I HAD TO FIGHT TOOTH AND NAIL TO GET THEM TO AGREE THAT THIS WAS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. FINALLY EIGHT MONTHS LATER MY CAR IS IN THE DEALERSHIP GETTING REPAIRED AT ONLY 50% OF THE COST AT MY EXPENSE. IF YOU HAVE THIS PROBLEM, CONTACT THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION OFFICE IN MICHIGAN AND TELL THEM YOU WANT A DISTRICT REP TO COME TO YOUR DEALERSHIP AND DETERMINE HOW MUCH "ASSISTANCE" THEY WILL PROVIDE YOU. DO NOT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER. THEY WILL PAY FOR PARTIAL REPAIRS. *NLM

1998 DODGE NEON HS 2 DOOR MODEL HAS HAD AN OIL LEAK FOR APPROX. 6 MONTHS. TOOK IT TO THE SHOP TODAY AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. SHOP OWNER TOLD ME OF 4 OTHER NEONS HE HAS HAD TO SERVICE FOR THE SAME BLOWN HEAD GASKET AND THAT NEON OWNERS ARE LUCKY IF THEIR CAR HITS 40,000 MILES WITHOUT THIS PROBLEM. I KNOW 2 OTHER PEOPLE WITH NEONS AND THEY HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM ALSO. I WAS TOLD THIS WOULD COST ME 550.00 TO FIX. IT IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING FIXED RIGHT NOW, BUT I FEEL A RECALL NEEDS TO BE DONE TO SOLVE THIS.