2000 Dodge Neon

SEE COMPLAINT 10053281 FOR INITIAL BACK ROUND INFO. RADIATOR REPLACED DUE TO COOLANT TRANSMISSION BLOW-OUT. THAT COST ME $500. THEN WHEN THE 5 STAR DEALER TESTED THE CAR, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. DEALER WANTED 600 JUST TO INVESTIGATE AND SAID THAT IT COULD COST AS MUCH AS $2,500 ADDL TO REPLACE. I JUST READ ABOUT COMPLAINT 10039597 WITH SAME PROBLEM. IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE IS A MFG DEFECT THAT CHRYSLER IS NOT OWNING UP TO. I CALLED CHRYSLER ABOUT THIS AND THEY WERE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I DID NOT BUY EXTENDED COVERAGE. PLEASE GET BACK TO ME. THANK YOU. *CB

FITTING IN BOTTOM OF RADIATOR POPPED OUT CAUSING TRANSMISSION FLUID TO LEAK OUT. REPLACED RADIATOR AND 3 MONTHS LATER HAD TO HAVE TRANSMISSION FIXED. AT THE TIME OF THE RADIATOR MALFUNCTION THE CAR HAD 34,000 MILES ON IT. AT THE TIME OF THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE, THE CAR HAD 35,000 MILES ON IT. THE WARRANTY PERIOD ENDED JANUARY 1, 2003. THE FAILURE OF THE RADIATOR HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF MARCH, 2003. DAIMLER CHRYSLER ONLY PAID $250.00 TO HAVE RADIATOR REPLACED. I WAS TOLD BY THE GENERAL MANAGER OF A 5-STAR CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP THAT THE TRANSMISSION COULD NOT HAVE BEEN HARMED AT THE TIME THE RADIATOR FAILED. IT COST ME $1251.00 TO HAVE MY TRANSMISSION FIXED. THE SECOND GEAR BAND WAS IN PIECES IN THE TRANSMISSION.

I BOUGHT MY 2000 DODGE NEON USED IN 2002 FROM REILIABLE CHEVROLET IN SPRINGFIELD, MO. THE CAR HAD APROX 48,000 MILES ON IT. AFTER OWNING IT FOR A FEW WEEKS, I NOTICED A KNOCKING SOUND WHENEVER THE CAR WAS IN NEUTRAL. WHEN THE CLUTCH WAS DEPRESSED THE KNOCKING SOUND WENT AWAY. I TOOK IT TO CENTRAL DODGE (MY 5 STAR DEALER) WHICH TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE THROW OUT BEARING. AFTER HAVING THEM FIX IT, WHICH ONLY COST ME $100 BECAUSE I BOUGHT THE EXTENDED WARRENTY, THE NOISE STARTED AGAIN, JUST AFTER A COUPLE WEEKS. *AK

I HAVE A 2000 DODGE NEON I BOUGHT AT 32,000MILES. STARTED OVER HEATING AT 34,000MI. ONLY ON REALLY HOT DAYS. NOW AT 56,000 MILES OVER HEATS ALL THE TIME. CAN'T DRIVE IT. FOUND OUT IT IS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. DEALER ESTIMATES $2500 REPAIR. (SINGLE MOM, CAN'T AFFORD IT) FOUND OUT THROUGH RESEARCH AND MECHANICS THAT NEONS ARE PRONE TO BLOWN HEAD GASKETS BETWEEN 30 TO 60 THOUSAND MILES. MECHANIC EXPLAINED THAT THE GASKETS CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS WITHIN THE METALS ARE NOT COMPATIBLE. BUT THEY ARE NO LONGER USEING THOSE GASKETS AND HAVE REPLACED THEM WITH NEW ONES THAT ARE COMPATIBLE. I WAS INFORMED THAT ONCE REPLACED THEY HAVE NOT SEEN ANY REOCCURING PROBLEMS. THIS LEAVES ME WONDERING WHY THE GASKETS HAVE NOT BEEN RECALLED. THANK YOU BRANDI

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE WILL START TO PULSATE AT ANY SPEED. ALSO, EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK THE CONSUMER STATES THE FOLLOWING AS PROBLEMS OCCURED: THE PASSENGER AIR BAG, THROTTLE BLADE ICING, DEFECTIVE ROTORS, CHARGING SYSTEM OVER CHARGING-NO TROUBLE CODES; 3 BATTERY REPLACEMENTS(DEFECTIVE PER MECHANIC), MANY GAS TANK REPAIRS/REPLACEMENTS(WOULD NOT TAKE GAS WITHOUT CLICKING AND TICKING/FILLER TANK/GAS TANK), WARNING BRAKE LIGHT AND BUZZER CHIMES WHEN BRAKE IS APPLIED ALSO WITH THE GAS PEDAL WHEN APPLIED (DUE TO DEFECTIVE ROTORS AND LACK OF BRAKE FLUID, TRANSMISSION PROBLEM-GRINDING NOISE/WON'T GO IN REVERSE, BRAKE NOISE IN REAR TIRE/BRAKE BOOSTER REPLACE PER RECALL-NEEDS ROTORS & PADS IN FRONT, A/C BLOWS WARM AIR-COMPESSOR CLUTCH WOULDN'T ENGAGE(FOUND BROKEN WIRE), PROBLEM WITH THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR, AND NOISE IN THE POWER STEERING. *SCC

OCCASIONALLY WHEN PUTTING DRIVER SIDE WINDOW DOWN, ALL GAUGES GO UP AND DOWN, AND THERE IS A LOUD CHIMMING NOISE. TRANSMISSION WENT @ 50,000 MI. CHRYSLER PAID HALF AT DEALERSHIPS REQUEST, AFTER CAR WAS SERVICED, I SENT CHRYSLER A LETTER EXPLAINING ALL OF MY PROBLEMS, AND RESPONSE WAS: DEALERSHIP HANDLED THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AND CHRYSLER WAS NOT WILLING TO HELP ME, AND THEY ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD THEM THAT I NEVER REPORTED THE PROBLEM WITH THE GAUGES (THIS IS BECAUSE I LIVED IN ANOTHER LOCATION AND TOOK MY CAR TO A 5 STAR DEALERSHIP IN CT, AND THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM). OIL LEAKING, (WAS FIRST INFORMED OF THIS WHEN THE DEALERSHIP WAS FIXING THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM) THERE IS NOW A PUDDLE OF OIL RESTING IN THE LOWER PART OF THE ENGINE, CAR STALLED AT LIGHT, VERY STRONG FUMES UPON STARTING AND WHILE DRIVING, AND CAR SEEMS TO BE SHIFTING LATE...CONTACTED DEALERSHIP AND MADE APPT. FOR 8-15-02. ALSO, REAR BRAKES SEEM TO LOCK UP AND MAKE ALOT OF NOISE, FRONT BRAKES SQUEAL. THANK YOU.