2002 Dodge Neon

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE NEON. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, SHE NOTICED THAT THE BOTH LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS WOULD POINT DOWNWARD AND ILLUMINATED AN INADEQUATE BRIGHTNESS TOWARDS THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED BOTH HEAD LAMPS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.

MY HEADLIGHTS & FOG LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING LAST WEEK. THE ONLY WAY I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IN THE DARK WAS HOLDING MY HIGH-BEAMS ON. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE SHOP ON FRIDAY, IT WAS $500 TO REPLACE A BURNT WIRING HARNESS & MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH. THERE WAS NO WARNING THAT THIS SYSTEM WOULD STOP WORKING. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS BECAUSE OF THE TIME CHANGE AND THE FACT IT GETS DARKER EARLIER, I HAD TO HAVE HEADLIGHTS TO GO WORK. I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING DODGE SHOULD HAVE WARNED THEIR CUSTOMERS ABOUT OR REPLACED. SOMETHING FAILED IN THE SYSTEM, THIS IS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 DODGE NEON SXT. FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW MY FOG LIGHTS HAVE NOT WORKED PROPERLY. WHEN MY HEADLIGHTS ARE ON MY FOG LIGHTS FLICKER ON AND OF ON THEIR OWN. IF I GO OVER A BUMP THE TURN ON ANOTHER BUMP TURNS THEM OFF. THEY EVEN FLICKER ON AND OFF ON SMOOTH ROAD. I THOUGHT NOTHING ABOUT IT UNTIL I STARTED SMELLING SOMETHING ELECTRICAL BURNING. I THEN SAW A STREAM OF WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE TOP OF MY STEERING COLUMN THROUGH THE HAZARD LIGHT BUTTON. THIS HAPPENS EVERYTIME I TURN ON MY HEADLIGHTS. I HAVE NOT HAD THE PROBLEM REPAIRED YET BUT I NEED TO VERY SOON. I AM MOST SCARED THAT A FIRE WILL IGNITE WHILE I AM DRIVING OR THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WILL CAUSE MY AIRBAG TO DEPLOY AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE NEON. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS WERE FOGGY AND PROVIDED POOR ILLUMINATION. THE LIGHTS ALSO FACE DOWNWARD INSTEAD OF STRAIGHT AHEAD. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO EXPERIENCING TRANSMISSION FAILURE. WHEN SHE WOULD SHIFT INTO DRIVE, THE GEAR WOULD SHIFT INTO REVERSE OR NEUTRAL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE HEADLIGHTS. THE PURCHASE DATE AND POWERTRAIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75,250 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 63,000. UPDATED 03/18/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT IN 02/08 AT THE COST OF $1,864.18. UPDATED 03/18/08 *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE NEON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EXTERIOR LIGHTS DID NOT ILLUMINATE DUE TO A PLUG THAT BURNED OUT ALL OF THE WIRES IN THE VEHICLE. HE NOTICED SMOKE ASCENDING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN, AND THE GAUGES ON THE DASHBOARD AND ODOMETER FAILED. CHRYSLER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOR APPROXIMATELY THREE MONTHS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 63,000, AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.*AK

THE FOG LIGHT MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH IN MY 2002 DODGE NEON WAS MALFUNCTIONING AND THE FOG LIGHTS WERE TURNING ON WITHOUT BEING TURNED ON. THIS CONTINUED FOR ABOUT A MONTH UNTIL SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN FOR ~30 SECONDS, UNTIL THE CAR WAS PULLED OVER AND THE IGNITION TURNED OFF. THE FOG LIGHTS NO LONGER WORK AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO MORE INCIDENCES OF SMOKE. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE YET TO RECTIFY THIS, BUT THE DEALERSHIP WILL BE CONTACTED SHORTLY. WE FOUND NO OBVIOUS RECALLS FOR THIS FOR THIS VEHICLE. *NM

HEADLIGHT SWITCH FAILED WHEN CHANGING FROM HIGH BEAMS TO LOW BEAMS. I HAD NO LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FOR SEVERAL SECONDS ON A VERY DARK ROAD,WHERE THERE ARE MANY DEER. THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH ( HEADLIGHT/TURN SIGNAL) WAS REPLACED. THE PREVIOUS OWNER OF THE CAR HAD REPLACED THE SAME PART AT 36,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE DOES HAVE FOG LAMPS BUT I DON'T USE THEM.

I TOOK MY 2002 DODGE NEON TO THE DEALER I PURCHASED MY CAR FROM. IT WAS MISSING REALLY BAD, AND THE BACK FLOORBOARDS HELD WATER WHEN IT RAINED. IT WAS STANDING ABOUT AN INCH IN MY BACK FLOORBOARDS, AND MY SPARE TIRE CARRIER IN MY TRUNK WAS FULL OF WATER. MY WIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND I HAD 2 SPARK PLUGS THAT WERE BAD AND THEY PUT NEW PLUGS AND WIRES IN, AT MY EXPENSE. I PURCHASED EXTENDED WARRANTY ON MY VEHICLE, WHICH WAS NOT CHEAP. I HAD TO PAY FOR THE TUNE-UP, THE RENTAL CAR, AND THEY TOLD ME THE LEAKAGE WAS DUE TO BAD SEALS IN THE TAIL LIGHTS AND IT WASN'T COVERED. THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD BEEN HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE 2002 NEONS DOING THAT. I ASKED WHY THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THAT. HE TOLD ME IT WASN'T A SAFETY HAZARD. MAYBE NOT, BUT IT IS SURELY A CASE OF BAD DESIGN. I E-MAILED CHRYSLER AND DODGE, AND THEY BASICALLY TOLD ME IT WAS MY PROBLEM. WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO DEAL WITH BAILING WATER OUT OF MY 2-YEAR OLD CAR? THEY KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THAT PARTICULAR MODEL, YET THEY WON'T PAY TO HAVE IT FIXED. IT WAS GOING TO COST LESS THAN $100.00; BUT BY PRINCIPLE, I REFUSED TO PAY TO HAVE IT DONE. IF I CAN'T GET IT REPAIRED AT THE MANUFACTORS EXPENSE, I WILL WAIT UNTIL THE SPRING RAINS MOVE IN, AND DRILL A HOLE IN MY SPARE TIRE HOLDER. NOW, MIND YOU, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A 2-YEAR OLD CAR, NOT A 10 YR OLD CAR. I WILL BE ON THE BIGGEST HATE CAMPAIGN AGAINST DODGE THAT THEY WILL EVER COME ACROSS. *JB

FOR THE PAST YEAR MY VEHICLE 2002 DODGE NEON HAS BEEN RELEASING WATER, I ASSUMED IT WAS FROM THE RAIN BUT I WAS NOT SURE WERE IT WAS COMING FROM. IT HAD WET SPOTS AT ALL TIMES ON THE FLOOR, BACK SEATS, AND TRUNK. I HAD TO LEAVE THE WINDOWS OPEN VERY OFTEN FOR IT TO KEEP DRY. UNFORTUNATELY, I STARTED NOTICING MOLD WAS BUILDING UP ON THE FLOOR, TRUNK, AND SEATS OF MY VEHICLE SO I STARTED GETTING CONCERNED. THEREFORE I HAD SOME ONE HELP ME LOOK AT THE CAR, WE STARTED UNCOVERING THE CAR BY REMOVING THE PLASTIC COVER ON THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND CARPETING OF THE TRUNK. WE FOUND SOME SEVERE MOLD WHEN WE REMOVED EVERYTHING. WE ESTABLISHED THE WATER WAS COMING FROM SEVERAL WATER LEAKS ON THE MANUFACTURER REAR LIGHTS (BOTH). THE SEAL AROUND THE LIGHTS, WHICH ARE THE MANUFACTURERS, WAS COMPLETELY INEFFECTIVE. THE SEAL IS NOT STOPPING THE WATER AT ALL FROM LEAKING INTO THE CAR. NO PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, I JUST CLEANED IT COMPLETELY TO REMOVE THE MOLD. APART FROM THAT, I HAVE LEFT MY VEHICLE THE WAY IT IS. I JUST REMOVED THE CARPETING FROM HE TRUNK AND PLAN ON TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND CLAIM THIS TO BE REPLACED AT NO CHARGE BECAUSE I FEEL THIS IS NOT PART OF A MAINTENANCE A CONSUMER SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR. *AK