2003 Dodge Neon

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON I-35 IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS IN JANUARY, 2004, MY 2003 NEON R/T (WITH APPROXIMATELY 10,865 MILES) EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. LUCKILY THE MOMENTUM WAS GREAT ENOUGH TO ALLOW ME TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. I CHECKED THE VEHICLE (CABLE CONNECTIONS AND FUSES) AND COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. AFTER 10 MINUTES THE CAR STARTED AND RAN FINE. I TOOK IT TO GUNN DODGE IN SAN ANTONIO IN FEBRUARY, AND THEY SAID A CELL IN THE BATTERY CHECKED BAD AND THAT WAS WHAT CAUSED THE TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY. WHILE DRIVING FROM SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS TO KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE ON APRIL 18, 2005, THE CAR AGAIN EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, OUTSIDE OF DALLAS, TEXAS. I WAS AGAIN ABLE TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, AND I DETECTED A SLIGHT SCENT OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS OVERHEATING.. AGAIN ALL CABLES AND FUSES APPEARED TO BE OK, BUT CAR WOULD NOT START. AS I WAS TALKING WITH CHRYSLER ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE ON MY CELL PHONE, MY WIFE CHECKED THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE CONNECTION, I ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR, AND IT STARTED (APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES AFTER THE TOTAL LOSS OF POWER). I WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE THE TRIP TO KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE WITHOUT INCIDENT. I TOOK MY CAR TO RICE CHRYSLER-DODGE IN KNOXVILLE ON APRIL 19, 2005 (CAR HAD 24001 MILES). AFTER SEVERAL HOURS, THE SERVICE ADVISOR INFORMED ME ALL CABLES, WIRES AND FUSES CHECKED OUT FINE, AS DID ALL GROUND CONNECTIONS. HE ALSO TOLD ME THEY HAD CALLED CHRYSLER TO SPEAK WITH AN ENGINEER ABOUT THE PROBLEM, AND THE ENGINEER COULD THINK OF NO REASON WHY MY CAR HAD EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, NOR HAD HE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THIS HAPPENING TO ANYONE ELSE.

MY 2003 DODGE NEON, PURCHASED FROM CARMAX NEAR LAX IN INGLEWOOD, CA. IT NOW HAS UNDER 24000 MILES, AND HAS STALLED IN TRAFFIC 7 TIMES IN THE PAST 1500 MILES, TWICE FAILING TO RE-START IN TRAFFIC, AND ONCE AGAIN IN A PARKING GARAGE. THE 1ST TIME WAS ABOUT 5 MONTHS AGO IN WEST LOS ANGELES. THE VEHICLE RE-STARTED ONLY AFTER A JUMP FROM AAA, AND STALLED 2 MORE TIMES AS I DROVE TO THE CARMAX LOCATION FOR SERVICE. CARMAX FAILED TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG TO EXPLAIN THE STALL, & FOUND ONLY A LOOSE BATTERY TERMINAL BOLT, WHICH THEY SAID CAUSED THE STALLING. THEY TIGHTENED THE BOLT AND RETURNED THE CAR TO ME. LESS THAN 5 WEEKS LATER, THE CAR STALLED 3 TIMES AGAIN AROUND TOWN, RESTARTED AFTER 20 MINUTES, AND FINALLY STALLED IN SANTA MONICA, WHEN THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DIED, NO BRAKE LIGHTS OR SAFETY HAZARD LIGHTS AT ALL, AND THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. I HAD CHRYSLER TOWING TAKE THE CAR TO BUERGE CHRYSLER IN WEST LA, AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, & DECLARED THAT THE BATTERY WAS FINE. THEY SAID A SERVICE BULLETIN SUGGESTED "FLASHING THE POWER CONTROL MODULE", WHICH THEY DID. THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE. LESS THAN 6 WEEKS LATER, THE CAR STALLED ON THE ROAD TWICE AGAIN, AND ONCE MORE IN AN UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE, WHERE IT WOULD NOT RESTART: AGAIN, NO POWER AT ALL, NO BRAKE LIGHTS OR HAZARD LIGHTS. THE CAR WAS AGAIN TOWED TO BUERGE, AND 2 DAYS LATER THEY CLAIMED TO HAVE FOUND A DEFECTIVE CONNECTOR ON THE BATTERY GROUNDING CABLE, WHICH WAS REPLACED. THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE. WHEN A CAR IS BARELY 2 YEARS OLD WITH LESS THAN 24000 MILES ON IT, AND STALLS 7 TIMES, 3 TIMES STRANDING THE DRIVER, IN THE MIDST OF TRAFFIC, THIS MUST BE CONSIDERED A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD. I STILL OWE THE BANK $$ FOR THIS LEMON, AND AM AFRAID TO VENTURE TOO FAR FOR FEAR THAT THE ALLEGED FIXES OF TIGHTEEDG BOLTS, FLASHED PCMS, AND REPLACED CONNECTORS MAY NOT BE CERTAIN FIXES. CHRYSLER NEEDS TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS INEXCUSABLE PROBLEM.

I HAVE A DODGE NEON 2003. JANUARY 2004 I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR ROUTINE SERVICE (OIL CHANGE/PLUGS. ABOUT A WEEK LATER A SPARK PLUG SHOT OUT OF CYLINDER ONE. I CALL THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND TOOK IT BY THE DEALSHIP (DARCARS) THEY PUT THE SPARK PLUG BACK IN BUT MY CAR HASN'T RUN PROPERLY YET.THEY REFUSE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT'S TAKES A THOUSAND DOLLAR OR MORE TO FIX. I'VE HAD DIANOGSTICS DONE AND NOW THE CAR IS BE REPAIRED AT LEE'S AUTO SHOP WITH PROBLEMS HARD FOR MR. LEE TO FIX (ELECTRONIC PROBLEM IN THE NO. 4 CYLINDER; IT WON'T OPEN AND CLOSE PROPERLY. LEE'S DONE ALL HE COULD DO SO FAR (THE CAR NOW IS STILL IN HIS SHOP. IT'S BEEN ABOUT A WEEK). FURTHERMORE I WAS TOLD AFTERWARD THAT A NEW CAR DOSN'T NEED A TUNE UP FOR TWO YEARS. I THINK THE SERVICE GUY SHOULD HAVE INFORMED ME OF THAT INSTEAD HE TOOK MY MONEY WITH NO REFUND. THE EXACT DAY I DON'T HAVE RIGHT NOW BUT I COULD GET IT I HAVE ALL MY PROBLEM PAPER WORK. *AK

CAR WAS 5 MONTHS OLD WHEN IT STARTED TO JERK & BASICALLY TURN OFF INTERMITTANTLY WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS, THE RADIO WOULD TURN OFF COMPLETELY & THE SEATBELT LIGHTS ON THE DASH WOULD LIGHT UP, THE CAR WOULD TURN BACK ON AND THEN REVV AS THOUGH BEING DOWN-SHIFTED AND THEN GO BACK TO NORMAL. THE PROBLEM PROCEEDED TO GET WORSE TO THE POINT WHERE THE CAR STALLED IN TRAFFIC & I WAS BROKE DOWN IN THE CENTER DIVIDER. DODGE DEALERSHIP HAS FAILED TO FIND A SOLUTION AFTER THREE VISITS & NOW MY CAR IS HOOKED UP TO A CO-PILOT. THIS PROBLEM REMAINS UNFIXED & EVEN MORE DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. HAS STALLED THREE TIMES ON THE FREEWAY!*AK

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE SHE WAS ON HER WAY TO THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE SHE EXPERIENCED SOME FUNNY THINGS WITH VEHICLE. IT SEEMED AS THOUGH ONE OF THE WHEELS LOCKED, AND THE VEHICLE JERKED. ALSO, IT SMELLED LIKE BURNING RUBBER. CONSUMER STATED THAT LATER IT UNLOCKED BY ITSELF AND POWERED ITSELF UP, AND THEN TOOK OFF. NOTHING ELSE HAPPENED AGAIN. SHE WAS AT DOCTOR'S OFFICE WHERE SHE PARKED FOR 2 HOURS. AFTERWARD SHE GOT BACK INTO VEHICLE TO RETURN HOME, AND THE VEHICLE DID THE SAME IDENTICAL THING AFTER ABOUT 20 MILES. ALL OF THIS HAPPENED AFTER PUTTING COOLANT IN THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER INSISTED THAT SHE NEEDED HELP BECAUSE SHE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. *AK VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. *TS

WHILE DRIVING THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND COLLIDED WITH A SIDE RAIL. NEITHER FRONTAL AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A AUTO BODY SHOP FOR INSPECTION. THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *NM ALSO, 2 MONTHS AFTER THE CONSUMER PURHCASED THE VEHICLE, THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED. THERE IS ALSO AN INCIDENT THAT THE VEHICLE DOESN'T START. *LA