2003 Dodge Neon

AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH MY LIGHTS ON, I BEGAN TO SEE AND SMELL SMOKE COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN. I TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND THE SMOKE CLEARED UP AND WENT AWAY. AFTER SOME TIME, I TURNED THE LIGHTS BACK ON WITH NO PROBLEM TO BE FOUND AT THIS TIME. A WEEK OR SO LATER THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH WOULD NOT WORK UNLESS YOU PULLED THE HIGH BEAM SWITCH, THEN AND ONLY AS YOU HELD THE SWITCH THE LIGHTS WOULD WORK. ( IF YOU HAVE NEVER SIT AND HELD THE SWITCH WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ( OF COURSE ) TO GET HOME IT IS NO FUN. ) THAT WEEK END I PULLED THE COVERS OFF THE COLUMN AND PULLED THE HARNESS OUT OF SWITCH TO FIND IT WAS MELTED. NEEDLESS TO SAY I AM DOWN A VEHICLE UNTIL THIS IS FIXED. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO FIRE. *TR

STARTED TO SEE SMOKE AND THEN THE HEADLIGHTS STOPPED WORKING PROPERLY. AFTER DISASSEMBLING THE WIRING CONNECTOR FROM THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH, I DISCOVERED THE CONNECTOR HAD OVERHEATED TO THE POINT IT WAS CHARRED AND CRUMBLING TO PIECES. THIS IS NOT A MISUSE BY OPERATOR, BUT A SAFETY FAILURE OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A FIRE AS THE FUSE PROTECTING THIS CIRCUIT DID NOT FAIL WHEN THE CIRCUIT OBVIOUSLY OVERHEATED AND MELTED AND CHARRED THE PLASTIC CONNECTOR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE NEON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SMOKE STARTED TO EMIT FROM THE ENGINE COMPARMENT WHILE THE BATTERY WAS BEING CHARGED AND THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE THE TEMPERATURE, SPEEDOMETER, FUEL AND RPM WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 163,000.

SMELLED HOT WIRING AND HEADLIGHTS STOPPED WORKING PROPERLY. AFTER DISASSEMBLING THE WIRING CONNECTOR FROM THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH, I DISCOVERED THE CONNECTOR HAD OVERHEATED TO THE POINT IT WAS CHARRED AND CRUMBLING TO PIECES. THIS IS NOT A MISUSE BY OPERATOR, BUT A SAFETY FAILURE UF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A FIRE AS THE FUSE PROTECTING THIS CIRCUIT DID NOT FAIL WHEN THE CIRCUIT OBVIOUSLY OVERHEATED AND MELTED AND CHARRED THE PLASTIC CONNECTOR. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE PART IF YOU WOULD LIKE THEM. *TR

HI, I HAVE A DODGE NEON 03, AND IT CUTS OFF WHILE I AM DRIVING. THERE ARE NO WARNING SIGNS THAT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN, EVERYTHING IN THE CAR SHUTS OFF AND THE CAR COMES TO AN INSTANT STOP ON THE ROAD. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP ON TWO OCCASIONS WITHIN THE LAST THREE MONTHS FOR THIS ISSUE. THEY THOUGHT THAT THEY KNEW WHAT IT WAS THE FIRST TIME AND THEY JUST SWITCHED OUT A CAR PART, BUT THEY DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM BECAUSE TWO MONTHS LATER MY CAR STOPED AGAIN ON JULY 4TH. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE SHOP, THEY KEPT IT FOR TWO DAYS TO RUN TEST AND THEY GAVE ME MY CAR BACK AND SAID THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. ABOUT A MONTH GOES BY AND MY CAR COMES TO A SUDDEN STOP ON A HIGHWAY THIS TIME, ON AUGUST 3RD. THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY ACCIDENTS AT THIS POINT DUE TO THIS PROBLEM, BUT YOU CAN SEE HOW ONE COULD EASILY OCCUR AND HOW IT COULD POSSIBLY BE FATAL FOR THE DRIVER AND OTHERS. I DID SOME REASEARCH AND DISCOVERED ONLINE THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHERS THAT WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR DODGE NEONS, AND IT'S NOT JUST THE 03'S BUT ALSO THE 96-98, AND 2000'S. I JUST THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT SOMEONE SHOULD INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM. THANKS *TR

UPON WARMING THE CAR BEFORE DRIVING TO WORK WINDOWS STEAMED UP BADLY I THOUGHT IT WAS BECAUSE OF COLD TEMP OUTSIDE. THIS HAPPENED THROUGHOUT THE WINTER. ALWAYS HAVING A SWEET TASTE IN MY MOUTH TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT IT THERE SAID THE HEATER CORE WAS LEAKING WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE IT. I CALLED THE LOCAL PARTS STORE AND GOT A PRICE ON IT 60.00 DOLLARS I THOUGHT THIS PRICE WAS OK .THE PARTS HOUSE SAID GOOD LUCK I ASKED WHY HE WAS SMILING WHEN HE SAID THAT .HE SAID THAT WAS AN 800.00 DOLLAR JOB BY THE DEALER. HE WAS SO RIGHT!! THE SOB WHO DESIGNED THAT SHOULD BEEN MADE TO CHANGE IT IN EVERY CAR THAT THE CORE WET BAD IN I HAVE OWNED 96 1500 97 1500 99 1500 AND NOW 2003 EVERY ONE HEATER CORE LEAKS .WENT ON LINE TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE HAD THIS PROBLEM HUNDREDS. PEOPLE ARE BREATHING ANTIFREEZE VAPOR. HELP!!!! *TR

WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO FROM A USED CAR DEALERSHIP. ABOUT A WEEK AFTER WE BOUGHT IT, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND WE ALSO NOTICED THAT THE TRUNK WAS LEAKING AND HAD SO MUCH WATER IN IT THAT MUSHROOMS WERE LITERALLY GROWING UNDER THE CARPET. NO ONE COULD FIX THE TRUNK LEAK. WE HAD TO TAKE THE CARPET OUT AND BLEACH THE MUSHROOMS OFF, TWICE. WE ENDED UP BUYING CAULKING AND FIXED IT OURSELVES SO WE WOULDN'T WASTE $250 FOR A MECHANIC TO NOT FIX IT AGAIN. IT TOOK 3 TUBES OF CAULKING, BUT IT STOPPED LEAKING. NOW THE SUN ROOF LEAKS AS WELL. BUT THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THAT NO ONE SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO FIX THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT PROBLEM EITHER. WE'VE TAKEN THE CAR TO 4 SEPARATE GARAGES AND HAVE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE "FIXED" 6 TIMES NOW. WE'VE SPENT AT LEAST $500 ALL IN ALL ON THIS ONE PROBLEM AND EACH TIME, THE LIGHT GOES OFF, BUT A WEEK LATER IT COMES BACK ON. NO ONE CAN FIX IT. WE'VE HAD THE CAR FOR 2 YEARS AND WE'VE ALREADY PUT AT LEAST $1000 INTO IT, IF YOU INCLUDE THE BRAKES AND TUNE UPS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE NEON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL LIGHTS, BRAKE LIGHTS, TAIL LIGHTS AND DIRECTIONAL LIGHTS FAILED WHILE DRIVING. IN ADDITION, A BURNING ODOR WAS EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMED. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE MULTI-FUNCTIONAL SWITCH AND MULTI-FUNCTIONAL SWITCH WIRING HARNESS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT A COST OF $130. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 160,000. ... UPDATED 02/28/13 *BF UPDATED 03/11/13