2005 Dodge Neon

2005 DODGE NEON SE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO CONSTANTLY ACCELERATE DESPITE THE GAS PEDAL NOT BEING PRESSED. BRAKING WOULD SLOW THE CAR BUT NOT EFFECTIVELY AND THE CAR WOULD ACCELERATE ONCE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DISENGAGED. WHILE THIS WAS OCCURRING, NO SENSORS IN THE ON-BOARD DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER INDICATED ANY PROBLEM. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN 30 MORE MINUTES WITH THE ENGINE BEING REPEATEDLY TURNED OFF - IN ORDER TO STOP THE CAR AT RED LIGHTS/STOP SIGNS - BUT PUTTING THE CAR IN NEUTRAL CAUSED THE ENGINE TO ATTEMPT TO RED LINE AND NECESSITATED IT BE TURNED OFF. IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TRAVELING, THE ENGINE HAD TO BE STARTED AND THE CAR RAPIDLY PUT IN DRIVE OR REVERSE BEFORE THE ENGINE RED LINED. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. NOTHING OF NOTE PRECEDED THE FAILURE AND THE ONLY WORK DONE ON THE CAR IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS WAS ROUTINE OIL CHANGES AND ONE ROTATION OF TIRES. ONCE THE DEALERSHIP EXAMINED THE CAR, THEY FOUND A FAULTY VACUUM LINE BUT WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE FAILURE FOR 30 MINUTES OF THE ON-BOARD DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER IN DETERMINING THAT CONSTANT ACCELERATION (OR A FAILURE IN THE FUEL SYSTEM) WAS OUTSIDE THE NORMAL OPERATING PARAMETER OF THE ENGINE. DODGE WAS CONTACTED ON THE ISSUE AND CONTENDED THE REPAIR WAS OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF THE EXISTING WARRANTY AND ALSO COULD NOT EXPLAIN THE FAILURE OF THE ON-BOARD DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER IN DETECTING THE FAILURE OF THE FUEL SYSTEM. THEY SEEMED UNINTERESTED IN INVESTIGATING FURTHER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE NEON. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN THE VEHICLE WOULD LUNG FORWARD WITHOUT THE ACCELERATION PEDAL BEING PUSHED. THIS HAS HAPPENED EIGHT TIMES. THE CONTACT HAS NEVER TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER TO HAVE THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSE. THE CONTACT FEELS THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME ISSUE AS THE TOYOTA STICKY PEDAL RECALL. FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.

PURCHASED 05 NEON IN '06 W/16,000 MILES. TIRES WERE ALREADY IN BAD SHAPE. CURRENT INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE ACCELERATED ON ENTRY RAMP TO FREEWAY. ONCE ON FREEWAY NOTICE VEHICLE WAS ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. ATTEMPTED TO APPLY BRAKES AND THEY WOULD NOT ENGAGE. I ASSUMED BRAKES HAD FAILED. FINALLY AFTER A TERRIFIED EXIT FROM THE FREEWAY, I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO COME TO A STOP MY EVENTUALLY ENTERING A VACANT GRAVELED, UNEVEN LOT AND DRIVING ATOP CONCRETE BLOCKS. MY TERRIFIED PASSENGER AND I PUT IN PARK, TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR. WHEN AAA ARRIVED, HE SAID MY GAS PEDAL HAD STUCK. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO MY HOME. WHEN A MECHANIC FRIEND CHECKED IT OUT HE FOUND THE AIR THROTTLE CONTROL VALUE WAS SHOT. WITHOUT THAT, THE ENGINE WILL NOT IDLE PROPERLY. I AM STILL IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THIS FIXED. THE PART HAD TO BE ORDERED. I AM NOT SURE IF THAT IS THE ONLY PROBLEM. THERE WAS NO PROPERTY DAMAGE. MY FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE AND RIM WERE DESTROYED. *TR

FOR 3 TO 4 WEEKS, INTERMITTENT BRAKING PROBLEMS WITH CAR. AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 3 MILES FROM START, STOPPING AT 4 STOP SIGNS, PASSING THROUGH 3 TRAFFIC LIGHTS NO PROBLEMS - DRIVING USING CRUISE CONTROL SET AT 55-65MPH, DRIVING UP HILL, OFTEN THE ENGINE IS ACCELERATING , WHEN I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE BECAUSE I WANT TO SLOW DOWN - THE BRAKE PEDAL DOES NOT MOVE - I CAN'T PUSH IT DOWN ON THE FIRST TRY. UNTIL YESTERDAY, THE SECOND ATTEMPT AT BRAKING WORKED NORMALLY 100% OF THE TIME. THE CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT DISENGAGE UNTIL THE BRAKES CAN BE ENGAGED. YESTERDAY I HAD TO TRY THE BRAKE PEDAL THREE TIMES BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO PUSH THE BRAKE PEDAL DOWN AND ENGAGE BRAKES. HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RECREATE PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES, THE INCIDENT YESTERDAY OCCURED WHEN I WAS TRYING TO RECREATE. PROBLEM HAS OCCURED AT LEAST 20 TIMES IN PAST WEEKS. IN 2 INCIDENTS THE PEDAL INITIALLY RESISTED BUT I WAS ABLE TO PUSH IT DOWN WITHOUT MAKING A SECOND ATTEMPT - DRIVING ON A SORT OF LEVEL AREA. ALWAYS HAPPENS WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL IS ENGAGED, ACTIVELY CONTROLLING SPEED OF CAR. NEVER EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM OR DUPLICATED WHEN CRUISE NOT ACTIVELY ENGAGED. NO PROBLEMS AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS 75-80 MPH. NEVER HAPPENS IN TOWN CRUISE ENGAGED SET TO 35-45 MPH. ITS BEEN HAPPENING MORE AND MORE. SINCE THE INCIDENT WHERE IT TOOK 3 TRIES TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES. NO LONGER USING CRUISE. FIRST VISIT TO DEALER NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM (AFTER 3 INCIDENTS) GOING BACK TO THE DEALER'S ON JAN 2. DRIVE 66 MILES ROUND TRIP EACH WORK DAY NEW MEXICO ROAD WITH MANY HILLS, HIGH ALTITUDE ABOVE 6,200 FT. QUESTION - NEXT SECTION HAS A Y/N QUESTION ABOUT OEM - DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.

2005 DODGE NEON [XXX]. 4 CYL, 2.0 LTR ENGINE, 12,326 MILES, I WAS DRIVING IN ANCHORAGE ALASKA, ON 03/06/06, MY ACCELERATOR GOT STUCK, AND I WAS GOING FASTER, BEFORE I KNEW WHAT TO DO I SLAMMED INTO AN ABANDONED VEHICLE, I WAS GOING ABOUT 30/40 MPH, AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. AT IMPACT I HIT MY HEAD GOT A CONCUSSION. AFTER IMPACT CAR WAS STILL ACCELERATING, PUT THE CAR IN PARK, REALIZED THE ACCELERATORS STUCK, NOW SMOKE WAS FILLING THE CAR, AND I GOT MY PHONE AND RAN THINKING IT WAS GOING TO EXPLODE, I CALLED 911, THEY ASKED IF THE ENGINE WAS STILL REVVING AND I SAID YES, THEY THEN TOLD ME TO BACK AWAY FROM THE CAR, AND WAIT FOR THE FIRE DEPT. 3 WITNESSES SAW THAT THE ENGINE WAS STILL REVVING WITH ME OUT OF THE CAR. ANCHORAGE FIRE/PARAMEDIC CAME. THE FIRE DEPT DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND OPENED THE TRUNK; SMOKE WAS STILL COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE/TRUNK. ANCHORAGE POLICE CAME AND ASKED WHAT HAPPENED, I TOLD HIM. I GOT A CASE NUMBER CASE #, AND THEY TOWED MY CAR TO A BODY SHOP. BODY SHOP FOUND THAT THERE WAS A HOLE IN MY PLENUM/ INTAKE MANIFOLD, CAUSED BY THE COLLISION. THAT'S WHY THE CAR WAS STILL REVVING. I ASKED HOW DID THE ACCELERATOR GET STUCK IN THE FIRST PLACE, WAS TOLD HE COULD NOT DETERMINE THAT. I CALLED DAIMLER CHRYSLER, TO FILE A CLAIM WITH THEM. THEY SENT A SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR TO LOOK AT THE CAR. I GOT A LETTER FROM DAIMLER CHRYSLER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY ARE DENYING MY CLAIM. I CALLED TO FIND OUT WHY, AND WAS TOLD DAIMLER CHRYSLER DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE CLAIM, A DECISION WAS MADE AND THAT'S FINAL, I CAN SEEK LEGAL ACTION IF I FEEL LIKE IT. I ASKED WHY DAIMLER CHRYSLER DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE CLAIM, SHE TOLD ME A DECISION WAS MADE AND THAT WAS FINAL I CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AND ENDED THE CALL. MY INSURANCE IS GOING TO FIX THE CAR, BUT I HAVE TO DRIVE THIS CAR KNOWING THAT THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM WAS NEVER FIXED, AND THAT EVERY TIME I PUT MY WIFE AND MY 7 MONTH OLD IN THE CAR. *JB UPDATED 07/16/2012 *JS