1996 Plymouth Neon

CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS GETTING HER 1996 PLYMOUTH NEON REGISTERED BECAUSE IT ALLEGEDLY FAILED TO PASS A SMOG CHECK.*MR IN SEPTEMBER 200 THE VEHICLE PASSED THE TEST. IN SEPTEMBER 2003 THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE MANUFACTURER ADVISING HER THAT HER MAKE/MODEL HAD BEEN RECALLED BECAUSE OF A PROBLEM WITH THE OBD SELF TEST. THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS NOT EXPERIENCING THE SYMPTOMS OF THE RECALL THEREFORE SHE DIDN'T TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. IN SEPTEMBER 2004 WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO REGISTER THE VEHICLE AND OBTAIN A NEW SMOG CERTIFICATE SHE WAS ADVISED THAT HER VEHICLE FAILED THE MIL/CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DUE TO FAILURE TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE ALL OBD SELF TEST. UPON REVIEWING THE VIN THE DMV CLAIMED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN SALVAGED THEREFORE IT DID NOT RECEIVE THE RECALL FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *NM

SINCE 1999 THIS CAR HAS BEEN LEAKING OIL. REPLACED CAM SEAL AND HEAD GASKET ONCE UNDER WARRANTY. 1 MONTH LATER (WHEN WARRANTY RAN OUT) HAD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN AT A COST OF 500.00. 6 MONTHS LATER STARTED LEAKING AGAIN. TOOK TO A MECHANIC WHO SAID THIS IS COMMON FOR THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. REPLACED CAM SEAL AND HEAD GASKET AGAIN. 1 MONTH LATER SAME THING. SAID CHRYSLER HAD A NEW AND "IMPROVED" SEAL. GUESS WHAT WE ARE TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALER AGAIN TOMORROW. THIS WILL BE THE 6TH TIME. I HAVE PROBABLY SPENT ON REPAIRS THE SAME AMOUNT I SPENT FOR THE CAR. CHRYSLER WON'T DO A THING FOR THE CONSUMERS. IF THERE IS A LAWSUIT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT IT. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP? *PH

HEAD GASKET ON 1996 NEON FAILED CAUSING CAR TO STOP IN A BUSY INTERSECTION. LUCKILY, NO INJURIES RESULTED FROM THIS FAILURE. DESPITE WIDESPREAD REPORTS OF FREQUENTLY FAILING HEAD GASKETS IN 1995-97 PLYMOUTH AND DODGE NEONS WITH LOW MILEAGE, CHRYSLER REFUSES TO OFFICIALLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND RARELY OFFERS TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *NLM

I HAVE A 1996 NEON WHICH I PURCHASED USED IN AUGUST OF 2001 WITH ONLY 35,000 MILES ON IT. ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO I TOOK IT IN FOR MY MONTHLY OIL CHANGE/LUBE AND WAS TOLD THAT MY HEAD GASKET WAS CRACKED AND THAT I WOULD NEED TO GET IT REPLACED. THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD BE A $1200 REPAIR. I BEGAN TO CALL AROUND AND EACH PLACE, WHEN I MENTIONED THE PROBLEM AND THE YEAR/MAKE/MODEL OF MY CAR, TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD HAVE GUESSED WHAT THE REPAIR WAS THAT I NEEDED JUST BY ME GIVING THEM THE TYPE OF CAR I DRIVE. I'VE CALLED 5 PLACES NOW TO GET A QUOTE ON THIS REPAIR AND PRICES RANGE ANYWHERE BETWEEN $700 - $1200, DEPENDING ON THE SHOP I USE. BY THE WAY - I LOSE ABOUT A QUART OF OIL PER WEEK. I WANTED TO DO A LITTLE RESEARCH TO SEE HOW COMMON OF A PROBLEM THIS IS, SO I WENT ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND SO MANY COMPLAINTS THAT IT BLEW MY MIND! I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A DEFECT IN THE HEAD GASKET DESIGN IN PRE-99 MODELS AND CHRYSLER KNEW ABOUT IT. IT WAS NEVER RECALLED, BUT AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED IT IS A HUGE CONSUMER FRAUD ISSUE. I HAVE FOUND THAT 32% OF NEON OWNERS HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THIS PART - WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY EXTREMELY HIGH. IT REALLY IS TOO BAD THAT CHRYSLER DID NOT STAND UP FOR THEIR PRODUCT RIGHT AWAY BY VOLUNTARILY ISSUING A RECALL OR BY AT LEAST FIXING THE CARS THAT WERE AFFECTED BEFORE THE PART WAS REDESIGNED. I CANNOT AFFORD A REPAIR LIKE THIS ON MY CAR - I BOUGHT A NEON BECAUSE I THOUGHT THEY WERE RELIABLE CARS WITH GREAT GAS MILEAGE, WHICH I NEED FOR MY LONG COMMUTE TO WORK EVERY DAY. IF THIS IS A PROBLEM THE MANUFACTURER KNEW ABOUT, I FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD BE PAYING FOR THE REPAIR. WHAT CAN I DO?! *JB