1996 Plymouth Neon

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

IN APRIL 2000, HEAD GASKET BLEW, WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC TO CALL CHRYSLER CORP. CALLED THEM AND THEY SENT ME TO CHRYSLER DEALER. HAD TO PAY 195 FOR DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THEY REPAIRED THE HEAD GASKET. ASLO INFORMED THEM OF WATER ENTERING THE REAR OF THE CAR THRU SIDE WINDOWS. THEY CLAIMED THEY WATER TESTED IT AND FOUND NO WATER LEAK. NOW 26 MONTHS LATER, NOTICED ANOTHER LEAK, TOOK TO MECHANIC WAS TOLD HEAD GASKET NEEDS REPLACING. CONTACT CHRYSLER, THEY SAID IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. WHEN IS SOMEONE GOING TO LOOK INTO THIS. MY COMPLAINT MAKES 108 ON HEAD GASKETS ONLY. THAT IS 108 PEOPLE WHO HAVE SPENT MONIES ON SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED. IF THIS IS NOT RESOLVED CHRYLSER/PLYMOUTH WILL HAVE LOST ANOTHER CUSTOMER. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE IN ORDER FOR SOMETHING TO BE DONE?*AK