1998 Dodge Neon Steering Problems

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE UNDER SNOWY OR RAINY CONDITIONS THE VEHICLE GOES INTO A SLIDE. CONSUMER STATES ALMOST RAN INTO A DITCH AS A RESULT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

NHTSA ID

10004144

CONSUMER STATES THAT ONE OF THE BOLTS THAT HOLD THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE COLUMN HAS SEPARATED AND THE OTHER IS LOSE. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. NLM

NHTSA ID

8006549

Incident

Mar 22, 2002

NO SUMMARY LISTED IN ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

740693

Incident

Jul 1, 2000

BLOWN HEAD GASKET AT 30,000, MISSING, HESITATION, NOW LOUD NOISE ON COLD START MAY BE POWER STEERING PUMP? ALSO LOUD POPPING NOISE COMING FROM SUSPENSION. *AK

NHTSA ID

737516

STEERING ROD FAILED, CAUSING A GRINDING NOISE WHEN TURNING. PLEASE PROVDIE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

871372

I NO LONGER HAVE MY CAR, AS OF AUGUST 16, 2000 I RETURNED IT TO THE BANK. THE WARRANTY HAS LONG SINCE EXPIRED AND THE COST TO MAINTAIN THE CAR WITH ALL OF THE PROBLEMS IT HAS PROVED TO BE MORE THAN I COULD AFFORD, AND MUCH MORE THAN THE CAR WAS WORTH. MY MAIN OBJECTIVE HERE IS TO MAKE SURE THE PROBLEMS I HAD ARE KNOWN SO THAT MAYBE IT WILL PREVENT SOMEONE FROM BEING SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED. GRANTED SOME OF THE PROBLEMS SUCH AS LEAKS AROUND THE DOORS AND TRUNK ARE NOT AS SERIOUS, OTHERS SUCH AS THE STEERING KNUCKLE WEARING OUT AND HAVING TO BE REPLACED, WHICH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN WHEN I RETURNED MY CAR LAST WEEK , TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, AND THROTTLE BODY PROBLEMS THAT CAUSE THE CAR TO STALL, WHICH COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. I REALIZE THAT I WILL NEVER GET ANY OF THE MONEY BACK I HAVE SPENT ON THE CAR, BUT IF THIS KEEPS EVEN ONE PERSON FROM GETTING HURT OR KILLED IT WILL BE MORE THAN WORTHWHILE. CHRYSLER HAS DONE NOTHING BUT GIVE ME THE RUN AROUND, I WENT THROUGH ARBITRATION, AND RETAINED A LAWYER FOR THE LEMON LAW, BUT THE DEALERSHIPS FAILURE TO DOCUMENT EACH TIME MY CAR WAS IN FOR REPAIRS, MADE IT MY WORD AGAINST THEIRS, SO THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO LEGALLY TO MAKE THEM PAY. I KNOW OF 4 OTHER INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE HAD SEVERAL OF THE SAME PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD. I CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH A COPY OF ALL MY SERVICE RECORDS I HAVE, IF IT WILL HELP YOU. PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY HURT IN THESE CARS. THEY ARE A DEATH TRAP.

NHTSA ID

728974

Incident

Jul 1, 1998

WHILE DRIVING 50-55MPH STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, CAUSING DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL, RESULTING IN A COLLISION WITH MINOR INJURIES. *AK THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES SUDDENLY AND THE BRAKES LOCKED. THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED AFTER ACCIDENT DUE TO INFERIOR STRUCTURE AND BODY. THIS VEHICLE WAS SOLD BY DECEPTIVE TACTICS AND TO COVER UP PRIOR ACCIDENT, THE DEALER REFUSED TO REVEAL SERVICE RECORDS. *YH

NHTSA ID

867482

Incident

Aug 8, 2000

ON 08/08/00, AS I WAS MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL "LOCKED" AND I WAS UNABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THE TURN. I HIT THE BRAKES HARD TO STOP MY CAR FROM HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE. I HAD TO YANK THE WHEEL HARD TO GET IT TO TURN THE WHEELS. LEFT MY CAR W/ DEALER WHO INFORMED ME THAT THE REASON WHY THE STEERING WHEL LOCKED WAS BECAUSE I HAD JUST GONE THRU A PUDDLE AND IT WET THE BELT CAUSING IT TO LOSE "TRACTION". IF THIS IS THE CASE, THEN THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN AND NOT WHEN I GO THRU A PUDDLE. MAYBE IN THE RAIN. IF I "NEED" IT TO SWERVE AWAY FROM DANGER, I MAY FIND MYSELF A "SITTING DUCK". IS THERE SOME WAY TO COVER THIS AREA SO WATER WILL NOT MAKE THE STEERING BELT LOSE TRACTION?

NHTSA ID

727204

Incident

Aug 8, 2000

WOW! JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW STEERING WHEEL ON NEONS IS LOCKING MID-TURN (3 I KNOW OF) I HAVE TRADED MINE IN, BUT IT HAS HAPPENED 3X IN A MONTH TO FRIEND WHO WILL BE CONTACTING YOU AND TO AQUAINTENCE, AS WELL. DEALER SAYS "NOTHING IS WRONG" AS IT DOES NOT LOCK WHEN THEY DRIVE IT. (THE STEERING UNLOCKS AS MYSTERIOUSLY AS IT LOCKS)

NHTSA ID

725689

Incident

Jul 12, 2000

THE POWER STEERING PUMP DOES NOT HAVE A COVER OVER IT, IN RAINY WEATHER THE WATER GOES UNDER AND THE BELT SLIPS OFF CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING (LOCK UP) WHICH CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL AND VEHICLE TO RUN INTO MEDIAN WITH INJURIES TO CONSUMER. *MJS

NHTSA ID

550641

Incident

Jun 9, 1999

CAR SHUTS OFF COMPLETELY UPON STARTING OR WILL RE-REV ITSELF AFTER SHAKING. NO CONTROL WITH POWER STEERING ON WET PAVEMENT. HAS BEEN TAKEN IN A COUPLE OF TIMES BUT PROBLEM STILL THERE.

NHTSA ID

712833

Incident

Oct 3, 1999

STEERING WHEEL AND GASKET FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

609460

Incident

Sep 22, 1998

WHEN DRIVING IN THE RAIN STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN. FIRST THREE TIMES AND THE LAST TIME TWO WEEKS AGO, STEERING LOCKED UP WHILE CONSUMER WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP TWICE, AND AND DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

838589