2003 Dodge Neon Transmission Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE NEON SRT4 (NA). THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15-20 MPH, THE 3RD GEAR SHIFTER SUDDENLYPOPPED OUT OF PLACE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING AFTER A LITTLE MANEUVERING. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 68,000.

NHTSA ID

10393630

Incident

Jan 29, 2010

Mileage

68,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2003 DODGE NEON. THE CONTACT STATED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED AND WITHIN A FEW MINUTES THE TRANSMISSIONS SECOND GEAR FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD METAL SHAVINGS, BUT THEY DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 84,000. THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE CONTACTED.

NHTSA ID

10343938

Incident

Sep 1, 2007

Mileage

34,000 mi

I HAVE A 2003 DODGE NEON SXT. I PURCHASED THE CAR IN 2008. 6 MONTHS LATER THE TRANSMISSION GAVE OUT. THE CAR WOULD NOT RUN AT ALL. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS TO THIS. AAMACO SAID THAT THE RADIATOR BLEW WHICH LED TO THE COOLANT AND TRANS. FLUID MIXING TOGETHER AND DESTROYING THE TRANSMISSION. I HAD NO WARRANTY BECAUSE THE CAR WAS BOUGHT USED. IT COST ME 3500 DOLLARS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM.NOW THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND THE CAR IS BURNING FUEL. I AM GETTING ANYWHERE FROM 10 TO 17 MPG DEPENDING ON THE DAY. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THREE DIFFERENT MECHANICS, INCLUDING A DEALERSHIP, WHO CAN NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. THE WORST PROBLEM YET IS THAT WHEN IT IS RAINING OUTSIDE AND I AM DRIVING THE CAR THERE IS A SMALL THUNKING NOISE, AND THEN A LOUD THUNKING NOISE THAT LOCKS UP THE REAR TIRES AND BRINGS THE CAR TO A SKIDDING HALT. SO FAR, KNOW ON WOOD, NO ACCIDENTS, BUT IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. AGAIN, THE CAR HAS GONE TO SEVERAL MECHANICS WHO CLAIMED THEY FIGURED OUT THE PROBLEM. HAVE CHANGED EVERYTHING FROM AXLES, TO BRAKE CYLINDERS AND BRAKES. PAID APPROXIMATELY 1500 DOLLARS OUT OF POCKET, AND THE CAR IS STILL DOING THE SAME THING. I HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN WHO I REFUSE TO DRIVE ANYWHERE IN THIS CAR FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10283767

Incident

Dec 12, 2008

Mileage

60,000 mi

BOUGHT CAR NEW AND I AM METICULOUS ABOUT IT'S MAINTENANCE. OIL SEAL IN MANUAL TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED TWICE NOW. ONCE IN 2004 WITH ABOUT 10,000 MI. ON THE CAR WITH NO DAMAGE TO CLUTCH DISC AND AGAIN NOW IN 2008 WITH 45,000 MI. THIS TIME THE CLUTCH DISC WAS CONTAMINATED WITH OIL AND WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE REPAIR UNDER CHRYSLER'S 7 YR. 70,000 MI. DRIVETRAIN WARRANTY. ENDED UP PAYING FOR A NEW CLUTCH ASSEMBLY AS WELL AS THE 100.00 DEDUCTIBLE. THIS CAR HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE. THIS IS JUST ONE OF ABOUT 15 TIMES THIS CAR HAS BEEN IN FOR MAJOR REPAIR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10243501

Incident

Sep 25, 2008

Mileage

45,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING TO STORE AT MODERATELY SLOW SPEED AND TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR AND CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. CHECKED TRANSMISSION FLUID AND IT WAS EMPTY. CAR TOWED TO DEALER AND I WAS TOLD THE RADIATOR HAD GIVEN OUT AND THE COOLANT HAD CIRCULATED THROUGH THE TRANSMISSION. RADIATOR WAS REPLACED AND COOLANT WAS SUPPOSEDLY FLUSHED FROM TRANSMISSION. CHRYSLER DID PAY FOR MOST OF REPAIR BUT ONLY AFTER CALLING CHRYSLER. *AK

NHTSA ID

10195566

Incident

Mar 5, 2005

Mileage

53,000 mi

TOTAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE. YET TO BE REBUILT VERY EXPENSIVE! I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER DODGE/CHRYSLER/JEEP PRODUCT AGAIN! *JB

NHTSA ID

10188637

Incident

Apr 4, 2007

Mileage

85,000 mi

CAR WAS HARD TO SHIFT INTO ANY GEARS - CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS GIVEN A REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION. THEY BLAMED IT ON BAD SYNCHROS. ABOUT 6,000 MILES LATER I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM ONLY WORSE. THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO 3RD GEAR AT ALL. IT WOULD ONLY GRIND. THEY REPLACED IT AGAIN WITH A NEW TRANSMISSION. NOW - ONCE AGAIN I AM HAVING TROUBLE SHIFTING INTO 3RD GEAR AND SOMETIMES 4TH. *JB

NHTSA ID

10162533

Incident

Jul 1, 2006

PLASTIC TRANSMISSION LINES RUNNING THROUGH ONLY ONE RADIATOR SYSTEM. ONE LINE BROKE DOE TO COLD TEMPERATURES ALLOWED ANTIFREEZE & TRANS COOLANT TO MIXED TOGETHER IN BOTH THE ENGINE & TRANSMISSION,BOTH HAD TO BE FLUSHED & COST ME THE CONSUMER OVER $648.93 OUT OF MY POCKET. THEIR WARRANTY DID NOT COVER IT. *JB

NHTSA ID

10148407

Incident

Dec 29, 2005

Mileage

55,292 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE TRANSMISSION SPEED SENSOR SHORTED AND CAUSED THE COMPUTER TO SHORT OUT. THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY LOCKED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT PUSHED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WHERE IT WAS THEN TOWED TO A CERTIFIED DEALERSHIP. THE TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE WERE REPLACED AS A RESULT OF THE DAMAGES CAUSED BY THE SENSOR. *AK

NHTSA ID

10147000

Incident

Nov 20, 2005

Mileage

66,928 mi

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE CLUTCH MALFUNCTIONED THREE TIMES WITH NO WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY REPLACED THE CLUTCH. THIS OCCURRED EVERY SIX MONTHS. *AK

NHTSA ID

10144698

Incident

Nov 4, 2004

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE ENGINE STALLED AND DIED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. WHEN THIS OCCURRED THERE WAS TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO A DEALER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BATTERY, ALTERNATOR, AND THE POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE. THE DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO ACCURATELY DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. NO FURTHER REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE AT THIS TIME. *AK

NHTSA ID

10143309

Incident

Jul 15, 2005

Mileage

33,136 mi

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE HORN WAS NOT WORKING. THE HORN WAS REPLACED ON AUGUST 3, 2004 AND THE PROBLEM RECURRED. ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2004 . SHE STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE NOT STARTING WHEN CRANKED. SHE STATED AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS IT WOULD START. THE VEHICLE WAS AGAIN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP , AND THEY REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP, THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR, AND THE FLASHED PCM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT STARTING AGAIN; THIS BEGAN ON OCTOBER 19, 2005. THE VEHICLE WILL HAVE TO BE TOWED THIS TIME. *AK

NHTSA ID

10140311

Incident

Aug 3, 2004

Mileage

21,000 mi

1) NO WARNING OF UPCOMING PART FAILURE. CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN ON THE HIGHWAY AT NORMAL SPEED (55) PREPARING TO DECELERATE/DOWNSHIFT, DAMP ROAD CONDITIONS, BUT WASN'T CURRENTLY RAINING. CAR IS A 2003 DODGE NEON R/T. PART IN QUESTION IS NEW TO THE 2003 MODEL YEAR. 2) CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER ASSEMBLY (MASTER CYLINDER,HYDRAULIC LINE, AND RELEASE CYLINDER-SEALED ASSY.) HYDRAULIC LINE BROKE OFF WHILE DOWNSHIFTING COMING OFF THE H3 INTO THE USMC BASE (MANY SWERVES AND NEED TO SLOW DOWN.) THIS RESULTED IN A LOSS OF FLUID TO THE PRESSURE PLATES CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO NOT DISENGAGE PROPERLY. THE CAR DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY, AND THE ENGINE RPM'S DO NOT DROP WHEN THE CLUTCH IS PRESSED. THE STICK CANNOT BE PULLED OUT OF GEAR INTO NEUTRAL IF THE CAR IS MOVING EVEN 10MPH. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A HAZARDOUS/FATAL PROBLEM UNDER OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES. 3) I AM CONTACTING WINDWARD DODGE IN THE MORNING TO HAVE THE MASTER CYLINDER ASSEMBLY REPLACED AND THE REST OF THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY INSPECTED (REPLACED IF NECESSARY) FOR EXCESSIVE WEAR/DAMAGE FROM THIS INCIDENT. IF THEY AREN'T SENDING THE PART OFF FOR AN INSPECTION AT CORPORATE OFFICES I WILL REQUEST TO HANG ON TO IT IN CASE AN ENGINEER SOMEWHERE WOULD LIKE IT. *JB

NHTSA ID

10109821

Incident

Feb 3, 2005

Mileage

19,500 mi

VEHICLE PERFORMED POORLY. THE GEARS SLIPPED, VEHICLE HESITATED AND JERKED. TRANSMISSION WAS SERVICED FOUR TIMES, AND THE PERFORMANCE WAS THE SAME.*AK

NHTSA ID

10095204

Incident

Sep 28, 2004

Mileage

46,000 mi

THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED VERY SLOW WHEN PUT INTO 2ND GEAR. THE RPM HANGS AT 3000; WHILE STOPPED IN NEUTRAL THE IDLE FLUCTUATED FROM 3000-1000 RPM AND THE VEHICLE IDLED VERY ROUGH. THE DEALERSHIP HAS SERVICED THE VEHICLE 5 TIMES, IN WHICH THE SPARKS PLUG, AIR FILTER, OIL FILTER ETC,. HAS BEEN REPLACED. THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP BEING SERVICED FOR THIS SAME ISSUE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10094200

Incident

Jun 1, 2004

Mileage

13,000 mi

NEON HAD TO HAVE THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION REPLACED TWICE WITHIN THE TOTAL MILAGE OF 20,000 MILES. THE CAR WAS DELIVERED WITH A DEFECTIVE BATTERY TEMPERATURE SENSOR, AND 1 MONTH BEFORE THE CAR CAUGHT FIRE IT WAS IN THE SHOP AND THE MECHANIC FAILED TO REPLACE THE BATTERY TIEDOWN BAR. ON AUGUST 26, 2004 THE CAR CAUGHT FIRE WHILE THE IGNITION WAS OFF AND WAS DRIVEN FOR ONLY 5 MILES. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAD A BAD PASSANGER SEAT BELT BUCKLE. MANY PASSANGERS COMPLAINED OF IT BEING DIFFICULT TO INSERT THE BELT INTO THE LOCKING MECHANISM.*AK

NHTSA ID

10090672

Incident

Aug 26, 2004

Mileage

21,000 mi

I BOUGHT MY 2003 NEON WITH 18,000 MILES. IMMEDIATELY I NOTICED THE CAR SHIFTED HARD AND SOMETIMES WHEN PUTTING INTO GEAR WOULD NOT GO INTO DRIVE. I TOOK TO MY DEALERSHIP ON 3 OCCASSIONS, ONCE IN 08/03, ONCE IN 12/03, AND ONCE IN 03/04. ALL THREE TIMES I WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR SHIFTED FINE AND THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE "DUPLICATED". ON 08/04/03, I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE INTERSTATE WHNE MY TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP AND RENDERED MY CAR INOPERABLE AND IMMOBILE. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND THAT THEY HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT BEFORE. I WAS GIVEN A TOTALLY NEW TRANSMISSION UNIT. SINCE THEN THE CAR HAS BEEN SHIFTING FUNNY AND IT ALSO HESITATES A LOT, ESPECIALLY IN THE LATE AFTERNOON WHEN IT IS FAIRLY WARM OUT.*AK

NHTSA ID

10088894

Incident

Aug 3, 2004

Mileage

44,000 mi

INTERMITTENTLY AND AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE SWITCHED INTO LOWER GEAR AND STALLED. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED OVER 20 TIMES SINCE MARCH OF THIS YEAR. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO A REPAIR SHOP OVER SEVEN TIMES, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED . CONSUMERS SUSTAINED MINOR LEG AND SHOULDER INJURIES. *AK

NHTSA ID

10079438

Incident

Mar 16, 2004

Mileage

20,000 mi

3 DAYS AFTER PURCHASING VEHICLE, IT WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, AND THE ENGINE ENGAGED IN NEUTRAL, IT WOULD VIOLENTLY JUMP INTO REVERSE. DODGE FIXED THE PROBLEM WITH REVERSE; CURRENTLY VEHICLE CONTINUES TO LUNGE VIOLENTLY FORWARD AFTER STOPPING, FORCING ME TO PUT IN PARK AT LIGHTS, INTERSECTIONS; ETC., TO AVOID REAR-ENDING OTHER VEHICLES. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE IN THE SHOP ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND THEY ARE UNABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM! *LA

NHTSA ID

10047245

Incident

Dec 15, 2002

Mileage

20 mi

I HAVE A 2003 DODGE SRT-4 SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEM WITH MY TRANSMISSION. SOMETIMES IT'S HARD THE GET IN GEARS NO MATER IS YOU'RE DOWN SHIFTING OR UP SHIFTING, I WENT TWICE TO THE DEALER I THEY TOLD ME THAT IS NORMAL BUT I KNOW FROM THE CHATS THAT THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THANKS. *LA

NHTSA ID

10046948

Incident

May 30, 2003

Mileage

100 mi

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE JUMPED OUT OF GEAR INTO NEUTRAL. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, WHO STATED THAT SHIFT FORT PADS WERE NOT PROPERLY INSTALLED WHICH CAUSED THE SHIFT COLLAR NOT TO ENGAGE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10044847

Incident

Sep 15, 2003

Mileage

75,000 mi

THE TRANSMISSION IN MY DODGE NEON RT 2003 HAS WENT OUT TWICE, THEY HAVE TO REPLACE IT W/ NEW ONES... I KNOW A FEW MORE PEOPLE WHERE THE TRANSMISSION WAS BROKEN IN THESE CARS.. IT'S HAPPENING CONSTATNLY IN THE NEON RT .. MANUAL TRANSMISSION *LA

NHTSA ID

10041506

Incident

Sep 7, 2003

TRANSMISSIN FAILURE ON THE INTERSATE W/ A 2 YEAR OLD AND A 6 MONTH OLD CHILDREN IN THE CAR. HAD JUST PURCHASED THE VEHICLE ON JULY 19, 2004 WITH ONLY 17 MILES ON THE VEHICLE.*AK

NHTSA ID

10030379

Incident

Jul 26, 2003

Mileage

70 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT 50MPH VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10031290

Incident

Jul 28, 2003