1997 Plymouth Neon Engine Problems

CAR STALLED OUT AND STOPPED ON FREEWAY! I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED. STATED RIGHT UP BUT STALLED AGAIN. HAD IT TOWED TO SHOP (PEPBOYS). THEY REPLACED SEVERAL PARTS BEFORE REFERRING ME TO DEALERSHIP AS THEY COULD NOT FIND AND FIX THE PROBLEM. CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP SAYS IT IS ENGINE WIRE HARNESS AT $930.00 TO FIX. DAIMLER-CHRYSLER KNOWS PART IS FAILING IN NEONS BUT DECLINED TO ASSIST IN THE REPAIR. DEALERSHIPS ORDERED PART 7 DAYS AGO. STILL HAS NOT ARRIVED AND I HAVE NO TRANSPORTATION. *JB

NHTSA ID

10098689

Incident

Oct 18, 2004

Mileage

67,000 mi

1997 PLYMOUTH NEON HEADGASKET FAILURE. THIS PROBLEM IS A KNOWN DESIGN PROBLEM OF THE ORIGINAL GASKET.*AK

NHTSA ID

10055175

Incident

Jan 29, 2004

Mileage

82,000 mi

MAJOR OIL LEAK FROM HEAD GASKET WHICH WAS REPLACED. CRACKED MANIFOLD REPLACED. BLOWER MOTOR TO HEATER WENT OUT AND WAS REPLACED. IGNITION COIL REPLACED. ALSO TIRES, BRAKES, STRUTS, BATTERY. WHEN I FIRST LEASED THE CAR I HAD TO GET NEW TIRES AS THERE WERE PLUGS IN TWO OF THE TIRES AND THEY BLEW OUT. WHEN I LEASED THE CAR IT WAS 2 YEARS OLD AND PREVIOUSLY LEASED. I HAD TO HAVE AN ENGINE MOUNT REPLACED THAT WAS MISSING, LEFT TURN SIGNAL DIDN'T WORK AND THAT WAS REPLACED. ALSO, PAINT ON HOOD IS BUBBLING AND IS STARTING TO PEEL ON RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE PANEL BEHIND REAR WINDOW. DRIVER SIDE WINDOW DOESN'T ROLL UP TIGHT AND AIR BLOWS IN AND IT WHISTLES. ALSO LINES ON WINDOWS ON PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE FROM ROLLING IT UP AND DOWN.

NHTSA ID

10070482

Incident

Mar 15, 2003

Mileage

65,000 mi

IN HEAVY RAIN THE CAR IS VERY HARD TO STEER, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE 02 SENSOR, AND NOW THE COOLING FANS DON`T WORK I HAVE ALSO NOTICED A MUSTY SMELL WHEN I TURN ON THE AIR COND. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE EGR VALVE IT IS JUST ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER THAT KEEPS GOING WRONG WITH THIS CAR.

NHTSA ID

10068910

Incident

May 15, 2003

Mileage

122,000 mi

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAS HAD BLOWN HEAD GASKET. THE FIRDT TIME WAS AT APROXMITLY 40,000 MILES AND NOW A SECOND TIME AT 85000 MILES.

NHTSA ID

10068816

Incident

Feb 15, 2003

Mileage

85,000 mi

ENGINE HEAD GASKET LEAK. *AK

NHTSA ID

10049980

Incident

Oct 1, 2003

Mileage

65,000 mi

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A N ENGINE HEAD GASKET PROBLEM. CONSUMER WAS TOLD TO CONTACT NHTSA TO URGE THEM TO ISSUE A RECALL OE ENGINE HEAD GASKET.*AK

NHTSA ID

10048297

Mileage

97,000 mi

VEHICLE BURNS OIL PREMATURELY. DEALER STATES ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10046292

Incident

Oct 30, 2003

Mileage

77,000 mi

CONSUMER BOUGHT NEON NEW IN 1997. RIGHT AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED DEALER TOLD CONSUMER THERE WAS AN ENGINE HEAD GASKET OIL LEAK, AND WOULD COST $450 TO FIX IT. CONSUMER THOUGHT DEALER SHOULD HAVE TOLD HIM ABOUT THE LEAK WHILE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY SINCE HE ALWAYS HAD THE OIL CHANGED THERE. CURRENTLY, VEHICLE WAS LEAKING 1 QUART PER DAY. CONSUMER TALKED TO MECHANICS, WHO INDICATED THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD HAVE HAD A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE REPLACED MANY OF THE SAME VEHICLES FOR THE SAME LEAKING PROBLEM AFTER WARRANTY RAN OUT.*AK

NHTSA ID

10042914

Incident

Jul 8, 2000

Mileage

25,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING THE FRONT AXLE BROKE WHICH CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. THE HEADS GASKET WAS ALSO REPLACED TWICE BECAUSE THEY BLEW AND WERE LEAKING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10040617

Incident

Sep 25, 2003

68000 MILES. BLOWN HEAD GASKET. CAR IS ON 2ND HEAD GASKET ALREADY. THIS'LL BE THE 3RD. MAJOR OIL & COOLANT LEAKAGE. THIS IS A KNOW ISSUE WITH NUMEROUS NEON OWNERS FOR THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR. PLEASE COMPEL CHRYSLER TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

10037534

Incident

Aug 31, 2003

CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE EXHIBITED AN OIL LEAK AT THE CAMSHAFT SENSOR BEGINNING AT 35,108 MILES. THE LEAK CONTINUED TO 05/30/03, WITH NUMEROUS REPAIR ATTEMPTS BY THE DEALER. CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT THE EGR VALVE IS CAUSE OF PROBLEM.*AK THE EGR VALVA CAN NOT WITHSTAND THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION HEAT IN AN ILLUMINUM BLOCK ENGINE.*TS

NHTSA ID

10026956

Incident

May 20, 1998

Mileage

35,108 mi

I HAVE EXPERIENCED A NUMBER OF MECHANICAL FAILURES TO MY 1997 PLYMOUTH NEON WHICH I PURCHASED TWO YEARS AGO. ONE MONTH AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR BEGAN HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS; RADIO STOPPED WORKING, CLOCK DISPLAY WOULD BLACKOUT. THE MOST RECENT WAS EXPERIENCING A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AT THE TIME THE CAR WAS IN OPERATION. I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE CAR TO A SAFE STOP. HOWEVER, HAD THE GASKET BLOWN WHEN I WAS ON THE EXPRESSWAY JUST MINUTES BEFORE THEN, THE SCENE MAY HAVE BEEN MORE SERIOUS. I DISCOVERED OIL IN MY ANTIFREEZE. MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE RESEARCH AND LOCATED A WEBSITE THAT INFORMED CONSUMERS OF MANUFACTURE DEFECTS THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED ON THE NEONS FROM THE 1995 TO 1998. A NUMBER OF COMPLAINS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF CHRYSLER CORPORATION BY OTHER CONSUMERS. HOWEVER, THEY DO NOT SEE IT AS A PROBLEM. I HAVE NOTIFIED CHANNEL 5 TARGET INVESTIGATION NEWS TEAM IN CHICAGO, IL AND THEY ARE INVESTIGATING THESE PROBLEMS AS WELL. TARGET 5 INVESTIGATION MADE ME AWARE OF A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT AGAIN THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION AND I THINK THESE MANUFACTURER DEFECTS WARRANT YOUR INVESTIGATION AS WELL, HOPEFULLY, PROMPTING A NATIONAL RECALL. REPAIRING A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AND POSSIBLY A CRACKED SEAL ON THE ENGINE, IS A VERY COSTLY PROCEDURE. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM. I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN YOUR FINDINGS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10023631

Incident

Apr 19, 2003

Mileage

63,999 mi

HEAD GASKET FAILURE, REVERSE LIGHTS GO ON AND OFF SPORADICALLY, WINDOW SEALS AND SEALS TO THE TRUNK ARE FALLING OFF, THE TRUNK IS TAKING IN WATER WHICH IS DRAINING INTO THE VEHICLE'S REAR FLOOR. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10023340

Incident

Jun 15, 2003

Mileage

127,500 mi

1997 PLYMOUTH NEON WITH 84,000 MILES SPRAYING OIL ONTO EXHAUST. COULD CAUSE A FIRE AND HAVE SMELLED OIL BURNING AND SEEN SOME SMOKE.NEED TO CALL DEALER. VERY UNSAFE.*AK

NHTSA ID

10021328

Incident

Jun 1, 2003

CONSTANT REPLACEMENT OF TIRES ON FRONT DRIVERS SIDE, EXCESSIVE WEAR, NEW TIRE ONLY LAST ABOUT 6 TO 7 MONTHS, HAVE HAD ALIGNMENT CHECKED SEVERAL TIMES. MISFIRES A LOT EVEN THOUGH I GET IT TUNED UP EVERY 3 MONTHS, EXCESSIVE OIL USAGE. DEALER GIVES ME NO GOOD ANSWERS FOR THIS. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10020988

Incident

May 26, 2003

Mileage

5,000 mi

HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING AND HAS TO BE REPLACED. THE HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED BEFORE AT 25,000 MILES UNDER WARRANTY. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS.*AK

NHTSA ID

10021833

Mileage

25,000 mi

97 NEON HEAD GASKET FAILURE ONCE IN 2000 AND 12/2002. CHRYSLER REFUSES TO REIMBURSE FOR SECOND REPAIR. TS

NHTSA ID

10000302

Incident

Dec 11, 2002

Mileage

60,000 mi

1997 BLOWN HEAD GASKET

NHTSA ID

10000160

Incident

Dec 12, 2002

Mileage

60,000 mi

AFTER THE CONSUMER PURCHASED A USED VEHICLE, HE DISCOVERED THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING. *YH

NHTSA ID

567799

Incident

Apr 17, 2000

CONSUMER NOTICED OIL SPOTS UNDER CAR, RADIATOR BLEW TWO MONTHS PRIOR, CONSUMER FEELS ITS A DEFECTED HOSE, ITS TOO SMALL AND BLOWS OUT HEADGASKET. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

NHTSA ID

8021019

Incident

Aug 17, 2002

BRAKES REDONE AFTER 3 YEARS, HEAD GASKET REPLACED AFTER 4 YEARS, CLEAR COAT ON PAINT ALSO HAD TO BE REPLACED, MUFFLER ALMOST FELL OFF, EXHAUST DETECTED IN CABIN OF CAR, REVERSE LIGHTS COME ON INTERMITTENTLY, MOTOR MOUNT BROKEN, SEALS ON WINDOWS FALLING DOWN DOOR JAM. *PH *JB **DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS**768018

NHTSA ID

10007436

Incident

Jul 1, 2000

Mileage

35,000 mi

HEAD GASKET FAILURE. OIL LEAKING ON BACK OF ENGINE. MR

NHTSA ID

767871

Incident

Sep 28, 2002

CONSUMER STATES HEAD GASKET BLEW 3 DIFFERENT TIMES WHILE DRIVING CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL.*JB

NHTSA ID

8019298

Incident

Sep 1, 2002

COOLING FAN WAS INOPERATIVE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED, AND BOTH INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERVED UNDER A RECALL. *AK *YH

NHTSA ID

8012107

Incident

Jun 19, 2002