1997 Dodge Neon complaints

INSTRUMENT PANEL HAS A SHORT, CAUSING MALFUNCATION OF GAUGES/INDICATORS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

THE REAR BRAKES SQUEAK. THE CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES WITH NO SUCCESS.

REVERSE LIGHTS DOES NOT WORK. THE LIGHTS AND FUSES HAVE BEEN TESTED AND SHOW NO SIGNS OF A DEFECT. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

CONSUMER HAD TIRE BALANCE PROBLEMS, UNTIL GETTING NEW TIRES. *ET

HEAD GASKET BLOWN TWICE AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. BRAKES LET UP WHEN FLOORED AT COMPLETE STOP.

HAD RECEIVED RECALLON RADIATOR. WHILE IT WAS BEING REPAIRED AT DEALER'S, MECHANIC NOTICED HEAD GASKETS HAD BLOWN ON ENGINE. MANUFACTURER INFORMED OWNER HEAD GASKETS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH RADIATOR. *AK

EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAS FAILED TWICE WITHIN SIX MONTHS. RADIATOR FAN RELAY FAILED AND DEALER STATED THERE WAS NO RECALL OR T.A. ON FAN RELAY I HAD TO PAY FOR PART AT 39101 MI.???

THE PANELS OF THE DOOR ARE FAULTY, AND CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO BE FLOODED WITH WATER IN THE PASSENGER'S SIDE COMPARTMENT. *AK

VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE HEAD ON AT 40MPH AND NEITHER OF THE DUAL AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. ALSO VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BLEW UP. VEHICLE IS BEING INSPECTED NOW. *AK

MECHANIC SAID IT WAS A COMMOM PROBLEM. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONE DIN SUMMARY. *AK

DURING A COLLISION FRONT END WAS PRETTY SMASHED UP: NOT DRIVABLE: NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS. *AK

DRIVER'S AND THE REAR SEAT CLIP WHICH LOCKS BUTTOM OF THE SEAT BELT BROKE, CAUSING THE SEAT BELT TO BE VERY LOOSE. WITHOUT THIS DEVICE THE SEAT BELT WILL NOT GET TIGHT, CONSUMER HAS REPLACED THE CLIP ON THREE OCCASIONS. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER HAS REPLACED PARTS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK

THE EXTERIOR PAINT OF THE 1997 DODGE NEON COUPE IN LAPUIS BLUE IS PEELING OFF THE HOOD AND TOP OF VEHICLE. VERY POOR PAINT JOB AS CAR IS HOUSED IN A GARAGE. NO SAFETY DEFECT. *AK

BIGGEST CONCERN AT THIS POINT IS THE AIR AND WATER LEAK. THIS HAS GONE ALL THE WAY UP TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. AIR LEAK IS SO LOUD I FEEL IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN. WE CANNOT HEAR SIRENS OR ANYTHING ELSE BUT AIR FOR THAT MATTER. ALAMO CAR COMPANY AND CHRYSLER SAY IT IS NOT REPAIRABLE AND AIR AND WATER LEAKS ARE COMMON IN NEONS. WE REQUESTED THEY BUY OUR VEHICLE BACK FOR THE NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WE'VE HAD WITH IT, BUT THEY REFUSED TO. THEY OFFERED US A 6 YEAR/75,000 MILE WARRANTY. WE HAD PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WHEN WE PURCHASED OUR VEHICLE, SO THIS IS USELESS. IT IS ALSO USELESS BECAUSE CHRYSLER STATES THEY CANNOT FIX THE PROBLEM, SO HOW WILL THE WARRANTY HELP THE AIR AND WATER FROM LEAKING. I HAVE ALL DOCUMENTATION ON HAND. *AK

AFTER DRIVING THE NEWLY PURCHASED NEON (PURCHASE USED, AS IS) WE NOTICED A LEAK UNDER THE CAR AFTER BEING PARKED. WE HAD THE PROBLEM LOOKED AT AND IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE A MAJOR OIL LEAK FROM THE HEAD GASKET OF THE CAR. BEING A FAIRLY NEW MODEL, I FEEL THAT THIS MAY BE A DEFECT IN THE PARTS AND I WANT TO KNOW IF THIS COMPLAINT HAS BEEN LOGGED BEFORE FOR THIS MODEL. I AM ALREADY FURIOUS THAT A DEALERSHIP CAN GET AWAY WITH SELLING A VEHICLE IN THIS CONDITION, AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT RECOURSE, IF ANY I HAVE. *AK

HEAD GASKET BLOWN, CONSUMER BELIEVES VEHICLE SHOULD BE RECALLED. NLM

HELP ! IT WAS JUST SEVEN MONTHS AGO I PURCHASE A 1997 NEON. I WAS SO HAPPY, I WAS GOING TO BE DRIVING A FAIRLY DECENT CAR. IT WAS 1998 AND I WAS GOING TO BE DRIVING A 1997. WITH A/C EVEN. HA. HA. HA. NEEDLESS TO SAY I DIDN'T KNOW THREE WEEKS LATER I WOULD BE PUTTING IN A NEW TRANSMISSION. CAR IN THE SHOP FOR TWO WEEKS WAITING ON A PART THEY HAD TO ORDER. BOY DID THAT PUT A SOUR TASTE IN MY MOUTH. I CALLED CHRYSLER AND WANTED TO GIVE THE CAR BACK. I NO LONGER WANTED THE CAR. I KNEW THEN I WOULD NOT HAVE NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS AFTER THAT. WELL YOU KNOW THEY SAID NO. GOOD THING I HAD THE 1595.00 EXTEDED SERV. CONTRACT I GOT THE PROBLEM FIX FREE . WELL NOT REALLY FREE IT COST ME 1595.00 FOR THE WARRANTY AND FIFTY DOLLARS EVERYTIME YOU HAVE TO PUT YOUR CAR IN THE SHOP. I ONLY HAD 30.000.00 MILES AND ALREADY NEEDED IT A TRANSMISSION? HMMMM. IN DECEMBER WE HAD A RECALL ON THE CAR. IN JAN.1999 I STARTED HAVING ELECTRICAL FAILURE. IN FEB.1999 MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTED COMING ON. ALSO IN FEB. I TURN ON MY AIR CONDITING TO FIND OUT IT DOESN'T WORK. IT WAS BLOWING OUT HOT AIR. I CALL CHRYSLER AND THEY TOLD ME TO BRING IT IN. IT WAS GOING TO COST ME THE $50. WHICH I DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS FAIR, BEING I JUST PURCHASE THE CAR IN NOV.1998. IN MAR. 12TH I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR BRAKE INSPECTION BECUASE I WAS HAVING SOME PROBLEMS WHEN I WOULD STEP ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE CAR, THE BRAKES MAKE NOISE LIKE GRINDING METAL TO METAL. MY FRONT BRAKE PADS WERE WORN OUT, WHICH THEY SAID HAD RUINED T

HEAD GASKET FAILED RESULTING IN LEAKAGE. MJS

TURNED ON THE CAR WITH FOOT ON BRAKE, PUT CAR IN DRIVE, REMOVED FOOT FROM BRAKE AND CAR ACCELERATED AND HIT HEAD ON A 1999 DODGE DAKOTA. PRESSED ON THE BRAKE AS CAR SPED ACROSS THE LOT AND NOTHING HAPPENED. ENGINE MADE HIGH PITCHED WHIRRING NOISE. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MY INCIDENT RESEMBLES THE ONE POSTED ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE ODI ID# 535732. *AK

THERE IS A BLOWN ENGINE HEAD GASKET WHICH IS CAUSING OIL LEAKAGE WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT TOWARD THE FIRE WALL. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER HAS YET TO REPLACE PARTS. *AK

HAVE ALSO HAD TRANSMISSION, ELECTRICAL FAILURE, AND BRAKE FAILURE AT LOW MILEAGE, VERY UNHAPPY. *AK

THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING AND HAD TO BE REPLACE IT TOOK TWO WEEKS TO GET THE PART BECAUSE THEY SAID THAT MOST OF THE 97 NEONS HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN

WHILE MAKING A TURN, A VEHICLE HIT THE SIDE OF THE BUMPER, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO TURN AND HIT A POLE ON THE FRONT END, IN WHICH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN THIS ACCIDENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. NO ONE HAS INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AS OF YET. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

CRUISE CONTROL NOT OPERATING PROPERLY. STAYS ON, AND WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED, DOES NOT CUT OFF. DEALER CONTACTED, AND CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK *ML

BRAKE PEDAL FEELS LIKE IT BOTTEMS OUT, ESPECIALLY WHEN FIRST DRIVEN.MOVING UNDER 10MPH,CAR CONTINUES TO MOVE AND BRAKES ARE APPIED FULLY,PEDAL HAS NO MORE TRAVEL,IF BRAKE IS PUMPED, IT'S OK. ,AS IF AIR IN LINES,OR BAD BRAKE BOOSTER. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE. ALSO, REPLACED PADS AND ROTORS-DOES NOT HAPPEN 100% OF THE TIME.

BRAKES SQUEAK WHEN ITS BACKING UP. YH

TIRES FAILED AT 20,000 MILES, CAUSING DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. *YC

IN THE WORDS OF THE CHRYSLER FIRE INVESTIGATOR. "... FIRE APPEARS TO HAVE STARTED AFTER THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED A HARD IMPACT TO THE FRONT AREA OF THE VEHICLE..." THE REPORT GOES ON TO SAY THAT THE FIRE WAS NOT CAUSED BY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT IF THIS VEHICLE HAD NOT CAUGHT FIRE IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A TOTAL LOSS AND THAT IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE REASON IT CAUGHT FIRE IS A DESIGN DEFECT INVOLVING THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP. I WOULD THINK THAT A PROVISION SHOULD BE MADE TO SHUT DOWN THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP ON AN IMPACT WHICH BREAKS A FUEL LINE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY PROBLEM WHICH SHOULD BE LOOKED AT AND CORRECTED.

"O" RING IN THE FUEL RAIL CRACKED, CAUSING A FUEL LEAK WHICH MAY CAUSE A FIRE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

VEHICLE WAS INVOVLED IN AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AT APPROX. 35-40 MPH IMPACT/ BOTH AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER/MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. *AK

CONSUMER SAYS THAT ONLY WHEN DRIVING UNDER WET CONDITIONS THAT THE POWER STEERING BELT GETS LOOSE, CAUSING PROBLEMS WITH THE POWER STEERING. ALSO, BRAKE PEDAL GETS HARD AND THE STEERING WILL NOT RETRACT WHEN TURNING A CORNER. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

HEAD GASKET HAS BLOWN 3 TIMES AND REPLACED, DEFECT STILL OCCURS. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE DEFECT. *AK

VEHICLE WAS PARKED, CHILD'S FOOT HIT THE GEAR SHIFT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO GET A BAG OUT, THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACK. ACCIDENT OCCURRED, HITTING VARIOUS THINGS. DEALER CONTACTED AND INSPECTED VEHICLE. STATED OWNER'S MANUAL PARKING BRAKE SHOULD BE ON, AND KEYS SHOULD HAVE BEEN REMOVED. CONSUMER SAID EVERYTHING WAS DONE. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK.ET.

THERE IS A BUSTED HEAD GASKET THAT IS LEAKING OIL FROM THE VEHICLE, CAUSING THE CAR TO SMOKE. DEALER HAS SEEN. *AK

CIRCUIT BOARD BEHIND INSTRUMENT PANEL CAUGHT FIRE AS I DROVE,SENDING SMOKE THROUGH DASH BOTH TO LEFT AND RIGHT OF SPEEDOMETER-GAUGE AREA. NO FLAME EVER VISIBLE. SMOKE STOPPED OF ITS OWN ACCORD. GAS GAUGE DROPPED TO INDICATE "EMPTY" - THEN RETURNED TO PROPER INDICATION. I CONTINUED TO DRIVE HOME, THEN TO GARAGE, NO APPARENT EFFECT ON ANY OPERATING SYSTEMS. CIRCUIT BOARD AND GAUGE KIT WERE REPLACED AT NO CHARGE TO ME. (CAR STILL IN WARRANTY) SERVICE MANAGER REPORTED HOLE BURNED IN CIRCUIT BOARD 2 OR 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER.

ENGINE HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING OIL, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

POWER STEERING BECOMES INOPERATIVE PERIODICALLY WITHOUT WARNING,CAUSING STEERING TO GO HARD,DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. DEALER HAS TIGHTENED STEERING BELT, AND REPLACED SOME STEERING COMPONENTS. DEFECT IS STILL OCCURRING. *AK

WHEN DRIVING 0-10MPH, FRONTAL IMPACT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELLING 45MPH, NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED, THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. DEALER NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, PROBLEM CANNOT BE DUPLICATED. *AK

WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED WITH HEAD GASKETS LEAKING OIL, OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS, MANUFACTURER NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, DEALER CONTACTED AND NO WARRANTY, CONSUMER'S EXPENSE FOR REPAIRS. *AK

VEHICLE ACCELERATED AFTER LETTING OFF GAS; DRIVER APPLIED BRAKES LEFT FRONT SIDE LOCKED UP, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO TURN OVER.

DRIVING AT 40 MPH ,BRAKES LOCKED UP WHEN MAKING A NORMAL STOP, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SLIDE INTO A TRUCK, DUAL ARIBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. FRONT END WAS PUSHED COMPLETELY IN. THIS DEFECT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN INJURIES. *AK

VEHICLE HESITATES, PRIMARILY WHEN PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP. MORE FREQUENT IN COLD WEATHER.

ENGINE GASKETS HAD TO BE REPLACE THREE TIMES IN TOWN YEARS. THE BRAKES MAKE A SQUEALING AND GRINDING NOISE.

VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT ANY WARNING.

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WOULD STALL OUT DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE CAUSED BY SPARK PLUGS BURNED OUT FOR UNKNOWN REASON. VEHICLE HAVE BEEN IN/OUT OF DEALER SHOP ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM CANNOT BE RESOLVED. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH AND TURNING RIGHT STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, RESULTING IN VEHICLE HITTING A WALL. ALSO, THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAGS IN VEHICLE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK

SEAT BELTS; FRONT DRIVER'S/PASSENGER'S AND REAR BELTS ARE TWISTED AND CURVED WHERE THEY CANNOT BE USED. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

DOOR LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE PROBLEM AND IT STILL EXISTS. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

DOOR RUBS AGAINST THE HINGES AND IS BENT INWARD. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. DOOR MAKES NOISES WHEN OPENING AND CLOSING. *AK