NHTSA Complaint #10123896 — 2003 DODGE NEON

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON I-35 IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS IN JANUARY, 2004, MY 2003 NEON R/T (WITH APPROXIMATELY 10,865 MILES) EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. LUCKILY THE MOMENTUM WAS GREAT ENOUGH TO ALLOW ME TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. I CHECKED THE VEHICLE (CABLE CONNECTIONS AND FUSES) AND COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. AFTER 10 MINUTES THE CAR STARTED AND RAN FINE. I TOOK IT TO GUNN DODGE IN SAN ANTONIO IN FEBRUARY, AND THEY SAID A CELL IN THE BATTERY CHECKED BAD AND THAT WAS WHAT CAUSED THE TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY. WHILE DRIVING FROM SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS TO KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE ON APRIL 18, 2005, THE CAR AGAIN EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, OUTSIDE OF DALLAS, TEXAS. I WAS AGAIN ABLE TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, AND I DETECTED A SLIGHT SCENT OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS OVERHEATING.. AGAIN ALL CABLES AND FUSES APPEARED TO BE OK, BUT CAR WOULD NOT START. AS I WAS TALKING WITH CHRYSLER ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE ON MY CELL PHONE, MY WIFE CHECKED THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE CONNECTION, I ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR, AND IT STARTED (APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES AFTER THE TOTAL LOSS OF POWER). I WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE THE TRIP TO KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE WITHOUT INCIDENT. I TOOK MY CAR TO RICE CHRYSLER-DODGE IN KNOXVILLE ON APRIL 19, 2005 (CAR HAD 24001 MILES). AFTER SEVERAL HOURS, THE SERVICE ADVISOR INFORMED ME ALL CABLES, WIRES AND FUSES CHECKED OUT FINE, AS DID ALL GROUND CONNECTIONS. HE ALSO TOLD ME THEY HAD CALLED CHRYSLER TO SPEAK WITH AN ENGINEER ABOUT THE PROBLEM, AND THE ENGINEER COULD THINK OF NO REASON WHY MY CAR HAD EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, NOR HAD HE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THIS HAPPENING TO ANYONE ELSE.