NHTSA Complaint #10150791 — 2002 DODGE NEON

ON FEB 14, 2006 WHILE DRIVING TO WORK THE CAR STARTED MAKING DINGING NOISE AND THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT TO HOT AND I HEARD A BUBBLING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE AREA. AS I PULLED THE CAR INTO A PARKING LOT, THE CAR STOPPED. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP IN TOWN AND THEY RAN A CHECK THROUGH THE ONBOARD COMPUTER SYSTEM. WHAT THEY FINALLY FOUND WAS THAT THE RADIATOR HAD AN INTERNAL FAILURE (THAT THE RADIATOR SEAL HAD FAILED) AND LEAKED BETWEEN THE RADIATOR AND THE TRANSMISSION CAUSING THE COOLANT AND TRANSMISSION FLUIDS TO MIX. SINCE THE CAR IS A 2002 AND I HAVE HAD IT FOR 4 YRS AND 3 MONTHS WITH ONLY 68,348 MILES ON THE CAR THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD HAVE BEEN STILL UNDER WARRANTY, BUT CHRYSLER REFUSED TO HONOR THE WARRANTY STATED, BECAUSE THE RADIATOR CAUSED THE PROBLEM AND IT (THE RADIATOR) WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIRS TO THE TRANSMISSION. I EXPLAINED TO THE REPRESENTATIVE OF CHRYSLER ON THE PHONE, THAT INDEED THE RADIATOR IS ONE OF THEIR COMPONENTS ON THE CAR AND ON A 4 YEAR OLD CAR IT SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED (AS STATED BY THE SERVICE PERSONNEL AT THE DEALERSHIP), AND IT WAS FACTOR FOR THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE CAUSED TO THE TRANSMISSION. IT WAS ALSO THE MAIN FACTOR THAT RESULTED IN THE CAR STOPPING WHILE BE DRIVEN ON A BUSY ROADWAY, WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT, PERSONAL INJURY, OR EVEN DEATH. *NM