NHTSA Complaint #10176776 — 2002 DODGE NEON

DRIVING AT 49.9K MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THIS BEING 19.9K MILES AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRES (30K MILE WARRANTY). JUST MADE A LONG TRIP FROM HAMPTON, VA TO APPLETON, WI. ABOUT A WEEK AFTER ARRIVING IN WI, I AM HEADING TO WORK AND START TO HEAR A HIGH-PITCHED WHINE. WITHIN ABOUT 10 MINUTES OF HEARING THIS WHINE, I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO A PARK AND RIDE JUST AS THE CAR STOPPED MOVING. I WAS STILL ABLE TO REV THE ENGINE, BUT NO ACCELERATION. I PLACED THE CAR INTO PARK AND TURNED IT OFF. I STARTED IT BACK UP, AND STILL COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO MOVE. PLACED THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL, AND THE CAR STILL WOULD NOT MOVE WHEN I TRIED TO PUSH IT. FOUND OUT, AFTER CAR WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO SHOP, THAT A PINION BOLT INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION (2002 MODEL) HAD BROKEN OFF AND WAS THE CAUSE TO THE SEIZURE OF THE VEHICLE. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, AND THIS HAD HAPPENED, THE CAR WOULD HAVE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY AND BEEN THE CAUSE OF A SERIOUS ACCIDENT THAT, THANKFULLY, WAS AVOIDED IN THIS INSTANCE. NEW TRANSMISSION (2006 MODEL) INSTALLED. THE NEW SAFETY FEATURE FOR THIS MODEL IS THAT IT HAS METAL PLATES (BRACKETS) AROUND THE OFFENDING BOLT SO THAT THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN. SEMI-OFF TOPIC: IF THEY (THE MANUFACTURES OF THE TRANSMISSION, AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE DEALERSHIPS THAT SELL THE VEHICLE) KNEW THIS WAS AN ISSUE (APPARENT FROM THE INTRODUCTION OF THE METAL PLATES FOR THE BOLT) WHY WAS IT NOT ANNOUNCED AND CORRECTED WHILE UNDER WARRANTY FOR THOSE THAT HAVE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE IN 2002? *JB