NHTSA Complaint #10257367 — 2003 DODGE NEON

AT 60,000 MILES MY 2003 DODGE NEON R/T STARTED SMOKING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. AT THE TIME I THOUGHT IT WAS DUST CAUGHT BY THE SUNLIGHT AND SINCE NOTHING APPEARED TO BE WRONG WITH MY CAR, I FORGOT ABOUT IT - ONE WEEK LATER- I STARTED BY CAR AND MY HEADLIGHTS WOULDN'T WORK, CONCERNED AND REMEMBERING THE "DUST IN THE SUNLIGHT THE WEEK BEFORE, I CALLED THE DODGE DEALERSHIP IN THE AREA AND DROPPED OFF MY CAR A LITTLE WHILE LATER. TURNS OUT THE WIRING HARNESS ON THE STEERING COLUMN HAD OVERHEATED AND MELTED TOGETHER ( THERE WAS ALSO A PROBLEM WITH THE GAS TANK PRESSURE BUT I COULD NEVER GET THEM TO TELL EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS) LUCKILY THE HARNESS WAS NOT COMPLETELY DESTROYED SO THE WIRES COULD JUST BE REPLACED. I ASKED THEM WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM AND IF THEY WERE JUST REPLACING WIRES, WELL, WOULDN'T IT HAPPEN AGAIN? ONCE AGAIN ALL I GOT WERE VAGUE NON COMMITALE ANSWERS, A 1,200 DOLLAR BILL, PLUS, I WAS REFUSED A COURTESY VEHICLE - YEAH I HAD TO FOOT THE BILL FR DRIVING A RENTAL CAR FOR A WEEK. I RESEARCH THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT THE 1996 NEON HAD BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM BUT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS NEVER FIXED, ALSO, THE PT CRUISER HAS THE SAME DEFECT. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE AND BASICALLY WHAT WENT WRONG WAS MY FAULT, SOME HOW. AGAIN VERY VAGUE AND NON-COMMITTAL. I FOUND OUT THAT UNLESS A PROBLEM IS A SAFETY ISSUE, MEANING I GUESS THAT A FEW PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE, A RECALL WILL NOT BE ISSUED. *TR