NHTSA Complaint #705060 — 1995 DODGE NEON

MY CAR HAS HAD A PROBLEM WITH OVERHEATING SINCE I HAD IT; BUT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP WPULD ALWAYS SAY IT WAS THE THERMOSTAT WHEN IT WASN'T. I CHANGED THE THERMOSTAT THREE TIMES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. WHEN THE WARRANTY RAN OUT, I WAS TOLD ALL THESE PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR THAT WAS EXISTING BEFORE IT RAN OUT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED. THE CAR HAS BEEN LEAKING OIL AND SMOKING UNDER THE HOOD ( NOT EXHAUST VALVES) BUT I AM TOLD THE HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT, AND THAT THIS HAPPENED WITH ALOT OF NEONS. ALSO THE REAR MAIN SEAL LEAKS RIGHT AROUND 60K MILES WHICH IS WHEN I STARTED HAVING OIL PROBLEMS. MY CAR OVERHEATS IN WARM WEATHER ,MOSTLY WHEN I AM STOPPED AT A LIGHT OR IN TRAFFIC AND I HAVE TO CUT THE HEAT ON UNTIL I START MOVING. I THOUGHT IT WAS A FAN MALFUNCTIONING, BUT AGAIN, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID IT WAS THE THERMOSTAT, WHICH IT WASN'T. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE I HAD THE CAR. IF THIS HAPPENS WITH ALOT OF NEONS I THINK THIS SHOULD BE REMEDIED BY THE MANUFACTURER. *AK