NHTSA Complaint #710539 — 1996 DODGE NEON

I NORMALLY TAKE MY CAR TO VALVOLINE FOR OIL CHANGES. THE LAST COUPLE OF TIME I HAD MY OIL CHANGED, I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT BACK TO VALVOLINE BECAUSE THE "OIL LIGHT" ONTHE DASHBOARD WOULD START FLASHING. THE SERVICE MEN AT VALVOLINE WOULD CHECK AND USUALLY TOP OF THE OIL AND I WOULD HAVE NO MOR PROBLEMS. HOWEVER, I TOOK MY CAR FOR AN OIL CHANGE ABOUT JUNE OR JULY OF THIS YEAR. ABOUT A WEEK, MAYBE 2 WEEKS AFTER I HAD THE OIL CHANGE, THE OIL LIGHT STARTED FLASHING AGAIN. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE NEAREST GAS STATION AND HAD 2 QUARTS PUT IN. I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS WAS HAPPENING. AGAIN, ABOUT A WEEK LATER , MY OIL LIGHT STARTED FLASHING AGAIN. I TOOK MY CAR TO ANOTHER GAS STATION AND HAD MORE OIL PUT IN. I DID THIS ABOUT 3 OR 4 TIMES BEFORE I FINALLY TOOK MY CAR BACK TO VALVOLINE TO CHECK. AFTER THEY CHECKED MY CAR, THEY TOLD ME I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THERE IS A OIL LEAK BEHIND THE MOTOR. THE CAR DEALER WOULD HAVE TO FIX IT. THEY SAID IT NEEDED SOME KIND OF "BRACKET" AND THAT A LOT OF CHRYSLER/DODGE CARS THAT COME INTO THEIR STATION HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. I CALLED MY DEALER, ROSS PARK DODGE, EXPLAINED THE SITUATION TO THEM. THEY SUGGESTED I BRING THE CAR IN SO THAT THEY CAN CHECK IT OVER. I ASKED FOR MY OWN INFORMATION, WHAT THE COST FOR REPAIR/REPLACE WOULD BE. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THAT IT COULD COST $700 MORE/OR LESS DEPENDING ON THE DAMAGE. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE OIL LEAKAGE WAS NOT DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR OF THE CAR. I ASKED HIM WHY I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR, ETC., IF THE DAMAGE WAS NOT DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR OF THE CAR? HE ASKED IF I WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY OR EXTENDED WARRANTEY TO WHICH I REPLIED "NO". HE SUGGESED THAT I COULD BRING THE CAR IN FOR A CHECK-UP AND TALK WITH THE SOMEONE ABOUT A 50/50 PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT. I CALLED DAIMLER/CHRYSLER TO SEE ABOUT RECALLS. THERE WERE NONE. A LOT OF PEOPLE I KNOW WITH NEON'S HAVE SAME PROBLEM. MY CAR IS AT THE DEALERS FOR AN EST