NHTSA Complaint #727378 — 1997 DODGE NEON

ON SUNDAY JULY 23, 2000, I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM A RESTAURANT WITH MY FAMILY, I CAME UP TO AN INTERSECTION AND STOPPED. AFTER APROXIMATELY 10 SECONDS AT THE STOP LIGHT, I NOTICED THE AIR CONDITIONER BEGAN BLOWING HOT AIR. I IMMEDIATELY GLANCED AT THE TEMPERATURE GUAGE IN THE CAR. IT HAD RISEN TO APROXIMATELY 3/4 OF THE WAY TOWARD THE RED MARK. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE AC OFF AND THEN TURNED THE HEAT ON AS TO NOT RAISE THE HEAT ANYMORE THAN WHAT IT ALREADY WAS. I WAS WITHIN A MILE OF MY MECHANICS , SO I DROVE OVER THERE AND DROPPED OFF THE CAR. ON THE NEXT DAY, MY MECHANIC CALLED ME TO TELL ME THAT MY HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN. HE THEN TOLD ME THAT THESE CARS WERE KNOWN FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM. I THEN CALLED SMITHFIELD DODGE ( WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR ) THEY GAVE ME THE SERVICE MANAGER AND HE TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE HAVING ALOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE HEAD GASKETS ON THE NEONS. HE TOLD ME TO CALL THE COMPLAINTS LINE AT DODGE/CHRYSLER AND THAT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY THAT THEY WOULD PROBABLY REPAIR IT FOR FREE AS THEY WERE ON THE VERGE OF A RECALL WITH THESE CARS. MY WIFE CALLED AND LEFT A MESSAGE WITH THE REGIONAL DISTRICT MANAGER WHO CALLED ME BACK AND TRIED TO STRIKE UP A BOGUS DEAL WITH ME, OFFERING TO FIX THE CAR FOR 544.00 SAYING THIS WAS THE BEST THEY WERE GOING TO DO. I HAD ALSO HEARD FROM PEOPLE OVER THE INTERNET WHO HAD ALSO HAD THIS PROBLEM AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR REPAIRS AND, THEY TOO WERE ALSO OVER THE WARRANTY. I ALSO HEARD THAT THIS IS NOT THE SAME GASKET, THEY HAVE REDESIGNED IT TO ACCOMADATE THE PROBLEM. THIS ALONE SHOULD BE RECOURSE FOR A RECALL. I STILL OWE TWO YEARS ON THIS CAR AND I CAN'T AFFORD BILLS LIKE THIS. I WANT A FULL REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE WORK I HAD DONE ON THE CAR. I HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED ALL MY VEHICLES AND KEPT THEM ALL IN EXCELLENT RUNNING CONDITION. THIS IS A PROBLEM WHICH IS OCCURING CONSTANTLY ON THESE VEHICLES. CHECK THE INTERNET IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME. PEOPLE ARE NOT HAPPY WITH DODGE. THEY'RE NOT !