NHTSA Complaint #742722 — 1996 PLYMOUTH NEON

I HAVE HAD REPEATED INCIDENTS OF GASKET FAILURE (BOTH) WITH THIS 1996 NEON. I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR ANYWHERE AND RELY ON IT FOR WORK. AT THIS POINT I'M SICK OF HEARING OTHER NEON OWNERS COMPLAIN ABOUT THE GASKETS CRACKING AND LEAKING OIL, SMOKE COMING FROM THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE, ETC. CHYRSLER/DAIMLER IS ENDANGERING OUR LIVES. I HAD MY SPARK PLUGS CHANGED DURING A TUNE UP AND THE MECHANIC COULDN'T BELIEVE HOW SOAKED THEY WERE IN OIL. MY CAR COULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE. HE SAID THE ENTIRE UNDERCARRIAG OF MY CAR IS SOAKED IN OIL. CHRYSLER TRIED TO CHARGE ME FOR PREVIOUS REPAIRS AND SAID THEY HAD NO INHERENT PROBLEMS WITH THE CARS. BUT ONE OF THEIR EMPLOYEES, AND FORMER EMPLOYEES, HAVE TOLD ME IT'S A DESIGN DEFECT AND EVEN REPLACEMENT GASKETS WILL CRACK. IT'S A PROBLEM WITH THE POWER VS. THE MANIFOLD OF THE CAR (THIS IS WHAT I WAS TOLD). ISN'T IT FALSE ADVERTISEMENT TO SELL A CAR WITH A KNOWN DEFECT TO THE UNWITTING PUBLIC? DO WE NEED ANOTHER FIRESTONE WHERE PEOPLE DIE FROM THEIR CAR HAVING DEFECTS? I PLAN TO CONTACT THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU, MY CONGRESSMAN, THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (MAJOR AMOUNTS OF OIL AND SMOKE LEAVE THE CAR), AND MARYLAND STATE GOVERNMENT. I WANT SOMETHING TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THE CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED OR WE SHOULD BE OFFERED DEALS ON DIFFERENT MODEL CARS SO WE CAN GET RID OF THIS HAZARD. THESE REPAIRS TAKE MORE THAN ONE DAY BECAUSE THE ENGINE HAS TO COME OUT. MY MOTHER IS SICK AND LIVES IN NEW YORK, I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DRIVE A BUS TO GO VISIT HER BECAUSE I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE DUE TO OIL/SMOKE PROBLEMS. CONSUMERS OF THE NEONS HAVE BEEN DUPED AND BILKED OF THEIR MONEY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE NEON!*AK