NHTSA Complaint #750947 — 1996 PLYMOUTH NEON

I PURCHASED MY 1996 NEON IN SEPTEMBER OF 2000. I HAVE NOT EVEN HAD IT FOR A YEAR AND NOW IT REQUIRES MAJOR ENGINE WORK. DAIMLERCHRYSLER SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS PROBLEM, WHICH IS A MANUFACTURER'S ERROR, ALTHOUGH IT HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. I TRIED TO HAVE MY CAR SERVICED AT SMITH CHRYSLER PLYMOUTH (12300 SAN PABLO AVE. RICHMOND,CA 94805)(510-215-4712), A LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP, WHERE AN EMPLOYEE IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF TO TELL ME THAT HE WOULD NEED 400 DOLLARS UP FRONT BEFORE LOOKING AT THE CAR. IF HE FOUND THE PROBLEM TO BE A BLOWN HEAD GASKET, THE REPAIR WOULD BE A TOTAL OF ABOUT 800 DOLLARS PLUS ANY OTHER PARTS THAT MIGHT NEED TO BE REPLACED. THIS GENTLEMAN WAITED FOR THE TOW TRUCK TO LEAVE AND THEN PRECEDED WITH THE STATEMENT "WELL, THE TRUCK LEFT YOU...WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?" I FELT THAT THIS GENTLEMAN LACKED PROFESSIONALISM, WHICH REFLECTED THE WHOLE SERVICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WHEN I CALLED BACK, THE MANAGER BASICALLY BLEW ME OFF AND TOLD ME THAT I MISUNDERSTOOD HIS EMPLOYEE, WHICH I KNOW IS INCORRECT. DAIMLERCHRYSLER KNOWS THAT 1995-1998 NEONS BLOW HEAD GASKETS QUITE FREQUENTLY, BUT THEY REFUSE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. ENTIRE WEBSITES ARE DEVOUTED TO HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS ON PLYMOUTH NEONS, THERE IS EVEN A RUMOR OF A "GOODWILL POLICY" ON BEHALF OF CHRYSLER, ACKNOWLEDGING THEIR ERROR BY PAYING FOR PARTS OF THE REPAIR. AS A COLLEGE STUDENT, I DO NOT HAVE MONEY TO PAY FOR SUCH COSTLY REPAIRS. I FEEL THAT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AND THE DEALERSHIP WHO TREATED ME SO UNFAIRLY SHOULD FOLLOW ETHICAL BUSINESS PRACTICES AND FIX THE PROBLEM, WHICH IS A MANUFACTURER'S ERROR.*AK