NHTSA Complaint #751631 — 1995 PLYMOUTH NEON

SINCE MY ENGINE WENT OUT, I HAVE TALKED TO 17 MECHANICS AND I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THE ENGINE IN THE NEON IS CONSIDERED A THROW AWAY ENGINE AND THAT THEY ARE ONLY EXPECTED TO AVERAGE AROUND 100,000 MILES, A FACT THAT ISNT TOLD TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND SHOULD BE. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER WITH A LOW INCOME AND THE MONEY I PUT OUT ON THAT CAR WAS A FORTUNE FOR ME. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE OTHER PEOPLE BE PROTECTED FROM BEING MISLEAD INTO BUYING A CAR THAT IS GOING TO GO OUT ON THEM SHORTLY AFTER THEY BUY IT ALSO. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT BAD CRAFTSMANSHIP AND DEALERS MISLEADING PEOPLE WHEN SELLING USED CARS LIKE THIS. I WAS LED TO BELIEVE "THESE LITTLE CARS GO FOREVER" WHEN INDEED IT WAS COMMON KNOWLEDGE AMONG THE DEALERS AND THE COMPANY THAT BUILDS THESE CARS THAT MY CAR, AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE, ONLY HAD AN ESTIMATED 5,000 MILES LEFT ON THE ENGINE AND THAT THE COST OF THE REPAIRS ARE ALMOST AS MUCH AS I PAID FOR THE CAR. ALSO IN MY TALKING WITH DIFFERENT MECHANICS, I FOUND OUT THAT CHANGING THE HEAD ON THE ENGINE, WHICH IS WHAT THE DEALER WANTS TO DO TO MY CAR TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT 1500 DOLLARS, WILL CAUSE THE RINGS IN THE LOWER SECTION OF THE ENGINE TO FAIL IN ABOUT 2 TO 3 MONTHS LATER, WHICH WILL COST ME AROUND ANOTHER 1500 DOLLARS. THE DEALER WAS QUITE EMBARRASSED WHEN I MENTIONED THIS TO THEM. CONSUMERS NEED SOME KIND OF PROTECTION FROM THIS.*AK