NHTSA Complaint #753550 — 1997 PLYMOUTH NEON

DRIVING CAR IN MORNING. CAR HESITATED TO SHIFT FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR, HEARD THIS HIGH PITCH WINING NOISE, DECREASED SPEED AND CAR WENT INTO GEAR. LATER THAT DAY WAS SHIFTING FINE BUT CONTINUED TO HAVE HIGH PITCHED WINING NOISE. TOOK IT TO A SHOP AFTER I CHECKED TRANSMISSION FLUID AAND IT WAS FINE. THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T KNOW BUT IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN BRING IT BACH. 2 DAYS LATER SAME PROBLEM. TOOK IT DIFFERENT TRANSMISSION SHOP. (QUALITY TRANSMISSION) THEY CALLED ME AND SAID THAT I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS METAL SHAVINGS IN THE PAN . TOOK CAR TO AAMCO TRANSMISSION SAME AFTERNOON FOR SECOND OPINION BECAUSE THEY SAID THAT OTHER SHOP WAS NOTORIOUS FOR RIPPING PEOPLE OFF. SAID I SHOULD BRING IT TO THEM. THEY CHECKED OUT CAR AND CHANGED FILTER AND FLUID. WHEN I PICKED CAR UP FROM SHOP THEY CONFIRMED THAT I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THEY SAID IF I PUT THIS STUFF CALED DURALUBE IN IT IT WOULD HELP TILL I COULD SAVE MONEY TO HAVE CAR FIXED. CHARGED ME $20.00 FOR IT. THEY SAID THAT IF WINING STATED BACK OR SHIFTING PROBLEMS OCCURRED IT WOULD BE SOONER THEN LATER THAT I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION. 1 WEEK LATER, CAR STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS AGAIN. WAS DRIVING AND LOST GEAR. TURNED AROUND TO COME HOME WHICH WAS ABOUT 10 MINUTES AWAY, AND BY TIME I GOT HOME HAD ALSO LOST 3RD GEAR. NEXT DAY CAR WAS SHIFTING FINE AGAIN. WENT TO SHOPS TO GET QUOTES ON REBUILD KITS, THEY SAID CAR WAS TO NEW. THAT IT WOULD COST ME UP TO $ 5,000.00 TO ORDER FROM FACTORY. THIS WAS MY FIRST NEW CAR. I BOUGHT IT SO I WOULDN'T HAVE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS LIKE THE OLDER VEHICLES I HAD OWNED PREVIOUSLY. THE CAR IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD WITH 47,509 MILES ON IT. I DON'T KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT CARS BUT I AM SURE THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. . I CHECKED YOUR COMPLAINT LOG AND THERE ARE 164 COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE 1997 PLYMOUTH NEON. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS CAR. *AK