NHTSA Complaint #755130 — 1995 PLYMOUTH NEON

WHILE HAVING A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AT A "10 MINUTUE" OIL CHANGE PLACE THE SERVICE PERSON NOTED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND TO GET IT CHECKED OUT. AFTER BRINGING IT TO A DEALER THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE HEAD GASKET. AFTER CHECKING AROUND AT OTHER LOCAL GARAGES, WE FOUND THAT THERE WERE MANY OTHER CASES OF THIS SAME INCIDENT WITH THE NEON VEHICLE. WHEN I CALLED CHRYSLER ABOUT THIS THEY SAID THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM , WHICH IS NOT POSSIBLE - BUT AFTER MANY PHONE CALLS AND LONG DISCUSSIONS, THEY OFFERED TO PAY FOR PARTS, WHICH WAS HELPFUL BUT NOT ENOUGH SINCE THE SERVICE PERSON AT THE CAR DEALER HAD SAID THE PART WAS OBVIOUSLY MACHINED WRONG AND WAS DEFECTIVE- BUT THEY WERE ALSO NOT GOING TO HELP US WITH THE COST.THIS LEFT ME WITH A $ 534.26 BILL TO PAY FOR THE SERVICE - WHICH WAS ALOT OF MONEY TO SPEND WHEN THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED. I N MAY OF '98 I TRADED THE CAR IN- DIDN'T NEED THE HASSLES ANY MORE OR TO PUT MORE MONEY INTO IT. NOW I SEE HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM- I'M VERY FRUSTRATED- I'VE CALLED CHRYSLER AGAIN AFTER FINDING THAT PEOPLE HAVE HAD ONLY $100 OR $200 DEDUCTIBLES TO PAY & I PAYED OVER $500.00 FOR THIS. NOT FAIR FOR ANYONE. PLEASE DO WHAT YOU CAN TO RECALL THIS-I KNOW IT'S NOT THE LAW TO HAVE TO REIM BURSE YOU , BUT THE NOT-SO-HELPFUL CHRYSLER EMPLOYEE- SAID THAT THEY WILL REIMBURSE IF A RECALL IS DONE. TOO MANY UNFORTUNATE PEOPLE HAVE PAID HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS THEY PROBABLY COULDN'T AFFORD, AND MANY MORE WILL TOO IF THIS MATTER IS NOT RESOLVED. *AK