1997 DODGE NEON Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

I MADE A SHORT TRIP TO A LOCAL STORE AND LARGE AMOUNTS OF SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE FRONT OF MY CAR. THE CAR WAS OVERHEATING AND I HAD TO STOP AND PULL OVER. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE CAR HAD A HEAD GASKET FAILURE.WHICH COST $920 TO REPAIR. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE IS OLD (1997), IT ONLY HAS 39,000 MILES ON IT AND IT IS RIDICULOUS FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN TO CAR WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE. I HAVE DONE QUITE A BIT OF RESEARCH ONLINE TO FIND THAT SEVERAL NEON OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM. THE 1995-1997 MODELS HAVE BEEN PREDOMINANTLY AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER ABOUT THIS AND THEY WILL TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS. *TR

SAFETY/EMISSIONS REPRT STATES RECALL ON MY VEHICLE/ DEFECT NUMBER: DR-1158. THE SOLID STATE FAN RELAY MAY FAIL BECAUSE OF HEAT RELLATED ELECTRICAL OVER STRESS CAUSING THE FAN TO STOP AND THE VEHICLE TO OVER HEAT. *TR

1997 DODGE NEON CAUGHT FIRE. CONSUMER WOULD LIKE ANY INFO AVAILABLE ABOUT THE PROBLEMS THAT CAUSE FIRES IN THE MID NINETIES MODEL YEAR DODGE NEONS. *KB THE CONSUMER WAS INJURED. (LAWYER WROTE IN ON BEHALF OF CLIENT)*JB

MY FIANCEE BOUGHT A 97 DODGE NEON FROM A FRIEND AT 35,000 MILES. NOW AT 70,XXX THE VEHICLE STARTED TO LEAK OIL, I WAS PUTTING IN 3 QUARTS A WEEK, THE CAR RUNS VERY ROUGH AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON ANDI CANT AFFORD TO TOW IT TO A SHOP TO FIND THE PROBLEM (MAYBE CAUSE IVE SPENT ALL MY MONEY ON OIL DUE TO THE HEAD GASKET LEAKING?) I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF REPAIRING MY SELF JUST TAKEING A BREAK FROM THE CHAOS AND MY BACK HURTS. MANY NEON HAVE THIS PROBLEM THE MANUFACTURERS REDESIGNED A NEW HEAD GASKET, IS THIS THIER WAY OF SAYING " HEY WE AT DODGE MESSED UP BAD AND NOW YOU AND THOUSANDS OF OTHER PEOPLE CAN PAY $600.00 -$1,000 TO GET IT FIXED" ANOTHER BULLITIN FROM CAR QUEST SAY THE OIL LEAKS DUE TO THE CAM SENSOR COVER ILE FIND OUT...

THE VEHICLE'S HEAD GASKET FAILED ALTHOUGH IT ONLY HAD 44000 MILES ON IT. *NM *SC *JB

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH HEAD GASKET AND FUEL PUMP FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT VEHICLE OVER EATED. DEALER REPLACED THE PARTS, AND 2 1/2 YEARS LATER ,THE SAME PARTS FAILED AGAIN. *AK

FIRST OF ALL, MY CAR HAS BEEN LEAKING OIL FOR QUITE A FEW MONTHS NOW ...I JUST KEPT PUTTING A QUART IN EVERY NOW AND THEN. WELL, WHEN I WENT TO GET THE CAR INSPECTED AT PEP BOYS, THEY SAID THAT MY HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING. THEY RECOMMENDED ME GETTING AN ESTIMATE AND THE WORK DONE AT AN AUTHORIZED DODGE DEALER. I WANT TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION FROM YOUR ORGANIZATION OR FROM DODGE ON THE HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS THAT DODGE NEONS HAVE. I DIDN'T KNOW THIS UNTIL VERY RECENTLY. I HAVE NO REPAIR DATE OR COST YET. I WAS HOPING TO GET INFORMATION BEFORE I GET AN APPOINTMENT/FIXED. CAN'T THIS BE A RECALL? IF SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM WITH THEIR NEONS WHY DOESN'T DODGE FIX THEM? I AM PAYING A CAR LOAN ON THIS AND IT NEEDS FIXED ALREADY...AND IT IS A MAJOR FIX.

I OWN A 1997 DODGE NEON. PURCHASED JUNE 1997. THIS CAR TOO DATE HAS APPROXIMATELY 27,500 ORIGINAL MILES ON IT. STARTING IN AUGUST 1999 I HAD TO HAVE THE HEAD GASKET REPLACED ON 3 OCCASIONS.I HAD TO HAVE THE SAME REPAIR JOB DONE AGAIN IN JULY 2001 WHEN I HAD ONLY PUT ANOTHER 7,108 ON THE CAR. MAY 2003 I HAD FOR THE 3RD TIME THE SAME REPAIR JOBE DONE WHEN MY CAR REACHED 26152 (7,166 MILES ADDED AFTER 2ND REPAIR JOB). TOO DATE THE MANUFACTURE HAS PAID THE REPAIR BILLS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A $100 DEDUCTIBLE I HAD TO PAY THE LAST TIME THEY REAPIRED IT. I PROTESTED HAVING TO PAY THE $100 BECAUSE I FELT THE MANUFACTUR SHOULD HAVE PAID THE COMPLETE BILL. THEY REFUSED TO REFUND MY MONEY. THIS CAR HAS ON ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE HEAD GASKET. MY FEAR IS THE MANUFACTURE WILL REFUSE TO...

THE BIGGEST PROBLEM I HAVE IS THE ENGINE OIL LEAKING. IT IS SO COSTLY TO REPAIR EVERYTIME. I NEVER CONTACTED THE DODGE COMPANY SINCE I THOUGH THAT I GTO A BAD CAR.

HEAD GASKET FAILURE

TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT, MAIN GEAR CRACKED, AND HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS. IN ADDITION, THE CONSUMER REQUESTED INFORMATION ON RECALLS AND WHAT JUSTIFIES THEM. *PH THE MAIN GEAR EXPERIENCED A CRACK IN THE CASTING AND STARTED TO LOST RELATING COMPONENTS. THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE CASING OF THE TRANSMISSION WAS WET. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE HEAD GASKET. *SC

FOR THE SECOND TIME THE DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKET CAUSED OIL TO LEAK. I HAD IT REPLACED ONCE AND I FEEL IT'S TOO MUCH TO REPLACE IT AGAIN. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY DODGE DOESN'T ASSIST WITH FIXING IT RIGHT.*AK

THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED WITHOUT WARNING.*JB

TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT TO HOT/ SMOKE AND LIQUID STARTED POURING FROM VEHICLE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY STATED THAT IT WAS COOLING FAN RELAY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WHILE PARKED, TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKED OUT OF VEHICLE. DEALER FOUND TRANSMISSION LINES LOOSE. VEHICLE SHIFTING BY ITSELF DUE TO A STICKY CABLE. OIL LEAK IN ENGINE. DEALER FOUND HEADGASKET FAILURE. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS ENGINE RUNS ROUGH. CAMSHAFT REPLACED. VEHICLE SHAKES AND TREMBLES WHILE BRAKING. WEATHERSTRIPPING FELL OFF ON DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. ANTIFREEZE LEAKING. DEALER REPLACED WATER PUMP. BATTERY CLAMP LOOSE CAUSING BATTERY LIGHT TO STAY ON. *AK *TT

DASH WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, AND THEN CAR OVERHEATED, CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AGAIN. HAD TO BE TOWED.*AK

TEMPERATURE GAUGE ALARM WENT OFF, WARNING CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS RUNNING HOT. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THAT HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN . *AK