1998 PLYMOUTH NEON Engine And Engine Coolingenginegasoline Problems

HEAD GASKET FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 32,000 MILES. HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED AT A CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP AND THE NEW HEAD GASKET FAILED AGAIN WITH LESS THAN 40,000 MILES ON THE GASKET. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH NEONS AND CHRYSLER HAS YET TO ISSUE A RECALL.

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, VEHICLE STARTED TO RUN HOT. CONSUMER CUT OFF ENGINE AND VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER STATES THE HEAD GASKET WILL BE REPLACED. TS THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THESE VEHICLES. SCC

LEAKING OIL AT 30500 MILES, STILL UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. WAS REPAIRED BY DEALERSHIP. AT 72000 MILES, ENGINE IS LEAKING OIL AGAIN. TOOK TO INDEPENDANT CONTRACTOR, HAS BEEN CONFIRMED THAT THE HEAD CASKET IS NOW LEAKING IN TWO PLACES. AM TAKING AUTO TO SHOP AND SERVICE MANAGER OFFERED TO FIX WITH ME TO PAY A $200 "DEDUCTIBLE". PLEASE ADVISE IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS TO A RECALL OR ANYTHING MANUFACTURER IS DOING TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE. CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE SAYS THEY AREN'T AWARE OF ANY KIND OF HEAD CASKET PROBLEMS WITH NEONS. THAT'S FUNNY HOW COME EVERYONE ELSE IN THE FREE WORLD KNOWS OF THE NEON'S CASKET PROBLEMS? DT

WAS DRIVING MY 3 GRAND CHILDREN WHEN THE TEMPERATURE BELL RANG. I GLANCED AT MY GAUGES AND NOTICED A HIGH TEMPERATURE READING AND IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. AFTER WAITING 30 MINUTES OR SO I RELEASED THE RADIATOR CAP AND NOTICED WHAT LOOKED LIKE OIL IN THE WATER. I ADDED WATER AND THEN DROVE HOME AT A SLOW RATE OF SPEED WITH THE HEATER ON. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE DID NOT GO ABOVE LOW-MED. I CALLED MY LOCAL GARAGE AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM AND THEY SUGGESTED I HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THEM. THIS I DID, AND UPON EXAMINATION THE CONCLUDED THE HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN. THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAD 87,000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. UPON RESEARCH I SEE THAT THIS IS NOT A NEW PROBLEM OR ISOLATED PROBLEM FOR THE '98 NEON. I WILL NOW CONTACT...

HAD TAKEN CAR BACK TO CARMAX & THEY TOOK TO CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP SAYING CAR OKAY. MARCH 2001 HAD OIL LEAK REPAIRED BY VALVE COVER GASKET. PROBLEM MONTHS LATER LEAK WORSE & OIL NO IN COLLANT NOW TOLD REPAIR WILL BE OVER $000 AND NO GUARANTEE OF BEING FIXED DUE TO PROBLEM WITH WAY NEON/S GASKETS ARE MADE. CAR MUST SIT UNUSED SINCE NO SURE FIX FOR PROBLEM DUE TO MANUFACTURING DEFECT. DT

HAD TAKEN CAR BACK TO CARMAX & THEY HAD CHRYLSER DEALERSHIP LOOK & CAR FOUND OKAY. 3/2001 HAD OIL LEAK REPARIED BY VALVE COVER GASKET, REPLACED OIL CAP, DEGREASE ENGINE, NEW OIL, ETC.. MONTHS LATER...LEAK WORSE & OIL NOW IN COOLANT. TOLD REPAIR WILL BE OVER $1000 AND NO GUARANTEE OF BEING FIXED DUE TO PROBLEM WITH WAY NEON'S GASKETS ARE MADE. CAR MUST SIT UNUSED SINCE "NO SURE FIX FOR PROBLEM". YOU CAN FIX IT BUT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN DUE TO HOW GASKETS MANUFACTURED...OIL LEAKING ALL OVER ROAD WAYS FROM THESE NEONS CAN NOT BE SAFE...HAZARD, I DO BELIEVE. NOW CAN NOT DRIVE CAR. DT

ORIGINAL OWNER, 24286 ORIGINAL MILES. NO PREVIOUS MAJOR PROBLEMS. WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT PROBLEM HAD TO DO WITH "AGE" OF VEHICLE AND "DRY ROT". THIS VEHICLE IS USED ON A DAILY BASIS BY A 82 YEAR OLD WOMAN WHO STILL HAS LOAN PAYMENTS TO MAKE ON IT. SHE HAS KEPT UP WITH ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE, AND FEELS SHE IS BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF. CHECKING THE INTERNET HAS SHOWN NUMEROUS INCEDENCES OF SIMILAR HEAD GASKET COMPLAINTS ON THESE CARS, BUT NO OFFICIAL RECALL TO DATE THAT WE KNOW OF. INDEPENDENT MECHANIC HAS STATED HE IS AWARE OF A CHANGE IN THE TYPE OF GASKET USED, DUE TO CHRYSLER'S BEING AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. CAN AN 82 YEAR OLD SENIOR SEEK SATISFACTION THROUGH YOUR ORGANIZATION? ANY ASSISTANCE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. DT

THERE IS AN OIL LEAK THAT IS CAUSING THE HEAD GASKET AND ENGINE TO GO OUT. DEALER CONTACTED. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. *AK *SCC

HEAD GASEKT, REAR MAIN SEAL, VALVES AND ROCKER ARMS FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. CONSUMER HAD A 5 YEAR / 50,000 MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY, HOWEVER FAILURES OCCURED AT 55,000. *TT

ENGINE WOULD SKIP WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS . ALSO, THERE IS A GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM REAR OF VEHICLE WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS. *AK

THIS CAR IS THE WORST. I HAVE LOST MORE WAGES FROM MISSING WORK DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THIS VEHICLE. I AM GOING TO BE CONTACTING MY ATTORNEY FOR LEMON LAWS IN OUR STATE. NO ONE AT THE DEALERSHIP EVEN WANTS TO DEAL WITH ME OR MY PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR. IS IT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR REASONS WHY CERTAIN "FIXED" THINGS SEEM TO ALWAYS BE BREAKING DOWN? I AM GOING TO GET RID OF IT ASAP. * NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONE DIN SUMMARY. *AK

THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO STALL, DEALER REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY, BATTERY AND THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR BUT THE CONDITION STILL EXIST. NLM

WHEN DRIVING OR UPON MAKING A STOP VEHICLE CUT OFF WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, CAUSING LOSS OF ALL POWER. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ILLUMINATED AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS SHUT DOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

CONSUMER TOOK CAR TO MECHANIC AT SEARS FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHECK, AND MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THAT THERE WAS AN OIL LEAK AND A TRANSMISSION LEAK. *AK