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Dodge-Plymouth Neon Transmission/Suspension

yakima51yakima51 Member Posts: 2
My 2002 Neon had to have its transmission replaced at 39,000 miles since it was a used car it wasn't covered by the 7/70 power train warranty- I got nowhere with Chrysler in trying to get them to cover all or part of the cost - does any one have similar story ? or suggest any tactics that might work in getting some coverage on this - after all transmission should last the life of the car -100K

Thanks

Yakima
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Comments

  • faroutfarout Member Posts: 1,609
    Sorry to hear of your transmission failure. These transmissions need to be serviced every 30,000 miles. The cost is about $125.00 US. If CDX saw no transmission service had been dome then they would have no reason to even consider paying anything. If you bought the car before 36,000 miles you could have purchased the remainder of the & year or 70,000 mile warranty. Only if you were the second owner couls you have done this. Yes the transmission most likely with proper care should get much better life. I have a 96 Dodge Neon with 178,000 on the orignal engine, however the transmission was rebuilt once at 30,000 and replaced with a Chrysler rebuilt at 85,000. These were the three speed automatics. Yor Neon has a 4 speed and is a better transmission. Hope this helps.

    Farout
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,724
    Actually, Honda and Toyota Auto Transmissions are designed to take you easily to 200,000 miles, and occasionally past 300 K w/o any problems whatsoever.

    Dodge Neons are a fraud on the part of Chrysler. They should sell them as "TEMP vehicles" meaning they are temporary cars, good for about 3 years or 36,000 miles.
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • abbeyhugabbeyhug Member Posts: 1
    What a load of crap. Honda has a much worse history of automatic transmission failures than MOPAR... and they continue to this day: A fact you just don't hear about from the paid for auto journalists.

    Check the back of any Honda dealership's maintenance department, and the torn out transmissions waiting for shipment. I know, I had 3 replaced in a Civic I owned.

    Now I grant you a newer Civic is a better car than a newer Dodge 2.0SX.. the Civic costs more, the the reliability of the Dodge is not that far from the Civic. Check the stats on the Neon based PT Cruiser... gets as good or better reliability reports than various Toyota's

    My 2002 300M has been flawless for 4.75 years... I had a nail puncture a tire for the total of un-scheduled maintenance.

    There are way too many ignorant posters out there: They know not of what they speak.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Oooh, let's be careful not to make this personal ... please.
  • beachbrumbeachbrum Member Posts: 16
    Can someone please help? I just got the tranny fluid on the manual transmission of my 2001 Dodge Neon RT drained and refilled and now when I cruise down the freeway in 5th gear at 75mph or so. The stick likes to randomly pop out of fifth into neutral.

    What gives? Could this be a fluid issue? I wonder however that I may have some sort of gear box problem and the clean fresh fluid made it a little more readily apparent.

    Thanks in advance
  • nbowlernbowler Member Posts: 1
    hello there I had just bought a 2005 neon sxt and I have noticed that when i shift into second gear that it tends to lose power for about 2 seconds and then goes back to the normal speed and rpm that it needs to be. They can not figure it out and it has been doing this before it even hit 500 miles it does the sane thing to my fiances neon too.
  • goodcrdgoodcrd Member Posts: 253
    It sounds like an ecm programming issue. Sounds to me like it is dropping to base idle and your computer is trying to compensate the idle air control. Make sure all the ecm input are continuous signals and you have no dead spots in any of the input signals to the ecm. Good luck, dealers don't like to spend the time needed to figure this stuff out. They want quick fixes with quick money.
  • allllanallllan Member Posts: 1
    Yeah my wheel starts to shake a bit when ever I go faster than 55mph-105mph. I was told it might be my motor mounts, but my car only has 52,000 miles on it. It's Definety not that old, I also Got a Alignment, New tires, New shocks, New springs, New rack and pinion and A New timing belt!! (My Front Right tire will lose air because of the shaking on the freeway usually If I am driving on there for a bit of a while of time) Well if anyone could give me some good advise, Thanks!!!
  • 79customd79customd Member Posts: 87
    You can take it to a tech and suggest for him to take a look at the Staic balance and at the Dynamic balance of your car. Which is to say, Check to see if the car is putting A-symmetrical pressure on one tire or the other. A way to check Static balance is to jack the car up or put it on blocks. Have a person sit in the drivers seat and turn the steering wheel at idle. The front wheels should not rotate no matter which direction you turn them in. If there is loose rotation carry the car to a tech who can fix its static Balance. I don't know if this is the problem or not because I'm not there looking at the car and cannot see for myself but thats the best advice I can Give Ya.

    Hope my advice helps and fixes the problem ;)
  • faroutfarout Member Posts: 1,609
    all.an: My 96 has just turned 180,000 miles. Durring the first 100,000 while under the Chrysler Service Contract we bought, every thing you can dream of was replaced! Chrysler spent more on warranty repairs then we paid for the car! Motor and transmission mounts are not something I would discount. I have replaced the fromt motor mount at 172,000 and I could not believe the difference it made. It's hard to do, and I don't have the patients to do that, so I got a local garage to do it. I think the mount was rather costly. If you haven't had a head gasket issue yet, keep your eyes open as you are open for a problem there. I did have the orignal transmission rebuilt twice and at 85,000 miles the put a Chrysler rebuilt which I have changed the fulid every 30,000 miles on and it's got 95,000 and still runs good. Anytime I brag on a car or truck it soon falls appart!

    farout
  • yota3yota3 Member Posts: 1
    i need to find where to fill my trans in a 98 neon. my trans cooling hose split and emptied the trans replace the hose just cant find where to fill the trans
  • arcadefreak36arcadefreak36 Member Posts: 49
    Transmission dipstick is where you fill the fluid.
  • beachbrumbeachbrum Member Posts: 16
    I've got a 2001 Neon RT with about 72K miles, totally stock suspension. I just now have 205/50R16 tires instead of 195's.

    I was looking to improve straight line drive quality(not so stiff) while maintaining what I feel is some pretty awesome cornering ability.

    Anyone have any advice as to how to do go about doing this correctly? I commute 70 miles round trip each day on an interstate in basically a straight line and I would like that to be a little softer ride. However I still want to maintain cornering ability.

    Any advice would be appreciated.

    :shades:
  • tridurvitridurvi Member Posts: 4
    Lucky me...(NOT) I just put my 2002 Dodge Neon in the shop. The transmission started slipping and making this great whining/grinding sound, plus the check engine light came on when it started acting up.
  • teenyteeny Member Posts: 1
    Can I ask how much this set you back? My 2001 Neon just started to slip, not all the time but I'm pretty sure it's my transmission. My last payment is THIS MONTH!!! I should have known this was going to happen..........
  • lawyer53lawyer53 Member Posts: 4
    Farout - For some reason, the "Reply" link isn't appearing in the main Neon list.

    So, here is my response to your 10/14/06 (2:28 PM) message, (which was "lawyer53: How many miles are are on your Neon. We have a 96 Highline. we bought new, and it has 192,000 miles on it. It uses a quart about every 600 miles. I expect that with this many miles on it.
    Thank the Lord we bought the Chrysler Service Contract. Everything but the block and head, and I mean everything you can imagine was replaced under the extended warranty. Chrysler spent more on repairs during the 100,000 miles than we paid for the Neon! After 100,000 miles repairs have been normal and it's been great. Always the mpg has been in the 30mpg range, even now. However this summer we have spent about $1,400. in tires and repair. Now we drive it less than 100 miles a month. If we don't drive it once and a while to keep the rings from becoming loose, and using more oil. Yes. it smokes a little but 192,000 is a lot for a 2.L engine. At least I think so.

    Farout)

    I have 133K on my 1998 Neon. I'd say I am constantly replenishing the oil. It's a leaker (because the mat under the car in the garage is stained with oil). I used the extended secondary, market warranty a lot, and easily saved more than the premium for the warranty. Now that the warranty is over, I have had to buy tires and brakes (would not have been covered by the warranty, anyway) and get a repalacment starter motor. That was about $400. Still, it gets good mileage. City is about 32. On long trips, I can get 38 or more.
  • 95racer95racer Member Posts: 1
    i have a 95 highline and i am looking to swap from a auto to a manual trans for performance reasons. my ? is, how much of a problem is this and how long will expect for the car to be down?
  • desgnrdesgnr Member Posts: 19
    My wifes 1998 Plymouth Neon bought new.
    Now has 45,000 miles.
    When the car is cold the Transmission slips.
    When it warms up it shifts fine.
    My mechanic said if he changes the Transmission fluid it might help,but he also said it could make the problem worse.
    What do you suggest to correct the problem?
  • cafebradcafebrad Member Posts: 1
    hello, i read alot about tranny problems in these cars. My 95 2.0 auto slips between 2nd and 3rd only, and more so when cold.is the whole thing hooped, or should i try a flush and this special additive i heard about for gears slipping.
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,724
    The only crap here is what you wrote!

    The truth is that Honda transmissions in general, last basically forever (check 92 civic DX that had original tranny approaching 200K miles when we sold it about 2 years ago).

    Dodge transmissions last about 65K at best!!! That is like a best case scenario with regular maintenance.
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • neonboysgurlneonboysgurl Member Posts: 1
    Alright i have a 2004 Neon 2.0L, well some one tampered with the transmission, at first i didnt know what it was but knew i burned out the pan gasket seal, i change that then came to another problem, they removed the plug thats located underneathe the transmission, i know they dont sell them in auto stores like autozone......need some advice on where i could get one, and how much would this cost! please help. i would like to get my neo up and running please..... :sick:
  • billandalishabillandalisha Member Posts: 1
    Yesterday when I was driving my car, when i stepped on the gas pedal I could feel the car revving but it wasn't going any where then all of a sudden it would jerk and go ahead...

    It did this a few times then I decided this isn't normal..so I got out of my car to check the hood...as soon as i opened my car door i saw a trail of fluid ...from the road to where I parked..

    So i peeked under the hood and green stuff and red stuff was leaking on to the ground. Oh damn..

    I jumped in the car trying to head back to my place but I stalled about 2 min..I could feel the car revving but it wasn't going any where..so I had to push the car to a parking lot.

    When I got my car to my apt, I checked the transmission fluid as well my coolant..both were bone dry

    I think I need a new transmission ...not sure..

    any one can give any clues what it might be? its in the shop now..i want to look smart when they give me the estimate..thanks
  • dkaufman23dkaufman23 Member Posts: 1
    2005 Dodge Neon SXT 40,557 miles:

    I recently started having a problem with my car that i can't quite figure out. After driving in traffic around town for a while and then getting out on the interstate the transmissions' torgue converter seems to be locking and un-locking constantly as i notice a dramatic fluctation in RPM at that time. Also the speedo fluctuates 10-20 mph...i guess bounces between would be a better description. It also seems to be miss-firing but no associated engine light, so no codes to pull. The missfire feeling could be from the tranny but not sure. It only does it for a minute or so. Then all goes back to normal. Seems to run fine once it stops its little fit but bothers me. Dealership has been no help.

    It only seems to do this after doing city driving and not at any other time. MPG has also decreased noticieably. Was thinking transmission control module with the speedo doing the bounceing but just want some input.

    Thanks

    Dan
  • gcumbergcumber Member Posts: 1
    i had this same thing happen last night... i am under the impression that this is the transmission fluid cooling line that runs to the radiator... but not 100% could you let me know what you found out??? pleez!
  • ray40ray40 Member Posts: 1
    Hey,
    Just went thru this problem with a 2002 neon. You need to replace the Radiator, and have the trans fliud and the Radiator flushed out, then hope that ne damage was done to the Trans.
  • lhasaluverslhasaluvers Member Posts: 3
    In case you haven't solved your problem yet, I will give you a little advice on it. My son's 200 Neon lost all the tranny fluid. We found that the cooling line to the radiator was off. The plug that went into the radiator had pulled out. Not the hose clamp, but the threads on the plug stripped. To repair it, I used PC-7 epoxy to hold it. So far it has held. He had driven it without fluid about 5 miles, slipping badly. We put 3 1/2 quarts of high mileage fluid plus sealer and conditioner in it and it didn't slip. I don't know how much damage was done to the discs, but he'll have to wait and see if it continues to run.
    Hope this advice helps anyone.
  • lhasaluverslhasaluvers Member Posts: 3
    In case you haven't solved your problem yet, I just posted the following to billandalisha . My son's 2000 Neon lost all the tranny fluid. We found that the cooling line to the radiator was off. The plug that went into the radiator had pulled out. Not the hose clamp, but the threads on the plug stripped. To repair it, I used PC-7 epoxy to hold it. So far it has held. He had driven it without fluid about 5 miles, slipping badly. We put 3 1/2 quarts of high mileage fluid plus sealer and conditioner in it and it didn't slip. I don't know how much damage was done to the discs, but he'll have to wait and see if it continues to run.
    Hope this advice helps anyone.
  • bdarrellbdarrell Member Posts: 1
    my trans line from the tranny to the radiator popped off from the radiator... the threads were stripped off also just like posted before...........you must replace the radiator and flush the trans.... for a quick fix to get you to a shop use a small piece of brake line and splice the input and output lines together with the brake line and a few hose clamps but i remind you this is a quick fix for a short distance prolonged use can result in trans failure how this was helpful
  • lhasaluverslhasaluvers Member Posts: 3
    It looks like my son's Neon wasn't the only one that had stripped threads in the radiator. That epoxy repair seems to be holding good so far. I've used it a number of times before and it's good stuff. They ought to, at least mold a little heavier area on the radiator where the fitting screws in. It only has about three very fine threads in it and that's not much. Perhaps they want you to have to buy a new radiator and/or replace the tranny.
  • rovert68rovert68 Member Posts: 1
    We have a 2004 Neon SXT with 140,000 highway miles. The solenoid pressure switch was leaking fluid and the mechanic has replaced. After driving for 5-10 minutes, the transmission will make a hard shift and then will get stuck in 2nd gear. The transmission will down shift to 1st, but will not shift any higher than 2nd gear. It will remain in this condition until the vehicle ignition is turned off.

    Has anyone experienced this problem, if so, what what the source of the problem?

    The mechanic suggested the electronic shifter was not working properly due to a low charging battery?? Any thoughts on that statement?
  • solesole Member Posts: 1
    what is the best way to get fluid out od radiator cooler.
  • planetmfplanetmf Member Posts: 5
    Hello All. I've got a 2000 Neon and I'm wondering if anyone can clue me in as to what I've got here with a kinda dangerous problem. It seems as though whenever I have to stop abruptly for whatever reason my car will not move after that. I have to sit there for a minute or two or shut it off and try again. None of the gears do anything for a minute or two and then it's fine. Happened this morning at red light that I should have just gone through. It's an automatic. A tad scary.
  • belle10belle10 Member Posts: 1
    Honey at least you are stopped when it happens to you. Try going down the interstate at 65 miles per hour and it happen! Thats more than a tad bit scarey. I have a 2005 neon that I bought brand new and the problem started almost immediately. Driving down the road, car just stops, engine still running, motor wont even rev up. Just have to sit there until it decides time to go. I have had it to several different dealers and they cant seem to get it to duplicate what I am telling them. Matter of fact it is in the shop now. It has 6000 miles left on the warrenty so I told them to keep it until they figure out what the problem is or else. This state has a lemon law and I think that is exactly what I have! And u are right we have a very dangerous problem and I am not gonna stop until it is fixed! :mad: You be careful :)
  • totkentotken Member Posts: 2
  • totkentotken Member Posts: 2
    Good evening,
    My stepdaughter has a 2000 Plymouth Neon. We have had a lot of problems with this vehicle and apparently a lot of other folks have too. We just had the radiator repaired and 2 days after getting the car out of the shop and $750 in repairs done on the vehicle, the car came to a dead stop and all of the transmission fluid poured out. We took it to the same mechanic who had just done a full tune-up and repair and he claimed the transmission needed to be repaired. Is this common for this particular vehicle and does anyone have any suggestions on what to do. The car has 100,000 miles on it now.

    Thank you,
    Tim
  • chevygirl99chevygirl99 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 1996 neon and my tranny went out, if anyone has one let me know [email protected]
  • gaminocorpgaminocorp Member Posts: 2
    it will take you a day if you have the right parts, its very easy.Its not as hard as people may say it is
  • gaminocorpgaminocorp Member Posts: 2
    What kind of head kind i swap into a 95 Dodge Neon Sport SOHC. Should i just do a DOHC?(or) I herd that you can get a Stratus DOHC on it, i belive its 2.4, is that true ([email protected])
  • carman_88carman_88 Member Posts: 1
    well is see that you posted this quit some time ago but i thought i would try and help you out incase you haven't solved the problem yet. i would go with what your mechanic said and get the alternator tested at autzone or advanced auto. if it is fine, have your mechanic check the wires, see if any are loose or corroded. if not, try getting a new battery. if it is none of them then the only thing i can suggest is getting a used, rebuilt tranny (they're not as expensive and not all that hard to replace) or sell the car. those obviously aren't your only choices, but thats all i really know about that type of thing and i am no professional mechanic by any means. good luck if you haven't gotten it fixed yet.
  • atlrep234atlrep234 Member Posts: 2
  • atlrep234atlrep234 Member Posts: 2
    My wife owns a 2001 Dodge Neon with an automatic transmission that has now gone bad. She drove over a piece of pipe in the street and put a hole in the bellhousing. I am trying to find a replacement for the car at a really reasonable price. Either the bellhousing or a used transmission. Does anyone have any leads on a good place to start loking?
  • carmaxsrt4carmaxsrt4 Member Posts: 4
    i bought my 05 srt 4 and with in two day the tranny blow out. the previous owner need change the tranny fluid. which has a 18000 mile life span. the dealership is no help they only gave me 1k to fix. the shop bill is near 6k. i love the car and plan to keep. but she is really test the love if you know what i mean. :mad:
  • AllisonPGHAllisonPGH Member Posts: 1
    I know this is an old thread, but I saw your post and felt compelled to reply. I don't want someone else to go through all the trouble I'm currently going through! My radiator actually failed a few weeks ago, and I had it immediately replaced. My transmission and radiator received a double flush as well.

    Much to my dismay, my radiator failed AGAIN last week. I contacted Dodge who basically told me Neon radiators are known to be defective, and Dodge claims no responsibility for this. My transmission is probably on its last leg now due to the 2nd radiator failure. Despite my transmission being covered under warranty, Dodge will not fix my transmission if it bites the dust due to radiator issues, even though they admit their defective radiator is to blame!

    Right now I'm in the process of having my radiator replaced again along with having everything flushed again. A Dodge rep actually told me there's a 50/50 chance everything will keep on failing, but replacing the transmission "might" fix the problem... the same transmission that's supposed to be under warranty for another 15,000 miles. Dodge won't chip in at all on the repairs or do anything to remedy the situation.

    Despite taking great care of my Neon, it's been nothing but costly repairs for the past couple years, and it's broken down 3 times(!!!) in the past 6 months alone. This is not normal behavior for a car that's 5 years old with less than 55,000 miles on it. I've always kept my oil changed, I don't drive like a maniac, and I don't even drive my car every day... usually just a few times a week, if that. I certainly didn't expect luxury class performance from my Neon when I bought it years ago as a college student on a tight budget, but I did expect it to safely get me from point A to point B without costly repairs every stinking year.

    As a result of this ordeal, I'm planning on trading my Neon in immediately after this round of repair work is complete. I want to get rid of it before the transmission fails (and likely the radiator too for the 3rd time). There is no way am I investing that much money into such a problematic and unreliable vehicle when I can invest it in a brand new vehicle from a better manufacturer!

    I would NEVER buy another Dodge vehicle again, based on the poor quality of both their merchandise and customer service. It's simply unacceptable! If this is how other American auto manufacturers conduct their business, it's no wonder the American auto industry is failing.

    Do yourselves a big favor and trade in your Neons for safer, more reliable cars once you start experiencing radiator and transmission problems. And don't buy a used one just because they're inexpensive and have good gas mileage, unless you don't mind the very likely chance of spending thousands on repairs. Maybe you'll be luckier than I was, but I've come across dozens of other people on the Internet who've had the same outcome as me or who've ended up much worse. Even Dodge will admit their product is crap. The fact they stopped making Neons 3 years ago says it all.

    P.S. Tim, Neons are also known to have brake-related and electrical problems. I've never had any electrical problems (thank God!), but I've had my brakes serviced twice in the past year alone. I'm convinced my Neon is the spawn of Satan. =P
  • BIGDADDYHORTONBIGDADDYHORTON Member Posts: 35
    I AGREE WITH PAT, BUT MAYBE THE HONDA GUY SHOULD STICK TO THE HONDA FORUM'S NOT THE NEON ONES. AFTER ALL ISN'T THIS TO HELP ONE ANOTHER ON OUR DODGE'S. :P
  • BIGDADDYHORTONBIGDADDYHORTON Member Posts: 35
    I AM SORRY YOU HAD SUCH A BAD EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR NEON, IF ANY HELP USE A SEPERATE COOLER FOR YOUR TRANS, I CHANGE TO A SEPERATE ONE AND A SEPERATE OIL COOLER AND MY 2.0 RUNS GREAT, YOUR APPLICATION ON YOU CAR IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I HAVE OR AM DOING TO MINE, THE ONLY REAL GOOD THING OTHER THAN MY MPG IS THAT MOST PARTS ARE CHEAP, WHEN NOT GOING THROUGH DODGE OF COURSE AND YOU CAN BUILD A REALLY GOOD DEPENDABLE CAR OUT OF THEM, IF IT IS PAID FOR AND YOU LIKE WORKING ON THEM YOUR SELF.
  • BIGDADDYHORTONBIGDADDYHORTON Member Posts: 35
    UNFORTUNATELY THE GEARS ARE PLASTIC, IF ANYONE KNOWS HOW TO GET A BETTER TRANY PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
  • fuze59fuze59 Member Posts: 4
    Hi guys,
    Ive noticed a lot of you talking about having to change your transmission.. what symptoms did you notice that were tell tail signs your tranny was going??

    At the moment when I accelerate I hear a whining noise. The same noise as when you reverse fast or up a hill. The faster I go the higher pitch the whine. Do you think this is wheel bearings or tranny??

    Just got my 2001 neon last week with 147k on it.. fingers crossed its not a bad car :S Already having to put half a liter of oil in everytime i fuel up.. engine light is now on.. when starts cold makes some funky noises and does this wierd rev on rev off things.. but anyways.. any help or advice with the whining would be great.

    Cheers, Reece.
  • kinito24kinito24 Member Posts: 1
    hey dan,
    well bad new, i have same car n year 2005 dodge neon sxt
    same problem including rpm jumping gear o stay stuck on one gear mayb 2gear since the car is computerized its tried to adjust but i the same time i could serious damage ur trans like mines dont wait long jus got my car fix bad new it cost me 1000$$ to rebuild good new now runs good no problem the problem was bad transmission converter torque all all dodge chrys- transmission die after 55,000 miles have it check most places r free avoid having this code P0700 Transmission Control System Malfunction
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,724
    I hate it when I'm always right, but I think the Neon is the single biggest reason Chrysler went bankrupt.
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • pastornickpastornick Member Posts: 1
    I had the same problem for a while.. then the car would run fine for about 10 minutes then the whole transmissions would just go out, as if the car was in neutral in every gear. I pulled the tranny out and opened it up. The clutches looked good, the pump looked ok, so the only thing I could think it could be was the torque converter. So I bought a new one for $89. I'm about to put it on and see if that was the problem. I'll let you know then you will know what needs to be fixed on your car. Unless you've already had it fixed. If so let me know what it was. Thanks.
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