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1997 Dodge Neon Head Gasket
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Comments
I went home and investigated on my computer. Sites like this one allowed me to realize that the headgasket problem is very wide spread.
I wrote a letter to Daimler Chrysler (DC) and sent a copy of my bill. They called me and said that they would pay me $148.94 for the parts under a "good will warranty". No labor.
I politely said that I was not satisfied with $149 given that the Neon headgasket problem seems too wide spread to be just a coincidence. The DC rep asked me "so you are not satisfied with this?" I replied "no I am not". She then said " well since this good will warranty is designed to make you happy and it is not, then I am withdrawing the offer and you get nothing, zero. You are no longer eligible for the good will warranty sir."
I was left almost speechless by the response. I don't know that I have ever been treated more poorly. I called and explained the situation to another DC rep and got no where. I asked him that if he was in my shoes would he not expect to be at least partially reimbursed for the head gasket repair. He responded "no sir, I take responsibility for my own vehicles".
I realize I should have taken my car to a dealer, but at the time I thought the problem was unique to my Neon. Thus I did not even think of being reimbursed. If DC would have publicly admitted that there is a Neon headgasket problem, then I would have known and taken it to a dealer.
Any advice on what to do next. I am out $800 and I am shocked at how poorly the DC reps treated me. I could see their responses if I was rude, but I wasn't. I was polite and professional at all times. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions. Thank you.
thank you
jenny
As for paint, it's warranted for 12 months or 12,000 miles on a Dodge. The Neon postdates the common Uniprime peeling-paint problem Chrysler (and Ford and GM) had in the late 80s and early 90s. It is more likely an isolated case now - unlike its transmissions, Chrysler apparently has improved its paint finishes.
I started out by calling a local dealership in order to get a quote for the repair. I was quoted a price of $800 parts & labor. I immediately called the DC number and was told that I would need to take my Neon to a service department and get a problem determination. Well, I did and of no surprise I was told that it was the head gasket that was leaking and that DC would go 50/50 with me for the repairs. The final bill for the repair ended up to be $214.96. I believe that the district managers have undue influence in determining the final cost of repairs. I also believe that there is a possibility that I might not have had to pay anything. The idea of a class action suit will be my next consideration.
Good luck to all Neon owners.
My (daughter's) 1997 Neon had 28,000 miles on it when we bought it. Shortly after buying the Neon, we started noticing the oil spots. My daughter-in-law also owned a Neon (1998) during this time period, and it developed a major oil leak. My daughter-in-law was able to get her head gasket replaced at no charge, although the warranty had expired. (I attributed their willingness to correct the problem to the fact that she and my son have been good customers of the Chrysler dealer in our town.)
After arming myself with information from this site, I finally took my daughter's 97 Neon in to the dealer to have the oil leak checked at 44,400 miles. I told the service dept. when I took it in that I was reasonably sure that it was the head gasket, given all of the problems that Chrysler has had with this item. The service dept. told me that if it was the hg, it would likely be covered by Chrysler. They would call to get approval if needed.
It turned out that it was the hg, and they called me to say that it was out of warranty and the repairs would not be covered. I told the service rep that I knew that Chrysler had repaired many of the Neons at no charge. She offered to do the repair at 50% cost. I told her that I also knew that many of the hg's had been replaced for a $100 deductible paid by the consumer. She agreed to this and the work was subsequently done.
When I went to pick up the car today, the lady that I had spoken with was not available. There was confusion about the charge, but the owner of the dealership got involved, and I was able to pick up the car with No Charge. He stated that Chrysler gives him a great deal of flexibility in dealing with the head gasket problem.
Once again, I thank all of you for providing me with the ammunition needed to get this repair done for free.
-P.S. -TO THE GIRL THAT WAS LOOKING TO PURSUE A LAWSUIT - If still interested, I'M GAME!!! my e-mail is listed on this site. IF anyone, for that matter, is looking to do the same, I'll get in on the action. I know Dodge/Chrysler won't squirm because their rep is poor anyway (I found out about that too late!), but If I can exact at least $2500.00 damage in bad publicity from Dodge/Chrysler, I'd call it even.....
I am no DCX cheer leader, but not EVERY problem is someone else's fault. Paint ages, fades, cracks, checks, crazes.
I hope that a class action suit IS brought against them for their defective head gaskets and Ford's and GM's as well. But the paint thing-please.
You did it, U Won ! Worldwide consumers have paid there hard earned money and you provided worldwide consumers with the worst Engineered vehicles on Earth...
Got to hand it to Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth you have Won beaten all your consumers.
Wise old saying you can't read a book by its cover :O)
Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth great looking vehicle unfortunately for the unsuspecting consumer even to date Transmission failure, head gasket failure , too many more serious problems Etc...
Just read this Newsgroup 2% Satisfied , 98% Unsatisfied . Surf the internet U will find 100s of thousands of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth vehicle owners that are Big Losers. Telling there Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth vehicle Horror stories.
Now that Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth consumers have read the book by owning one of the worst Engineered vehicles on Earth. Consumers worldwide learned a costly but valuable lesson.
Now we have come to realize. Yes Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth they are the Winners.
Yep we the "Consumers of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth vehicles are the BIG LOSERS" !
Were losing vehicle trade in, Value its Awful.
Quality Automobile Dealers don't want your Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth vehicle offering 50% of Galves Trade in if in Mint Condition.
Even Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth Dealers are offering 50% of Galves. Now we are driving around in a nearly worthless Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth vehicle and paying for Major repairs :O(
Its not going to get any better cause Smart Consumers are not Buying a New or even thinking of buying a used Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth vehicle.
We sure learned a Valuable Lesson > Never again buy Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth vehicles. For those few Die Hards remember( Only a Fool Loses Twice )
Rejoice fellow Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth vehicle consumers now it is our turn to Win.
Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth your profits are gone, Stocks are dropping to an all time low Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth is just hanging on by a thread bankruptcy is near Hooray - Yeah !
Now how does it feel to be a LOSER ! Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth :O)
Worldwide automotive consumers buy smart be a Winner don't become a Loser like the rest of us who owned or still own the worst engineered vehicles on Earth.
Let Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth become the final Loser.
And there are companies that will stand behind what they build - my Subaru was just serviced for an alternator replacement after 4 years and almost 50,000 miles. Subaru didn't have to offer the service campaign - it did so to keep the goodwill of its buyers. They replace the alternators without charge for parts or labor.
I guess customer satisfaction means more to some companies than it does to others; it may be one reason why Subaru (and Honda and Toyota) are selling cars just fine, while DaimlerChryler's Chrysler Group is struggling now.
If I were GM et al, I'd boost the warranty up to some decent mileage, and say "Look, up to 75,000 miles we cover the drivetrain, after that you're on your own"....I'll pay for a head gasket or transmission at 100K, I feel that's fair, that's a lot of miles, but not at 37K miles!.
It's the kind of thing you can argue both ways...with some cars, it wouldn't matter if it had a 150,000 mile warranty---if it broke every few months, the owner still wouldn't be happy, would he? On the other hand, a Honda has...what...36 months?...and you don't see Honda owners moaning and groaning too much.
Someday "certain" carmakers will understand the magic priniciple:
It cost just as much to engineer and assemble a car badly as it does to do it well.
Somewhere I've seen it said that one customer with a bad experience will result in 22 or more lost sales from other customers. For all their Harvard and Wharton-trained MBAs, the domestic automakers sure miss the boat a lot on prudent business practices.
It's become a major industry for aftermarket reman companies such as Moog, TRW, etc.
Will a Dodge dealer do this on instruction from the factory without legal intervention? Hmmm....I wonder....
What you say is very true...quality issues are management issues as much as engineering, materials, etc. Look at how well some Japanese-American car building ventures have turned out.
Sure, I enjoyed the Neon while I had it, fun car to drive, etc, but she was starting to go south anyway, burning oil, making funnier noises than usual, I was just waiting for the MLS headgasket to let go (or the timing belt, tranny, electrical system, motor mounts, whatever, they're all suspect to crap out sooner than later).
I have trouble believing the 1:22 ratio:
[Somewhere I've seen it said that one customer with a bad experience will result in 22 or more lost sales from other customers]
That ratio is extremely high even in the high school education or less demographic. Typically, consumers with higher incomes/education levels will use word-of-mouth (WOM) in the initial stage of a purchasing decision but the critical factor(s) will probably be their own research. Marketing research has shown that those using WOM as a critical purchasing factor tend to be the less educated. Even in that group though, 1 in 10 or 12 is probably a more accurate ratio.
On a different note, I can completely understand why someone who purchased one of those 95-97 Neons would be - pardon the french - pissed at Chrysler, but let's not forget how fast Chrysler rushed that puppy from inception to production (less than two years). STILL...standing on a soapbox and essentially proclaiming that anyone seriously contemplating purchasing a 2001 Neon is a dolt is in poor taste. Hey pot, this is kettle. You're black.
I hate to be rude, but I hear violins playing in my head when I read some of these posts. With only a little research (hell, even cheap cars still cost quite a bit of money in the picture of things), any 95/96 Neon buyer should've been WELL aware they were going to be guinea pigs for a completely new automobile design (new engine, new tranny, new chassis...NEW EVERYTHING). Virtually nothing on the 94-95 Neon was carried over from the generally quite reliable and plenty unattractive Acclaim/Spirit twins. Now these same VOLUNTEER test subjects want everyone to join in their crusade against Chrysler? I can't help but to wish Kias on these people. They truly deserve it.
On the same note, I just heard someone the other day b******* about the problems he already had with his '00 Focus and I asked him point blank, "Just exactly what part of your pre-purchase research on the vehicle led you to believe that the car would be problem-free?" Yes, I was a jerk. But in my defense, this guy is an idiot.
When you buy an American car here in its first production year, you ARE going to be a guinea pig. The more new parts it possesses, the greater your odds of having trouble. This is common knowledge, folks.
When you buy a "new" Japanese design the first year out of the chute here, at least you can usually rest assured that the Japanese consumers themselves have done the beta testing.
On a different subject, I agree that Subaru makes some fantastic vehicles nowadays - if you can handle the exterior appearances (that new Impreza got beaten senseless with the ugly stick and I think most unbiased people would have to agree that the Forester does somewhat resemble an AMC Pacer on steriods). But, if you did a little checking around (you have to look hard, not a lot of people bought Subies ten years ago) to find some people who purchased the Subaru "timing-chain eater" Loyale ~1990, you would also probably find at least a couple really belligerent "I'll never buy one of those damn Subarus again" types in the group.
I think it's a very good thing that these boards exist so that people can share their experiences and opinions about different vehicles. I think it's important that none of us forget, however, that these boards are not accurate representations of true consumer sentiment.
The people who take the time to post here generally fit into one of two categories: (1)those seeking vengeance against companies that sold them lemons and (2) those trying to justify their own purchase decisions and biases (we call this psychological phenomenon "cognitive dissonance" in marketing). Most of us possess some type of bias (I, for example, hate sport utility or "suburban assault" vehicles with a PASSION). Let's just keep in mind that our opinions are just that - opinions.
Before I go, I apologize for the length of this diatribe. Just consider yourself lucky that you didn't have to read any of my research papers in college !
Happy motoring all!
A few corrections:
Subarus use almost exclusively timing belts, not chains. Shorter-lived belts were more the rule than the exception ten or fifteen years ago; Honda had problems, but so did a lot of other makers - and Chrysler's first 2.2L engines snapped belts with monotonous regularity as well.
The Neon was not an all new design by any measure. The transmission dates back to the Omni and Horizon of the 1970s - it has a generally good reputation for engineering, if not quality control. The Neon was designed to make a profit for Chrysler in selling U.S.-designed and North American-built small cars - something Chrysler had never attempted before (the Omni-Horizon were SIMCA-Rootes European designs, like the Cricket before them; the Shadow and Sundance were simply cut-down K-cars, not true small models). Chrysler cut every corner it could to keep the price down, and the Neon that resulted was unsatisfactory to most people.
It used to be true that the Japanese automakers held back worldwide releases until after home market debugging - that hasn't been the case for many models in years. And while no automaker is immune to design defects and manufacturing defects, you don't see the same level of problems with a newly minted Corolla or Civic that you do with a newly minted Neon model.
The newer Neons are what the originals should have been - no doubt. They're also priced quite a bit higher than the originals, and I would suspect they don't make much, if any money for DaimlerChrysler.
Has anybody who had head gasket work done after warranty been able to get any money back from Chrysler? What is the procedure?
Also, I saw only one mention on this forum about a potential class action law suit. If it exists, does anybody have details?
Thank you.
Class-action lawsuits are meaningless to the individual consumer - they invariably result in miniscule payouts to member of the class (and big-league ones to the attorneys who represent the class).