Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

1997 Dodge Neon Head Gasket

13»

Comments

  • hibidr29hibidr29 Member Posts: 1
    Just putting my 2 cents in.I have A 90 dodge colt that has 83000 miles on it.For the last year or so I have had oil leaking out of what appeared to be the head gasket.Kept telling myself its got to be leaking from the valve cover,but that part always remains dry.Alos bad oder from A?C vents when A/c is on. Got tired of it so was going to trade it in on A used neon or stratus.But why trade it in and get the same problems.Looks like dodge really needs to clean up there act.Glad I did my resaerch before I put myself indebt on I new headache.
  • bearssbearss Member Posts: 1
    A couple weeks ago my 1996 Neon blow a headgasket at 54,000 miles. I thought it was just my bad luck, so I took it to an independent mechanic and had it fixed. The bill was ~$800. When I went to pick up the car the mechanic told me that he has seen the same problem in many Neons with far fewer miles.

    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.
  • vaquero45vaquero45 Member Posts: 1
    My daughter is thinking of buying a 2000 Neon. Do they have the same gasket problem or has it be taken care of at the factory? I don't think she should buy one if the same trouble still exist. She is going to make the purchase Friday Jan. 26. Need answers SAP! Thanks.
  • crazzyjw1crazzyjw1 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1995 Dodge Neon and the paint is flaking off. I called the main office and they refused to paint it because i was a 3rd owner and they also said that the warranty on the paint was 3 year or 36,000 miles. I find this very strange that a company would only warranty their paint for 3 years. But I am fighting to have it repainted if i can get enough people to stand behind me and maybe they will recall them. So if you have this problem please e-mail me at [email protected]. I am fighting hard to get all white neons recalled so please help
    thank you
    jenny
  • enetheneth Member Posts: 285
    The new 2.0 and 2.4L engines use a redesigned head gasket that supposedly has fixed the failure problems.

    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.
  • fuji56fuji56 Member Posts: 1
    Just had the head gasket replaced this past week. I would like to thank all of you that have posted experiences with you local service departments.

    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.
  • cabinscabins Member Posts: 1
    Thanks to everyone that has posted information on their experiences with the Neon head gaskets -it helped to save me quite a bit of money.

    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.
  • dclecklerdcleckler Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1997 Plymouth Neon that started leaking oil a small amount at about 40,000 miles. Go figure, right after the original factory warranty ran out. Then it stopped and started again from time to time until it reached 58,000 when it really started leaking. A half a quart every 500 miles. I took it into a local dealership in my town and they took one look at it, actually I think they knew before they looked at it, and told me it was a blown headgasket. I luckely had extended warranty through Fidelity Warranty and they covered all but my $100.00 deductible and they would not pay for new nuts and bolts. Strange. They did pay for all fluids. I also contacted Chrysler and kindly complained to them and was told that they would be willing to offer a "good will" gesture of paying for all labor, basically, and I could pay for parts. This would have meant me paying around $200.00 or so. I told them I had the extended warranty but wanted them to pick up the tab on the deductible. They would not do it. They were nice about the whole thing and I was surprised about the "good will" offer but they at first didn't want to admit that it was a "known" problem. Then I told them everything I had researed on this site and others and they then started saying when they normally offered good will offers that customers usually ended up paying around $200.00. Now tell me how they know what they normally do when at first they tried to say they didn't even know about it being a known problem. Well, hope this helps someone out there with a similar problem.
  • needinfo3needinfo3 Member Posts: 1
    If I buy a Neon that has had the HG changed then do I look forward to it going again in another 30 - 50 thousand miles? What is the average life of a neon in miles?
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Neon head gaskets have been updated to resolve the leakage problem (hopefully). Look for small rivets through the gasket where it protrudes between the head and block.
  • hadahwoodhadahwood Member Posts: 1
    I'M THINKING OF TAKING OVER THE PAYMENTS ON A FAMILY MEMBER'S '98 DODGE NEON. I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD REPLACE THE GASKET TO THE NEW UPGRADED ONES WITHOUT HAVING A PROBLEM? THE CAR ONLY HAS 35000 MILES AND IS BASICALLY LIKE NEW. HOW CAN I HANDLE THIS GASKET PROBLEM BEFORE IT OCCURS?
  • darrintdarrint Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1996 Ply mouth Neon. At 24K the suspension went south. At about 55K (just out of the warrantee period), the head gasket went ($879.00) and at about 60K the paint began to bubble-up and peel off around the roof-line and sides ($237.00). I could peel every last hint of paint off the car using my fingernails if I wanted to waste an afternoon. It appeared that it wasn't even bonded to the primer. That doesn't include the two master cylinders I purchased at $350.00 a pop. -My brakes lost pressure and failed 4 times. My gas gauge has also been replaced but that too has gone bad again and I use my trip odometer to see how much gas I have. The A/I stopped working at 54,000 ($329.00). All the while, I was told by Chrysler that this or that wasn't covered and that all these were probably caused by my driving tendencies.' I can understand them saying I could POTENTIALLY blow a head gasket by over-revving the engine (but I've never had that problem before, on any other car..) but I asked the guy exactly how fast I'd need to drive to peel the paint off the car. Bottom line..... Don't buy a Dodge/Crysler. They're rip-off artists and shiesters. They know of these problems and they don't care. I will never ever buy a Dodge product again in my life and I will tell EVERYBODY who cares to listen to do the same. Hell, I was out looking at cars last week and as I was leaving a Nissan lot, a Dodge salesman on the next lot asked me if he could help me. I almost decked him for his trouble. (I know, it's not HIS fault!) If you think my luck is isolated, ask any owner of a 1995 - 1997 Neon if he's had problems with either the paint, the head gasket or the brakes and I'll wager my worthless Neon that one of the above rings true. (Go to consumer reports website and you'll see that these are VERY common problems). Of course, If you win the wager, you may not want the devil anyway!

    -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.....
  • dweezildweezil Member Posts: 271
    cars and you expect the COMPANY to REPAINT YOUR CAR???Pick a real issue, no court in the world is going to hear a case like that. Blame the EPA for demanding "low emission" water based paint.There are too many variables involved especially YEARS after the warranty has expired for DCX to be held responsible for that.
    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.
  • chrydodjeep1chrydodjeep1 Member Posts: 13
    Yeah ! Congratulations Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth
    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.
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Speaking of losers Jack, or is that Mr.Azz? (I wouldn't reveal my real name if I were you either) have you considered having someone with at least a grade 3 reading and grammar skill level proof read your posts for you? Trying to slog through your drivel and verbal diarrhea was absolutely painful. Furthermore, did you really think your post was so special that we'd want to suffer through it in at least 7 forums here? GET A LIFE, MORON!
  • dweezildweezil Member Posts: 271
    Thanks. Went on another site and thought I'd made a mistake I was reading [or trying to]the same thing all over again.I got the point, but it was hell for reading.
  • gbpkrs4gbpkrs4 Member Posts: 1
    Although it stunk because I was on the road and my wife had to deal with it, I can't complain. Not sure if it was free because we had the 7-70 Service plan we bought when we got it new. My head gasket blew at 19K miles. On my 2nd '98 Neon now - a green one this time, with the plates GB PKRS. These plates go with the green Neon better than my old red one. Now all I have to do it get the new WI official PACKERS plate design - but I'll need to give Lambeau $25 a year for as long as I own the plate - probably as long as the current Lambeau! Cripes! I can thinkl of better charities, so it's a tough decision. What does this have to do with my head gasket? Nothing! but I'm bored and in a hotel room. Just thought I'd share. C-ya! Thanks for reading. Hey, if your head gasket blows FIGHT IT! Many have got it fixed for free besides me.
  • bradleyb1bradleyb1 Member Posts: 1
    My wife has a 1997 Neon Highline(yeah right) and had purchased it new with the extended warranty. At 32,000 miles her head gasket blew with oil all over. We had it replaced for free. Then now we have a major coolant leak. We just had the head gasket replaced again, now at 42,000 miles! What a piece of *%@#!
  • 97taurus97taurus Member Posts: 2
    Why is there no MAIN PLACE to collect the horror stories/facts/ and help to initiate class actions to force these companies to provide a decent product replacement for OBVIOUS defects.....we have the misfortune of having the Neon, now undergoing a head gasket replacement which was DENIED by DG to exist.....(service manager even pretended to scope current updates to see if there was any major complaints on record for this DEFECT)....unfortunately, other vehicle is a Ford Taurus 97 wagon that has MAJOR transmission problems that again the company thinks isolated to US only.....and reading thru the board see that we may have head gasket trauma to come on the Ford. Why is there no easier way for consumers to follow up on all this and just where are the HIDDEN WARRANTIES that are referred to..the ones that are not bandied about PUBLICly??? This is repulsive paying the amounts of dollars to initially purchase these junkers!!!!!!
  • enetheneth Member Posts: 285
    Look at it this way - the ease with which information can be collected and published on the Internet is one decided advantage in favor of the consumer.

    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.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Good point...I remember way back when Mazda replaced defective rotary engines by the boatload...I can still recall seeing a brand new engine going into some old, rustbucket of a Mazda, and the factory was picking up the tab. With most American automakers, it seems like you have to relive the last scene from Frankenstein, storming the castle with pitchforks and blazing torches.

    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!.
  • karenkiirojakarenkiiroja Member Posts: 1
    I also have a 1996 Plymouth Neon. The head gasket blew just within the warranty period at close to 30,000 miles, the transmission went at 70,000 miles,(out of pocket expense) the gas gauge stopped working at 80,000 miles, and now the head gasket has blown for the second time at 105,000 miles. I totally agree that the Neon is a peice of ****!! Never again will I buy a Neon.
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    An article in Automotive News about 9 months ago discussed new car warranty coverage, the thrust of which was that all the domestic and most import carmakers wanted to reduce their warranty period because of the billions of dollars it costs them, but nobody wants to be first for fear of losing market share. I'd suggest that increasing warranty periods stems from one of two rationales. One: a sales tool to attempt to capture more market share. Two: an excuse for the quality of the vehicle (such as Hyundai 10 year powertrain warranty).
  • bigdaddy19bigdaddy19 Member Posts: 1
    Boy, and I thought I was the only one out there who hated every day getting into my 1996 neon to go to work. I had the full set of gauges go out around 40K and had a dealership tell me it was because of my battery. What the.... then there is this oil leak that I have taken to 3 different shops and paid out around $1000 to have fixed, with no results still. Is anyone else having a problem with their blinker switch? Mine won't stay left-I have to hold it down. A bright and shining moment came into my life when I hydroplaned last week and ripped the suspension out on the curb at 50 mph. Now, if only the insurance company will total it, I will know that God is smiling on me.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Yeah, Alcan, maybe you're right....certainly the warranty "craze" started so that people would switch makes, and it worked pretty well for some automakers.

    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.
  • enetheneth Member Posts: 285
    It also helps for an automaker to be proactive - automakers have access to huge databases that point to faulty parts and their failure modes. No one can convince me that Chrysler doesn't know about its failure-prone 4-speed automatics, or that Ford didn't know about faulty head gaskets in the 3.8L V6 engines. They know - just like Toyota knew about the faulty head gaskets in the 3L V6 engines in the trucks, and Subaru knows about the faulty alternators in the 96-98 SIA-built Legacy and Outbacks. The difference is that Toyota and Subaru stepped forward and took a pro-active stance - while Ford and Chrysler sat back and let the customer twist in the wind.

    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.
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    I can't argue with that. Years ago when the issue of defective rack and pinions came up, a GM engineer told me that their corporate bean counters had determined it was more cost effective for them to simply replace the assemblies under warranty than to shut down a production line and re-tool it to correct the valve housing wear problem.

    It's become a major industry for aftermarket reman companies such as Moog, TRW, etc.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I think we're doomed if this type of thinking goes on. The Japanese and Europeans will crush us. We'll need protective tariffs just to keep our own automakers in business. Gee, did you read about the guy on these boards who bought a Mercedes SLK? Well, the engine blew, so they replaced it for him, and that one didn't run quite right, so they gave him a new SLK and charged him .21 cents a mile for the few thousand miles he drove on the old car.

    Will a Dodge dealer do this on instruction from the factory without legal intervention? Hmmm....I wonder....
  • tason67tason67 Member Posts: 36
    these boards are litered with my tale of woe regarding THREE head gasket repairs on my 1996 Stratus, bought new (2.4 engine). I think customers understand that breakdowns and failures happen. But the lack of customer service when it does is what turns you off. You shouldn't have to spend 70K on a car to get decent customer service. Don't Chrysler et al understand that no matter how good a car looks, if it doesn't run well and there is no service in customer service, that we can and will shop elsewhere? I for one am through with Chrysler and I am an employee! Just yesterday I was put on an important job that I had never done before, given five minutes of training, and left to get it done. The poor woman working next to me had no less than three different sets of bolts to tourque, put on the flywheel for the timing belt and a bracket for a sensor and then tourqu those as well. And that line was moving so fast, I didn't even have time to get a sip of water I had next to me. With people overloaded like that, it's no wonder there are quality issues. It's not the american worker; it's the American manager. Okay, I'm off my soapbox :)
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Oh, yeah, assembly line work can be very difficult. My hat's off to you for that!

    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.
  • cwopetecwopete Member Posts: 22
    Yup, traded her in, just couldn't live in fear anymore. I woke up the other night in a cold sweat, had a nightmare that the Neon caught fire while I was driving. The following morning I was on the NHTSA website looking at recalls and consumer defect investigations and low and behold, there's an ongoing investigation for 1996 Neon SOHC underhood fires.

    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).
  • dodgeneonssuckdodgeneonssuck Member Posts: 2
    Yes, As sad as it sounds I absolutely hate American cars. Because of the "BUY AMERICAN" campaign from a few years back I decided to give Chrysler a chance. I bought a 1995 sport Dodge Neon with 30k miles. As soon as I reached 40k my "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" came on and my car started leaking oil like crazy. I took my car to the shop and and $750 later I was driving it again. They replaced the head gasket and oxygen sensor. Because I had read the bad reviews on the internet I knew that this was a reocurring problem. Well what do you know, 10k miles later the "LIGHT OF DEATH" came back on again and 40k later I was leaving oil puddles under my hood everywhere I went. Since the firt time I have visited different shops on 4 occasions. 1 for the gasket and 3 for the "CHECK ENGING LIHGT". Finally I gave up, my car is no longer leaking oil becuase I just replaced my gasket for a second time but I try to ignore the "CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS". Following is a list of problems I currently have with my 80K mile car: Check engine light is on at all times, My windows sound like I'm driving a 747 Boeing jet, paint is peeling all over the car, weird noise under the steering column everytime I make a turn. Intermittent electrical problems with my blinkers and turn signals and low gas mileage. DODGE SCREWED ME AND THOUSAND OTHER CONSUMERS. AND THE WORST THING IS THAT THEY ARE VERY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. I SAY NO MORE AMERICAN CARS FOR ME... ESPECIALLY DODGE, CHRYSLER OR ANY OTHER RELATED LINE. I GIVE DODGE TOW THUMBS DOWN, ON A SCALE FROM 1 TO 10 I GIVE THEM A 0. I HAVE RECOMMENDED EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN MY FAMILY NEVER TO BUY THEIR PRODUCTS AGAIN. AND THEY NEVER HAD.
  • buoyantbuoyant Member Posts: 128
    My undergraduate degree is in marketing and the mantra in the field is "a dissatisfied customer tells 8 people of their experience, whereas a satisfied customer tells one."

    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!
  • enetheneth Member Posts: 285
    No one is disputing that all carmarkers have produced problematic models.

    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.
  • mlee2kmlee2k Member Posts: 1
    My 95 Neon Sport had head gasket failure years ago, but not long after my standard warranty expired. Just my luck.
    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.
  • enetheneth Member Posts: 285
    You can try, but it's generally best to seek reimbursement up front, or soon after the repair is done.

    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).
  • prolixprolix Member Posts: 1
    I had this problem on my 97 a few months ago, at around 75,000 miles(in other words, well after warranty). Dealer replaced it for $100 and acknowledged that it was a fairly routine problem. Just make sure you take the problem to a reputable dealer and let them know you are aware of this.
This discussion has been closed.