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Dodge/Plymouth Neon

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Comments

  • mobaymobay Member Posts: 45
    Hi,

    Sounds to me like the CV joints may be going. I would check on this quickly by inspecting the boots and also by taking it to a mechanic.

    Saw a guy yesterday have to pull off the road after his popped off from the tranny. Glad it was'nt me.

    Randy
  • edswordsedswords Member Posts: 47
    I'm sorry you are apparently having problems with your car.

    I just get a little tired of the people with problems bringing them here, over, and over again. Reposting their disatisfaction with their cars like we havent heard them out 50 posts ago.

    I conceed there are lemons out there. There is arbitration and ulitimately the courts to get satisfaction. If you get a jury you will win because they hate car manufacturers.

    I stopped reading the posts that start off -"My Neon is a piece of crap and all this stuff broke and I want someone to pay"

    I empathise with the posts that start off, "I have a ------ did any of you have the same problem? How did you resolve it? Is it serious?

    Its a fine line, I know, but all the negativity just brings me down.

    If you hate your car that much, just trade it for a Honda. I mean that with sincerity because they have the best reputation for quality.

    I had a car that stranded me 2 times in 1 year. After the second time, I traded it for a different car. I lost on the initial deal, but I drove the car I replaced it with 120,000 relatively trouble free miles and never looked back.

    After having a car that stranded me a couple of times, your problems dont seem that serious to me.

    On a positive note, I just took a trip in my Neon, with baggage, drove 250 miles at 70+ mph and got 33 mph with the AC on. Take that OPEC!
  • hersbirdhersbird Member Posts: 323
    could be stearing nuckle pop. Look at www.neons.org at the TSB link and look for it. It describes how to isolate and correct the problem (which really can go on forever with no further effects if you can live with it). This also lists many other TSB's that apply to you specific year/engine/transmission combination. These are great for warrenty work because you can expain exactly your problem in terms the dealer will understand and fix it right the first time.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    My friend has a 2000 Dodge Neon with about 9800 miles on it and I have a 1999 Mazda Protege that just turned 22,000 miles yesterday. He told me he likes the looks of my car and all that, but never drove one. I told him we could change if he wanted for about a week, and see what each of us thought. No decision yet, but we shall see. I know his Neon is faster, but I get better mileage and have more front room inside, but we shall see.
  • mlaportamlaporta Member Posts: 9
    the clunking in my 98 neon also remains undiagnosed, unfixed and frightengly loud at times. I'm afraid I can be of no assistance to you re: the cause or cure. I am a single mother trying only to get to/from work and get my kids where they need to go, in a car that has been one headache after another. To the person who said, basically, " stop complaining and trade it in", I am doing just that at a $6,000. loss. I can ill afford this, but neither can I afford a car w/ a rebuilt engine (at 1.5 yrs, 18,000 miles!!!)that now burns a quart of oil per month (and stinks), a car that does not consistantly start when wet, a car that gets 18 mpg, a car that now needs a new steering column (yes, perhaps the source of the clunk...or maybe only of the clank)...Nor do I wish to deal any more w/ the dealership(s) in my area who have treated me very badly from the first time I brought the car in for clunking. The dealer stories are quite funny, but I won't waste the space here. However, I will take space to air my "negativity" in hopes of advising or warning others away from a poor product. While it is true that one car can be a lemon, that one dealership may be anti-women or that one group of mechanics may be basically bad at their job, in all cases these people and these products are representatives of Chrysler Corp. I tried the legal route: are you aware that this law is set up to protect the manufacturers as much as to protect the consumer? My car does not QUITE fit the criteria for a lemon. So I will steer my new Honda away from all Chrysler products and will continue to advise others to do the same.
  • hersbirdhersbird Member Posts: 323
    I don't understand, if your neon is a 98 and has only 18,000 miles then why is it not under warrenty? How can you lose $6000 on a car that you should have paid under $10000 for in the first place? If a Honda dealer is only giving you $4000 for a 98 neon with 18,000 miles that can be fully repaired under warrenty it is Honda who are the crooks. I'm sorry I'm not too sympathetic, but then again every Dodge shop I have ever visited has been nothing short of a friend to me.
  • importfighterimportfighter Member Posts: 35
    Well, since we are all fully aware of everything that could go "wrong" with the new neons(or any year neon..) I am here with some semi-good news: My neon is the best car I've ever had! Period. I've had chevy's and foreign jobs (but no ford's-I'm not nut's ok!). Now these car's are all well and good but after about 4 months with my new neon I can say without a doubt that it is already the best car I've had yet. I know other's will disagree and to be fair I understand and possibly sympathize with those who have had problems with thier neon's especially if you are involved with arbirtration-I wish you luck. I can only say that if you're experience with the new neon was the same as mine, you would be very happy. Now I ordered my neon from the factory and just maybe they put that extra special care into putting it together,maybe not. What I know for sure is that my car is great, service is ok(at best),and the neons competitors are mediocre in surpassing it. 4 months is a short time to hazard an opinion but I have enough faith in DC (hope they back me on this)to make my decision. Hope this brightened up the neon forum a bit-you know with all the negativity and all....
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    My friend has a 2000 Neon with about 10,300 miles on it and the front brake rotors are warped already! He took my Protege in for service today and I drove his Neon for my 50-mile-each=way commute this morning. It was a nice ride and nice handling too. Also, it has features (power windows, keyless entry, etc.) that my Protege doesn't have. But, my car has more room for the driver in it. Also, it's engine is quieter and its tranny shifts smoother. I do like the Neon for the price, but have to give the hands-down to the Protege.
  • mlaportamlaporta Member Posts: 9
    hersbird: I am honestly glad you've had good experiences w/ yr dealerships. I just havn't. I pd 14,000 for my neon, I was taken a bit... (the financing was 0.9%) My mistake, and I've learned from it. So I owe 10,500 and am getting 5,000 on the trade in. Repairs ARE under warrenty, car has 24,000 miles. But the poor gas milage (18 mpg) the stink (which truely makes me sick) and the clunking are undiagnosed. I need to DRIVE my car, not only drop it off for repairs. If I went the BBB route I might "win" but it's my choice to take a loss and get out. Currently, it's the makers of excedrine that are getting rich off of me. If I told you my dealership stories, my decisions would be better understood. That's not a tease, thet are just a bit long.
  • importfighterimportfighter Member Posts: 35
    All problems aside (and I realize there are plenty), I must stick with my overall opinion on the new neons: that they are a great car. I read about other individuals and what has happened with their new neons and I am just blown away at what is going wrong with their car. I wont speculate on whether their claims are legitimate but I will say that odds are good that not "everything" is falling apart because of manufacturer defects or poor quality. For those of you who know full well that the car is actually the culprit-then disregard this post I am not directing this at you. However, with that said I just cant believe that ALL those posts about vehicles breaking down, stalling, warped brakes, engine problems and such is the being caused by the car "itself". I mean it's as if you could park the neon and just watch it fall apart piece by piece. Let's be realistic here, the neon's have problems but these descriptions are outrageous. I think in certain situations the problem is partly caused by driver abuse/habits. I think another person posted this same scenario a few posts ago and I agree with him. I see the way most people drive and their not "driving miss daisy". All I'm saying is on some of these stories that are hard to believe the actual problem is much deeper than what is percieved to be the going on. Take this into account when making your opinions on a particular car. Oh and by the way- on the issue of engine noise on new neons dodge intended for it to be that way, dodge boys like aggressive throttle response and hi horses even on their small cars so combine that with a more aggresive cam position you get the additional noise, some like it some dont. As for me I like it, it gives the car character and it's nice to know you've got quite a few extra horses in there.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    My friend has a 2000 Neon and I have been tooling around in it since yesterday. I like it a lot. It has nearly 10,500 miles and the brake rotors are warped already and the dash pad is pealing, but I still like the car. We shall see how it fares.
  • hersbirdhersbird Member Posts: 323
    All problems aside $5000 is too low a trade in for the most stripped 98 neon with 24000 miles. It should be at least $7000 unless there is some accident damage you are not disclosing here. I understand you just want to get rid of it but don't let the Honda dealer take advantage of your current situation to help him buy that new house on the hill. Bottom line is it can be fixed, the warrenty is good for 6 more months so it won't cost a dime and even if you don't want to deal with it somebody else will. If you continue on this path you will end up with $5000 added to the MSRP on an already overpriced civic and then you'll have yourself a $20000 Civic DX. But hey, I bet in two years and 24000 miles it will be worth a whole $8000!
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Take the car to a different Dodge/Plymouth dealer before getting rid of it. You would be a fool to get rid of a car still under warranty and take a big loss like $5000. Also, as an alternative, try CarMax. Don't know where you are, but check into them if you are near one (http://www.carmax.com). They give pretty good trade-in. But that should be your LAST resort besides taking it to another dealer or even getting a lawyer involved.
  • gigsgigs Member Posts: 11
    I work at for a car rental company and we have many a neon. Since I've been there I've noticed a couple have problems with the steering. This problem is not a myth. We brought one in cause when you try to turn the wheel when the car is at a stand still or movingly slowly the power steering makes a loud sound (not normal). Also brakes may need quickly because we have a couple neons who's bracks like to squeal sometimes cause they got wet and sat around and some need brack jobs. We had one that had almost 50 000km just get the brakes done. Lastly, at least the early editions have a flaw with a component with the Air Conditioning. We just brought a neon in with broken a/c and they need these newer parts to fix it.

    Now as far as small car ratings go I think it was road and track that I saw had a little more realistic comparison.

    My rank would probably be.

    Protege
    Focus
    Sentra
    Neon
    Elantra
    Corolla 2001 looks much nicer
    Civic over priced (financing yikes!)
    cavalier or sunfire yuk poor quality uncomfortable ride

    As far as engine noise the cavalier, sunfire, and elantra are way worse then the neon.

    The protege may be a tad quiter but its pretty close.

    So just the corrola and maybe the civic are a lot quiter but more expensive and much more boring.

    But when you talk quality, handling, ride and price, with quality getting the most weight, the protege, focus and sentra are ahead of the neon basicly of quality.

    Best handling- Protege
    Best ride- focus with Neon and protege close behind
    best looks- Neon and Protege
    Build Quality- Protege, corrolla and sentra are all good

    worse handling- cavalier sunfire very laggy
    worse looks- cavalier with focus behind but starting to grow on me (too bad its a ford)
    build quality- cavalier sunfire
    ride- cavalier sunfire and sentra has a reallly stiff suspension making it hard on the a@#
  • mlaportamlaporta Member Posts: 9
    Thanks to those who suggested I try for a better trade in price on Neon. there is no accident damage...although the paint is peeling in 3 places and it does not look too good. Both Saturn and Honda offered basically the same trade in. However, my plan is to go to many places over a couple of weeks to get the best offer. I plan to share that info openly w/ each dealer, as well. The 2000 Honda I plan to buy is only 11,100.! A basic hatchback. I pd 14 for the neon 2 yrs ago (got taken, as I said) Anyway thanks again, I will search for the best trade. Signing off...
  • gombocgomboc Member Posts: 2
    I haven't commented in a while so after reading all of the posts I'll put my 2 cents in.

    I've had my 2K Neon LX with auto trans since April '99 and it is still as solid and everything is working as well as the day I drove it off the lot.

    My wife and I have driven the car for 7000 miles in varying conditions - highway, city, heat, cold, snow, potholes so it has received a pretty good workout. I'm the one that drives it hard and fast and can be seen cruising down the highway @ 90+ mph. The wife is the slow short trip driver.

    Yeah the front brakes make an occasional but not very loud squeak, but I have found this to be from rain and humidity causing a fine layer of rust to form on the rotors, after applying the brakes a few times it wears off and the squeak stops. I get the shock treatment sometimes too. It does not happen all of the time so I think it is a combination of factors and not the car's fault.

    The only time it has been in the shop has been for oil changes every three months, regardless of mileage, and twice for body work - once from an inconsiderate idiot that left there calling card on my driver's door, and the second when my wife had an accident damaging the left front fender, headlamp assembly and front facsia.

    Peace
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I think the Neons are nice cars. My friend's has 10700 miles and it's getting ready to have the front rotors replaced due to warpage. Also notice when starting the car and putting it in reserse, the engine vibrates very harshly and the steering wheel shakes. Going to the dealer sometime this week to get it looked at.
  • gigsgigs Member Posts: 11
    If you let your Neon set around for a few days and it rains the brakes will squeal and usually fairly loudly for the first couple of times you break like gomboc just said. My personal Neon hasn't done it but first thing monday mourning when ever I rent one to a customer it does. This ocurred today and I explained to the customer that this is what neons seem to do when they sit. Unfortunate I guess also a bit embassaring for me and my manager but drove around the parking lot a bit and braked a few times and they stoped.

    Edswords yes I chose the neon for the exact attributes you spoke of. I also am prepared for a few more difficulties out of my neon then if I had bought an import or maybe even a focus but the price was right, I liked the options the neon had, it is fun to drive and was the cheapest car I could by in canada with the options I wanted.

    Hopefully I'll have good luck with it as I hope many others do too ;-)

    Treat your neons well and they may do the same for you.

    PS I hate to say but the zx3 focus has grown on me a bit. It has to have better rims though and the focus design in general is still a bit harsh on the eyes.

    Good small car for a family
  • copperhead1copperhead1 Member Posts: 157
    New colors
    Steel blue,garnet,shale green,STONE white.
    The R/T comes in:

    Stone white,black,silver and red.
  • importfighterimportfighter Member Posts: 35
    Does anybody have any problems with their auto tranny's on their new neons? I have no problems with my 3 speed auto, absoulutely none-yet I hear people cringe when they hear 3 speed auto. There is a reason why a 3 speed auto is in there: first of all dodge had an overheating issue when they tried to mate the neon with a 4 speed (I'm not sure how they overcame this issue on the new r/t's because they have a 4 speed) Also, the 3 speed is a more reliable and durable design as compared to the 4 spd. I think mainly though the premium price for a 4 speed is more than dodge wanted to charge it's customers. As for me I got no problems, getting 28-29mpg in city driving!I use full synthetic so I think that has helped.Can anybody else beat that mileage? :-)
  • gigsgigs Member Posts: 11
    CH where did you get all the info on the 2001 neons??? I want to look it up. I wish I would have waited a year now because I bet they will be a lot better then the 2000 fixing a lot of the glitches
  • copperhead1copperhead1 Member Posts: 157
    The new 2001 will be much better,we will see better shocks,better steering,and maybe a better trans.(4 speed).
  • gigsgigs Member Posts: 11
    if so please post it :-)
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Here in Maryland, there is a dealer called Koons Dodge. I think they have prices up for the 2001 models now. I didn't see a 4-speed tranny on the options list, but maybe it isn't completely updated yet. Check it out. Go to http://www.koons.com and then click on "Build A Car" on the left side of the screen. Then on "Build A Dodge". Then change the model year to 2001 on the drop-down menu and choose Neon. Maybe that will help some.
  • mlaportamlaporta Member Posts: 9
    Thanks again to those who continue to assist me w/ trade in prices. I am picking up my new car in 4 days and the trade in was 6,2000. I can accept this, considering the car has to be towed to the new dealer, as the steering wheel froze in the midst of a right hand turn and I went off the road. Luckily it was a low speed "accident" w/ no injuries. Under warranty or not, this is considerably uncool and I am glad to be done.
  • hersbirdhersbird Member Posts: 323
    62,000 sounds way better, I need you to trade in my neon for me, so I can get a viper. Even if you meant 6200 I think that is preety fair especially if you got some off the other end. I sure hope your luck with cars turns around as I think if a locked up stearing wheel were even remotely common on the neon a recall would be happening right quick. It just seems like a case of bad luck to me and I agree, way uncool.
  • copperhead1copperhead1 Member Posts: 157
    Sorry,no 2001 site for the Neon yet,next month look for it.
  • brianandamibrianandami Member Posts: 2
    Help, I own a '95 neon with 100K+ miles on it and am looking to trade it in. The only serious problem I am having is with the paint. It has been peeling seriously since about 97. The roof of the car is almost completly gray by now. I remember hearing about a story that Dateline NBC did on the paint primer that GMC experimented with in 95. Apparently Dodge used the same primer. I did a bit of research and finally got in touch with someone at Dodge. They referred me to the dealership. My car was recalled due to a problem with the lower steering coupling, and while it was in I had the dealership look at the paint. They told me it would cost $200 as a deductible to repaint the car. Not a bad price for a paint job, but I figured why pay for Dodge's mistake? I tried again to get Dodge to own up, but they again referred me back to the dealership. I am looking to trade in the car, I don't expect to get much because of the mileage, but I could get a lot more with the paint fixed. Anyone got any ideas on how to get Dodge to play ball? Thanks.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    1986–97 cars, minivans, vans, sport-utilities, and trucks. Problem: Defective automatic transmissions and delaminated paint that turns a chalky colour and then peels off. Warranty coverage: DaimlerChrysler Canada and its USA parent, have offered full or partial refunds up to 7 years/100,000 miles (160,000 km). Canadian owners with vehicles that exceed the above parametres are receiving offers of 50% refunds on dealer estimates that appear unreasonably high. American owners are systematically refused any additional compensation.


    The above was found at http://www.lemonaidcars.com
    Go to the site and click on "secret warranties watch" on the left side of the screen for more information.
  • edswordsedswords Member Posts: 47
    Lntonge - Do you ever apply the brakes?

    I stay away from mechanics for something a simple as replacing rotors. For the cost of their labor to turn them, you can usually by decent new ones and install them yourself.

    I was writing about the specific problem of warpage which I feel is the sympton of a cheap rotor and while turning the rotors might alleviate the problem for a time, the rotors would be apt to warp again.

    That is my complaint with my 95 Neon. The rotors were so cheap they warped & rusted in less than 30,000 miles.
  • mlaportamlaporta Member Posts: 9
    Hersbird etc, um, yes, I meant 6,200. But in the last two days, I've discovered two people w/ the same steering lockup issue. It only happens in the rain, and both the other people took it for diagnosis. Result: Nothing wrong! Well, there's at least three of us in one neighborhood. The obvious safety issues have encouraged the three of us to pursue this via TV news, due to lack of any response by dodge/chrysler. I don't even own mine anymore, but I am concerned for people who are driving them. Think: you could be the next driver OR you could be on the receiving end of the next Neon that stops steering...nightmare, nightmare, I'm done w/ mine but now I feel like I have to avoid other Neons on the road, too....
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Been driving my room mate's 2000 Neon for the past week or so and 1200 miles. Notice when I turn the steering wheel sometimes, I hear a clunk or some sort of noise coming from the steering. Also, notice a small "click" when driving coming from the steering column somtimes. Is this a potential problem rearing its ugly head???
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    LOL, yes, I apply my brakes. In fact, the past 3 years has been nothing but city driving with stops at almost every stupid stop light. I have had many panic high speed stops as well. I guess nothing can beat good old German parts; much higher quality than most rotors. Anyway, if you do your own maintenance like me, than turning rotors barely costs you anything. Take your rotors down to Discount Auto or a similar store and they turn them for $10 apiece. Much cheaper than buying new ones, with prices ranging from a low of $30 to over $120 a piece, and that is aftermarket rotors, not original equipment ones! Aftermarket rotors sometimes have inferior quality and tend to warp easier, especially if combined with cheap aftermarket pads. That is so sad your rotors warped that fast! Either the problem lies in too small rotors for the Neon's weight or rapid cool down of the rotors by hitting a puddle when they are super hot.
    Here is another little tidbit of info: Rotor warpage is not always caused by cheap parts; many cases of rotor warpage has been caused by pads that are simply made of a compound that is too hard, thus heating up the rotors more than they were designed to withstand. This occured with the 98-99 Kia Sephia. They were having high incidences of rotor warpage. The dealers just kept replacing the rotors with new ones and 5,000 miles later they were warped again. Kia finally figured out it was not cheap rotors that were the problem, but rather the pads were too hard and were heating up the rotors beyond their resistance levels. They came out with redesigned pads made of a softer compound and now all the complaints of rotor warpage has disappeared! That could have been the problem with your Neon as well.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I was also told that when you are doing stop and go driving and using the brakes a lot, you should try to avoid puddles in the rain. I was told if your brakes are heated up and you then hit a puddle, that sudden cooldown will cause warpage as well.
  • edswordsedswords Member Posts: 47
    I have heard that 'lifetime' brakes are too hard for rotors but didnt put it together with warped rotor problems.

    I am also wary of having autoparts stores turning rotors for me, but when my next car needs brakes, I just might try them out and see how they do. I dont have much to lose - except maybe some time.

    Hopefully, it will be a couple more years until I'm due for brake work.
  • mlaportamlaporta Member Posts: 9
    I had both the click and the clunk in my neon as well, but for quite a long time (ie more than a year) before my steering locked. Therefore, I think it is not related. The techs at my dealership told me the clunking was due to damage from an accident. However, the car had not BEEN in an accident and when I basically proved that, they were no longer able to hear the clunk even though the rest of the world did. Re the click: an SOP bolt was replaced in my steering column but that did not fix the noise. A nice Tech said they'd replace the whole column next, but that it was not a safety issue. I tend to believe him. So I had not had that done yet. I've since gotten rid of Neon. Good luck.
  • csaiacsaia Member Posts: 1
    At about 6,200mi, my automatic transmission decided it had about had it. (!!)

    Recently, it had been having trouble shifting from first to second gear for the very first time in the morning. Sometimes, I had to push the engine up to 5KRPM in order to get it to shift ... directly to 3rd. After that, I was more or less okay.

    Then I started having trouble where the transmission would occasionally take its sweet time to downshift. Sometimes, I would be at a stop for about 10-15 seconds before I felt the transmission thump twice (3->2, 2->1). If I tried to accelerate before the downshifting, I would move but I could feel a difference. (Well, obviously, since I was pushing the car in a higher gear than usual.)

    Since my father works for this dealership, I had my father inquire about the problem. The mechanics at the dealership where I bought my car told us there was some problem with the 2000 Neon transmissions made between a certain date that had trouble ('interference') shifting in cold weather. (some internal advisory note)

    I should have forced them to look more closely because ---
    1) The DOM of my car was earlier than the range of dates the advisory listed.
    2) It's June/July; hardly cold weather.

    The latest sign of a problem was last Saturday when it was binding in reverse. I attempted to back up, and it took some effort to move backward, and the motion was rather clunky. The car still moved forward fine, but now I was seriously concerned. I had my father drive the car to the dealership (since he worked there) last Monday.

    According to the mechanic, they may be able to order parts to replaced the damaged ones, but it's also possible the cost of the parts would exceed buying a new transmission.

    Since I purchased a 5/75 service contract on the car, I'm completely covered. The dealer even provided me with a free rental car while mine is being repaired. Perhaps more details as they become available.

    The estimated completion date is either Monday or Tuesday, about one week after I brought it in. (ordering parts, assessing the damage, etc.)
  • importfighterimportfighter Member Posts: 35
    Sorry to hear about your transmission, do you know if there is a tsb on this? And what time frame is involved? I got my neon in march this year and to date I've had no problems, as a matter of fact I've had no problems at all (minus a defective temp gauge). I have noticed a very slight vibration at idle but I think this is attributed to the cam and it hasnt affected driveability at all. Hope they get you a new transmission it surely sounds like you need a new one versus a few new parts. I wonder if DC put the wrong trans fluid in at the factory, it kind of sounds like what would happen if dextron was put in there. :-7
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I have been driving my friend's Neon since Friday 2 weeks ago, accumulating a total of almost 2000 miles (commute 100 miles a day to work). The dash rattles near the steering column, the tranny shifts harshly, and the car is unrefined and loud.
    The engine vibrates through the dash when idling in reverse (when cold or hot), and the engine also surges when idling in traffic. This has almost caused me to bump two different cars because it surges unexpectedly. Also, the engine tapped the other day when accelerating, and the engine was warm too. Time for a new engine already (I think), AT 12,000 MILES!!! Dodge. They're different alright!
  • hersbirdhersbird Member Posts: 323
    Yep, that's what I say too. Of course it's from 7000 RPM, spinning the tires through three gears, leaving a weeks worth of rubber through the intersection. Yeh, very unrefined and pretty loud too.
  • jpeters128jpeters128 Member Posts: 1
    What is the difference between a Dodge and Plymouth Neon? I priced out identical 1997 Highlines (Edmunds used car prices) and the Plymouth came out more expensive($1000).
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    They are the same exact cars, except for the exterior badging. One shouldn't be more expensive than the other.

    Also, the Neon is loud and unrefined when just cruising. I have a Mazda Protege (1999) and my friend has the 2000 Neon. While I will readily admit the Neon has more power for accelerating and passing than the Protege, it is twice as loud too. Plus, I don't care what anyone says, the Protege's stereo is miles ahead of the Neon's. Of course, so is its reliability and durability too.
  • beanboybeanboy Member Posts: 442
    But I bet I paid less than half of what you paid for your Protege, and I haven't had a problem yet. Certainly fun to whip around on the auto-x course to boot.

    -Beanboy
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I don't think so. For a loaded Neon, it's about $13,500 and I paid $13,000 for the Protege. Don't even try it.
  • importfighterimportfighter Member Posts: 35
    Let me guess... you work for Mazda, right? If neon's are so bad, why do I see them ALOT more than protege's? Matter of fact, just yesterday I fell in behind two other 2000 neon's at a stoplight! There we were one green, one blue and one purple just sitting there waiting to cruise, pretty impressive. It seems to me the good far outweigh the bad on 2000 neon's. And whad'ya know I get alot of stares and a "nice car" looks. I've done my homework before I bought my neon and it paid off. :-6
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Those aren't nice-car looks you are getting. Those are "that piece of junk is still running and not in the shop yet?" looks.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    They are nice cars. They are assembled pretty well and look nice inside. I will not try to turn that around. They are not, however, refined when it comes to engine and road noise. They are also not refined when it comes down to the sounds the engine makes. When floored, the engine sounds as if it's coming through the firewall. It also idles very roughly. And Neons are not that reliable either. Check this forum right here of people who have had "lemon" Neons already in the 2000 models. Then check the Protege forum about lemon Proteges. Hardly any compared to Neons. Neons are famous for blowing head gaskets.

    You see more Neons than Proteges because Neons are priced a bit lower than the Proteges. But a few hundred bucks on purchasing is better than a few hundred or thousand in repairs down the road. Also, Neons are used for rental fleets and the like too, and Proteges aren't. That inflates the sales figures of them too.
  • mlaportamlaporta Member Posts: 9
    because Chrysler Corp keeps drawing people in with 0.9% financing.
  • mobaymobay Member Posts: 45
    Neon engine noise compared to the Protege'???

    I',m wondering how many here have read the latest
    magazine review (Car and Driver.., I think?) that did a head to head comparison between the Neon 2001 R/T and the equivalent performance Protege' model.

    Granted, these are 2001 "sportier" models compared to the 2000 Neon and Protege' models. However, they are fairly similar in having performance mufflers (read -louder than stock),and very similar engines(mainly intake tuning) to the 2000 models.

    OK, so according to the posts here, the Neon should be appreciably louder.Well, according to the empirical measurements (without human bias) the "noisy" Neon is exactly..,drum roll please!..
    1DB noiser than the Protege in WOT (wide open throttle).In the other sound areas the Neon and Protege' are EXACTLY the same.

    Also does anyone remember, the review of various Y2K model subcompact cars by Car and Driver in which the Neon placed 5th and the Protege' 1st. This review was about two or three months ago.

    Once again, the notorious "noisy" Neon, was only 1 DB than the Protege'.

    I freely admit that the Neon is louder than a Honda,or Toyota at WOT.It's "noise" at WOT is however, extremely pleasing TO ME.My 5spd. ES at 70-80MPH ,in 5th gear is as quiet as any car I have owned. Guess those who are complaining have auto tranny Neons.., I dunno, you guy's tell me.

    As for the two reviews and particularily the last one, with the Neon R/T versus the Protege' I'm confused.

    Should I believe a non-biased ,electronic, decibel level meter(magazine).., or the emotional "seat of the pants" measurements of human beings(see above posts).

    I'm confused fella's .., help me out!
  • importfighterimportfighter Member Posts: 35
    vocus: youre right, Neons are junk....but I guess that means every car on the road today is junk too because all cars have problems, all cars. Now if you can prove me wrong, you just let me know.
    ( and dont tell me import's dont have serious problems, I've seen some horrific problems on imports!)

    mlaporta: Tip of the day: There are more Neon's on the road because dodge has a better marketing strategy than anyone else, so dont blame neon's.

    So, what this means is: If you have a serious problem with your car(no matter if it's import or domestic) you try to FIX THE PROBLEM AT HAND, not degrade the manufacturer because you'll get nowhere, fast.
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