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1997 Dodge Neon Head Gasket

denises49denises49 Member Posts: 1
edited April 2014 in Dodge
We have a 1997 with 46k miles, out of warranty,
with a leaking head gasket. Anyone else have this
trouble?
«13

Comments

  • floridianfloridian Member Posts: 219
    denises49

    I guess you are a newcomer to Edmunds. If you had been reading the various posts about Chryco in general the headgasket failure rate on the early Dodge/Plymouth Neons reached "epidemic" levels. It seemed that many, many owners have had multiple gasket failures, in and out, of warranty. It may be to your advantage to really put pressure on the dealer to at least pay a percentage of the repair (not cheap by the way). Chryco is fully aware of this high failure rate and may indeed help you out (don't count on it tho)if you gripe loudly enough. A headgasket should never "blow" in normal use @ 47,000 miles. They know they have had a problem but hope that if they "stonewall" you, you will just roll over and pay the full shot to get it fixed. If not, I bet your next car will NOT be a D/C product.

    Good luck !
    Floridian
  • carriehcarrieh Member Posts: 2
    My 95 Neon is white and the paint on the roof is bubbling and peeling off. I have seen dozens of other white Neon's with the same problem. Just last week almost all the paint fell off the roof and now is starting to peel on one of the doors. I have called Dodge and they had me take it to a nearby dealership. They want to charge $500 to repaint it. I am now talking with a lawyer about getting something done about it. There is obviously a paint problem and I will not pay for it! This car has had problems since day one. Anyone else having a paint problem?
  • mightyneonmightyneon Member Posts: 1
    I own a 1997 neon sport coupe. I had my head gasket replaced at 24,000 miles. That has been my only complaint about the neon. I love my car, and even though is has had 1 major problem, I would still buy another neon in a heart beat. My fience' just bought a silver 2000 neon. It is leaking oil right now and only has 1,600 miles. The problem must not be fixed.
  • jmn2786jmn2786 Member Posts: 15
    I believe the head gasket issue was "fixed for good" sometime in 1998... All subsequent Neons and replacements have been with a new design ... Take the 2K into the shop and see whats up... Shouldn't be leaking oil...

    Jeff
  • neonx52neonx52 Member Posts: 1
    I also had a problem with my 96 Neon.My car has 44,000 miles on when the head gasket started leaking.Chrylser paid for the repair and also put on a new water pump.I only paid $100 dollars.They have been really good with me and I have no complaints.
  • sktle36sktle36 Member Posts: 1
    Chrysler knows that this is a problem which was supposedly fixed with a new head and multi-layer head gasket. Sometimes the cam seal leaks oil which is mistaken for the head gasket. This is usually replaced when the head gasket is done. There is service bulletins on both of these problems with fixes for the dealers to do. I have a 1997 neon that had the head gasket go at 24000 miles and everyone I work with that has a Neon has had a head gasket job done.We work at the plant so we know the problems first hand. Good Luck
  • pawanbinupawanbinu Member Posts: 1
    I have 1996 Plymouth Neon with 33,000 miles. All the maintenance services done exactly on schedule.
    Now I have oil leak problem and service person asked me for $700 to fix it. I have already paid $300 to replace the rotors 2 years before. I will talk to chrysler customer care and keep you updated.
    Honestly, I am very upset at this and I am 100% sure it can affect Chrysler sales definitely.
  • dburtchdburtch Member Posts: 1
    I just had the head gasket go on my '97 Cirrus at 47,000 earlier this week. The dealer did warranty the parts, but not the labor which was much more. I'm planning to try to contact Chrysler and see if they will pay part of that. I also had rotors go at 20,000 miles and was told not covered under warranty and that it was normal for Chrysler cars to wear front brakes 60% one side and 100+% on the other. Has anyone else had this problem?
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    I can't comment on the gasket, but others in this forum have had the same complaint. As for the brakes, uneven wear is quite common on cars that are usually loaded on one side only, such as when driven mostly solo. The pads on the drivers side will usually wear faster due to the weight distribution. Your experience seems a little extreme, though.
  • butch11butch11 Member Posts: 153
    Uh I put 40K a year on in a sales job-always alone-weigh @200 (on atkins diet-is coming off). Never in over 400K miles have i ever had an issue with my vehicles rotors due to weight distribution. They can and do get warped by people using impact wrenches to tighten the lug nuts. Also some manufacturer's have poorly designed braking systems and these puppies will warp on their own. Helped a friend get her rotors turned on a chrysler product-seems to me I was able to pull off the rotors after taking off the front tire. Took them to a machine shop and they turned them for around $10. If you have a chrysler product and they still attach their rotors the same way-save some bucks-take them off-go to the yellow pages and find some automotive machine shop-they have a lathe set up to do rotors. Save a bundle.
  • ksg1ksg1 Member Posts: 1
    Hi everyone,
    I am looking to buy a used car from a private owner and found a 97 and a 96 neon within my budget. However now looking at all these postings for head gaskets I am getting very wary. Is this something I can look for before I buy the car and how? Are the majority of neon cars coming out with this problems? I will not have a manufacturer's warranty since I am buying a used car.
    Thanks,
    ksg1
  • gotmilkedgotmilked Member Posts: 2
    check out this info from neons.org. Thanks neons.org and goodbye Neon!!!

    \From: Greg at Chrysler

    Greg, something stinks here-- why would Chrysler stand behind so much other work with 12/12, and completely blow off any warranty pertaining to head gaskets?

    It is not a new policy. To my knowledge, Mopar h

    as *never* offered coverage on seals and gaskets, unless that seal or gasket came as part of an assembly. For example, if you had a complete Mopar remanufactured engine or transmission installed, then the seals and gaskets in that assembly are covered as part of the assembly.

    Whether it's a valve cover gasket, a head gasket, a differential cover gasket or a rear main crank seal, there is no 12/12 Mopar warranty on seals and gaskets.

    Here's my *personal opinion* on the subject: If a recently replaced seal or gasket is leaking, the failure is most likely due to either

    improper installation
    a flaw in the surface that the seal or gasket seats against.
    For example, the head gasket could repeatedly leak due to something wrong with the cylinder head or engine block. In that scenario, an otherwise good gasket would not seal...

    Greg Smith

    5.2 Troubleshooting and Maintenance
    This section contains problems and questions common to the Neon; it is intended to stay fairly Neon-specific in content. Emphasis is placed on mechanical issues rather than appearance care; however, some aesthetic questions are included. Also, this section is not a How-To list, which appears elsewhere on this site. It is meant as a quick guide to some of the common symptoms and their causes. Another good source of information is the Neon TSB list; some common TSB numbers are included here as well.
    5.2.1 Q: Are headgaskets really a problem?
    A: The Neon has a reputation for headgasket failure, and it has affected many Neon owners. Since the blocks are identical, both the SOHC and the DOHC are susceptible. Chrysler revised the original gasket twice to address this issue, and finally released an all-new part. The new MLS (multi-layered steel) gasket supersedes the old part under the same p/n. The new gasket went into production SOHCs in September of 1998 (part of the '99 m/y), with the DOHC following shortly after that, probably before November of '98. TSB 09-05-98, which describes the revised part, was issued on November 06, 1998. This means that the new piece was available at parts counters around that time. (Thanks to Greg Smith for this additional information.)
    Nearly all failures occur in the driver's side rear of the engine block, where an oil passage crosses between head and block within 1/4" of the outside edge. The most common symptom is an oil leak at the block joint in the vicinity of the brake fluid reservoir. Other, less common symptoms of headgasket failure include: water in the oil (indicated by foam on the dipstick or drain pan), oil in the coolant overflow reservoir, and burning of coolant (continual steam or light grey soot in exhaust pipe). However, most Neon headgasket failures do not cause mixing of oil and coolant.

    Two items should be kept in mind on this subject. First, with more than a million Neons on the road, even a large number of failures is a small percentage of the unaffected cars. Second, this problem is common among most cars with aluminum heads, not just Neons. This kind of head design saves weight, and is typical on modern cars. However, aluminum heads are sensitive to overheating and may crack or warp, which leads to gasket failure.

    Headgasket failure is enough of a problem, however, that Chrysler has made special provisions for headgasket repairs beyond the normal warranty period. While dealers probably won't volunteer to fix a car that has exceeded its warranty, many Neon owners have found that a call to the Customer One phone number may help. Depending on the age of the car, Chrysler may pay a portion of the replacement cost; in many instances, repairs have been made just as if warranty coverage existed. Also, owners who have paid out-of-pocket to have the headgasket replaced may be reimbursed under this extension. In many cases, full coverage of headgasket failure has been extended to five years or 100,000 miles.

    5.2.2 Q: My engine's leaking oil, and I'm scared. Help!
    A: OK, don't panic yet. Both engines may leak oil at the cam position sensor (CMP), which is located below the intake piping that leads from the airbox to the throttle body. There is an O-ring seal at this sensor which can fail, but is relatively easy to replace. The resulting oil leak can appear to be either the head gasket or the main seal between engine and transmission. Check this spot first before freaking out.
    Another common leak is the oil pressure sensor, located on the back of the block under the exhaust manifold. This is also sometimes mistaken for head gasket failure. Remove the sensor unit using a 1-1/16" six-point deep socket, apply teflon pipe tape to the threads, and reinstall
  • styxangelstyxangel Member Posts: 1
    I have a 97 neon, which just cost me $600 to fix the head gasket problem! It was leaking oil,and we hoped it was a minor problem..We were wrong!! Now I only hope the next car I get (2000 Neon) has no head gasket problems. After seeing the reports from fellow Neon owners I intend to inquire about this to the dealer before the transaction is complete. Thanks to those of you who have entered your comments. Hopefully this problem for us will not go unheard, and we can help somebody else in choosing a used car..Or just make fellow owners aware:)
  • fire6fire6 Member Posts: 1
    Reading over the head gasket comments I was wondering if this is also the rear main seal. I have a 95 Neon and it has started to leak substantially. There has been a leak since about 40000 miles but I didn't think much of it seeing it was a few drops, but now it's a gusher. I've talked to 3 diferent mechanics (1 is a dealer mechanic) and they all said the same that the Neons all have bad rear main seals up to 98 or 99. I'm not an automotive expert so I'm confused if this is the same problem mentioned here or something different.

    Also I was wondering if anyone has heard if the evaportator cores on the A/C unit go bad. I tried to have the A/C charged this last summer. The mechanic told me that more than likely the core was bad and it would have to be replaced because Chrysler has a problem with them. Something about the change from freon to R24(?) eats the core up and Chrysler hasn't been able to fix it. I didn't think he was screwing with me seeing he said he wouldn't do the repair unless he knew the new core wouldn't rot out. He did say it would run about $1100.00 to due the job. Well other than these 2 problems the car has been good to me so far. Thanks for any answers
  • br459br459 Member Posts: 12
    I will get to the point.
    96 Neon
    1.Blown Head Gasket @25K
    2.Blown Head gasket @35k
    3.Blown Head gasket @45k

    4.Got rid of it and bought a Camry
    ABC (anything but chrysler)
  • papkecpapkec Member Posts: 1
    At about 40K miles I also had a leaking head gasket. I thankfully have an extended service contract so it cost me $50 for a new head. I was surprised when they told me they put a new head on it. I have the 16 valve DOHC 150 hp engine in mine and I guess this engine has the head gasket problem too. I have 56K miles on it now and will probably get ride of it at 75K when the service contract is up and buy a honda or toyota. Sorry US car companies I gave you a chance to many little problems.
  • giladigiladi Member Posts: 1
    I'm looking at purchasing a five speed 2000 neon. i'm a first time buyer, and i really like the car. however, i don't know if the head gasket problem is fixed with the 2000 neon's. if anyone has any info, or any advice for addressing the issue with the salesman, pleas email me at giladi13@yahoo.com, or post your responses here. THANK YOU
  • pat455pat455 Member Posts: 603
    If you haven't already, you should also check over in our Sedans conference. If you look through Dodge/Plymouth Neon (Topic #1556) you'll find lots of other folks discussing purchasing the 2000 Neon.

    Pat
    Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference
  • jasminnjasminn Member Posts: 1
    we I agree with everyone on the opinion of the head gaskets and the problem. I have contacted dodge about this and the brake problem I have had with my 95 neon. the responce was if the car is not underwarranty any longer it is not our problem any longer either. about $4,000 dollars later I am in the market for another neon just want to make sure that now everything is ok!
    it was otherwise a great car!
  • kiddockiddoc Member Posts: 1
    OK, try this again (in the process of registering, I got on the wrong message board). I have a 97 Neon, and like everyone else, I have leaking oil.
    #1) What is a head gasket??
    #2) Just before my warranty expired I had the dealer check my car due to leaking oil. They said that oil was leaking into my spark plugs. They replaced the plugs, "fixed" the problem, and sent me home. Now, 4000 miled later and off warranty, my car is leaking again. When I last had my oil changed, the mechanic (nondealer) told me I was better off just topping off the oil than fighting to fix a neon's oil leak. Anyone's opinion on all of this? Obviously I'm not well versed in car mechanics.

    By the way, my goal in usefulness of this car is at least 2 years and 30000miles. Thanks so much!
  • bnormannbnormann Member Posts: 335
    No problem, I deleted your identical post in the Technical Service Bulletins topic. This topic is definitely the right place for your post.

    Good luck with the Neon.

    Your host, Bruce
  • joldaxjoldax Member Posts: 1
    DID they fix the head gasket problem in the 2000 neon? and what is wrong with the brakes?
  • joebob87joebob87 Member Posts: 1
    I have a '95 Neon (purchased in Sept. '94) and had the head gasket go last fall. I talked to the people at Chrysler and after having it officially analyzed at the dealership, they offered to cover it all (including labor) except for a $50 "co-pay." This was at close to 70k miles and I had no extended warranty.

    When I first called the mechanic at the dealership, I reported it as a failed rear main seal, and he said he has replaced approx. 50 head gaskets and not a single rear main seal on this 2.0 liter engine. (This in a town of 30,000!) Problem is also common to this engine installed in Strati/Cirruses. I also heard somewhere that they are on the 5th iteration of this part number. I believe it was the parts guy at the dealership who told me that.

    Bad problem, but I was impressed with Chrysler standing behind their product.

    Dave
  • ignaigna Member Posts: 4
    Hello everybody!
    I got a question about Dodge Neon 1998 (or,
    maybe, this is common for all Neons with auto
    transmission?...).
    I am going to buy this car in a few days and
    tested it yesterday. Before I was driving only
    japanize cars and and driving Neon was my first
    experience with small american cars.
    Is it common that you feel when you change gears?
    From R to D , lets say.. The car jumping up a bit
    every time you change from P to R or R to D ?
    I don't feel anything when I do that in Civic...
    Thanks.
    I would appreciate any answer here, or you can
    send it to igna@iname.com
  • bnormannbnormann Member Posts: 335
    Did you try posting in the "Transmission Trauma" topic??? You might get a better response there.

    Your host, Bruce
  • sha721sha721 Member Posts: 1
    Hello all! Just to let you know, my 1998 Neon Sport blew the head gasket three days ago. A friend of mine told me to research it on the Internet because he heard it was a widespread problem. I have since found that it is indeed a model-wide and engine-wide problem (for the Breeze/Stratus/Cirrus with the same engine). I am currently embroiled in a battle with Daimler-Chrysler and my local dealership to have the cost of the repairs covered ($690 for a car with 45K miles on it!). I have received excellent guidance from the following website: http://www.lemonaidcars.com Click on the link marked "Secret Warranties" for some good info. I have already filed a complaint with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (http://ww.nhtsa.gov). I am demanding that DaimlerChrysler stand by their product and extend me the same "goodwill" that they have to other customers in this matter. Barring an amicable settlement, my next step is to file a small claims court suit naming DaimlerChrysler and my local dealership as the plaintiffs. I will then proceed to create a website with links to all the other websites that already exist concerning this problem. I may even contact my local television station's consumer affairs investigative reporter and see if they would be interested in this story. Bottom line is DO NOT SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS THAN AN EXTENSION OF THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY TO 5YRS/100K MILES!! There is enough anecdotal evidence to suggest that Chrysler has already done this for some of their customers. Therefore, it should apply equally to ALL of their customers! Do not be intimidated by the corporate giant! Stand your ground and assert your rights as a consumer! The beauty of our capitalist system is that they will either handle your complaint satisfactorily, or they will lose a valuable customer and gain a whole lot of bad publicity as a result of it. I'll come back in a couple of days and let you know how it goes.
  • mdeans2mdeans2 Member Posts: 1
    I'm hoping I can help answer a few of your questions. I work at a GM and Jeep Dealership. I was looking into buying a 96 Neon so I decided to ask one of the jeep mechanics about it. He told me that they've had alot of problems with Neons blowing head gaskets, but other than that they were fine. Unfortunately, the problem is so bad that our dealership won't even buy Neons at auction anymore. Thats got to be bad, considering that our dealer buys pieces of crape on a regular basis. well , I hope my information was of help.
  • emiller3emiller3 Member Posts: 1
    Just wanted to say thanks for the advice. I have a blown head gasket and was about to pay $650 at my local independant garage when I came across someone who submitted that Dodge was standing behind them. So I figured I had nothing to lose and called the local dealer. He said that my car with 62,000 miles would have a deductible of $100 dollars and he could do the work tomorrow. I was very impressed. Thank you Larry Miller Dodge in Peoria AZ. When I called I was ready for a fight because this is what I thought it was suppose to be like talking to a dealership on these issues. Not at all. Thanks again Edmunds for this wonderful money saving site and Dodge for standing behind your car.
  • lmarkham1lmarkham1 Member Posts: 2
    I HAVE A 98 NEON AND AT 44,000 MILES THE HEAD GASKET WENT OUT. THE CHRYSLER DEALER TOLD ME THAT CHRYSLER WAS ON THE 3RD GENERATION HEAD GASKET AND FINALLY GOT IT RIGHT BY CHANGING TO A METAL GASKET. HE REASSURED ME THIS WOULD BE THE LAST HEAD GASKET PROBLEM. I HAD PURCHASED THE MAXIMUM CARE WARRANTY (100,000 MILES) WITH A $50 DEDUCTIBLE. AFTER CALLING CHRYSLER IN DETROIT AND EXPRESSING MY CONCERN ABOUT THE HEAD GASKET, CHRYSLER WAVED THE $50 DEDUCTIBLE. SO FAR, 7,000 MILES LATER I AM STILL DRY......
  • shortylovershortylover Member Posts: 1
    Hello.. I am a single mother of two boys... I bought my 98 dodge neon Brand new from my local dealership.. this was my first brand new car and I was very proud to finally own something That i could trust to not let me sitting along side the road,,,, well I was wrong.. not only am I making the $260 per month car payment .. now at 69,000 miles ... I have to come up with $700 out of pocket to have a head gasket replaced I am furious and I feel almost violated to the fact that Chrysler knows this is a problem and to the proportions of recall status yet nothing is being done about it... My two year old car overheated and let me sit along side a busy highway at ten oclock at nite with my two kids.. Luckily I was near a gas station and could call for assistance.. I have called the customer service number I will hear back from them maybe tommorow.. The man on the phone was very polite and curtious.. and to some this maybe funny ... he asked me where i heard about this being a major problem and I asked him if he had a computer at home and he replied.. yes mam I do I said well.. go home tonite... go into any search engine.. type in the words... DODGE NEON HEAD GASKET PROBLEM.. I said and there you will see about 40 pages of reviews .. and complaints on this issue.. I wonder if he will really do that tonite when he goes home.. hopefully.. thank you
  • jmn2786jmn2786 Member Posts: 15
    Supposedly if you complain to Chrysler enough they will pay for half or all of the cost. This has worked for many people with 95-early 98 Neons.
  • piasamanpiasaman Member Posts: 1
    We own a 96 dodge neon with 30,000 miles on it. At 25,000 mi. the head gasket started to leak. The mechanic at a local repair shop found it during a routine oil change. He told me that all neon head gasket are bad (poor design) and to get hold of a Chrysler rep. He also said that on the new neons the head gasket have been redesigned. Well we went to the local dodge dealer ready for a fight. To our surprise they immediately acknowledged the neon head gasket problem and replaced it. They did require a 100.00 co-pay because the car was out of warranty. Not real happy with the co-pay with only 30,000 mi. on it, but I guess it's better than paying for the whole thing. Other than this problem ,the neon has been a great little car, fun to drive, handles well and pretty peppy too.
  • jodoinjodoin Member Posts: 1
    At 49K miles a head gasket replacement was required because of leaks. Cost $627. At 60K same trouble....Cost: $454. ...Chrysler paid for parts supposedly.
  • oilcan2oilcan2 Member Posts: 120
    I have a early 95 neon sport,4 lug nuts 82k
    I never have had a leak problem.I have used
    amsoil 0w30 oil and by-pass filter since 5k.I do
    not know if this is the reason but the engine
    generates less heat with this oil.the temp sensor
    stays a few degrees below half.
  • krzysskrzyss Member Posts: 849
    Hi !

    I do own 96 Plymouth Neon Sport, which I bought new. I was happy owner for 4 years and a change. 2 months ago I noticed that something is leaking from the engine compartment. Car was 4 years and 3 months old with 51000 miles. Trip to dealer answers the question. It is infamous "head gasket problem".
    They fixed it for 651USD and I asked Service Advisor to put in writing that head gasked was broken (he put note on the receipt that gasket corner cracked or something similar). I made beautiful color copies of my receipts and sent them promptly to DCX. One month later I received phone call that DCX stands behind their products and I will receive reimbursement in the mail.
    Today I cashed the check for 651USD.
    I still like my Neon even though it is quite noisy (not quiet).

    Krzys
  • bbern214bbern214 Member Posts: 1
    Does anyone know how I can get my $650.00 back from the dealer for this problem? What have you done? E mail me at bbern@suffolk.lib.ny.us

    I had the engine gasket problem on my 1995 Dodge Neon at 69370 miles in November 1999. It cost 650.00 at a dealership and nobody ever told me anything was known about the problem. Today, May 15, 2000 at 77000 miles, I had my car checked at an independent garage and found out the main rear seal is blown, and that it will cost another 400.00 to repair. This is so outrageous I can't believe it. I will be selling my car ASAP and I will be buying a 2000 Honda Civic. I've had several Chrysler products and I will NEVER buy one again and I will do eveything in my power to badmouth the company! What is wrong with the Government? Why can't they force Chrysler to recall these cars? HELP !!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • chickysuechickysue Member Posts: 1
    im looking into buying a 1995 dodge neon for my 17yr old daughter the car has been diagnosed with the head gasket problem the seller is still under warranty and will have the gasket fixed do i still want to buy this car???? somebody help me with this decision is the warranty on this car transferrable? email me at sugarmags66@aol.com please i dont want to buy this car for my daughter if it is unreliable
  • clayton3clayton3 Member Posts: 1
    This is old news, but here's my story. At 42,000 miles (no extended warranty beyond 36K) the local Chrysler dealership quoted me $650. They also told me that they would need to keep the car for possibly up to two weeks because there were 50,000 headgaskets on back-order! I returned the next day armed with customer comments from the internet (notably the Neon consumer homepage). The dealership fixed it for free and had it done in three days.
    The following week, the engine spit out a spark plug and stripped the threads. The dealership said they needed to remove the heads to rethread, hence a new headgasket for another $650. Go figure. A heliocoil did the job quite well for under $20.
  • kellyr2kellyr2 Member Posts: 1
    I would strongly suggest not buying a Neon.

    I have a 97 Neon with 35,000 miles on it and it has been the the shop for major things! One of them being the head gasket. I also had problems with the transmission, clutch, and fuel pump to name a few. Luckly it is still under warrenty.

    I'm looking at getting rid of my Neon as soon as possible before anthing else goes wrong with it.
  • mkbizwomanmkbizwoman Member Posts: 1
    As of this morning, I have been in the process of obtaining a loan to purchase a '97 Plymouth Neon 3-speed with 55K from a private party but now I'm really worried after reading so much here about the head gasket problems. (I'd certainly much rather invest in a used Honda, Toyota, or possibly Saturn but cannot afford it at the moment and after a HORRIBLE experience with a Dodge Shadow once, I swore I'd NEVER buy an American car EVER again!)

    This original owner purchased a Premium Care Protection package ($100 deductable) that is transferable, and the 100,000 mile / 6 yr. warranty is also going to be transferable to the new owner as well. Would this not cover me just in case I should have some head gasket or oil leak problems?

    She's asking just the pay-off balance ($6,500) but I'm concerned about the resale value. The customer has kept the car in immaculate condition and has receipts for everything and did regular maintenance like clockwork as well. I test drove the car at length and didn't notice any louder than normal engine sounds and my only regret is that I wish it had more power going from 0 - 65 but what can one expect from a 3 speed?

    I would appreciate ANYONE'S honest input ASAP before I enter into this deal . . . Plus, I'm getting ready to move from Missouri to Boston at the end of this month so I'll be putting the Neon to the long distance trip test soon after purchase. Please advise :-)
  • pat455pat455 Member Posts: 603
    Hello mkbizwoman,

    Welcome to Town Hall!

    Perhaps you have already found all these other resources here, but I just wanted to point them out in case you have not.

    The Finance, Warranty and Insurance Conference is a good place to pursue your questions about the Premium Care Protection Package. The Smart Shopper Conference is a good place to check into things like used car pricing and resale value.

    From your ID, I assume you are a woman. If so, you might also like to take a look at the Our Turn Conference which is dedicated to women's automotive issues. We are fortunate to have had an automotive tech join us recently as co-host. Her name is Kristina and she posts under the ID md_tech. It's possible she may have even had some personal experience with this vehicle.

    I don't mean to be chasing you all over Town Hall, I just wanted to be sure you were aware of all of the resources available here for your particular situation.

    Meanwhile, we'll wait to see if anyone has any advice for you here in this topic.

    Again, welcome. And good luck.

    Pat
    Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference
  • md_techmd_tech Member Posts: 84
    I'm sorry to say but the Neon hasen't been a very dependable car. They don't hold their resale value and they seem to have a lot of mechanical issues. We just had one in recently a 97 with a Head Gasket problem,even thought, the car will still be under warranty you will live in the repair shop... This is the type of car they unfortunatly term "throw away". Personaly when I first saw the Neon I wanted the cute little car too... But I haven't been to lucky with American cars. I had a red Dodge Daytona that did me wrong and since then I haven't touched another American car. I don't even like to work on them!!!!They have a conference on Sedans you might want to check out... I heard the Nissan Sentra has really moved up in the compact cars review...(Check It Out) An don't forget if you have any other concerns you can find me at the Women Automotive Conference...

    Kristina/co host Our Turn
  • jbaird1jbaird1 Member Posts: 1
    Like so many others on this page, I have had major problems with my '95 Dodge Neon. I am not a car person, but here's the scoop:

    * Brake problems about a year ago; major expenditure.

    * Head gasket problem currently

    * Air conditioner leak currently

    Our Neon has about 83,000 miles on it. I don't think of this as high mileage, but apparently the folks at Chrysler do; when I told the dude at the 800 number the mileage, he made some comment about high mileage, and I shut him up by telling him about the Honda in my driveway with almost 200K on it that still works well!

    At any rate, I could use advice, if anyone has any above and beyond what I've already read in the past 40-something gasket entries. I did call the 800 number for Chrysler, not really helpful, just referred me to the closest Dodge dealer in the area. Brought the car in for a "diagnosis" this morning, really more for them than me, since I'd already had the problem diagnosed by a local independent car repair place. They quoted me $700+ for the gasket, and 400+ for the air conditioner repair. The diagnosis slip didn't list auto part numbers or anything, just the total -- no breakdown of what the cost consisted of. Shoddy, in my opinion. Also, when my husband went to pick up the car (we opted not to pay for the repairs until we'd called back the 800 number) the repair person had left his half-empty gum pack on the driver's seat, and an empty can of chewing tobacco (!) on the passenger seat. About halfway home, hubby realized that the hood hadn't been closed tightly, either. When we called the service manager to complain we got "hey, it happens sometimes". So, we paid $70 for the diagnosis, and an additional mystery fee of $7 for "rags". Needless to say, Antwerpen Dodge in MD will not be getting any more business from us.

    Called the 800# (which I about have memorized at this point) after that mess, and they called Antwerpen about it. Upshot was that the dealer would cover 20% of the repair cost. Big Deal. When we asked the Chrysler people about using a different (better) dealership, they said we'd have to start fresh with each dealer, meaning a new diagnosis, etc. I am so mad at this point, and I'm feeling really impotent and powerless.

    It probably goes without saying that the new minivan we plan to buy in the next month WILL NOT be a Chrysler product. In the meantime, I'd love any additional advice you car-savvy people may have. Thanks!
  • focuszx3rfocuszx3r Member Posts: 92
    My bro has a 96' neon with prob bout 80-85k on it--never a problem--especially head gasket problem. the key is to ket the engine warm up by idling it, and if you must drive, be very very very light on the throttle. My mom's 90' spirit b;ew head gasket at 45k (warranty) but she never warmed it up. Dad's 97' Dakota had it replaced at 20k under warranty, now has 80k and is fine. if you take care fo the car and warm it up correctly you wont have these problems. it just seems that these dodges are more prone to this because of the cast iron block/aluminum head combo and the use of cheap gaskets that are incorrectly torqued at factory. if they spent a bit more and used steel gaskets their wouldnt be all these probs
  • fula2958fula2958 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1997 Neon Highline, SOHC with 88,900 miles. I replaced the head gasket at 81,000 (before i knew that Chrysler would take care of it) my mechanic says he'll never work on this car again. What I'm wondering is if this is a problem on the DOHC's as well as the SOHC's. My brother has a 1998 neon sport and has never had any problems out of his car, so I'm thinking of just having the DOHC put in my car. Anyone tried this?
  • zavadazavada Member Posts: 1
    I leased a 97 Dodge Neon and had to replace the head gasket at 34-thousand miles. Fortunately it was covered by the warranty. I "unloaded" it shortly afterward. Next I leased a 98 Dodge Neon thinking Crysler Engineers would have resolved the problem. No such luck! I now have 23,900 miles and have developed a serious oil leak. It is at the end of the lease. Even though I have a favorable residual balance and my wife loves to drive it I fear that time when the first replaced head gasket goes (about 44 thousand:-() and I have to get it replaced on my own money. Why can't Crysler ever get it right? I would not think twice about buying the car if it weren't for this problem!
  • mlaportamlaporta Member Posts: 9
    My 98 needed a new head gasket at 18,000 miles. It was already leaking at 23.000 miles when I traded it. Although this IS a WARRENTY repair, isn't there anyone else out there who expects more from their car, at low milage, than to compete for repair space at the dealership? Is there anyone else who thinks Chrysler should stand behind its product enough to recall it, if that's all that will work? These posts represent many years of the same problem.....and there are other identical and frequent problems, as well.
  • jsh3848jsh3848 Member Posts: 1
    My Green Machine reciently died at 56,xxx miles. It Replaced my 1989 Dodge Shadow. It seemed like a nice car at the time, At my work, 2 other employees have Neons. Both of their head gaskets failed. The cool, "car guy" I am (which I am not) told them that they needed to check the oil ever so often. I had oil in my car, and it still blew a head gasket. I went to the Chrysler dealer and told them about the problem. The jerk told me in his words, "Wow, this is a rare occasion, never heard about one with this problem". gave me estimated repair costs which was over $1400!!! Certinally I did not get my $12,000 out of this car, and never seen a car die at 56,000 miles! After the fixes, maneged to sell it for $5000. I am never going to buy another Chrysler product ever again! I went and bought a 2000 infiniti G20. Great warentee, and nice people to deal with. Never buy a DODGE/Plymouth/Eagle/Chrysler product ever. Rude people. No direct answers. Never again!
  • nightlingernightlinger Member Posts: 12
    I had my new headgasket put in this April. Assuming that the newly designed gasket was put in, can I expect not to have future gasket problems? Seems by now we should have some history as to whether the new MLT (?) gaskets have worked or not.
  • glennkglennk Member Posts: 1
    I bought one of the very first Neons sold here and currently have 212,000 plus miles on it. All told I'm pretty happy with it but the head gasket problem is a pain. I replaced the first one at 110,000 and 2 years later at about 160,000 replaced another one. Both done at Dodge dealers and no offer of payment was made by either. I think I am close to blowing another gasket but at the age of the car, will probably get rid of it this time. It's about an $800 dollar repair where I live and I don't think the rest of the car is worth putting that much into it.
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