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Dodge/Plymouth Neon

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Comments

  • skalinaniskalinani Member Posts: 3
    Why exactly has your brother changed cars so often???
  • frenchy2002frenchy2002 Member Posts: 40
    If the neon was reliable, Skalina would not need a mechanic in the first place. Good or bad mechanic! Neons have been proven to be unreliable. There are data to back that up. Also be aware that your 96 Neon is prone to head gasket failure. Mine started to leak oil at 60,000 miles. These cars don't age well. If you have troubles now, you will have even more problems later. Parts don't get any younger!
  • night_visionnight_vision Member Posts: 5
    I am a poor college student, who is working hard trying try to support myself through the expensive tuition. I decided to support our own country by buying an American car after the 911 incident and "underwater" economy. I didn't want my money to go to Japan. This decision is my worst one that I ever made in my life so far!!! I purchased a brand new 2002 Dodge Neon SE with 5 speed manual on late March. The car was in the Dodge service department for 2.5 weeks. Well, according to the mechanic those are not "big problems", sounded like he deals with them daily. The car is not even 2 month with 1600 miles with 5 problems: defective steering pump, leak fuel tank, first gear lagging/weird noise, brake problem/weird noise, left front CV boot got not grease in it (caused damages on the front axle. they replaced the axle). God is really nice to me... actually sorry none of the god's business since I made the wrong decision. I owned a 1995 Honda Civic. I bought the Civic brand new and did only engine oil and transy fuild changes(no maintenance at all,except timing belt). The Civic has 130,000 miles on it and it never have a single problem. It was still running in very good shape when I sold it. My dad's Honda Accord hit 120,000 without any problems too. This is my first American car and it will be my last!!! Sure some of you may think that I am just unlucky, but American cars are commonly known to be problematic. It is not due to defective car design most of the time, but poor quality assembly workers. Where is the QC?? How could they ship out my Neon with no grease in my CV Boot??? Why my fuel tank was not assembled correctly???

    We can built better cars than Japanese, but our assembly line SUCKS!!! I really "enjoyed" taking bus to college when my car was in the repair shop. I was ashamed to answer my Japanese classmate, who tried to convince me to get a Toyota(I hate the most, um.. actually seond most now), that my American built brand new Neon with 1,600 miles is having 5 problems and it is current in repair shop and that I came to school with 1.5 hrs bus ride.
  • legero8legero8 Member Posts: 17
    I rented a Dodge Neon lately and man this is one sad little car. It has no pickup, no getgo, and so many rattles it hurt my ears. The car is very loud and poor insulation and I feel every bump I hit. Its amazing to see people drive this car for more than 20 miles at a time. How do you do it?
    Just my opinion...
  • ems1ems1 Member Posts: 48
    I also had a terrible experience with a 2000 Neon. I filed under the lemon law provisions in Pennsylvania. Chrysler settled out of court for a buy back. You may want to look into this option in your state. I have to tell you, even if you win Chrysler still goes out of their way to make your life difficult. I settled out of court in January 2002 and I am still waiting for the check. They just keep stalling and making excuses, check in the mail, etc. I now have about 37,000 miles on my Neon ES and every mile was painful in that piece of junk. Can't wait to get rid of it. I would have traded it in months ago if I didn't have the Lemon Law case going.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    According to the leasing guide that tells all the residuals for leased cars, the Neon has resale value 2-5 years down the line equivalent to a Kia. That really shocked me.
  • night_visionnight_vision Member Posts: 5
    How much did Chrysler agree to pay you back? How much did you pay for filing the Lemon Law? I pretty much left with no money after buying that junk. I just hope that it does not cause that much to file Lemon Law in my state. Thanks for the info.
  • ems1ems1 Member Posts: 48
    To: Night Vision

    There was no cost in my case to file a Lemon Law suit. The fee for the attorney is paid by the manufacturer if you are successful. Under the lemon law provisions in Pennsylvania, the manufacturer has to buy the car back or give you a new car if you win. I settled out of court for what I paid for the car less $2700 rather than taking my chances on a jury trial and wasting 3 days. I thought this was a good deal since the car has 37000 miles. The lemon laws vary by state. You have to research the law for your state. Send me an email from the user profile if you have more questions.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Thought this might be helpful here. Go to http://www.lemonlawamerica.com and check out your state's lemon laws.
  • legero8legero8 Member Posts: 17
    Yea the neon is sad but I rented a Mirage as well and I will say the Neon is better. The mirage is junk on wheels. THe engine was actually louder than a neon and didn't even have tilt wheel. Now thats sad.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    The only Mirages being sold right now are to rental agencies. The Mirage is alot more reliable than the Neon. Also, the Mirage was last redesigned in 1997, the Neon in 2000. So that's why the Mirage feels old and cheap, because it is.
  • legero8legero8 Member Posts: 17
    Is that the same deal with Ford Escorts? THey had Escort's to rent...I thought they canned Escorts 2 years ago for the Focus?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    The Escort sedans are only available through fleet, but the ZX2 coupe is still for sale (at big discounts, too).
  • snowmansnowman Member Posts: 540
    What makes you think that Honda or Toyota brand cars are import? American workers are assembling them. Well if you are concerning about corporate profit then don't you think that DC is half German-may be more?.
    You live in globly managed economy and there is no concept as nationality in there. I bet %90 of your house hold has made-in China, Taiwan, Korea products.
    Sorry for your trouble but our 2000 Neon is running pretty smooth.
  • night_visionnight_vision Member Posts: 5
    Keep in mind that Honda cars are not 100% made in USA. They are assembled in USA with better QC. Engine and Transmission of most Japanese cars are still manufactured in Japan.
    Buying American built car does help American economy. Remember some years back, some American Corp.(Sun Micro system just for an example) would pay their employees about $1000 if they buy an American car (Ford, Dodge, GMC, etc; not American built cars like American Honda, toyota)to help American economy. I believe majority of Chrysler/Dodge is still own by American, not German. Moreover, I think Chrysler/Dodge owns most of Mercedes shares. Well, at least it is 80% built by Americans. P.S. I am Computer Science/Engineering major, not Business/Economic, so I maybe wrong =)
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Actually, Diamler purchased Chrysler in their merger, so the majority of Chrysler is probably German now. A friend of mine who keeps up with economic news told me this, so I know if he said it, it's right.
  • night_visionnight_vision Member Posts: 5
    I should have bought another Honda...
  • 71charger71charger Member Posts: 116
    Sorry some of you bought pieces of crap, it happens. I'm at 30K and loving this car. Except for replacing the two door jamb switches, one of which my daughter broke, under warranty the car is completely problem free. There was a buzz that was driving me nuts but it turned out to be the button on the Sears garage door opener remote. I saw some statistics on problems with new cars about a year or so ago and all the major makers were in a virtual dead heat. I think the difference is in the way the manufacturer handles problems. I must admit Chrysler seems to be one of the worst at this. I've talked to many people who bragged of having no trouble with their Honda/Toyota/Nissan for over 100,000 miles. Most of them when pressed suddenly remember something that broke but had forgotten about it because it was handled quickly and professionally at the time with no hassle to the consumer. With some exceptions, early Neon head gaskets being one of them, American engines have always been among the most reliable in the world.

    Most people are poorly informed about where cars are made. I saw a posting on another board from someone who would never buy another Jeep because the five speed in his or her Cherokee was crap. Do a little research and find out the Jeep and most of the Japanese SUVs at the time used the same Japanese made 5 speed transmission. So this person's next purchase will probably be a Japanese 4x4 based on a bad experience with an "American" transmission.

    I agree resale on Neons seems to be exceptionally low. But, if you're like me, and keep cars for a long time, who cares. When they're 10 years old not many cars have much resale.
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    First off sorry about your problems with your Neon.

    Actually the problem you see most of the time is not with the assembly (I refuse to believe that American assembly workers are any worst then other assembly workers) but with the parts and the suppliers. The Japanese companies tend to protect their suppliers while American companies tend to squeeze their suppliers out of every last dime out of their profits. I read an article back in November. It was an interview with the CEO of Honda and he mentioned how they work closely with their suppliers to maintain the quality of the products and that they also work harmoniously with the car. Which is why the Japanese models tend to cost a couple of thousand more then the American counterparts. Where with the American car companies it seems like every week you read about the big 3 (or is it 2 now) telling their suppliers you have to cut costs by 10%. It doesn't take a finance whiz to figure out what happens when you keep cutting into a companies profits. The quality must come down (i.e.: cheaper materials).

    Then shortly after that article, I read another where they interviewed a retired GM assembly worker who was visiting the Honda and Toyota plants in the US as part of a consulting position for GM. He was amazed that they all had the same criteria and quality control (each company had their own of course). He mentioned how this would have never worked with GM. I found this article fascinating.

    As far as the Neon is concerned, it's not a bad car but it is a very average car in a very competitive market. It's competing with the Civic, Focus, Sentra, Protege, Elantra, Saturn, etc. It has some good thing going for it: roomy interior, strong engine, uniquie styling. But it needs more to stand out in this crowded market.

    With the American companies, Gm has turned the corner as far as QC is concerned. Believe it or not, Ford is just about there. People complain about all the recalls but I guarantee you 10 years ago, Ford would not have done any of them. And it looks like their "grand" plan should make them a solid company in a couple of years. I don't know enough about DC plan to know about their future. There are some nice designs coming down the pipeline. I just hope it isn't too little, too late.
  • mobaymobay Member Posts: 45
    After being away from this post for more some time I am amazed to see that a troller "I've got a roommate who has a Neon" is still alive and well ,spewing his opinions (usually negative and veiled at other times to not seem so).

    To spend this amount of time is I'm sure admirable, but makes one wonder if this chap has any other form of life. What's particularily interesting is that over a year ago, he promised to leave this board, if more than one magazine article could be found praising the Neon 2K. When the evidence was presented to him, did he leave?

    Hell no he didn't ,and he remains here to this day. Hopefully this gives you an idea of his integrity and honestly. Anyway enough of him, he'll respond shortly.

    My Neon 2K ES 5sp has gone 30K+ plus miles with one problem so far. A defective keyless remote rear door latch that was making a buzzing noise whilst actuating. Replaced in a few hours and that was that. My car is still rattle free,and all items work flawlessly. Slighty modified for performace, it is still a joy to drive and it's gearbox/engine still gets my heart pumping.

    No doubt about it, there are some problems with some 2K's and 2K2's.For me though, and I'm sure others, the statement that all post 1999 models are "junk" is unfounded and just not true.

    In closing let me once again challenge this board's favorite troll-why not be honest and let everyone know your true reason for being here. SHEESH! two years trolling? Get a life!
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Actually, I classify trolling as saying stuff about a product/car/whatever that is not true. I have not made any false statements about said car.

    I have not really been here in awhile, because the roommate I used to have left anyway, and took his Neon with him. We don't really speak anymre, so that's another reason why I have not been here.

    I was just really surprised and let down by the quality of the car. Bad cars happen though. I am sure there are Neons out there that are perfect, or near so. My ex-roommate's ex-wife had a 1996 Expresso that ran perfectly.
  • tomcat630tomcat630 Member Posts: 854
    One bad Neon and the entire US indusry is damned?

    There are alot of US makes that have satifies owners. I don't see anyone saying "I hate all imports" if they have to take their Kia or Saab back for repairs.
  • iowabigguyiowabigguy Member Posts: 552
    We ordered a new Neon R/T 2 months ago and took delivery last Friday. The car is flawless. This is the 3rd Neon in our fleet along with a Dodge Dakota Quad Cab. We traded in a Nissan Altima Se that we had since we bought it new in 1995. We have had good luck with Neons and suspect that we are part of the Majority. Most people who post are posting because they have a problem and are not really representative of most owners experience. I just posted to let others interested know that there are happy Neon owners out there. For those interested we have a 1999 Plymouth Neon Expresso 2 dr, a 1999 Dodge R/T 2dr and the new 2002 Neon R/T 4dr. They all have the 150 HP engines. The 2 1999 Neons have had no serious problems and the small ones they did have were taken care of on the first trip to the dealer. Rick
  • blue_neon_badblue_neon_bad Member Posts: 2
    Hello!
    I have a 95 neon 2dr, automatic. When it is raining the car waits to shift to 3rd gear at 50mph (!) Needless to say, the sound is spine tingling, and kind of scared me. The car also has problems downshifting during wet weather. But, when it is not raining, the car runs fine (at least i think so). I know of one other car (a 97 auto) that this happens to... anyone have a suggestion, or does this happen to you??
  • verozahlverozahl Member Posts: 574
    Well, the problem with your car is that it's a mini-Viper. It's a compact exotic, so it's fun, don't get that wrong, but it's a little quirky.
    The Detroit area has a ton of these little sports cars. Very durable, this is obvious. Don't worry, your transmission is up to the highest level of quality available from the world-class Detroit automakers. And remember, it's a mini-Viper that you're driving. Let er rip, no fear!
  • snowmansnowman Member Posts: 540
    Your computer might be getting moisture. Try to locate it and inspect the surrounding components (carpet, plastic housing etc). It happened to my 87 Dodge Aries when I was in college. The car was acting weird when it was rainy, later I discovered that the computer was located right behind the right fender and of course fender was completely rotten and sucking water from street. Just an idea, good luck.
  • jlvjlv Member Posts: 14
    I have a 2000 Neon that I bought in March 1999. There is a squeaking sound coming from the steering (heard when the wheel is turned right or left) that sounds like a squeegee tool being pulled across wet glass. Has anyone else had or heard about this?

    Also, the back brakes have a high-pitched squeak. You will only hear it the first couple of times the brakes are used after the car sits for a while. Anyone have any idea what might be causing this?

    Thanks for your help.
  • night_visionnight_vision Member Posts: 5
    My car has that noise too. I think it is common on Dodge cars.
  • blue_neon_badblue_neon_bad Member Posts: 2
    Well, I realized that if I wanted my Neon to be happy, I had to take it to a dealer (that and I am all thumbs when diagnosing a car). I learned something that surprised me, maybe not everyone reading this would be equally surprised but... The dealer said that the Neon 3 speed auto transmission has no electronic control, nothing to do with the computer, etc. It was just like the "auto transmission of yore." Go figure!


    Anyway, the reason for all of the stutter stepping on the road during the rain, apparently really didn't have much to do with the rain. It was the throttle valve working with the transmission... that was the problem. They freed up the valve, and all seems to be OK... for now.


    Just for the record I really do like my Neon. I just have annoying little problems. Probably a Lemon car, but I like it just the same. Here is a web site some of you might enjoy. (I found this website, and it will at least cause you to smile... it is not funny throughout, but there are some good parts)


    The Tao of Neons:

    http://www.buffnet.net/~camshaft/Neontao.htm


    Thank you for your tips on the auto transmission

  • hersbirdhersbird Member Posts: 323
    I haven't been here in over a year and agree with mobay! What's up with that man, no neon and still here. For those who don't want to look up year old posts I sold my neon so my wife could have a AWD minivan for here work as a nanny. It was a custom ordered 98 sport that was basically flawless for 3 years and 38,000 miles. I paid about $11,000 for it brand new without a trade in and sold traded it in on the van for $8500, so I don't agree resale is bad. I came back now because I am thinking about getting a 3rd car and the Neon SRT is sounding good (looking not so good IMO, I still prefer the look of the first generation). My price on a SRT neon would be about $17,800 which is pretty awesome for something that should run low 14 sec 1/4 mile times. If a heavier WRX with more rotating mass can run a 14.1 pure stock with high rpm launch, then the lighter SRT neon with similar power should maybe even hit into the 13's. It looks like it is really set up to be the best handling neon ever and the old ACR's were pretty awesome. I was thinking about a Mini Cooper S but there is a big wait, big price gouging, and they are no where near as fast. (don't give me cooper=BMW crap, cause the motor was a joint project with Chrysler!) I don't think the SRT neon will classify as the 2nd quickest/fastest Dodge though. It will be a 2003 and there will be the viper and a pesky 2003 Dodge Ram SRT with the viper powertrain floating around. Though this neon will stack up pretty good for 1/2 the price of the ram, and the down payment on the viper!
  • caesarslegioncaesarslegion Member Posts: 109
    Any one know how the new neons are as far as reliability? I have heard the new neons have a new 4 speed auto transmission and have fixed the head gasket problem. Any good or bad stories? Any repeat buyers?
  • iowabigguyiowabigguy Member Posts: 552
    We have 3 Neons, A 99 Plymouth Espresso, a 99 Dodge R/T and a 2002 Dodge R/T. The 99s are 2 door models. All 3 have 5 speeds and the 150 HP motors. The plymouth had a oil leak that was the head gasket - replaced under warranty. The 99 R/T has had both power window motors replaced for being very noisy. Both 99s have had sunroof motors replaced. Everything was corrected 1st time under warranty. The 2002 is a totally different car. It is quieter and much more roomy inside. We ordered the 2002 so we could get leather and NO sunroof. There is no wind noise on the 2002 however the engine is still noisy over 4000 rpm. The 99s are more fun to drive but the 2002 is still as fast, just "different". The 2002 was also a really good bargain with the rebates and dealer discounts. It came with the 7 year 100,000 mile powertrain warranty and we got the Chrysler wrap around warranty which gives us basically the same warranty as the 3/36 out to 7 years/100,000 miles for $1040. (Maximum Care $100 deductable). I enjoy driving all 3 but my personal favorite is the 2002. Rick
  • caesarslegioncaesarslegion Member Posts: 109
    Do you know if this new 7/100 powertrain warranty costs extra or is the wrap around extra? Does this cover pretty much every thing? Like engine/gaskets/trans? I have to be able to get at least 100,000 miles out of my cars ,my poor trcaer is giving up the ghost at 144,000 miles.
  • iowabigguyiowabigguy Member Posts: 552
    The powertrain warranty is no charge. The wraparound warranty was what cost $1040. If you look at the chrysler web site at extended warranties the retail price of the 7 year 100,000 warranty with $100 deductable is $2900.00. The powertrain warranty just covers the motor and transaxle. Doesn't cover high buck electronic components.
  • caesarslegioncaesarslegion Member Posts: 109
    Ok thanks for the info.
  • midnightracermidnightracer Member Posts: 2
    I owned 3 Hondas, 2 Nissan, and currently own 1 BMW M5, Porsche boxster (wife's) and a 2002 Neon SE (mainly used for Long D). I do not know how you guys compare Dodge Neon to those quality imports, but to me, Dodge is the worst American made brand. I do agree that the new Neons do look nice and that was the only reason I bought it, but its quality is just too far from Honda Civic and its performance is no where near Nissan Sentra SE-R. Sorry to say that people, who thinks Neon is a fun to drive car, is probably never own a decent car before. I totally agree with Edmund's small sedans comparision http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/comparison/articles/61394/article.html. This car has a rough engine with excessive vibration and loud engine noise. The sound of engine ignition is terribly loud and embarrassing. The car really worth nothing, it is nothing but a junk. I really think Edmund's is being too nice to Dodge to give Neon higher scores than it deserves. There is no reliability on this car at all. My Neon has only 11k miles on it and it is problematic: problem with the manual transy, some electrical problems, and power steering problem. Neon is cheap when compared to other import cars, but its engine, transy, almost everything is cheap too.. Strongly not recommended. Furthermore, my friend who is an auto mechanic for 10+ years suggested me to sell my Neon asap since I still can get a good resale value within the first year, he said that Dodge cars have a lot of problems and not worth buying at all.


    Neon good??? I DO NOT THINK SO.

  • hersbirdhersbird Member Posts: 323
    I had a 98 sport 150 HP 5-speed that cost all of $11,500 brand new, custom ordered with everything like power sunroof, aluminum, wheels, and windows, locks, etc. It got over 40 MPG on the highway (personal, and EPA rated), and I'm qutie sure it would beat a nissan of equal year in both handling, and acceleration. I had it 3 years and 37,000 miles and didn't have any problems. Then I traded it in on a minivan for $8500. Not bad resale either. I've owned Honda and Nissans as well, and when comparing the years the neon was a much, much better car. Look back to when the neon first came out in 95. Compare that to a 95 sentra and the nissan is very lacking. Now the neon does need some more improvements IMO as it's gotten heavier without increasing power, and it's suspension has gotten to "civic" like. All that ends with the neon SRT, which will surely beat the boxster in the 1/4 mile and probably handling as well, plus you can have 2 for the price of one boxster! Tough to compare a new M5 to a Neon, personally I'd rather retire at age 49 and still pay for my daughters college then drive a pretty quick for stock sedan, but if your giving them away I'll take 2!
  • raider4liferaider4life Member Posts: 6
    Who is going to want to pay $20,000 for a Neon? Yeah, Dodge is claiming a 0-60 time of 5.9 seconds, but who's to say it'll turn out being 5.9? The new Mercury Marauder was claimed to have a 0-60 time in the mid 6s. Then when Speedvision tested it, it was getting times like 7.5 seconds. So, it's not like 5.9 is anything set in stone. And how loud is THIS neon going to be? WIth the bigger engine and a turbo AND the exhaust...it seems like it'd be unbearable.

    But there is probably an upside here. After Dodge realizes they're not going to sell a Neon for $20,000....they'll probably be massive rebates and incentives...so you'll be able to pick one up for maybe $16,000 after a few months. But still, it is still a neon.
  • iowabigguyiowabigguy Member Posts: 552
    Goodness gracious, comparing a lowly Neon with BMW M5s and Porsche Boxsters. Of course the Neon wont look as good. It is a compact ECONOMY car! Our family currently has 3 Neons. A 99 2 dr Plymouth Expresso 150 HP DOHC 5 speed with 34,000 miles (problems - sunroof motor replaced and headgasket replaced for an oil leak - warranty). A 99 Neon R/T with 26,000 miles (problems- sunroof motor replaced and both power window motors replaced - warranty). A 2002 Neon R/T Leather and side airbags (NO SUNROOF) with 1,000 miles. The cars handle well and get decent fuel mileage. The 2002 was special ordered and had a list price of just over $18,000. With discounts and rebates it cost about $14,500 and we purchased an additional warranty that gives maximum coverage with a $100 deductable covering the car out to 7 years or 100,000 miles (this cost $1040). How many Neon R/Ts can you buy for the purchase price of an M5 or a boxster? I agree the motors are noisy over 4,000 rpm, and there are Japanese vehicles that are more refined (and expensive) however the Neon fit our needs. We need reliable and economical transportation. The Neons fill the requirements. They start every time, go good in the snow, and give MPG in the high 20s to low 30s. They are cheap to insure. They are cheap to service (whats an oil change cost for a Beemer or Porsche, or better yet a tune up?). They are also fun to drive if your EGO doesn't require assistance from your vehicle. Don't care for Neons, don't buy them but keep things in perspective. They are economy cars first and foremost, reasonably well made for the price range they compete in. You can buy a well equiped 2002 SXT 5 speed for $10,588 based on ads in todays newspaper. Certainly not BMW or Porsce prices, so don't expect BMW or Porsche refinement. Rick
  • hersbirdhersbird Member Posts: 323
    The SRT neon will have a MSRP of under $20,000. It will actually sell for closer to $18,500, and I bet many will end up in owners hands for about $18,000. They may apply the regular neon rebates to the car if sales don't take off which would mean they may go as low as $16,500. Now the SRT neon is just as powerful as a WRX but the neon is lighter. Even though it will have a traction deficit compared to the WRX it will be more then made up for by the end of the 1/4 mile. The AWD only helps briefly on the launch, and then it's all just extra rotating weight, which any drag racers knows is 10 times more damaging then static weight (like a fender). So if the WRX can run a 14.2 sec 1/4 mile (what Car&Driver, and Grass root Motor sports both got in tests) then it will be possible the new neon will break into the high 13's. Not to many cars running 13's stock, even fewer sedans, and none for around $19,000. Add to this a full suspension tweaking with serious rubber and it looks like a bargain.
  • midnightracermidnightracer Member Posts: 2
    Sorry, I probably did not make myself clear that I was not comparing Neon to M5 and Boxster. I was comparing Neon to Honda Civic EX and Nissan Sentra. The new Neon with turbo probably louder than Boeing 747 =), neightbors will probably wonder how you park a 747 in your garage.

    I just don't like the feel and the noise of Neon, and it gives you a feeling that the car was built around 4:45pm, assuming workers gets off at 5pm. You know most of us(American) start to stare at the clock at 4:45pm and our hearts already outside enjoying the sunshine. I live in Silicon Valley and we have really nice sunshine here =). Honda and Nissan cars are smooth, quiet, and comfortable, people, who owned Honda or Nissan before, should notice these easily. Yeah, Neon SE is about 1k lower than Honda Civic LX, but Civic has much higher resale value and more pleasant to drive with. I regret i bought the Neon without test drive it first, but I am thinking to trade it in for an 2003 Accord for long D. I love travel by driving.

    Sorry I may offended some Neon lovers in my previous post. In my opinion, a decent car is a car with refined engine/transy and Neon does not have that.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    The Town Hall is about to take on a new look in an effort to make content more easily searchable and accessible.

    Have you seen the Letter from the Town Hall Manager on the Town Hall Welcome page? If not, you might want to follow that link to have a look.

    And hang on to your seats. Change is never easy - for any of us - but resolving the Search problems we've had will be worth the pain.

    Pat
    Sedans Host
  • hersbirdhersbird Member Posts: 323
    I think a SE Neon will be much less then $1000 less then the least expensive Honda civic sedan. The Neon can be bought all day close to invoice, and with $2000 in rebates. I agree the MSRP of the two cars may be within $1000 of each other but the actual price most people pay is probably closer to $3000 difference. Honda's resale will never make up for the $3000 more in initial purchase. My neon didn't even lose $3000 in the first 3 years. If you count the added amount you lose in intrest with that $3000 difference then the Neon is an even better value. Herein is the main reason that the Neon appears to have a bad resale, they go by MSRP to figure the depreciation when no Neons actuall sell for MSRP. My 98 had a MSRP of over $14,000 but it was only $11,500 out the door. Personally the older Neon was more of a sports car then a family econobox, it was acceptible to have a little motor growl as it was making 150 HP from a naturally aspirated 2.0 liter (pretty good compared to other 95 models). Now that they have made the Noen more like a civic they have ruined a good thing IMO.
  • 71charger71charger Member Posts: 116
    Well, maybe. According to the latest J.D. Power rankings Dodge did finish last of the American car nameplates but managed to beat out GMC and Jeep. But look who they also beat: Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Suzuki, Subaru, Isuzu, Land Rover, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Kia (last again, why do people buy these things?), Daewoo. Dodge is only three points from jumping ahead of Saab, Mercury, Ford and Jaguar. So MIDNIGHTRACER, you're correct (at least according to J.D. Power) Dodge is the worst American brand. Imagine how much you'd hate your Neon if it was as "good" as a Nissan. Overall the American (and German/American) makers finished third, fourth and fifth. GM, Daimler/Chrysler and Ford. The Chrysler brand finished only five points behind Mercedes and ahead of Audi. And comparing your Neon to a Sentra SE-R is just silly. Compare it to a Sentra without the R to make it a little more apples to apples and get the oranges out of the equation.
  • andrelaplumeandrelaplume Member Posts: 934
    hat is the definitive answer to the head gasket situation on these cars. We bought a new '95 Neon and sold it to an elderly couple when the car was about 3 years old and may be 40K miles. A month later they had to replace the head gasket. They said the would try to go thru Chrystler for a refund but apparently never did. Recently they had an AC problem and I found out they never even tried for a refund on the gasket. Do they have a chance at this point. Was there ever a Neon built that did'nt need one replaced early on? Should I even pursue this for them. As I recal we rather liked the car except for the poor gas mileage and horrible backseat ride. We got rid of it for my sister-in-law's Rav.
  • hersbirdhersbird Member Posts: 323
    I'm sure the vast majority of them have no problem with the headgasket. But 1 in 10 would be considered a horrible repair rate in the automotive world. I don't think they would have much luck getting money from Chrysler on a fix done 3 years ago, but they could always ask nicely and who knows. There has been no problem with it since right? How much did it cost, it's usually under $500 so that doesn't seem too bad for 7 years of service on a $8000 (new) car! Funny you got bad gas mileage, our manual would get well into the 40's on the highway if you drove 55-65. Once in my Navy days we rented a Neon in Hawaii and put 6 180-220 pound sailors in a Neon for a trip 1/2 way around the island. I was driving so it seemed roomy enough for me! The next time we got upgraded for free to a Lincoln Towncar which was much better, and we only had 4 people that time!
  • andrelaplumeandrelaplume Member Posts: 934
    The car was 14K new and their A/c just went. I think the headgasket repair was over $700. I have read MANY articles on these problems gaskets and the fact that Chrystler eventually redesigned them. These folks are luck if they put 5K on the car a year but I am still concerned that they may have another head gasket bill on the horizon if the original was replaced with the 'old' design. We had a peppy automatic which did well on the highway gas mileage wise but poor in the city.
  • hersbirdhersbird Member Posts: 323
    My 98 4 door Sport was about as loaded as it could get and was only $11,500 new! It had power windows, locks, mirrors, sunroof, aluminum wheels, 150 HP motor, ABS, keyless, about the only thing it didn't have was the power robbing automatic which was only a $750 option. It never had a problem with the head gasket in the 38,000 miles we owned it (I drove it very hard), and it was pre-headgasket revision. I had a friend with a 95 sport that didn't have a headgasket problem and had 98,000 miles on it last time I heard. A lady at work has a 97 automatic neon and has not had a headgasket problem, another there has a 99 with no problem either. I don't personally know any other neon owners so in my experience it's neons 4, headgaskets 0.
  • andrelaplumeandrelaplume Member Posts: 934
    Interesting...if you Yahoo and do a search you will find a slew of Headgasket articles, web sites and even a class action lawsuite. Did you buy your 98 new? We paid 14K in 95 for our loaded Highline...supposedly a good price based on Consumers Printout and several other sources.
  • hersbirdhersbird Member Posts: 323
    Yes I bought my Neon new, I even factory ordered it in a specific color combination I couldn't find on the lots (dark amethyst with camel interior). I don't doubt that many neons had head gasket leaks. Most were the very benign leaks that just end up being an oil seepage problem down the side of the block. My GM quad 4 motor had a "real" headgasket failure at 45,000 miles. It let coolant fill the combustion chamber so when the compression stroke occurred it bent two rods and most of the valves in that cylinder (water doesn't compress well). That was a $4500 headgasket failure much more severe then the neon's oil leak. Even if many have problems, it still is no where near 50% of the neons sold that ever have a problem. Like I pointed out I know of 4 old style neons that never have had the problem and don't personally know anybody who has actually had the problem. Even when it happens it doesn't disable the car and is very inexpensive to repair. According to Carpoint, Honda accords from 90-93 have about the same rate of failure on their distributors as neon do head gaskets. Maybe a distributor doesn't sound as severe but it actually costs (on the Honda at least) just as much as a neon headgasket, and when it happens it strands the driver with no warning. Personally I'll take a neon and a slow oil leak over being 2 hours late for work and stuck on the side of the road.
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