1998 Dodge Neon engine and engine cooling problems

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE NEON. THE SPEEDOMETER ISNT OPERATING NORMALLY AND DOESN'T DISPLAY THE SPEED; HOWEVER, IF YOU TAP ON THE DASHBOARD IT BEGAN OPERATING NORMALLY. THE INOPERABLE SPEEDOMETER IS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE IT DOESN'T DISPLAY THE CORRECT SPEED. THE HEAT GAUGE ALSO FAILED TO SHOW THE PROPER TEMPERATURE, DISPLAYED OVER HEATING AND FAILED TO WORK PROPERLY. THE NOISE FROM THE HEATING SYSTEM IS ALSO A DISTRACTION AND A SAFETY RISK. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 137,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.”

“THE 1998 DODGE NEON IS NOTORIOUS FOR FAULTY HEAD GASKETS. THE PROBLEM IS FIRST NOTICED BY AN OIL LEAK AND THE VEHICLE OVERHEATING. THE HEAD GASKETS ARE EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE. AFTER THE CAR GETS HOT, IT STALLS AT EVERY INTERSECTION AND EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE STARTS TO SLOW DOWN OR IS PLACED IN NEUTRAL (MANUAL TRANSMISSION). MY CAR STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION WHERE TRAFFIC WAS GETTING ON AND OFF OF THE FREEWAY AND WOULD NOT START AGAIN. I HAD TO GET OUT OF MY CAR AND PUSH IT TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY ENTRANCE BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY AVAILABLE PLACE TO MOVE MY CAR TO. IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT THIS INCIDENT DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR RESULT IN ME GETTING INJURED. CHRYSLER IS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS ISSUED AN IMPROVED GASKET REPLACEMENT KIT, (WHICH IS COSTLY) BUT REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM BY ISSUING A RECALL. MY CAR NEEDS NEW HEAD GASKETS AND I HAVE BEEN QUOTED $900 FOR PARTS AND LABOR. I DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH MONEY, SO NOW MY CAR SITS PARKED IN THE STREET AND I NOW HAVE TO TAKE THE CITY BUS, WHICH CLOSEST STOP TO MY HOUSE IS 1.5 MILES, OR WALK PLACES WITH MY 3 CHILDREN IN 100 DEGREE WEATHER. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WILL DO…”

“I PURCHASED A 1998 NEON ESPRESSO IN JUNE OF 2004. ON ABOUT JULY 2004 MY CAR DIED. I HAD IT TOWED AND HAD OVER $1,800 OF ENGINE WORK DONE. AFTER WORK WAS DONE THEY STATED MY REAR SEAL WAS LEAKING AND WANTED OVER $600 TO REPAIR THIS.”

“IN OCTOBER OF 2003 MY 2.7 LITER ENGINE WENT WITH ONLY 73,000 MILES. I CHANGED THE OIL IN THIS VEHICLE FAITHFULLY EVERY 3,000 MILES. I WAS TRAVELING THROUGH A BUSY INTERSECTION WHEN THE ENGINE BLEW. WHEN IT HAPPENED I LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING ME TO HIT A CURB SO HARD THAT MY TIRE BLEW. I AM THANKFUL THAT IT WAS A CURB THAT I HIT. THIS OCCURRED NOT FAR FROM A MIDDLE SCHOOL WHERE CHILDREN ALWAYS WERE . I HAD MY MECHANIC LOOK AT MY VEHICLE, HE TOLD ME THAT THESE WERE THE WORST ENGINES EVER MADE, HE ALSO ADVISED ME NOT TO REPLACE THIS ENGINE NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE HIGH EXPENSE, BUT ALSO IT WAS LIKELY THAT I WOULD BE REPLACING IT AGAIN WITHIN A YEAR. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW DAIMLER CHRYSLER HAS GOTTEN AWAY WITH THIS PROBLEM FOR AS LONG AS THEY HAD. I CALLED SEVERAL REPAIR SHOPS, AUTO PART STORES, AND EVEN DODGE DEALERSHIPS INQUIRING ABOUT PRICES FOR REPAIR. EVERYONE WAS WELL AWARE OF THESE ENGINES CALLING THEM DEFECTIVE, EVEN MECHANICS AT THE DODGE DEALERSHIP. THERE ALSO HAS BEEN SEVERAL CASES OF THE NEWS MEDIA DOING STORIES ON THIS SITUATION. AUTO MAGAZINES(MOTOR MAGAZINE MOSTLY) WRITE STORIES ABOUT THESE DEFECTIVE ENGINES. THE STORIES WRITTEN INCLUDE…”

“TIMING BELT SNAPPED OFF FOUR TIMES FROM 1999 -2002, REPLACED 3 TIMES AT DESERT DODGE IN LAS VEGAS ONCE WITH ALL PULLEYS REPLACED AND ONE TIME AT SPITZER DODGE IN MAYFIELD HTS, OHIO 2 WEEKS AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. NEITHER DODGE WOULD PAY FOR THE REPAIRS.*AK”

“THE OIL LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND OIL WOULD LEAK OUT OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE THE ENGINE DOES NOT CONNECT AT FIRST, HAS TO TRY AT LEAST TWO TIMES BEFORE IT WILL START. DEALER STATED IT COULD BE EITHER THE STARTER OR THE ENGINE.*AK”