2002 Dodge Neon engine and engine cooling problems

“I GOT MY OIL CHANGED, TIRES ROTATED, AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS REPLACED ON APRIL 13 2011 AROUND 6:30PM. MY OIL CHANGE TOOK APPROXIMATELY 15 MIN. AFTER THE OIL CHANGE AND TIRE ROTATION, I PAID AND WENT STRAIGHT HOME. I WAS NOT INFORMED BY ANYONE AT VALVOLINE THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR. I GOT IN MY CAR AROUND 7:40AM ON APRIL 14TH AND HEADED TOWARDS MY INSURANCE COMPANY ON ASHEVILLE HIGHWAY. AS I ENTERED ONTO BUSINESS 85, MY CAR STARTED TO SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND I COULD FEEL HEAT ON MY FEET NEAR THE GAS PEDAL AND BRAKE. AS I TRIED TO BRAKE AND SLOW THE CAR DOWN, SOMETHING UNDER THE HOOD CAUGHT FIRE AND THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE CAR AND THE CAR ENDED UP SLIDING INTO THE BACK OF A PICK UP TRUCK AND THE HOOD AND FRONT END OF THE CAR COMPLETELY BURST INTO FLAMES. THE BRAKES ON THE CAR WERE REPLACED SUPPOSED HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY THE DEALER BEFORE I PURCHASED THE CAR IN DECEMBER OF 2010. BECAUSE OF THE INCIDENT, I SPRAIN MY WRIST, DISLOCATED MY TOE, AND AM WITHOUT A VEHICLE. *TR”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE NEON. SHE HAS HAD SEVERAL FAILURES WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION , ENGINE AND SEAT BELTS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED, BUT THE REPRESENTATIVES REFUSED TO DISCUSS THE FAILURES .THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,000.”

“MY ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON INITIALLY. I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC TO HAVE THE COMPUTER READ BY A MECHANIC. THE LIGHT TURNED OFF BEFORE I ARRIVED TO THE SHOP, BUT I THOUGHT THAT THERE WOULD BE SOMETHING IN THE COMPUTER HISTORY. THE MECHANIC STILL PUT THIS ON THE COMPUTER WHICH READ NOTHING IN THE HISTORY. I THOUGHT THAT THIS MUST BE SOME TYPE OF DIAGNOSTIC CHECK AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT I COULD OF JUST PUT THE GAS CAP ON WRONG OR SOMETHING. I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO AND NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR WHEN I HAD THIS INSPECTED. THE ENGINE LIGHT BEING ON WILL NOT PASS EMISSIONS. THEN ON 06/22/09 I GOT AN FULL OIL CHANGE AND ALL FLUIDS WERE CHECKED. STILL NOTHING WRONG. I TURNED THE CAR ON 07/04/09 THE BRAKE LIGHT WAS FLASHING AND THE SPEEDOMETER GAUGE AND FUEL GAUGE WAS SHAKING. THE BATTERY DIED. I REPLACED THE BATTERY AND THE BATTERY WAREHOUSE CHECKED THE FLOW OF THE BATTERY AND STATED THAT THIS MAY HAVE BEEN JUST A BAD BATTERY BECAUSE NOTHING ELSE IS WRONG. THEY EVEN STATED THAT THIS WAS NOT THE ALTERNATOR. THEN 2 DAYS LATER I TURN THE CAR ON AND THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND ANTIFREEZE WERE POURING ON THE GROUND. I TURNED THE CAR OFF…”

“RAPPING SOUND WAS HEARD FROM 2002 DODGE NEON ENGINE UPON COLD START WHICH WOULD STOP AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS. FIRST DEALER WE TOOK CAR TO SAID IT WAS CARBON BUILDUP; I KNEW IT WAS MORE THAN THAT AND BROUGHT IT ANOTHER DEALER WHO AT FIRST DENIED THEY HEARD THE SOUND AT STARTUP. I TOLD THEM TO KEEP THE CAR AND TRY ANOTHER COLD START - ENDED UP THAT THIRD CYLINDER PISTON WAS CRACKED AND FOURTH CYLINDER WAS SCORED AND THEY REPLACED THE SHORT BLOCK. LUCKY FOR ME, I WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND THE COST WAS $100 FOR THE DEDUCTIBLE. CAR HAD JUST UNDER 42,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN MAINTAINED PROPERLY - OIL CHANGES EVERY 3,000 MILES, AND IS DRIVEN IN A MODERATE MANNER (NOT BEAT ON). *TR”

“2002 NEON DEVELOPED A TAPPING NOISE AT COLD START; THE NOISE CONTINUES UNTIL THE CAR IS WARMED UP. NO WARNING LIGHTS TO INDICATE A PROBLEM. CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS; OWNER TOLD IT IS A ROD OR WRIST PIN, BEST TO REPLACE THE ENGINE FOR 4,600. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 44,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED. *TR”

“THE RADIATOR BROKE IN MY 2002 DODGE NEON. THE COOLANT WENT INTO THE TRANSMISSION. THIS WAS LAST 7/2007. NEXT THE TRANSMISSION SOLENOID WENT 4/2008. NOW THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REBUILT. 7/2008 IN TALKING TO NUMEROUS REPAIR SHOPS I AM FINDING OUT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND HAPPENS ALL THE TIME WITH THESE NEONS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I THINK ITS A DEFECT WITH THE WAY THIS WAS BUILT. *TR”