1997 Plymouth Neon engine and engine cooling problems

“ON JULY 17, 2006 MY BELT TENSIONER BROKE ON MY 97 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER SE. I HAD IT TOWED TO AN AUTO SHOP THE NEXT DAY WHERE THEY REPLACED THE TENSIONER AND PUT ON A NEW BELT. ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2006, (THE FIRST DAY DRIVING CAR IN THE RAIN SINCE REPLACING BELT & TENSIONER), WHILE DRIVING CAR IN THE RAIN 5 MINUTES, THE POWER STEERING WAS LOST AND THE BATTERY LIGHT COMES ON - THE BELT HAD COME OFF. RETURNED CAR TO REPAIR CENTER. THEY PUT BELT BACK ON AND COULD NOT FIND ANY REASON WHY THIS HAPPENED, OTHER THAN TO SAY THAT BELTS CAN FALL OFF MORE EASILY IN WET WEATHER. ON SEPT. 17, IT WAS NOT RAINING WHEN I WAS DRIVING CAR AT THE TIME, HOWEVER, THERE WAS AN AVERAGE SIZE PUDDLE THAT I DID DRIVE INTO AND AS SOON AS I DID I LOST MY POWER STEERING AND THE BATTER LIGHT CAME ON. PULLED OVER AND HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED. THIS TIME I TOOK IT TO A DEALER. THEY PUT THE BELT BACK ON AND COULD NOT FIND ANY REASON WHY IT WOULD HAVE COME OFF, OTHER THAN IT GETTING WET. I TOLD THEM THAT I HAD HEARD THROUGH A FRIEND THAT CHRYSLER VANS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM OF THE BELT COMING OFF IN WET WEATHER BUT THEY SAID THEY HAD NOT HEARD OF IT. THE ONLY 2 TIMES I HAVE DRIVEN MY CAR IN WET…”

“CAR STALLED OUT AND STOPPED ON FREEWAY! I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED. STATED RIGHT UP BUT STALLED AGAIN. HAD IT TOWED TO SHOP (PEPBOYS). THEY REPLACED SEVERAL PARTS BEFORE REFERRING ME TO DEALERSHIP AS THEY COULD NOT FIND AND FIX THE PROBLEM. CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP SAYS IT IS ENGINE WIRE HARNESS AT $930.00 TO FIX. DAIMLER-CHRYSLER KNOWS PART IS FAILING IN NEONS BUT DECLINED TO ASSIST IN THE REPAIR. DEALERSHIPS ORDERED PART 7 DAYS AGO. STILL HAS NOT ARRIVED AND I HAVE NO TRANSPORTATION. *JB”

“IN HEAVY RAIN THE CAR IS VERY HARD TO STEER, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE 02 SENSOR, AND NOW THE COOLING FANS DON`T WORK I HAVE ALSO NOTICED A MUSTY SMELL WHEN I TURN ON THE AIR COND. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE EGR VALVE IT IS JUST ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER THAT KEEPS GOING WRONG WITH THIS CAR.”

“MAJOR OIL LEAK FROM HEAD GASKET WHICH WAS REPLACED. CRACKED MANIFOLD REPLACED. BLOWER MOTOR TO HEATER WENT OUT AND WAS REPLACED. IGNITION COIL REPLACED. ALSO TIRES, BRAKES, STRUTS, BATTERY. WHEN I FIRST LEASED THE CAR I HAD TO GET NEW TIRES AS THERE WERE PLUGS IN TWO OF THE TIRES AND THEY BLEW OUT. WHEN I LEASED THE CAR IT WAS 2 YEARS OLD AND PREVIOUSLY LEASED. I HAD TO HAVE AN ENGINE MOUNT REPLACED THAT WAS MISSING, LEFT TURN SIGNAL DIDN'T WORK AND THAT WAS REPLACED. ALSO, PAINT ON HOOD IS BUBBLING AND IS STARTING TO PEEL ON RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE PANEL BEHIND REAR WINDOW. DRIVER SIDE WINDOW DOESN'T ROLL UP TIGHT AND AIR BLOWS IN AND IT WHISTLES. ALSO LINES ON WINDOWS ON PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE FROM ROLLING IT UP AND DOWN.”

“CONSUMER BOUGHT NEON NEW IN 1997. RIGHT AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED DEALER TOLD CONSUMER THERE WAS AN ENGINE HEAD GASKET OIL LEAK, AND WOULD COST $450 TO FIX IT. CONSUMER THOUGHT DEALER SHOULD HAVE TOLD HIM ABOUT THE LEAK WHILE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY SINCE HE ALWAYS HAD THE OIL CHANGED THERE. CURRENTLY, VEHICLE WAS LEAKING 1 QUART PER DAY. CONSUMER TALKED TO MECHANICS, WHO INDICATED THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD HAVE HAD A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE REPLACED MANY OF THE SAME VEHICLES FOR THE SAME LEAKING PROBLEM AFTER WARRANTY RAN OUT.*AK”

“WHILE DRIVING THE FRONT AXLE BROKE WHICH CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. THE HEADS GASKET WAS ALSO REPLACED TWICE BECAUSE THEY BLEW AND WERE LEAKING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *NLM”