1999 Plymouth Neon engine and engine cooling problems

“MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING OUT 1999 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER HOME FROM WORK AFTER A SNOWSTORM. ABOUT A BLOCK AWAY FROM OUR HOME, HE ATTEMPTED TO TURN A CORNER WHEN HE HIT A SMALL PILE OF SNOW THAT THE PLOWS HAD LEFT BEHIND. THE SERPENTINE BELT CAME OFF FROM THE PULLEYS, CAUSING HIM TO LOSE THE POWER STEERING. WITHOUT TIME TO SLOW DOWN OR STEER HARD ENOUGH TO GET AROUND THE CORNER, HE WENT ACROSS TRAFFIC AND ALMOST HIT A PARKED CAR AND SNOW BANK. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE AND HAD THE SERPENTINE BELT PUT BACK ON. LAST SPRING WE ALSO HAD THIS PROBLEM DURING A RAINSTORM AFTER DRIVING THOUGH SOME PUDDLES. AT THAT TIME THE REPAIR WAS TO REPLACE THE SERPENTINE BELT, THE A/C BELT (IT WAS TANGLED WITH THE SERPENTINE BELT) AND REPLACE THE BELT TENSIONER PULLEY. *JB”

“MY NEON HAS 86,000. I HAVE HAD IT FROM NEW. IN NOVEMBER OF 2003, I HAD MY SECOND HEAD GASKET REPLACED. I BELIEVE I AM ON MY WAY TO THE 3RD. I HAVE AN APPT WITH THE DEALER TOMORROW. I HAVE HAD THE EGR VALVE REPLACED AND MY SUNROOF HAS NOT WORKED FOR THE LAST 4. I HAD IT FIXED 4 YEARS AGO ONLY TO HAVE IT MALFUNCTION WITHIN 4 MONTHS. THE DEALER STATED IT WAS NOT UNDER MY WARRANTY, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE LAST DEALER ADMITTED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE HEAD GASKET FROM FACTORY AND CHRYSLER CHANGED THEM. APPARENTLY NOT SINCE MY HEAD GASKET WENT AGAIN IN LESS THAN 18000 MILES. 3 HEAD GASKETS IN 6 YEARS. *JB”

“NOTICE OIL LEAK ON 1999 PLYMOUTH NEON. TOOK CAR TO LAUREL CHRYLSER JOHNSTOWN PA. ON MONDAY JUNE 7. WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS BAD. TOLD THEM TO REPAIR IT COST OF $534.00. TOLD CAR WOULD BE DONE ON TUESDAY. IT WASN'T. WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON DEALER CALLED TO SAY HE HAD GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEW. GOOD NEWS WAS THE HEAD GASKET WAS DONE. BUT THE REAR MAIN SEAL WAS LEAKING. COST TO REPLACE SEAL $334.00. I ASKED IF CAR WAS TESTED TO SEE IF HEAD GASKET WAS THE PROBLEM. WAS TOLD MECHANIC LOOK AND SAID IT WAS THE HEAD GASKET. I ASKED THE DEALER IS THE MECHANIC KNEW ABOUT A SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT THE CAM SENSOR SEAL LEAKING WHICH WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT WHEN THE CAM SEAL LEAKED IT LOOKED LIKE THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING. HE SAID THE MECHANIC LOOKED AND HE KNEW IT WAS THE HEAD. CAR ONLY HAS 47,576 MILES. I QUESTION THE DEALER IF THE MECHANIC COULD HAVE MADE A MISTAKE. THE SERVICE MANAGER WAS RUDE AND SAID HE DIDN'T NEED TO MAKE MONEY WITH UNNECCESSARY REPAIRS. I ASKED IF THE VEHICKLE WAS TESTED FOR THE PROBLEM. HE SAID NO. 3 OTHER DEALERS TOLD ME ON AN OIL LEAK LIKE THAT THE THEY PUT A DYE IN THE OIL AND THEN TO RUN 1 TO 2 DAYS AND BRING IT BACK. WITH THE DYE THEY CAN…”

“HEAD GASKET LEAKED OIL. *PH CAM SHAFT SENSOR SEAL ALSO LEAKS OIL. THE OIL LEAKED ON TO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND ON TO THE GROUND. CHRYSLER KNEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM. *LA”

“OIL LEAKED FROM CAMSHAFT AND HEAD GASKETS. *AK THIS HAD BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE 1996. CHRYSLER CHANGED THE PART TWO TIMES, BUT DID NOT NOTIFY OWNERS. THE CONSUMER SMELLED BURNING OIL REGULARLY. *SC *JB”

“I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR A 60,000 MILE CHECK-UP AND WAS ASTOUNDED TO LEARN THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING AT ONLY 57,000. I COULD NOT AFFORD THE REPAIR AT THIS TIME AND THE MECHANIC SAID THAT NOTHING WAS LEAKING THAT WOULD HURT THE ENGINE, BUT IT SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF SOON. IN ALL THE YEARS I'VE HAD A CAR I'VE NEVER HAD A LEAKING HEAD GASKET AND AT 57,000, TOO. MY LAST CAR, ALSO A PLYMOUTH, HAD OVER 127,000 MILES ON IT AND I NEVER HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE. I DO NOT MISUSE MY VEHICLE, I HAVE THE OIL CHANGED EVERY 3 TO 6,000 MILES AND DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO KEEP IT TROUBLE FREE.”