1999 PLYMOUTH Neon

Transmission: Upshifting & downshifting very frequently while driving. Never fixed completely. Still to this day has same problem. Got tired of taking it in for repair and not getting the problem solved.Engine head gasket: Noticed oil on floor of garage and took car to mechanic. He told us that the head gasket needed to be replaced. Also stated that he had changed out 5 to 6 other Plymouth engine head gaskets in last year.

This complaint is in reference to my 1999 Plymouth Neon and the issues with it’s head gasket. My car has 81,000 miles and has developed a head gasket leak, causing oil to leak from the rear of the engine. This is my second Neon. My previous Neon ( 1995 model year ) also had a head gasket failure at 87,000 miles. I had the gasket replaced and paid for the repairs myself. Since my 1999 has started to leak, I have done some investigation into this issue and have found that this is a very hot topic and a very LARGE problem. These cars are notorious for blowing head gaskets. I spoke to Chrysler directly. Their rep informed me that I needed to have my car inspected by a Chrysler dealer, and if approved, Chrysler MAY pay for half of the repairs. I took my car in amost 2 weeks ago and have heard nothing. The dealer said it is OK to drive my car. I am still driving it, carefully watching the oil level and watching for oil/antifreeze contamination. Unless this is properly taken care of, my next car will be a Ford. I have found this information at this web site: There is more info there…worth checking out.********************************************************http://www.neons.org/faq/faq/Nearly all failures occur in the driver’s side rear of the engine block, where an oil passage crosses between head and block within 1/4″ of the outside edge. The most common symptom is an oil leak at the block joint in the vicinity of the brake fluid reservoir. Other, less common symptoms of headgasket failure include: water in the oil (indicated by foam on the dipstick or drain pan), oil in the coolant overflow reservoir, and burning of coolant (continual steam or light grey soot in exhaust pipe). However, most Neon headgasket failures do not cause mixing of oil and coolant.Headgasket failure is enough of a problem, however, that Chrysler has made special provisions for headgasket repairs beyond the normal warranty period. While dealers probably won’t volunteer to fix a car that has exceeded its warranty, many Neon owners have found that a call to the Customer One phone number may help. Depending on the age of the car, Chrysler may pay a portion of the replacement cost; in many instances, repairs have been made just as if warranty coverage existed. Also, owners who have paid out-of-pocket to have the headgasket replaced may be reimbursed under this extension. In many cases, full coverage of headgasket failure has been extended to five years or 100,000 miles***********************************************************

The high pressure A/C hose vibrated and caused a hole. The car is only 3,000 miles over warranty. The dealership indciated that it went out because it was not installed properly. Despite the fact that they caused the problem the insist that I pay for the repair. They said it won’t go out again because they will install it properly. They wanted $370.00 to repair it. I can’t afford the cost at the moment so I just picked up from the dealership today.

the head gasket was replaced at 24304 miles on 6/21/00 and now has went bad again at 63000 9/15/03 and chrysler is refusing to pay for it

I took my car to have a dealer look at it due to an oil leak that has gotten progressivly worse. I was told that if it was a Neon and it was leaking it was most likley the head gaskets. Sure enough, they checked it out and that is what is leaking. They said that anyone with a neon should expect to replace the head gaskets. Unfortunatly I am a studebt and do not have that kind of money and my extended warrenty did not cover it, so as of this date it is unfixed. If they know they had that big of problem with it, then it should have been recalled. That is a huge expense and can ruin the engine all together.

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.

Fuel gauge suddenly drops to empty. even after a complete tank refill. it would seem to be an electrical malfunction in either the sensor or dash gauge itself. it can be "cleared" from being stuck on empty by shutting off the engine and then restarting it.

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 plymouth neon, while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle overheated and the temperature gauge indicated hot. the contact attempted to shut off the vehicle, but the ignition key was too hot and failed to remove from the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the repairs were unknown. the failure recurred. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 173,000. the vin was unavailable.

Head gasket failure this is obviously an on going problem for this model car - car should be recalled or at very least repaired by chrysler. *tr

Air bag failure. struck a deer in front of car. front bumper, grill, hood, driver side front fender, headlight and windshield were damaged quite severely. damage is approximately $4000. speed was 45 mph. deer was large buck, 12 points. neither air bag deployed. *jb

Dt: the vehicle would not start,.opened the hood, looked like an electrical short, the wiring on the end glowed red right above the battery. previously, there was an air conditioning problem, and the check engine light came on. they said it was a sensor. also a trunk latch.*ak

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 see where the oil is leaking. laurel didn't do that. now instead of the car repaired after $534.00 it will cost another $334.00 to fix rear main seal. could have been that all along. no help from the dealer or manufactor. i found on the internet that alot of neons have this problem. *ak

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

I bought this car 3 weeks ago and have already replaced the rear main seal and put a new oil sending unit in. now i am told it is the head gasket for which is estimated at $800 to fix.my 1999 neon only has 55,000 miles on it!this car of mine is still leaking oil and i am scared to drive any where with my son, in fear that i will be stranded some where and not know what to do! i am a single mom and cannot afford this....why aren't the dealerships recalling these cars to fix right. i think this is wrong and makes them look bad why don't they redeem their reputtaion and fix the problem in these neon.i am a very unhappy neon owner!!!*ak

The high pressure a/c hose vibrated and caused a hole. the car is only 3,000 miles over warranty. the dealership indciated that it went out because it was not installed properly. despite the fact that they caused the problem the insist that i pay for the repair. they said it won't go out again because they will install it properly. they wanted $370.00 to repair it. i can't afford the cost at the moment so i just picked up from the dealership today.

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.

The head gasket was replaced at 24304 miles on 6/21/00 and now has went bad again at 63000 9/15/03 and chrysler is refusing to pay for it

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

Head gasket problems, cost more to fix the problem than the car is worth, have also had brakes replaced twice and also new rotors. *ak

Major oil leak which resulted in engine damage. *la

Defective head gasket on my 1999 plymouth neon. also has affected other chrysler models check tsb no. 09-05-98 for more details. chrysler should have had a recall on these vehicles. it cost me $586.00 to have it replaced through nearby chrysler dealership. they said they have replaced quite a few of these. if so why in world have they not warned people of these vehicles that the problem could happen to them before it results in more costly repairs. a service bulletin should be sent to these owners stating that if they find any oil leaking problems it could be the result of a defective head gasket. chrysler should be paying all or part of the repair costs for this defect. *la

Consumer stated that middle seat belt plastic cap broke off, and she could not tighten the seat belt. the seat belt just slides. *ak

Consumer noticed while traveling and without any indication air conditioner stopped working. vehicle was serviced, technician couldn't duplicate problem. *ak

Head gasket replaced 24,304 miles 6/21/00, head gasket has went bad again at 63,000 miles 9/15/03 and chrysler refuses to pay for replacement. *jb

I've just recently had to put $900.00 into a "head gasket" replacement on a 1999 plymouth neon. the dealer agent had stated that it is an ongoing issue that has been reported to chrysler and unless the vehicle is covered under a service contract, chrysler is doing absolutely nothing about it for the consumer. the dealer has replaced head gaskets on neons at 30,000 miles and higher. with as many vehicles i've owned in my life, i've never had to replace a head gasket. even at 200,000 miles.

When applying brakes, consumer hears a grinding noise; have taken vehicle to dealership several times & dealership acknowledges this is a problem with neons. vehicles brakes linings need to be cleaned several times a year in an attempt to prevent this noise. *ak

Head gasket leaking on driver side of car. my mechanic told me the repair would cost over $800.00, and stated that a recall was made by plymouth on my plymouth neon. he suggested i contact the dealership. i contacted the service department of jack powell chrysler plymouth dodge, escondido, ca where i purchased the car new in sept 1999, and told them about my head gasket oil leak. they asked me for my vin number. i waited 15 minutes for a woman to return to the phone and said there was no recalls for my vehicle, then hung up on me when i started to ask a question. i told my mechanic about the incident, and he stated he had another customer with the same head gasket leaking on their neon and plymouth repaired it. my neon remains reliable, as long as i put 1.5 quarts of oil in it every week. *nlm

The engine mount bolt broke, which caused the engine to fall out of the vehicle and disconnected the brake line. *jb

Oil leaked from the engine. *nlm

The vehicle stalled without warning. *jb a major oil leak occurred at 52k miles, did not run properly, and made noise. the service dealer stated that the 3 ply head gasket shouldn't have been placed in the vehicle from the beginning. scc

I was driving & i heard a "clunk" & a "boom" & then the car shut itself off. after getting out of the car, i realized that there was a puddle of transmission fluid underneath the car. i had a mechanic look at it - there's a hole in the gear box where the transmission shot the park gear right out of the box - he said it had to be a defect. [there's only 16,000 miles on the car] i called chrysler regarding this [& was treated extremely rudely by their customer service department, might i add.] & they refuse to do anything about this. they told me that because the car is no longer under warantee, the defect is not their problem

99 plymouth neon 2.0 dohc

Persistant odor inside vehicle, checked at shops several time cannot locate source.

Consumer states several months after purchasing the auto the check engine light has been one. the mechanic told consumer that one of the spark plugs were inoperative, which was then replaced, however 5-6 months later the light came back on. consumer also states when she make a turn the auto feels as thought it is going to shut off. also when the air condition is on, the auto vibrates.*jb

Tumble or tumbler in ignition fell apart. unable to start vehicle. dealer replaced part, problem reoccurred. *aki

Ongoing problem with fuel leakages from fuel tank. dealer notified. *ak there was a gasoline smell and leak at the vehicles right rear area. the fuel pump seal was determined to be the cause and was replaced. the a/c was not cold enough due to expansion valve failure and it was replaced. *yh

Driver took vehicle to dealer for a routine maintenance check, and spark plugs were replaced. mechanic told consumer that oil was getting into engine. dealer stated this could cause engine to lock up and result in a fire. please provide any further information.*ak

Vehicle was involved in a t-bone collision of 31 mph with a 1991 ford, explorer; both air bags did not deploy, both driver and passenger have received minor injuries, and vehicle was a total loss. manufacturer was notified. provide any further details on this matter.*ak

Head gasket was leaking oil in november of 1999, during routine inspection head gasket leak was again detected in february 2001.*ak *slc

Was driving 40-45mph and rearended another vehicle in front traveling slow. upon impact, airbags failed to deploy. driver's head hit frame of vehicle above windshield. was treated at site.*ak

Oil was leaking from underneath vehicle. engine check light came on dashboard. dealership replaced wire harnesss. leaking inside of back truck and a mold like substance was inside of truck. passenger's side door was leaking when there was rainy weather. als, dealership replaced a weather strip on side of panel.*ak

While at stop sign was rear ended by another vehicle. two front seats collapsed, leaving driver and passenger flat on their backs, and back of seat gave up without any prior warning. *ak

While driving through a puddle that is about a 1/4 or 1/2 depth of the wheel or 4 to 6 inches off the ground, steering would lock up. if vehicle was in a turning position, it would stay turned/ or if vehicle was going a straight direction, vehicle would not be able to turn. when the power steering locks up it would stay in that position for a brief moment. dealer was not able to find the cause or remdy for power steering. defect almost caused consumer to have an accident due to no control of vehicle. *ak

Head gaskets are leaking oil onto engine. dealer will inspect vehicle.*ak

Vehicle was brand new and was experiencing brake problem. when consumer applied brakes there would be grinding noise. also, brakes system went out entirely. consumer has contacted the dealership. *ak

Consumer's vehicle was at a stopping position when a large truck struck the rear of vehicle at an impact of 50-55 mph;, and both air bags failed to deploy. no injuries reported, and dealer was not contacted at this time. *ak

While driving at any speed there is vibration within the steering wheel, and dealer can't determine the cause. *ak

Braking system malfunctioned. upon braking vehicle experienced serious vibration, which could result in loss of control, and extended stopping distance. please provide further information. *ak

Consumer was driving on the highway and another vehicle hit her from the side . consumer was driving at 45mph at time of crash. upon impact, airbags didn't deploy. *ak

Vehicle was involved in a frontal collision and the airbags did not deploy. the manufacturer has not been notified. *ak

While driving speedometer/odometer do not read the speed correctly, they are both off by about 5 mph off. dealer has not been contated. *ak

The consumer has experienced a problem with brakes. upn applying the brakes vehicle skidded, went up on two wheels, and spun over 4 lanes, causing the consumer to run into a concrete divider. as a result, the consumer was hospitalized. the manufacturer has yet to be contacted. *ak

I bought my neon new. in three years the head gasket went and i am having problems with the fuel injection system and gas tank. dealer says bad batch of gas has rusted out inside of gas tank and fuel injection system is also damaged. i am not a mechanic but to me this sounds very extreme. i would greatly appreciate any help you could be to me . thank you for your time and effort. sincerly, robert liples.*ak

Head gasket replaced, then it lost all power, and engine service light came on. i took it back, they said it needed spark plugs. i have it back, but it is still missing and i am not convinced that my problems are over. *ak

I am an owner of a 1999 chrysler plymouth neon. it has come to my attention that everyone who i know or have come in contact with who owns a neon has a major oil leak problem which usually starts at about 70,000 miles. it appears that the head gasket chrysler used is a rubber head gasket which fails and as a result major oil laeakage occurs. this costs somewhere in the vicinity of $600 - $800 to fix. since it is such a widespread problem could this be cause for a recall? i have taken exceptional care of my car and i do not feel that i should have to pay a mechanic this amount of money to fix such a default, especially having a monthly payment of over 300 to chrysler which i still have for another year and a half. please advise as to how i can remedy this and if there is a chance for a possible recall. thank you very much.*ak

The sunroof would only open on right side/ was binding on the right. had to have sunroof assembly replaced. noticed oil pooling under my car. took it in and was told it was the head gasket leaking oil. had it replaced. 12 days later the service engine light came on and took it back to the dealership. they said there were deposits on the valves and the springs had to be replaced.

Blown head gasket that will cost $800.00 to fix. *ak

No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak

Oil light came on. check my oil and it was totally empty. took it to the dealership because i knew there was a problem since it was not time for oil change. stated that my head gasket went out.*ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

The car has repeatedly (died) stopped running on busy streets causing me to have a concern about safety. *ak

While sitting in the vehicle after driving 1.5 mi to get a sunday paper, with the ignition off, the engiine burst into flames. i used two abc extinguishers to put the fir e out but it quickly dropped below the engine and headed for the gas tank. 911 was called and the fire dept extinguished the fire. police also arrived and made out a report. i was told by my insurance agent that i had "one of those neons" that allegedly ran the fuel line along or in close proximity to the exhaust manifold, connected in locations by plastic connectors, one which apparently melted, causing gasoline to spray on an exhaust compnent causing the fire.r intent to have a long term investment in the neon. my wife is handicapped, this was her vehicle to make her doctor appointments in and go to meetings associated with her disibility. we were completely stonewalled by all parties. as a matter of fact, american family paid chrysler before the vehicle was inspected for damages, a highly unusable tatic. *ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak( dot number: tire size: 03/24/00 )

The gear shifter moves with out pressing the brake peddle

Clutch pedal gave "bump" while being depressed as car came to a stop at stop sign. when attempt was made to enter cross-street, car moved slowly. clutch was acting like it was 3/4 depressed.

The design of the spoiler for the vehicle blocks rear vision of the driver. yh

There are no injuries or fatalities associated with this alleged defect.while conducting this investigation, odi found that the subject cinches meet the load bearing requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard 208, and that many of the reported failures were due to incorrect child safety seat installations. additionally, the report rate is low (1.60/100k).the information available fails to establish the existence of a defect trend at this time.further allocation of agency resources to this issue is unwarranted and the preliminary evaluation is being closed.