2004 DODGE Neon

Vehicle purchased January 2005 at 11097 miles. Disclosed at sale that car had been a prior rental. Sales person told me to “Be careful, the gas pedal sticks.” Not true. At 11811 miles I took the car to the dealership and stated that the trnsmission would slip in 1st gear starting from a stop usually while engine was cold.The dealership could find nothing wrong, advised to wait to see if the ‘check engine light’ came on. Zero cost, warranty.Took the car back to dealership at 12146 miles with same problem & that the previous day vehicle was stuck in 3rd gear and now ‘check engine light’ was lit. The dealership replaced the ‘Speed Sensor’. Cost me nothing THAT time, again warranty covered.At 17498 ‘check engine’ light lit. Diagnosis & repair; Plug, Label & Ingition cable. No cost, warranty.At 28479, (New dealership) again ‘check engine’ light lit. ALso, speedometer would float around (intermit), and transmission would slip. “Speed Sensor” replaced. No cost.NEXT DAY, returned car to dealership with same problems as day before plus it was stuck in 1st gear.Tech stated that vehicle was hit & pushed lower rad support back, caused break in wiring.I had not been in ANY accident in this vehicle. Dealership said that the Chrysler web site did not state that the vehicle had been ‘Hit’ and therefor warranty would not cover repairs.

leaks water inside of car when it rains, passenger side under dash glove box area, car parked slighty up hill, told per dodge dealer the car design makes it leak water inside of car, its normal or park car on flat ground, have you hear of any other problems like this?? i’ve taken car in 7 times for repair, and told this is normal, and no other complaint of water leaks

I HAVE BEEN GIVEN TWO DIFFERENT PURCHASE ORDERS FOR THE SAME VEHICLE FROM THE DEALERSHIP. ONE HAS THE CORRECT AMOUNT I PAID FOR THE CAR AND THE SECOND HAS A FALSE AMOUNT, WHICH THE DEALERSHIP GAVE TO ME IN ORDER TO TAKE TO THE TAG AGENCY AND PAY MY TAXES. I BELIEVE THIS IS ILLEGAL AND DON’T KNOW WHO TO CONTACT TO DEAL WITH THIS SITUATION.

I contacted one of your employees, and he thought I might have a small claims case but suggested I seek further assistance by writing to you.

My problem is with the dealership (Carmax) auto-center. In January (2010) I brought the car in because of excessive shaking. They replaced a motor mount. It still shook. In February they replaced two motor mounts. It still shook, and in March they said the motor mounts are fine and the shaking “normal for my car” and is “probably due to a backflow in the exhaust”, which the rep., Mark Martinez, said was “no problem and nothing to worry about.” Mr. Martinez further told me that Carmax could not address this problem and to take the car to Meineke.

In August I took the car to Meineke, but they said they couldn’t work on the car because it shook too badly due to broken motor mounts. The representative from Meineke told me to take it back to Carmax so they could repair their mistake because motor mounts should not be destroyed this soon. When I brought it to Carmax, Mr. Martinez informed me that the warranty for parts and labor were expired as I exceeded the 6,000 mile limit.

I told him I suspected the motor mounts were never actually fixed. He then admitted to me that the shaking from the backflow could cause the motor mounts to prematurely break. This contradicts what he told me in March. He told me not to worry about it, that it was normal.

I have contacted the manager. He was supposed to speak with Mark and then call me back to converse again before making a decision. He said he would get back to me by Friday or Monday. It is now Wednesday. I called him at three and five yesterday, and he has not returned my calls.

What is your suggestion? Do I have any rights in this situation? I understand the limits of the warranty, but I suspect I was deliberately misled by Mr. Martinez. Is there some sort of legal obligation on their part given the circumstances?

Bought new Neon in Sept. 2004. Took the car back twice and said there is something wrong with the brakes. They kept saying, no, all cars that have been sitting are like that. Water in the brakes. The rust will drive out and they will be okay. Now, it is 13,000 miles and the rotors have to be replaced. $263.22. And, of course, now the dealership has run it out of warranty.

While driving home one night on a dry 2 lane rural road, traveling in a 55 mph zone at only 45 mph, i swerved to miss a deer standing in the road in my lane. there was an oncoming car and i swerved back into my lane and the car fish tailed causing a counter action on my part and i hit the concrete bridge with a glancing blow, skidded sideways on two wheels on the bridge and almost flipped over. after the initial impact i realized that the airbags did not deploy. after a body shop inspected the car they discovered that the sensor had been hit and should have deployed the airbags. i am now suffering from whiplash and back strain. the car was totaled. i am now pursuing action against dodge. *jb

Tl* the contact owned a 2004 dodge neon. while driving 55 mph, the contact noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment followed by flames. the fire department was able to extinguish the fire. there were no injuries and a police report was filed. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to a salvage yard. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

As i was driving down the street, my rear passenger end was leaning a little to the side. i was a smooth paved road and it felt as though i was hitting potholes. i pulled over to the side of the road thought my tire was flat. i t0ok the car to a shop to get checked out. they stated that my rear shot blew. on 11/20/18 my defrosters are no longer working. my headlights are dim. i tried replacing the bulb. however, it still isn't bright enough to drive in the dark.

Cruise control would not turn off and i wrecked my car into into a other car. i even tried putting my car in park and it wouldn't stop the motor was reved up and would not slow down or stop

On occasion the cruise control does not engage and on occasion it does engage and when you try to slow down the brake becomes hard to depress and the car starts to accelerate but repeated attempts to depress brake or pump brakes allows control again over speed without incident. this has happened on several occasions while driving over 45 mph . as this happens randomly cause has not been found and this only happens when cruise control has been engaged . problem noticed in 2014 when i got car to present date .. not an isolated incident.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge neon. while driving 20 mph, the engine revved and inadvertently shifted to a lower gear. also, the service engine warning indicator illuminated. the contact was able to drive the vehicle home but, prior to the failure, was having transmission issues for over a year. the contact mentioned that a plastic piece that separated the coolant and transmission fluid fractured and allowed coolant to enter the transmission. the vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or dealer for diagnostic testing and repairs; however, the radiator was replaced. the manufacturer was notified and informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty. the failure mileage was 139,000. the vin was unavailable.

Running lights stopped working (on a city street), when repaired, was due to a wire in the multifunction switch burning out and melting the casing of the mfs

Vehicle respond to a light acceleration request with sustain full throttle operation. the vehicle traveled in poor road conditions with full throttle operation. the only influence in course change was terrain and torque steering. after collision with a stone pillar code p0123 throttle high voltage was found.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge neon. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the key would release out of the ignition switch without warning. the vehicle continued to drive without the key in the ignition switch. the failure recurred on several occasions. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer or diagnosed. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 65,000. updated 7/16/15*cn

The front frame that holds engine,struts, brakes , steering are rotted out from rust causing major issues and possible injuries and death !!!!!!!!!!! chrysler knows of these issues and wont do anything to remedy the problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge neon. the contact stated that while traveling 20 mph, the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was diagnosed by a private mechanic who stated that the engine needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 160,000 and the current mileage was 167,000. the vin was not available.

Transmission cooler in radiator leaked, causing transmission fluid to contaminate engine, and also contaminated transmission with radiator fluid. called chrysler corp and they said no recall on it and did not offer to help with it. when i google searched this problem there seems to be multiple instances of this happening.

On may 24, 2013 i was driving home from work with another employee. we were going approximately 60 mph on a highway, it was 12:15 in the morning, and it was raining. i was driving in the center lane when my passenger yelled out that the semi truck next to us was merging over into our lane and was about to hit us. i tried to move over into the third, left lane to avoid getting hit by the truck, but as soon as i did the car lost control. it started to fish tail and ended up hitting the center wall on the driver's side and then got shot across the highway and into the semi truck we were trying to avoid. the car hit the semi truck at an angle so the entire passengers side was hit and crushed, including part of the front of the car. i blacked out as soon as we hit because my head hit the top of the passenger's side doorway. i only know this because i had two large goose eggs on the right side of my head and a while after the accident we went to go see the car and a large chunk of my hair was hanging from the doorway. this is where the seat belt complaint comes in. my seat belt did not seize up during the collision and i suffered serious injuries including a concussion, broken rib, collapsed lung, hole in my lung, and lacerated liver. my passenger also suffered extremely serious injuries including concussion, both lung collapsed, multiple broken ribs, lacerated liver, broken pelvis, and broken hips. she was in the hospital for over 2 months and is still unable to walk. i make this complaint for the seat belts because i do not believe our injuries would have been as serious had they worked properly. also, the airbags should have gone off at some point with the side frontal damage at the very least. i am uncertain whether my car had side airbags but if they did, they definitely should have deployed. i would like this issue looked into and some resolve to come from it.

My husband was driving home from work and he got to the driveway where we live and his back drivers side wheel locked up. we took it to a shop here in ruthven and they tried to fix it. we later had to take it to a dealer in spencer iowa. asher motors. it need a break kit because for some reason it had come apart and the spring was missing. and something to do with the e-brake now yesterday the same thing happened to the passengers side. i was reading up on the others that have a problem with recalls on there breaks and think the 2004 should also be looked at. i have talked with other neon owners and they to have had similar problems. i called dodge and they said they can look up recalls and my car has not had that problem but we can save our records and if it is a recall then we can file to be re paid back. idk what all is involved in getting or even having a recall looked into but thought this was a good start. *tr

Just had the instrument panel replaced due to a fried power transistor on the i/c board. repair lasted about 1 hour and then replacement instrument panel failed also. appears to be a short in the dash light circuit. this causes fuse # 15 to blow which removes power from the parking lights, and the tail lights. *tr

The seal that is supposed to keep water from entering your trunk when it rains has fell out of place. when it first happened when i opened my trunk one day just 3" section came off track. i was able to push it back into place and thought everything was fine. then a month later it rained and i have severe water damage to my trunk lining and it smells like mildew mixed with mold. i know in previous models that when this starts happening the back lights start to fill with water and can short the fuses. as of right now i don't have the light problem but i do have large areas where my trunk lining are warped inwards and it will not go back into place. *tr

About 2 1/2 years after i purchased my dodge neon sxt the seal at the bottom of all the windows began to dry up, crack, and fall off. at this point i barely have any seal in between all 4 of my car windows and the car door. water has gone down into my door and i'm afraid that it will soon affect the electrical equipment in the door. my main concerns are the controls for adjusting my mirrors, my window controls, and my door lock. i have never seen a car's seal basically dry rot and fall off of a car starting so early. i would expect it to start happening now that i've had the car 8-9 years, but not to this extent. *tr

I was driving down the highway, and i started to hear a strange thud sound over and over. i 500 miles from home and found the next gas station to pull into. the rubber seal that is glued in between the top of my windshield where it meets the car frame was coming undone. i tried sticking it back in there and sitting in the shade to let the glue/tar set. when i drove about 100 more miles the thud got louder and louder and more frequent. then all the sudden before i could stop anywhere the rubber seal flew off of my car. the force from it flying off, the speed (only 65 mph), and the wind speed (not high) caused my car to jerk into the lane next to me. luckily the highway i was on wasn't packed so no one was in the lane i was pulled into. *tr

I have a dodge neon 2004 when driving to school the car started accelerating on it's own which was very risky. it was revving up to 3200 rpm atg 40 mph i had to pull by the side of the road all of a sudden i saw a leak behind the plate on the transmission the check engine light came on too bad. i was wondering if there is any recall on this car because i can see a lot of complains from other individuals on here. there are a lot of safety issues regarding the neons revving up or accelerating on it's own. *tr

I was leaving the parking lot sunday and something snapped. i got out of the car and checked the front end and one wheel was one way and other was the other direction! looked underneath and saw that the ball broke out of the socket. if that would of happened on the freeway, i would be dead or severely injured. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge neon. the contact stated that while reversing from a parking space, he heard a popping noise. the contact examined the vehicle and noticed that the tire was out from its socket. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and current mileages were 45,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge neon. the contact was making repairs to the vehicle when he noticed that the area where the air intake tube was connected to the idle air control unit, the vehicle could possibly cause unintended acceleration if the clamp was not installed properly. the contact stated that if the accelerator pedal was depressed, the rpms would increase excessively and the vehicle would take accelerate rapidly. the failure mileage was 179,000. the vin was not available. updated 06/28/12*lj the dealer informed the consumer, there was nothing to worry about, but if the part did come loose, the computer in the vehicle would decrease the rpm's. updated 06/29/12

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge neon. the contact stated that while attempting to stop the vehicle, the vehicle abnormally accelerated. the contact had to shift into neutral, depress the brakes and shut off the engine in order to stop the vehicle. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 182,842 and the current mileage was 183,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge neon. while driving approximately 35 mph the vehicle began to decelerate. the contact exit the vehicle and noticed transmission fluid leaking underneath it. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated the radiator had to be replaced and the transmission would have to be flushed. the vehicle was repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 74,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge neon. the contact stated that while driving, the transmission shifted in and out of drive. in addition, there was a transmission fluid spill. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who performed a diagnostic that located the failure at the radiator. the radiator was cracked and caused the fluid to contaminate the transmission. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 134,526.

The neon was driving down the road when i lost acceleration and it spewed transmission fluid (and mixed with what i later found out was cooling fluid) all over the road. the car could no longer accelerate and is inoperable. the mechanic later determined that the radiator had failed and leaked coolant into the transmission causing it to overheat and fail. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge neon xtx. the contact stated that when entering the vehicle, there was water on the floorboards coming from the trunk. the failure was noticed two days after a period of steady rain. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was contacted but the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 104,000 and the current mileage was 106,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge neon sxt. the contact stated while driving approximately 65 mph, and dodging a fallen mattress from another vehicle, she swerved and then crashed into the rear of another vehicle. upon impact, none of the air bags deployed. the driver sustained minor injuries from the seat belt, the driver of the other vehicle was injured and transported to the hospital via ambulance. a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and was pending an investigation. the failure and current miles were approximately 97,000.

The radiator cracked which leaked coolant into the transmission and damaged transmission which ended up costing me over $2,000 to replace. the coolant line or whatever runs into the transmission so when the radiator line or whatever cracks it allows coolant to to mix with transmission fluid and damages the transmission. *tr

My headlight lense is cloudy obstructing the cars light output.

Car was taken for oil change and tune-up @ 134,000 miles. couple days later car started stalling intermittently. would start in the am from sitting all night but when driven to work and parked for 5 1/2 hours car would not start w/o a jump. mechanic did not read anything on diagnostics. went to advanced auto who read battery was low. replaced battery & car still stalled. car no longer responded to jump and had it towed to mechanic. when mechanic received car was able to start car with no hesitation and drove for 30 minutes. turned car off and let it sit for another 30 minutes and had no problem starting. mechanic could not figure out what was wrong with vehicle. stuck with a car that intermittently stalls and shows no other signs of failure. car has not cut off while driving only stalls while trying to start vehicle. *tr

S10 appropriate handling - letter from regarding dodge problems. *kb 2004 dodge neon. the consumers wife was driving the vehicle when the vehicle suddenly stopped accelerating. the transmission failed and she was barely able to make it to the side of the road. the hood was extremely too hot to touch and noises and liquids were coming from the vehicle. the consumer stated there was a known problem with the transmission cooler in the radiator. the transmission, radiator, hoses and thermostat had to be replaced. also, the engine was flushed. *jb

Driving 2004 dodge neon, bought new, getting on interstate up to speed when engine began to stumble, would not accelerate, would not go above 2000 rpm, check engine light came on. had to pull off to the side of the road. nursed the car home at 40mph and ran obdii scan. got a camshaft position sensor intermittent signal failure code. replaced sensor from advance auto parts on 2-18-2009. car ran fine until 7-7-2010 when same thing occurred. pulling out into traffic to get up to speed when engine stopped pulling and started to shut down. had to get out of the way of approaching traffic from behind and pull off the road. check engine light, car would run but not over 2000 rpm . got it home and scanned it and sure enough same defect code, cam shaft position signal intermittent. changed it out with one from autozone with a two year warranty. this will make the third one in this car and it only has 46000 miles on it. *tr

Check engine light came on and engine started bucking.no more gears or shifting into drive.loss of transmission fluid and coolant. a piece of transmission line or fitting corroded and let loose inside the radiator. this caused the mixing of fluids into the transmission and cooling system.radiator failed and bled fluids. radiator was replaced and coolant system was flushed. transmission was also flushed.this very same problem occurred to my co-worker that has the same type vehicle(04 dodge neon,2.0 litre engine,74000 miles). i suspect it is happening to every customer that has that type and year neon. part not available. *tr

My 16 year old daughter was driving her 2004 dodge neon on the 101 freeway near santa barbara, ca in bumper to bumper traffic. suddenly and with no warning the brake peddle went to the floor and she had no brakes. at the same time the brake warning light went on. because she was traveling slow she was able to exit the freeway using the emergency brake which was nearly in-effective. if she had been traveling at freeway speed she would not have been able to stop. the problem turned out to be the right rear drum brake cylinder was leaking which allowed all of the brake fluid to leak from the system. *tr

2004 dodge neon. accelerated out of control without warning. tried to apply brakes, but could not stop. the car continued to gain speed. tried to turn engine off and it would not turn off. tried to put into neutral but it continued to accelerate. finally put into park and the wheels locked up and the vehicle stopped. i had to keep my foot on the brake to keep the car from moving while in park. i was finally able to turn the engine off. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge neon. while driving 30 mph with the headlights illuminated, the fog lights suddenly illuminated without warning. the steering wheel began to emit smoke and became unusually hot in temperature. she was able to drive the vehicle home; however, a burning smell filled the cabin of the vehicle. the dealer was contacted and stated that either the wiring harness or the multi-function switch had failed. there were no recalls for the failure and the vehicle was not repaired when the complaint was filed. the failure mileage was 93,000 and the current mileage was 97,000. updated 4/26/10 *cn updated 05/06/10.*jb

2004 dodge neon sxt. transmission / cooling system failure resulting in antifreeze mixing with transmission fluid destroying transmission and radiator. dodge refuses to honor their power train warranty citing the cooling system as the cause of the transmission failure, and not the powertrain. this should be a rare occurrence according to my mechanic, but it is one of the largest problems with the car online. there seems to be a major defect in these cars causing a catastrophic failure. dealer estimated 3900 parts and labor to fix. *tr

We were traveling down a wet road at 40 mph when the traffic in front of us suddenly stopped and we slid into the car in front of us at about 30 mph. neither mine nor the drivers airbag deployed when from the damage they should have. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 dodge neon. when she attempted to install a child safety seat, the passenger and driver side rear seat belt buckle separated from the seat belt. the vehicle has not been taken to the dealer for inspection, nor were any repairs made. the failure mileage was 66,300 and the current mileage was 66,500.

I have a 2004 dodge neon sxt 4door. i was hit by a buick on the front right side and my car spun, my stomach went into the steering wheel. i was told that if i did not have my seatbelt on i would have gone through the wind shield. after i was hit i tried opening the driver side door and it could barley open. my air bags did not deploy at the impact i was hit. but i was hit very hard and my whole front end is pushed in. i am basically writing to you about my air bags. *tr

2004 dodge neon lost head lights while driving late at night. had there not been traffic in front and behind, i would have ran off the road. multi function switch harness melted connector to multi function switch causing short to fuse 16. prior to fuse 16 blowing, a melted plastic smell was coming from the column cover. replaced multi function switch which showed signs of overheat (copper tarnished). while disconnecting the mfs harness, the connector was overheated (melted) and was falling apart. both fuses (17 & 18) to the headlamps were intact so issue is inside the cab. i still need to have the harness connector to the mfs replaced. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 dodge neon. while cleaning the vehicle as it was parked in the driveway, the contact accidentally moved the gear shifter into neutral. the vehicle rolled down a hill and crashed into the front yard. she stated that the gear shifter was able to be moved without the keys being in the ignition and without the brake pedal being depressed. there were no injuries. the current mileage was 48,969 and failure mileage was 48,967.

I drove my 2004 dodge neon sxt to school last tuesday and parked it everything fine. i came out to leave started it and i had no reverse. it kicked in for a second and then again nothing. i put it in drive and the same thing nothing. when i got out and opened the hood i saw all the transmission fluid on the ground had it towed to dealership. i have a 70,000 mile powertrain warranty with 69,765 miles on it. the dealer said radiator failed causing trans fluid and coolant to mix through out. albany dodge tried to tell me i didn't have a 7yr 70k warranty only after the production of all my original paper work they agreed to fix trans. but not radiator or coolant system they want over 600$ i called around and found a place for 250$ after all the tows and everything 450$ later my car is at albany dodge for the trans work and i will have to pay them 100$ deductible. while researching this on the internet i have found this has happened over 25 other times the same way with out warning! i am disgusted about the hoops i had to jump through for my warranty to be honored then to find out that its all revolved around these faulty radiators used in the 99-05 models and has happened like clock work at an average of 66,883 i paid a lot of money for this car and i can't help but feel like chrysler as a whole has made quit a bit of money as a result of this problem please take a look it took me a 1/2 an hour to find over 10 of the same exact story as mine. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 dodge neon. the contact took her vehicle to the dealer to have the brake pads serviced. the technician discovered that the transmission solenoid pact was leaking and made the replacement. the repairs totaled $1,000, of which the contact paid $865. two days after the repairs, the vehicle revved up while driving 25 mph. on one occasion, the contact released the accelerator pedal to slow down and the vehicle began accelerate on its own. she attempted to apply the brakes, but the vehicle still accelerated. when she arrived home, she noticed that the check engine indicator was illuminated. she took the vehicle back to the dealer, but has not yet received any feedback. the manufacturer has not been notified. the current and failure mileages were 96,978.

I was driving my 2004 dodge neon srt4 on the evening of november 2nd 2008 when my headlights failed. they were cutting off and on. i drove the vehicle home in the dark since i don't have the money for a tow. i checked on srtforums.com for an explanation of the issue and was directed to a posting about the wiring harness burning up inside the steering column. sure enough my harness and connector is fried. this could have led to a fire and will be a costly repair. this problem has occurred in many other peoples vehicles. this should be a recall since it is due to a manufacturer defect. not to mention i could have crashed since it was dark. *tr

Rim leaks from all 4 tires due to the chrome separating from interior of the steel wheel. a local mechanic said he has seen a lot of this. he wire wheeled the inside of the rim to knock loose pieces of chrome off and replaced the tire on the rim. it is holding air for now but will have to be done again as more chrome starts to flake off. not realizing her tire was flat. my wife drove on it and ruined it. *tr

Every year since i bought this car i've had to replace the front tires because they are wearing on the inside. tried alignment each time i've replaced them. took it to pep boys this time and they said it was the control arm bushing was bad on both sides. my 60,000 mile tires only made it 20,000 miles. they said the 2005 model was improved upon but they did nothing for the 2004 year. this is getting very expensive replacing tires every 20,000 miles. especially when these are high profile tires. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 dodge neon. the contact stated that the battery and alternator repeatedly failed. he took the vehicle to a local auto body shop and they stated that the crankshaft position needed to be repaired. the components have not yet been replaced. the dealer stated that they would only assume partial financial responsibility for the repairs. the failure and current mileages were 88,000.

I was driving my car one evening when it suddenly stopped accelerating. i pulled over as best as i could being on a hilly curving road in a thunderstorm. i was able to check the transmission fluid; there was no fluid on the stick. i called for a tow truck and a friend near by. we bought transmission fluid to see if that would help. we put almost 2 quarts of fluid in it and attempted to put it in gear. it didn't go into gear, just coasted backwards and saw fluid on the pavement. it was leaking from front, appeared to be hose related. when i got home and the hose from the transmission to the radiator was disconnected. the hose and connector were intact however the threads inside the radiator were stripped. i got online to see if there were any recalls or similar problems with neons. i found out that there were similar problems with neons from 1999-2005 with faulty factory installed radiators. eventually the problem causes the transmission fluid and antifreeze to mix and then the transmission blows. i called the dealership where i originally bought my car, looking for possible answers. i could not believe that a car that is just under 4 years old, has just over 30k miles and i am the original owner would have such a huge problem. the dealership offered nothing. they blew it off stating when i find out what is "really" wrong with my car, then to call them. the man said he had only seen it once and doubted it was what i said it was. forced to seek help somewhere else, i called another dealership. he had said that he had seen this problem a couple of times and knew exactly what i was explaining. i took it down and had my car back the next day. they replaced the radiator, flushed both the radiator and the transmission. it cost $760. my transmission was spared. i also contacted dodge/chrysler and got a polite thank for your "opinion" letter. *tr

It was a sudden part failure which caused immediate danger. i was driving 35 mph down a road near my home and my car would not accelerate. i immediately pulled my car over to the side of the road and called my father for help. he noticed the engine coolant pouring out of it's container and my transmission fluid dangerously low. we refilled the transmission fluid, but it wouldn't stay, it was leaking somewhere. we called a tow truck to take us to the nearest repair shop. the tow truck guy immediately told us that he's seen this problem all the time with dodge neons. the radiator brakes and the transmission fluid leaks into the coolant. the repair shop mechanic also concluded the same thing. he told me he'd have to take a look at the transmission and flush out the system to see if there were any damage occurred to the transmission, but that i would definitely need to replace the radiator. he told me he used to work for dodge service repair and would see this problem all the time and normally it would cause the transmission to blow too. in picking up the car he told me he manually flushed out the radiator and transmission systems as best he could, but that i would have to take it to someone whom could power flush out everything to make sure the transmission would be ok. i did ask him what's my guarantee that this won't happen again. he stated the new radiator that dodge now provides for their neons when the one from the factory fails is constructed entirely different. i asked him if there was a recall on this radiator since dodge is aware of the issue? he told me no. i did some research online and discovered many stories like my own. i've found that any neon from 1999 to 2005 has had a faulty radiator. some of the stories are worse than mine. transmissions blown and costing people thousands. it has caused accidents and may have cost lives, i'm not sure. i can only think when a car stops accelerating on a faster road, what kind of accident's can occur. *tr

In the past year since i have owned the car there has been water in the trunk, under the back seat, and the back seat floor board. *tr

The transmission cooler that is internal to the radiator in my 2004 dodge neon started to leak causing transmission fluid to enter my cooling system and get into my engine. this is the 8th time i heard of this occurring in this model, this is winding up being an extensive repair due to this failure of this component. chrysler does not think there is a problem with this. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 dodge neon. the vehicle has goodyear eagle ls, size p225/60r16 tires. while driving 65 mph, the sidewall of the front passenger side tire blew out. the contact quickly pulled off the road. she later purchased a new tire. she did not call the dealer, but felt that the failure was a serious safety risk. she has pictures. the failure mileage was 30,000 and current mileage was 33,000. updated 12/12/07

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 dodge neon. the contact has replaced the vehicle's battery four times since june of 2005. the first time the vehicle stalled out was in june of 2005. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer who stated that the battery was drained. in october of 2005, the vehicle experienced the same failure twice. the contact returned to the dealer and they replaced the battery. on july 3, 2007, the failure recurred and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the dealer stated that the battery needed to be replaced again. the vin, engine size, and # of cylinders were unknown. the current mileage is 53,000 and failure mileage was 15,000.

Idling of the motor was not regular. this 2004 dodge neon was purchased used ,and i had nothing but problems out of it. the check engine remained on, and the engine idled terribly. very dangerous on driving, will cut out and proceeds to cut out most of the time. also, when pushing on the accelerate it hesitated to the point that one day i may get run over and killed. *ak

It was another sunday afternoon, we had just left church (me, my husband, and 2 year son and was on our way to see a friend and her newborn baby at the hospital. on our way to the hospital a truck pulled out from the access road from i-20 directly into our paths. we were traveling under 50 mph and had the right of way....all we could do to avoid the truck was to hit the brakes. unfortunately, that was not sufficient. our 2004 dodge neon struck a chevyrolet avalanche pick up. the impact was on the front passenger side where it completely destroyed the right front fender, grill, headlights, and the hood is now a rainbow over the engine. the ugliest part of this though, is that i was the passenger in the front seat, the passenger's air bag as well as the driver's air bag never deployed. in addition, the seat belt never locked, and i was thrown forward with the impact of the car. my forehead struck the windshield, then the dashboard in front of me. my chest also hit the dashboard, and my knees were forced up under the glove compartment area. yes, i know this may sound minor with all the accidents that happen, and thank god it was. but i hate to know that this happened to me,and could more than likely happen to someone else, and they may not be as fortunate. i am now suffering from soreness in my chest and back, my knees are bruised, and i have severe whiplash in my neck. this incident has made me rethink the safety of the dodge neon, and i will now reconsider a much safer alternative for me and my family. *ak

Upon purchasing my car, brand new in 2004, i have had several problems with it. after a short year of having my car my power windows went out, shortly after my front door speakers stopped working and my radio/cd player often doesn't work correctly...cd discs will get stuck in player and continually play until car is shut off and sometimes that doesn't even resolve problem. front brakes started to squeak and groan constantly, i took the vehicle to the dealership 4 times to have them try to fix brakes. while having brake problems, check engine light came on and car started to chug and jerk frequently. took back to dealership, diagnostic showed #4 cylinder misfire, had plugs and wires replaced, however check engine light came back on after driving car <10 miles. took car back to dealership 4 times to fix, on the fourth occasion they finally found a broken ring leading to the motor, problem is still unresolved. i then called warranty people to discover that my ring is covered under my power-train warranty after having been told by the dealership the ring couldn't be fixed. was also told by the dealership that the wiring was faulty in the radio player and not the speakers.

Tl* - the contact stated that while driving his 2004 dodge neon down hill at a speed of 40 mph, he tried to apply the breaks and the brakes seized, rear ending another vehicle. the contact stated that the hood of the vehicle was crushed, as well as, the engine falling out of the vehicle. at the time of the incident contact stated that his head struck the steering wheel and the air bags didn't deploy. the failure mileage was 38504. the contact can provide a copy of police report and pictures if needed. updated 2/16/2007 - *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle was involved in a front impact crash while traveling 40 mph in which the front driver and passenger air bags did not deploy. the contact was not wearing the seatbelt during the crash and sustained minor injuries. a police report was taken. there were no prior warning of the airbag malfunction. the vehicle was towed to an independent body shop for further examination. updated 12/5/2006 - *nm

This is on behalf of many owners of 2003-2005 dodge neon srt-4 vehicles. my vehicle as well as those of several hundred others commonly have problems shifting into 3rd gear. the problems continue to get worse until the transmission ceases to function entirely leaving the driver stranded. there are many owners who have experienced this with less than 10k miles on their car. i have 65k miles and i am on my 2nd transmission and now it is starting to act up as well. most dealers will not warranty claims on this defect stating that it is driver abuse or due to mods done on the vehicle (in violation of the magnuson-moss warranty act). the dealers are aware of the problem but have chosen not to take any action. *nm

I was hit on the front right fender, very hard and the air bags never deployed. the impact chipped at tooth. *nm

Purchased brand new 2004 dodge neon srt in august of 2004. within two months my cars value depreciated over half what i paid. when my mileage hit 11,000 i started having a lot of transmission leakage. at 12,000 miles i had a new solenoid put on, still leaked. took it again two weeks later and they changed gaskets. two weeks later they put in a new transmission, because mine was porous. now here i am two and a half years later and 39,000 miles and i am leaking again. they suspect i need yet another transmission. two transmissions under 40,000 miles there is definitely something up here. we are getting rid of it asap! *jb

When turning on my headlights i will see a small amount of smoke coming out the of the dash in the location of the multifunction switch. this will also occur when switching on my highbeams and the fog lights go out.

I purchased a 2004 neon sxt on november 23, 2004. mileage on delivery was 200. in december of 2004, the solenoid malfunctioned. the engine light stayed on and the car would not accelerate. the dealer repaired this and my basic limited warranty covered it. on march 5, 2005, i took the car back to the dealer for repairs for this same problem. on march 23, 2005, i took the car back to the dealer for repairs. this time there was a malfunction with my timing chain causing the car to accelerate on its own! it would reach speeds of 60 to 70 mph without applying gas! the dealer repaired this, again covered by the warranty. in june 2006, the problem recurred causing me to have an accident. out of no where, with no warning, as i was turning a corner, the engine light flashed and my car took off! i could not stop it! its 5pm, the middle of rush hour traffic and cars a waiting for a red light! i drove in between lanes to avoid hitting others! i finally put the car in neutral (didn't stop) then park and turned it off in the middle of the street! as i did this i hit two cars. im sure you can imagine my horror! its something i will never forget nor want to relive. im sending you this letter because im now faced with a dilemma. my car is at the dealership waiting to be repaired. they are telling me this problem is not covered by my power train warranty. now when i purchased the car, it was explained that the power train was all engine related parts. now according to your warranty manual, the timing chain is an engine part and is covered by the power train warranty. why am i having a problem? besides this, i no longer want to drive this particular vehicle! who knows when this will happen again and where ill be! i risk injuring myself and anyone in the path of that car! *nm

Driving and parked car. have complete tire sidewall failure. car is 2004 dodge neon with original tires with 24,000 mile son them. *jb

First time car shut down was on the freeway at the time had no clue what was going on had power to every accessory but engine was not running. nearly missed being hit by a truck as i merge over to emergency lane. took it to the dealer found that it was my fuel pump asd fuse kept blowing they voided my warranty stating an air intake was the problem. the intake purchased is c.a.r.b legal and does not have anything to do with my electrical problem. i have not replaced anything as of now. i do fear that i will be involved in a major accident if it keeps shutting down on the freeway. *nm

I was driving my car hard in a parking lot, and then booom clutch and flywheel came apart. the clutch and flywheel came out so hard it went through the hood and cut the core support in half. it also went though radiator, starter, and throttle body. there were people standing all around luckily no was hurt. it throw pieces of clutch about 50 feet in front of car. dodge would not even look at the car or even fix it. so i had to buy all parts and have them installed. went with a different clutch too. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated there was a leak in the transmission. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and repairs over 10 times. the dealer replaced the transmission pan, transmission stick, head gasket, bolts and the dealer sent the vehicle to a transmission expert. although, these changes were made, the transmission continues to leak. the dealer recently determined the problem can not be duplicated and no additional repairs were made. contact was notified on 0313-2006 by m&m dodge to bring vehicle to dealership for transmission work. the contact hoped that this will solve the leak problem. *ak

Started having brake problems right after buying the car brand new. at 13,000 miles braking was becoming difficult. dealer said the car needed new brake rotors at 13,000 . the ones that came new on the car were bad.*ak

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle stalls intermittently. this happens at various speeds and under normal driving and road conditions. however, it happens mostly when the vehicle is shifted from third, fourth or fifth gear. the vehicle has been to the local dealership numerous times, they are unable to duplicate the problem. the starter has been replaced 3 times, the entire wiring harness was replaced, the o2 sensor was replaced and the camshaft sensor and bolts were replaced. although, these replacements were replaced the problem still exits.

While driving home one night on a dry 2 lane rural road, traveling in a 55 mph zone at only 45 mph, i swerved to miss a deer standing in the road in my lane. there was an oncoming car and i swerved back into my lane and the car fish tailed causing a counter action on my part and i hit the concrete bridge with a glancing blow, skidded sideways on two wheels on the bridge and almost flipped over. after the initial impact i realized that the airbags did not deploy. after a body shop inspected the car they discovered that the sensor had been hit and should have deployed the airbags. i am now suffering from whiplash and back strain. the car was totaled. i am now pursuing action against dodge. *jb

In early august of 2004 i purchased a 2004 dodge neon sxt with only 8 miles on it. since december of 2004 i have had problems with the engine missing. for example the car shakes when sitting or driving and is having trouble at times getting speed when you press down of the accelerator. so i took the car in january 2005 to cornell dodge in oakland, california at which time it has reached a little over 5,000 miles. the service advisor told me that the car was fine and there were no problems detected by the computer and to return later to get my scheduled oil change. having continued to have the same problem i took the car back to the cornell dodge for my scheduled oil change and 16-point inspection in june 2005. they still found nothing wrong with the car. since i have continually been having the same problem, which was not resolved by cornell dodgeÂ??s authorized dealer/service department, on august 19th i brought it to the dealer that i purchased it from serramonte chrysler jeep dodge in daly city, california with only about 12, 431 miles on it. they changed the cables and spark plugs, which still did not resolve the problem. i have taken the car back a third time on august 25th 2005 for the same problem to serramonte chrysler jeep dodge in daly city, california with 12,510 miles on it. it is apparent that a new car with only 8 miles when purchased and is only 1 year old should not be having any problems and that this car is a lemon. i have taken the car to the dealership over five times, filed a lemon law complaint and nothing is being resolve. every time i contact someone they tell me to do some step, which i do and then the person does not follow through on their end. this car is a lemon and this problem needs to be taken care of. serramonte has provided me with very poor customer service and their agents are not well knowledgeable about their cars!. *jb

Dt: the contact owns a 2004 dodge neon srt4. the contact was involved in a collision on october 9, 2005 and the passenger's seat came off of the rail. there was no one sitting in the passenger's seat at the time of the accident. there were no problems prior to this accident. the dealership told him that there was no safety recalls on the vehicle for the seats ,and personally he had never heard of anything like this happening. the seats in this vehicle were factory seats they have not been replaced. *ak

Dt: the contact's vehicle was involved in a head on collision. upon impact, airbags did not deploy, and seat belts did not lock. the vehicle has not been inspected to see why this occurred. the vehicle was towed , and the tow truck driver and police officer on scene stated the vehicle was totaled. she has not called dodge at this time.*ak

I have a 2004 dodge srt-4. i have had it since april 3rd 2004 and ever since about 3500 miles i have had a oil leak coming out of the cold side intercooler pipe. i have taken it to dodge and they have told me that it was normal on my car. a brand new car with a oil leak, doesn't make any sense. i know its blow by coming out of the pcv system and a catch can would stop the oil from leaking. but what i don't understand is why didn't' dodge put one in the first place? my car now has 45000 and it still has the oil leak and a big group of oil spots on my white driveway. *jb

I bought my 2004 dodge neon around march of 2005. a couple of months later, the brakes would squeak while driving down the road. at first it was not too bothersome, but i took it to the chrysler dealership and they told me the brakes were just dirty, and that nothing else was wrong. now, the problem has continued to progress, and the brake squeaking is really loud and irritating. i have yet to take it back to the dealer, as it is no longer under warranty. previously, i owned a 2000 dodge neon, and i went through the same problem with it. i noticed while searching through previous recalls, that my older neon did have a recall on the "brake booster vacuum hose". when i had my older neon fixed of this problem, i took it to midas, and they did not inform me of any recall regarding this problem; however, they may not have know. i don't know if the manufacturer's defect had anything to do with my squeaking brakes of the 2000 neon, as i can't remember what midas did to fix the problem. however, if this is related to the recall in the 2000 model, it is a problem again with the 2004 models. the brake squeaking, although really annoying, i don't know if there's a safety problem associated with it (as i'm not mechanically inclined). i'm sure it can't be safe though, having brakes that squeak all the time, regardless of whether you're slowing down or not. *nm

I fish tailed at approximately 65 - 70 mph when the left side of car went straight toward median, the vehicle impact was at 55-60 mph on the front driver side, allowing the car to be airborne. the car rolled several times, until it stopped on the driver side facing down. air bags both front and both side never deployed. *jb

Vehicle..2004 dodge neon ...shuts off with no warning while vehicle is in motion. vehicle has been in shop 3-4 times . told by dealership that they could not replicate problem therefore they can not repair. repairs have been attempted to ignition security system with no success. *jb

When the automatic transmission shifts from 1st to 2nd gear, it causes the exhaust system to make a rattle and grinding noise. the vehicle was taken to the dealership on four occasions for repair with no resolution to the problem.

I purchased my neon in feb of 2004 shortly after my purchase my brakes began to squeak after going in reverse, i have taken the veh to the dealer numerous times and all they keep telling me is that the brakes need to be cleaned, they clean the brakes they stop squeaking for a bout a day and then they begin squeaking again.

While driving vehicle it completely shut down at 65 mph. there was no warning. consumer contacted the dealer, and was told there was nothing they could do. *ak

Car is nearly impossible to put into first gear. srtforums.com reveals that is more common than i had realized. *jb

While driving the engine stalled. was taken to get serviced, and was determined to be the throttle body. currently, the vehicle jerks inadvertently. consumer took vehicle to dealer to get serviced several times, but they could not determine the cause of the problem. *ak

While driving 45 mph the consumers son crashed into a telephone pole. upon impact, the air bags did not deploy. the driver sustained a broken nose due to hitting his face on the steering wheel. *ak *nm *jb

When hitting a pole at 40 mph in the front end front air bags did not deploy nor did the front seat belt restrain the consumer. driver suffered minor injuries. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

The consumer stated that the dome light and the power door locks locked off and on inadvertently. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer on 3 occasions. however, the problem recurred. *ak the consumer requested a full refund of the down payment and sales tax. *sc the radio was replaced. *jb

There has been a popping sound coming from the right side of the car since april of 2004. vehicle has been to the dealership a total of 14 times since purchased in january of 2004. the rack and pinion has been replaced once. starting somewhere around august it started squeaking. after speaking to a family member that used to work at the dealership where car was purchased i was told that the right strut insulator was bad. took car to dealership where they are replacing the ball baring in the right side of the car.*ak

My car, a 1998 plymouth neon, was recently in an accident....the car was totaled with major front end damage.. however neither of the two air bags deployed despite the impact. i would like this investigated.*ak

This may seem like a small complaint, but to me it's major. i bought a dodge srt-4 a couple months back and one of my major deciding factors was the posted mpg on the sticker. it said the srt-4 got 22 in city and 30 highway. most of my driving is freeway driving and i check my mpg every time i refuel and it's always poor. on average i'm getting 19 mpg. the best i've gotten is 23. in general i drive the car like a little old lady and it's just upsetting. is there any way to hold the manufacturer responsible? if i would have known my srt-4 would be performing so poorly at the pump i would be driving a different car. *nm

While sitting at an intersection vehicle stalled. consumer restarted vehicle, and drove it to the dealer for inspection. mechanic determined that spark plugs needed to be replaced, and computer needed to be reprogrammed. *ak

While driving 25 mph, the driver heard a loud knocking noise coming from the rear of the vehicle and the vehicle jerked. the consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle and drove it to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic was unable to duplicate the problem at this time. please provide further details. *jb

While driving 35 mph vehicle stalled. consumer had the vehicle towed to dealership, but dealership did not resolve the problem. *ak

While driving at 70 mph, the consumer attempted to exit a freeway and the vehicle lurched and made a loud noise. the vehicle was pulled into a parking lot and smoke began to emit from the hood. consumer turned the key off, but the vehicle continued to run. the fire department arrived and disconnected the battery cables. at that time the smoking ceased and the engine shut down. *ak the consumers vehicle continued to run rough and lurch forward, the check engine light would come on, , the vehicle would run with the key out of the ignition, and when the door was inadvertently shut, the door would lock. the dealer could not find anything wrong with the vehicle. the consumer was told that the fuel was delivered at a rich combustion level. the service dealer replaced the ab/master relay and the power train control module. (fuel was being delivered to the cylinder at excessive amounts and with the key out of the ignition) *sc *jb

While driving 45 mph a loud ticking noise was heard coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. consumer drove the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, however the mechanic could not duplicate or resolve the problem. *ak the headlights had gone out while the consumer was driving the vehicle, the wheel needed to be replaced, there was a problem with the brake line in the front, the wheel bearing was broken in half, the fog lights had gone out, there was a roaring sound when the vehicle was in motion, there was a whirling sound in the engine which would get worse when accelerated, the rotor/pads rusted, the steering pulled to the left, and when slowing down, the steering wheel would shake. (dodge neon sxt 2004) *sc