Problems with 1996 Dodge Neon ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Head gasket was first replaced about 2 years ago, i am having it replaced for the 2nd time now. *ak

While driving entire electrical system went out. had no interior or outside lights. had some leakage from transmission and engine. took vehicle to dealership, and mechanic repaired leakages/starter/head gaskets/ oil pressure switch, and windshield wipers.*ak water leak from the trunk to rear floor boards caused corrosion. also, signal light failed to go off. consumer states the vehicle had been involved in several accidents befor e purchase. *yh

The head gasket was defective which in the process it ruined the short block, cylinder three, and the radiator

Dodge neon engine head gaskets are known to leak - manufacturer will not reimburse owners for repair of a known defect. my cost was $1004. *ak

Vehicle was taken to a mechanic because of oil leakage. it was determined that the engine head gasket was leaking oil. the head gasket has been replaced. the original engine head gasket was replaced at 8, 000 miles. chrysler confirmed that there was a problem with the head gasket. but it was not under recall. ak.et.

The dealership told me they were aware of the problem with the head gasket . at the time mine was being repaired there were 2 other neons in the shop with the same problem. this was stated by the service manager mark mendez. he also stated that this was a common problem with neons that were produced before 1999 . my car needed work done after my 3 year/36000 mile warranty expired. *ak

Vehicle stalls/ speedometer and gas gauge work intermittently. *ak

Head gasket failing second time - leaking oil badly - have lost approximately 2 gallons of oil into the environment through leakage for each failure - when will an environmental recall be issued for these cars - dodge claims no record of first repair but i have receipts, do not trust dodge's reporting of the extent of this problem - www.neons.org shows up to 1/3 of these vehicles are having head gasket failures. this would indicate that 600,000 gallons of oil have already been leaked into the environment - when will something be done to end it. *ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Sudden complete loss of oil due to head gasket failure. *ak

The dealership was terrible-minus 5 stars. took the car to different dealership. they did a good job. will think twice about buying another chrysler car. no safety defect stated in summary. *ak

Twice the head gasket on this car has blown. the first time the car was at 35,000 miles, just short of the warranty so it was replaced at no cost. the second time the head gasket blew was just 1 1/2 years later and i was quoted between $800-$1,500 to have it repaired again. chrystler corporation is fully aware that this is a common problem with this make and model. i called a number of dealers when trying to get this car fixed and every dealer said this is a very common problem. more than half the dealers recommended i call chrystler corporation to get assistance with the cost. after raising enough hell with chrystler and the dealership, i was able to get it repaired. i do not want to go through this every year and a half. and i should not have to...this is a major, expensive repair and that company should have enough confidence in their product to warranty it. *ak

I have heard recently that engine head gasket failure is very common with the dodge neons as well as other chrysler cars. i noticed my car was leaking last week sometime, and didn't realize it was coming from teh head gasket. it does not make sense to me that so many of teh dodge neons are having this problem if dodge made a good product. if they know that all of these cars are having this problem and there is rumor of a secret warranty out there if you raise enough fuss, doesn't it seem fair, and lawful that chrysler should issue a recall on the cars and fix teh head gaskets on their products before further trouble is caused. if i was oblivious to teh leak couldn't i have caused further damage that could have been prevented had chrysler not cut corners and made a cheap gasket to begin with? is it my fault that when i purchased the car i was not informed that eventually i would have to spend close to a thousand dollars to fix my car because chrysler didn't feel like making a strong head gasket, and wanted to save a little money. i feel as if i am being screwed here, and i feel that i should be reimbursed. how many people must complain before chrysler issuses a recall. a recall that is obviously necessary. *ak

I have a 1996 dodge neon. this car is a complete lemon,my engine sealent has been leaking for over 2 years,im am not the only owner that has had problems with the engine sealent.

Head gasket blew on vehicle. *ak

Engine head gasket has not been changed yet as of june 26, 2000.*ak

Head gasket was first replaced under warranty with 20,901 miles on the vehicle. the transmission let go with 35,654 miles on the vehicle. my vehicle was out of warranty at this time. the head gasket failed a second time with 46,958 miles on the vehicle. this repair was done at dartmouth dodge, 225 state rd., north dartmouth, ma. 02747, since it was closer to my home, and they were not in business at the time that i purchased the vehicle. chrysler gave me a $300.00 credit towards the repair of the head gasket. i strongly feel that i should be reimbursed for this repair since it was replaced under warranty the first time, and it broke again approximately 26,000 later. apparently, there has been a problem with head gaskets for this vehicle. i also feel that a recall campaign should be instituted to repair all these vehicles since it is a common problem with them. *ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

The following are a list of problems we have had with this car: air flow knob failed, valve cover gaskets 3x's, head gasket, squeaking brakes, camshaft sensor seal failure, spark plug o-ring, spark plugs and wires, rear suspension came loose, loud exhaust. show us you can do the people who need your help some good. get us some answers!!!!!!

Defective design of the engine head gasket caused coolant to leak through the valve cover which could spray into the engine compartment, and start a fire. dealer said head gasket and valve cover needed to be replaced. please provide further information. *ak

Consumer noticed oil leaking from underneath the car . the head gasket blew out more than on one occasion. chrysler had known of problems with head gaskets in neons, and agreed to pay for parts only. *ak *ml

Premature failure of engine head gasket. *ak

Engin ehead gasket blew out every 6-8 months/ brake caliper collapsed , and instrument panel dead; no assistance from dodge. *ak

Oil is leaking bad from the head gasket... i see that you already got quite some complaints... what about a recall??? oil leaking is close to the manifold... could cause some fire... recall...

After a search on the internet, i found several cars with the same problem... someone suggest a repair under the secret extended warranty from chrysler... i'm gonna try it... price to replace head gasket: 700 dlls and up.

While driving at approximately 45mph a bubbling noise was heard. engine had blown head gaskets. had no prior warning of problems. towed to dealership for repairs. head gaskets were leaking again. *ak

Oil was leaking onto the engine. *nlm

This must be the leakiest car around! can we recover some repair costs? no seafety defect mentioned in summary. *ak

While drivning on the highway, turned off on side road and heard a loud noise, vehicle started to vibrate. got out of vehicle to check tires, and tires were fine. *ak

While driving on the highway turned off a side road heard a loud noise. got out of vehicle and checked the tires and the tires were fine. got the vehicle home. contacted the dealer. dealer stated vehicle was not under warranty. took it to a neighbor who is a mechanic, and told consumer that the part that broke was an engine mount bolt. *ak

Head gasket failures began on this vehiche at approximately 20,000 mi and continue. *ak

Engine stalls at stops on occassion, there is a recall for the 1996 dodge neon but for vehicles made between january 1995 and november 1995, my vehicle was made in november 1995. my problem is the same problem described in the recall but i'm told it's not on the recall list because it was made during november 1995. would like recall dates re-examined since it appears to me my problem is the same as the recall.

It would be next to impossible to describe each problem. all problems that i have listed are completely true. i can say with complete certainty that the problems occurred after the 75000 mile waranty i bought was over with the exception of the egr valve which the dealer replaced just to have it fail again. also the dealer replaced the o2 sensor which again is failing again. the horn/airbag sensor was also replaced by the dealer. please note that all repaires by the dealer was (a) before the waranty had expired, and (b) i had to call chrysler and complain just to have those things fixed. i have had the car checked by an authorized dealer so i know these problems to exist. the dealer, instead of fixing my car, which they won't do, they tried to get me to trade it in on another new vehicle. my wife and i could not be more dissatisfied with a "new car" than we are with this one. believe me, if we were to have known about this car's track record, we would have never have purchased it. i guess thats all i have, thank you.r *ak( dot number: tire size: p1856014 )

Brought car to dealer; cost totaled approx. $1,500; contacted corporate office and they covered parts; ended up paying approx. $400. should be recalled -- outrageous viewing the numerous complaints on this same thing.

Noticed this problem seems common for '96 neon - should be recalled!!

Original head gasket failed at 27843 miles and was replaced on warranty. gasket number 2 failed at 38,000 miles, now on gasket number 3. i have never owned a vehicle that required yearly head gasket maintenance! paid $600 dollars for repair, dealer says that it is now warranted for 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. is this problem under investigation? keep me posted!

No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak

Had to replace the head gasket at about 60,000 miles. i see lots of other people are having the same complaint. when will there be a recall? this same engine is used in a number of chrysler cars and the problem is happening to those owners also. help us out. *ak

Head gasket and valve cover leak at 40k miles; several mechanics claim this is a common problem for neons due to defective parts. why hasn't there been a recall? why must the consumer pay for manufactuer defects?

On sep 97 engine head gasket was replace. under warranty; oct 99, engine head gasket needs to be replaced again. asking nhtsa to look into this matter. *ak

Noticed oil leak due to a blowen out engine head gasket due to poor design. contacted dealer . *ak

We would like to know if there has been any recall problems with the 1996 dodge neon due to head gasket problems. *ak

Severe oil leak; this is a known problem with the dodge neons but dodge refuses to fix. this problem did not occur due to car accident. car has never been wrecked. *ak

I understand that there is a rather high number cars on the road that have or have had this issue. this blown head gasket allows engine oil to leakout of the engine down the back of the engine this heated old could ignite and cause a "under hood fire"... i contacted chrysler, theblock and on to the exhaust manifold. it looks like under the right conditions y seem unconcerned.old

The head gasket on my dodge neon needed to be replaced a second time at only 76,000 miles.(conveniently out of warranty). i know several other people that have had this same problem. dodge has been contacted but no reply has been given.

There is something wrong with my head gasket.

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Within a one week period engine head gasket was replaced twice because of leakage. the problem has been reported to the dealer. engine head gasket has been replaced at owner's expense. please provide any further information. *ak

When pressing the brakes car shuts down. none of the gauges work. dealer will be contacted. *ak

Replaced head gasket every 6 mos., as common problem on neon's and at $600 a service could this be intentional negligence?