Problems with 1996 Dodge Neon ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Tl* the contact owns a 1996 dodge neon. the contact was driving 25 mph when the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact had to coast to the side of the road and have the vehicle towed to a local mechanic. the mechanic noticed that a faulty wiring harness was the cause of the vehicle stalling and advised that it would need replacing. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign id number: 96v026000 ( electrical system:wiring:front underhood). the contact was advised by the manufacturer that there were no recalls. the failure mileage was 120,000.

I have a 1996 dodge neon that keeps blowing fuel pump fuses when shifting to 3rd gear. it is an electrical short that i found in same vehicle made few months sooner july through november car in 1995 through 1996 i feel this is still happening my car is at risk to catch fire. would greatly appreciate if this could be resolve and checked out. thank you. *tr

Dt*: the contact stated there were two problems with the vehicle. there were intermittent problems with all the electrical warning lights on the dash board and intermittent stalling. the vehicle was inspected by a friend who determined the wiring harness was too close to the exhaust and the wiring was melted. additionally, while attempting to apply brake pressure at 60mph, the rear of the vehicle skidded. upon inspection, the contact discovered fluid leaking from the driver side rear wheel. the vehicle was never inspected by a service dealer, however the manufacturer was alerted. there is a recall 96v026000, concerning the electrical system and a recall 96v075000, concerning the service brakes. however, the vin is not included in the recalls.

i have had ongoing problems with my 1996 dodge neon sport, it has been inoperable for the last year or so, due to electrical problems and stalling which i believe stem from the wiring harness. i have had the brakes replaced a few times, the a/c replaced, fuel injection acts up and the fuel gauge fluctuates, my transmission has started slipping, power steering and exhaust are leaking, numerous oil leaks, rear lights/ brake lights have not worked in over a year, driverside window broke along the extending arm inside of the door frame, trunk release is broken and my cruise control is broken! for the last 4months my car has been sitting at atlanta dodge llc! just after leaving it with their service department, i received a call saying i needed a new battery and until it was replaced for $180 they could not do a diagnostic check for any other problems!! the battery was not even a year old and worked fine when i left the car at the dealership!! but in hopes of any decent service i bought another battery from advanced auto parts $40 and took it in myself. during this visit i reminded them that my make and model car was under a recall, they informed me that it was not!! i gave them the nhtsa recall documentation and was told that it didn't apply to my car, only to the neons from the plant in new mexico!! just after thanksgiving i decided to call them to find out what has been going on. i spoke with brian the cs rep. and he informed me that the mechanics could not figure out what was wrong with my car and refused to research any further unless i agreed to spend no less than $250 towards the repairs!! it's not a coincidence that the same parts are in need of repairs as 15,000 other neons -- regardless of which plant the vehicles were assemblied, the defects lie in the placement and/or manufacturing of the faulty parts and should be covered under any relating recalls! *nm updated 12/1505. *jb

This problem has been continuous. the problem i am having with my 1996 dodge neon has also been identified within this same year and model car and a recall was issued, however my car did not come from the same plant as the recalled neons. this does not change the fact that the same problem has been identified in the same product!! the dodge dealership said they would not honor the recall for my neon. is there anything i can do about this? *nm

N/a. *jb

Wiring harness burned and short circuited some fuses. the fuel pump box shorted out. manufacturer issued a recall, but this vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin. *ak the service dealer found no electrical communication from the camshaft or crankshaft sensors, found engine oil in the spark plug tube holes due to a leaking valve cover gasket, found electrical wire leading to the ecm module, camshaft and crankshaft sensors fused together, caused both sensors and ecm to fail. the engine displayed a rough idle. the consumer requested reimbursement. *sc *jb

Electrical system:wiring:front underhood caused the fan relay to malfunction which caused the engine to overheat.*ak

The vehicle's wiring harness failed and caused the engine to stall intermittently. *nm

A short in the wiring harness caused the vehicle to stall and headlight failure. there was an electrical wire harness front underhood recall 96v026000 concerning the electrical system wiring front underhood, but this vehicle was not included due to vin. *ak the first incident occurred as the consumer pulled out into traffic, the engine stalled and the lights on the dash were flashing. the second incident occurred as the consumer was driving down the road. due to the wiring harness failure the ecm failed. *sc *jb

Vehicle rejected by az dept of environmental quality. obd not ready , dealer has flashed computer , retest done again , now same information obd not ready. they will not pass it they say they cant read it?? cpu is fine by chrysler... been checked 2 times... help *la

While driving vehicle stalled. driver was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer for analysis, and mechanic could not duplicate the problem.*ak

The vehicle experienced the same problem as stated in recall #96v026000, however the vehicle identification number was not included in the recall.*jb

Same engine wiring harness problem as stated in recall # 96v026000, but my neon was not included in the recall, because it was not made in mexico. an engine wiring harness can short circuit due to contact with the exhaust gas recirculation tube.. shorting of the wiring harness can cause various electrical malfunctions, including engine stalling.

Oil leaked from failed head gasket or cracked head, exhaust leak from head or manifold. speedometer dial stop working. the car only has 30000 miles on it. my repair man wants $500.00 just to tear down the engine to see if it is the gasket or a cracked head, and thats just the labor and not including parts. this is a safty problem that should be cause for a recall. how many complaints or lives will it take before nhtsa takes action aganist this car manufacturing company? *jb

While driving at any speed vehicle will intermittently stall. after a few minutes engine could be started as if nothing ever happened. vehicle experienced this problem twelve times in the last year. dealer informed consumer that there was a problem with the wiring harness, and there was a recall. however, consumer's vehicle was not included due to vin. *ak

Consumer states while driving the battery light illuminated, consumer stopped for a light and battery died. consumer had to replaced battery, same day battery light illuminated again. took to pep boys and they stated battery checked out o.k. please provide any further information. mr

The vehicle was stalling and the instrument panel did not work at all . the manufacturer stated the vehicle was not included in the nhtsa recalls 96v026000 96v075000. *jb

Instrument panel works occasionally. can't tell how fast/can't tell if gas is in vehicle, and gauges inside panel won't light up. please provide any further information.*ak

This used vehicle was purchased few months back and after reading lots about this model , these are the manufacturing defects and should be corrected. no safety defects mentioned. *ak

Heater went out and vehicle was filled with smoke. heat blew only on high. also, connector wiring in dash was burned. contacted dealer, and dealer stated that wiring connector was not avilable by manufacturer. *ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Vehicle is experiencing problems with spark plug tubes. *slc

While driving electrical system malfunctions/ gauges on instrument panel all go haywire. dealer has been contacted. please provide any further information.*ak

Vehicle will stall over 65 mph, dealer determined wiring harness under the hood would short out, causing stalling. wiring harness was replaced. at this time, vehicle is stalling again when over 65 mph.*ak

Head gasket is a known issue at chrysler, and should have been rectified by recall. transmission also had to be replaced. electrical problems becuase because of poor design. chrysler did not help becuase of mileage and used car. what can a 19 yr old afford other than a used car?*ak

Recall 96 v 026 000/electrical: harness front underhood wiring. instrument panel lights/ gauges/ horn, and turn signal would go out, and vehicle stalled intermittently. dealer / manufacturer notified, and informed consumer that this vehicle was not covered under recall due to vin. feel free to provide any further information. *ak

I have taken me neon in three times this month for the same problem. the first time they could not find as to why the fuse for the fule pump blew because the computer did not find anything wrong withthe car. the dealer did tell me that it is hard to locate electrical problems. i understand that, but it happen again two times in one day. i again took my car into the dealer and this time they said that the only thing on this fuse is the fuel pump and suggested that it was going bad. so, we replaced it and then it happen again. at this point i am very concerned because i job coach and drive my car all day to and from different clients job sites as well as transport them to and from work. this concerns me greatly du to the fact that with some of them i must drive on a highway and with the cars fuel pump fuse blowing at any time for what ever reason this frightens me wiht the way people drive on the highway the last thing i or they need is a car that just stops in it's tracks. i have had my car in the shop for three days and they still can not figure out why the fuse keeps blowing. it is at the point where they are driving my car around to see as to why or as to what is wrong. please if you have had any other complaints about this problem write to me or e-mail me so that i can let them know. in regards to where i purchased my car. it was at a dealer ship in san diego california four years ago and i now live in wisconsin. it may be possable to locate the dealer with my vin number. thank you debora brey. *ak

Continuous problems with engine & electrical system. car has accelerated by itself, at one point we had to pull over and shut it off to regain control/speed. newest problem is engine shuts off/stalls while driving, causing loss of ability to steer and brake, caused accident. *ak

Consumer was traveling on highway and emergency light went off. vehicle stalled. consumer pulled over to the shoulders. vehicle was towed,and mechanic told consumer that the wires to harness had melted. *ak

Vehicle stalls at speeds over 50 mph. lately, vehicle has been stalling weekly. taken to dealer 4 times. dealer replaced fuel injector wiring harness/ fuel pump, and computer twice. this did not remedy the problem. *ak

Speedometer, odometer, trip meter, gas and temp gauges will all stop working. sometimes they'll all work, sometimes they'll all quit. the speedometer, odometer and tripmeter will all go out every time i drive the car after it's been running about 20 minutes. the gas and temp gauges will go out occasionally.

Vehicle is experiencing the same electrical problem as mentioned in manufacturer's recall 7599. dealer advised consumer that a new engine harness is required. *ak

Vehicle will stall in warm weather at about 55 mph; also, when coming to a complete stop. this has happened numerous times. there is a recall 96v026000 on wiring harness; but, this vehicle is not included due to vin. *ak

Car was serviced for oil/filter change, 4 cylinder tune up, transmission service on february 29, 2000. during rush hour traffic vehicle stalled. called dealer to inform them of situation. towing service was called. waited one hour for tow truck. vehicle restarted and was driving to owner's residence. called towing service again on the morning of march 1, 2000. vehicle was towed to hendrick dodge. vehicle was diagnosed as having a malfunctioning ignition coil. coil was replaced on march 1, 2000. owner picked up vehicle on the afternoon on march 1, 2000. vehicle stalled again within 5 miles of the hendrick dodge. towing service was called again. vehicle was towed back to hendrick dodge. dealership diagnosed the problem as being a faulty wiring harness and cam/crank sensor. on march 8, the dealership had replaced the faulty mechanisms and credited the owner the cost of the unnecessarily installed distributor coil.

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

While driving 55-60 mph vehicle began losing power rapidly. driver was able to exit off the freeway safely. vehicle was towed to a bodyshop, where the harness was found to be laying on the top of exhaust tube, which melted the wires and shorted out vehicle. vehicle has not been repaired. please provide any further information. vehicle not included in recall 96v026000 chrysler/elect. wring: harness: front underhood. due to vin. *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!!!!!!

At any speed car will die. consumer will not have power steering. consumer fears that may have a wreck because of no steering or loss of speed on highway. *ak there was no warning of any kind before the vehicle shut off. this vehicle was not recalled only because it was not built at a given plant while the problem is similar to those that received recall notice. *yh

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 )

The whole dash unit ( circuit board) which controls the speedometer did not work. my mechanic stated he has replaced a number of them over the last several monthsnic

There is a short within the electrical system, causing all the instrument panel gauges not to work. *ak

Wiring shorted out in steering column, causing a melt down of other wires, this condition caused smoke to come from steering column on five occasions within two weeks. brought vehicle to dealer for repair, told wiring harness needed to be replaced. the short occurred in the steering column due to rubbing or vibration causing the wire to become exposed and overheated, melting the other wires near it. *ak *ml

Car will not "turn-over" to start also, steering wheel will not lock like it should when key is absent. wondering if the 2 malfuctions are related to one another!!! please contact or e-mail me to let me know this form was responded to, thanks for your time.*ak

Head gasket warped diagnosed at dealer when was having another repair, wiring harness short caused smoke to fill car while driving had it towed to dealer.

I have had my car in for repair 4 times in 3 yrs. first the spark plugs were bad, had to be replace. second the wires melted together in my steering wheel column, 4rd the fueld sensor went out in fuel pump had to have the fuel pump replaced. ask warrenty company what most common problem with the dodge neon was they said the head gasket blowing, now i guess it's my turn for that i took to dealer today for oil leak , they said head gasket blown, need to tear down engine to make sure nothing else is bad ( cracked block / head) seems like an awful lot of problems for a car that's not that old and has been maintained, very dissapointed in vehicle

The 1996 dodge neon should be recalled. no safety defect (s) listed in summary. *ak

Problem with wiring harness. mr

Abs brakes would make squealing noises first thing in moring, but later squealing noises would disappear. brake pads are worn down. passenger's window would be whistling; has no weather stripping. the spark plugs keeps blowing out. also, engine head gaskets are not working properly. whenever the spark plugs are blown, the vehicle would just stop running. *ak

Recall 96v026000/626; experiencing same wire harness problems. vehicle engine problems on 11-nov-98. also wire harness problems. second incident consumer was involved in. dealer cannot remedy the problem. provide further information. *ak