Problems with 1997 Dodge Neon ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

I made a short trip to a local store and large amounts of smoke started coming from the front of my car. the car was overheating and i had to stop and pull over. the car had to be towed to the dealership. the car had a head gasket failure.which cost $920 to repair. although the vehicle is old (1997), it only has 39,000 miles on it and it is ridiculous for something like this to happen to car with such low mileage. i have done quite a bit of research online to find that several neon owners have had this same problem. the 1995-1997 models have been predominantly affected by this problem. i contacted chrysler about this and they will take no responsibility for this. *tr

Safety/emissions reprt states recall on my vehicle/ defect number: dr-1158. the solid state fan relay may fail because of heat rellated electrical over stress causing the fan to stop and the vehicle to over heat. *tr

Whenever i sit in the driveway, or look for a parking spaces, or sit in traffic...the car's temperature gage goes all the way to hot. i had it diagnosed and they said that its the fan control module or relay...basically the fans stop working. *tr i had a new water pump put in, a new thermostat, a new radiator put, and i"m beginning to think that all these problems are coming up when the fans stop working. it has 145000 miles on it, but i was told that is not a common think on this module. i'm going to get repaired, but i feel that this is a manufacturer issue. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1997 dodge neon. the headlights and high beams are very dim. the bulbs were replaced; however, the lights remained dim. oil was placed in the vehicle, but then leaked onto the ground, causing the oil warning indicator light to illuminate intermittently. the contact noticed a grayish-colored smoke exiting the rear of the vehicle. the repair shop stated that the failure was caused by a blown head gasket. the failure mileage was 97,000 and current mileage was 140,301.

Through the life of owning this car. i have had to replace the head gasket several times 3 times in last 2 years alone and replace the engine. the head gasket still leaks and no one can seem to fix it even the dealer. i have talked to other people that have neons and they are experiencing the same exact head gasket problem. why hasn't there been a recall for this. this is an extremely costly repair. *tr

Head gasket needed to be replace after 45,000 miles.. bought the car in 2002.. bbrakes are horrible.. brakes make noise, system operating normal fan relay switch .. needed to be replaced.. and was also recalled.. in about 3 years ago.. and never notified.. front end always clanking.. when u turn..

Oil leakage, head gasket replaced 2x in 1997, again head gasket is blown, cam and transmission leakage also. car has always leaked a bit of oil daily; however, oil changes every 2000 miles coupled with weekly level checks maintained ability to drive vehicle. as of 2/05, oil leaking profusely via passenger portion of engine gasket. mechanic confirms blown head gasket, says this is a known defect of the neons as a whole. i have chosen to not repair head gasket at my expense at this time. i purchased vehicle new in oct. 1996, as a new year neon for 1997. i maintained the vehicle meticiously, and both the body and interior are in excellent condition (body has no rust). car has 88,000 miles currently. i am very disappointed in dodge's lack of concern and responsibility in producing a quality car. i bought this new and had hope to transfer it to my daughter who will be leaving for college soon. replacing a headgasket twice should assure me, the buyer, that i can maintain my car without suddenly finding out this was a damaged vehicle from the get go, and now i have to find alternate transportation to work while i set time aside to quickly find another car. shame on dodge!*ak

Engine started leaking oil and head gasket was replaced in 1999. now the engine is leaking oil again and mechanics have said the head gasket is blown again.*ak

My fiancee bought a 97 dodge neon from a friend at 35,000 miles. now at 70,xxx the vehicle started to leak oil, i was putting in 3 quarts a week, the car runs very rough and the check engine light is on andi cant afford to tow it to a shop to find the problem (maybe cause ive spent all my money on oil due to the head gasket leaking?) i am in the middle of repairing my self just takeing a break from the chaos and my back hurts. many neon have this problem the manufacturers redesigned a new head gasket, is this thier way of saying " hey we at dodge messed up bad and now you and thousands of other people can pay $600.00 -$1,000 to get it fixed" another bullitin from car quest say the oil leaks due to the cam sensor cover ile find out shortly i assume and if thats the case why arent any of these other mechanics catching that or do the know and just say it is the head gasket for more money from you? and i guess there was property damage my parents nice new drive has dodge dirty oil stains all over it, thanks dodge !! -- @$#holes!!*ak

The vehicle's head gasket failed although it only had 44000 miles on it. *nm *sc *jb

The car started leaking oil x 2 months. kept overheating after 20 minutes of running. alle the radiator fluid leaked out. had radiator fixed. continued to overheat, told it was fan relay. had that replaced. now told that it was the gasket. that it had a leak and now needs to be replaced due to some thing about the aluminum.*ak

Vehicle's brakes malfunctioned.*mr the vehicle had other problems such as a bad battery, alternator, three turn signal switches, a blown head gasket, sticking throttle body, an oil pan leak, all four windows had an air leak which whistle when the vehicle was driven at high speeds. *jb

While driving 65 mph head gasket and fuel pump failed without warning. as a result vehicle over eated. dealer replaced the parts, and 2 1/2 years later ,the same parts failed again. *ak

1997 dodge neon, color lapuis blue, i am the original and only owner. not only have i had a series of engine repairs between 40,000 to 80,000 miles, the same as i've read on dozen's of other consumer complaints, i now have the peeling lapuis blue paint which started slowly peeling a year ago. the paint now blows off the car as i drive. this car has cost the consumers thousands of dollars, and should have been recalled for all the defects in this car. *jb

For the second time the defective head gasket caused oil to leak. i had it replaced once and i feel it's too much to replace it again. i understand this is a common problem and i can't understand why dodge doesn't assist with fixing it right.*ak

I own a 1997 dodge neon - a model (and apparently, the dodge brand itself) that has a reputation for blowing head gaskets at about 60,000 miles because of a poor composite material the gaskets were made out of. *ak just today, i found the tell-tale sign of fluid mixture (oil in my coolant lines) that indicates a head gasket failure. i called chrysler and explained my situation, and the customer service rep told me that based on my car's year and the mileage (approx 54800), there was nothing they could do. i've scoured the internet and found countless tales of "secret warranties" and "customer goodwill money." stories about chrysler paying for the entire cost of a replacement, $100 deductables, 50/50 split policies, and of course, down-right refusals and denials of the problem itself, which chrysler acknowledged in a service bulliten, located here: http://www.neons.org/neontsb/tsb/09/090598.htm they know about the problem, and have for many years, but continue to deny customers the appropriate compensation for a problem that is their fault. i'm going to call my local dodge dealers to see if i can get any different answers from them, but i doubt it. my complaint stands!

I just bought this 97 dodge neon with only 23,000 miles on it. the a/c has a leak in the coil , the transmission is slipping . the car is in great shape but those few things so far . the person who owned the car before me was an older gentleman who does not wreck his things. i was wondering are these problems, factory problems and/or recalls? *la

The biggest problem i have is the engine oil leaking. it is so costly to repair everytime. i never contacted the dodge company since i though that i gto a bad car.

I had bought 2 new dodge neons, 1997 & 1998. first 1998 neon had engine gasket problem, daimlerchrysler fixed it &i paid $100.00 as i had extended warranty. now 1997 neon with lower mileage has same engine gasket problem. two cars same problem. requested daimler-chrysler to fix the problem as this is manufacturing problem daimlerchrysler is refusing to fix it. please make daimlerchrysler fix this for all neon owners this is similar to the jeep car problem after you all got after them they are fixing the jeep problem for the jeep customers without any charge. the engine gasket problem is an inherent problem with neon cars. *la

Engine head gasket oil leak.*ak

Independent shop replaced twice the front brake pads/rotors, and the caliper pin. also, engine head gasket was leaking oil. *ak

I purchased this vehicle 5-15-03 and noticed an oil leak the size of a 50 cent piece every time the vehicle was driven. when purchasing i asked if the head gasket problems had been taken care of on neon's, and was told it is not an issue anymore. i had an oil change today 7-18-03 and was told that i needed a new head gasket and it was an often done repair at a cost of $700.00! after researching on the internet and finding hundreds of complaints about head gasket failure on this particular model, i am more than slightly displeased that dodge, knowing of the problem, and even having a service bulletin out regarding this very problem is interested in taking care of it's owners, i will not be buy a dodge, chrysler, or plymouth ever again! *jb

Head gasket failure

The consumer saw oil leaking from the vehicle. the dealership informed the consumer that the problem pertained to a head gasket failure. the mechanic did not resolve the problem. *ak on june 3rd 2002, the consumer had to have the transmission re-built. the main gear had a crack in the casting and started to loose teeth. the consumer noticed the casing of the transmission was wet. the heads of the engine were warped. the dealers in both case only changed the gasket and not checking to see if the head was warped. when the vehicle was cold in the morning, it wouldn't engage in reverse for up to 30 seconds, then clunks in hard and if driving when still cold, it seemed to shift in and out of gear. (and shifts hard from 2nd to 3rd and over revs in 2nd prior to shifting) *sc *jb

First of all, my car has been leaking oil for quite a few months now ...i just kept putting a quart in every now and then. well, when i went to get the car inspected at pep boys, they said that my head gasket was leaking. they recommended me getting an estimate and the work done at an authorized dodge dealer. i want to find out more information from your organization or from dodge on the head gasket problems that dodge neons have. i didn't know this until very recently. i have no repair date or cost yet. i was hoping to get information before i get an appointment/fixed. can't this be a recall? if so many people have this problem with their neons why doesn't dodge fix them? i am paying a car loan on this and it needs fixed already...and it is a major fix.

The consumer has replaced 3 head gaskets since the vehicle was purchased. the last blown gasket caused irreparable damage to the engine. *nlm

Purchased car in october or 1996. replaced head gasket in 1998 due to oil leaking in spark plugs. then again in 2001. now 2003 and oil in spark plugs again.*jb

The vehicle overheated without warning.*jb

Dodge neon 1997, i found out today the head gasket was cracked, i was told by 4 different mechanics, 2 were dodge mechanics, that they are always fixing the head gaskets and it was a design flaw, the gasket was too thin, i have changed the oil every 2500-3000 miles the car was never run hard and is very well maintained they need to issue a recall for this problem. ts

My daughter just turned 16 and bought a used 1997 dodge neon with 60,000 miles. the dealer told her of what had been done and replaced. one of his selling points was a new head gasket had been installed. well it's been just over the 3 month, 3000 miles and the head gasket blew, spilling oil all over the highway. i went to the web, and to my horror this has happened to alot of people. the roads are being made hazardous with slippery oil and people are getting ripped off by a badly designed engine. chrysler should recall them. i know you are well aware of the problem and hope your agency can make chrysler recall this accident waiting to happen. *jb

While driving average speed 40 mph, the head gasket ruptured, with a major leak. the owner was informed this by a mechanic. please provide details. ts

Consumer states head gasket is leaking oil into the cooling system, damaging the engine. dealer has been notified. please provide further information. ts

Engine is leaking oil, and vehicle is running hot. dealership is aware of problem.*ak

Vehicle was taken to the dealer for service, and informed that vehicle had a blown head gasket. feel free to provide any further information.*ak

Temperature gauge went to hot/ smoke and liquid started pouring from vehicle. took vehicle to dealer, and they stated that it was cooling fan relay. please provide any further information.*ak

The spark plugs that are in the car was done illegally. and i have tried to contact the dealership numerous times and not have had a respond. i have been leaving messages for 1 wk. dt

Speed control speedometer doesn't work most of the time. replace the sencsor but still doesn't work. i will never buy a dodge again. i've also had to replace the brakes and rotor,catalytic converter. now i'm having trouble with the paint. it's bubling and peeling off in layers all over car.*ak

Engine has been replaced twice within past three weeks. there is oil leaking, and when getting oil changed, dealer recommend that engine be replaced.*ak

While driving vehicle was overheating and leaking oil, consumer replaced thermostat which sufficed for 2 months, but vehicle stalled out completely, vehicle taken to dealer. dealer informed consumer of a blown head gasket, this was the second gasket that was replaced which was installed by recall. *tt

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Mine is the same complaint as the other 200 that i have read. its a recurring problem in all 97 neons. mr

The vehicle overheated and made a loud noise when in reverse, also the engine light illuminated, the engine was replaced, however it continued to overheat and the engine light reappeared, the dealer then informed consumer a radiator and thermostat was needed, however the problem was still not resolved.*jb

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

I purchased this car with approximately 26,000 miles on it and have taken meticulous care of it, including all routine maintenance. the cost i've been quoted to replace this head gasket is approximately $977. a part like that should last the lifetime of the engine... not 61,000 miles. judging from all the postings i've read on the internet, this is an extremely common failure mode for the neon engine and i feel that the manufacturer should bear some financial responsibility for a part like this that is failing prematurely.*ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

While consumer was driving there was a noise, and then came smoke from engine. consumer took vehicle to dealer ,and dealer noted that there was water leaking into oil due to a blowen head gasket. *ak

Vehicle was leaking oil. took vehicle to dealer, and dealer indicated vehicle needed a new engine block.*ak

Vehicle is sitting idle for about 15 minutes and temperature gauge goes to hot. vehicle overheats. once vehicle is moving gauge goes back down. dealer has been contacted. *ak *tt

Engine check light came on, and engine was running rough. dealer determined egr valve had failed, and had to be replaced.*ak