This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
I was driving on the interstate when, with no warning, I felt a jolt (like being hit from behind), then a strange sound from the engine compartment. I was able to control the car and pull off to the side of the road where I discovered that I had lost all gears. The car would not shift and would not move. I had to have it towed home (about 80 miles) where I took it to a transmission shop. They did a complete diagnostic evaluation and determined that the transmission was completely blown along with the cooling system radiator. I had to have the transmission rebuilt and the radiator replaced at a cost of almost $1,800. After talking with several transmission shops and reading comments on various websites on the internet, it appears that this type of transmission failure is very common with the Dodge Neons. It would seem reasonable that this be addressed in a recall by Chrysler.
I bought the car brand new. No previous owners. The car is a 2002 Dodge Neon 4 door. The paint began to peel off approx two years after I bought it. I took it to a Dodge dealership and was told that Dodge would not help me since it looked like the paint was coming off because of stones hitting it. You can clearly see where the paint is about to peel more, because it bubbles up first, then splits, then peels off. The paint will literally fly off when driving and you can see it go up past the windshield. The paint is peeling off in sheets. I have read many, many other consumers with this same type of problem. Why isn't Dodge taking responsibility for this? I have contacted Dodge with no response. Now the car is past its warranty stage. Someone should make Dodge make this right.
Back seat floor floods in heavy rains (pools of standing water). Trunk also soaked. Smells horrible and is difficult to drain/remove water. No dampness of seats or around window/door area. (property damage at this point is odor-related.)
I took my 2002 Dodge Neon to the dealer I purchased my car from. It was missing really bad, and the back floorboards held water when it rained. It was standing about an inch in my back floorboards, and my spare tire carrier in my trunk was full of water. My wires needed to be replaced, and I had 2 spark plugs that were bad and they put new plugs and wires in, at my expense. I purchased extended warranty on my vehicle, which was not cheap. I had to pay for the tune-up, the rental car, and they told me the leakage was due to bad seals in the tail lights and it wasn't covered. They told me they had been having a problem with the 2002 Neons doing that. I asked why there was no recall on that. He told me it wasn't a safety hazard. Maybe not, but it is surely a case of bad design. I E-mailed Chrysler and Dodge, and they basically told me it was my problem. Why should I have to deal with bailing water out of my 2-year old car? they know there is a problem with that particular model, yet they won't pay to have it fixed. It was going to cost less than $100; but by principle, I refused to pay to have it done. If I can't get it repaired at the manufactors expense, I will wait until the spring rains move in, and drill a hole in my spare tire holder. Now, mind you, we're talking about a 2-year old car, not a 10 yr old car. I will be on the biggest hate campaign against Dodge that they will ever come across.
- Potosi, MO, USA
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I had purchased a 2002 Dodge Neon SXT in September of 2002. After a few months of driving my car until today October 10th, 2003 I have had my car at the dealer 6 different times for the same problem. I have an electrical short somewhere where it makes all my gauges die and flicker. The brake and seat belt light come on and chime...my dome light flickers like a strobe light..my radio cuts out and sometimes my power window will not work properly. The first couple times the said clusters in the back of the dash had to be tightened. After this didn't work the next step was to replace the dashboard. After this didn't work they decided to rig an auxillary ground to my battery by splicing into the cluster on the back of the dash. The last straw was when they took my car and wanted it for a week, but I got it back in 2 days and the response was we can't duplicate it...so when can't fix it. We're stumped. I don't accept that as an answer and now have been getting the runaround from the dealership and Chrysler headquarters in detroit. Even so much so that a woman who worked there told my they are going above and beyond what they need to do for me as a customer by providing me with a rental. If they would have went above and beyond for me they would have fixed it the first time...now I don't even want the car anymore.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Loves Park, IL, USA