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What is this discussion about? Dodge Neon, Plymouth Neon, Sedan

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#536 of 1758 head gaskets by hersbird Dec 28, 2000 (8:26 pm)
I would just enjoy your Neon. If you do end up with a problem (more likely then not it will be fine) it really is not a very costly or a problem that will leave you stranded. Chrysler has fixed many head gaskets out of warranty for $100 for people who called the customer service line. Would you feel more reliable in a 90's Honda civic? They are more likely to blow a distributer then the neon is a head gasket which costs more to repair and stops the Honda dead in it's tracks. When the neon 'blows' a head gasket it just causes a slight oil leak on the side of the motor. Not like the common early 90's Toyota V6's head gasket which often requires a whole new motor (look at 90-94 4 runners in the newspaper and see how many claim 'new motor'). If you do end up replacing the gasket you can take comfort in the fact the new part developed after mid 1998 has fixed this problem.   Water in the trunk probably comes from a leaking or misaligned tail light gasket. While some cars came like this from the factory in early 1998, it seems possible a few after the redesign may not have gotten put together perfectly. It could also have been in an accident and not repaired properly. The water has been allowed to sit and so your spare hold down bolt has gotten rusty. Isn't a 2000 still under warranty? Take it in and have it all replaced. If it is not the result of an accident then I bet you get all new trunk lining as well. Try asking in a nicer way then you have put your views here, you may get better results.
#537 of 1758 Thanks for the Neon Advice by cwopete Dec 29, 2000 (9:34 am)
hersbird, appreciate your response. Yes, we will keep the Neon and won't sweat the head gasket issue. Afterall, it's a 96' with 54K miles, we paid around $5,000 for it and it looks and runs great! Even if it eventually did blow a head gasket I suppose it would be no big deal to have it fixed.
#538 of 1758 how Tom can solve his defroster woes by buoyant Dec 30, 2000 (10:13 pm)
As a resident of the frigid and snowy city of Minneapolis, MN, I have the same problem with my current company car, a 2001 Pontiac Gran Prix. In fact, I've had that occur with EVERY vehicle I've ever owned during the winter months here.   There are a few options you have if you don't want snow to melt off the rear window:   1. Don't use the rear window defroster (it turns ice and snow into water, which has to run somewhere)   2. Buy a minivan or SUV - they typically have handles in the back so you don't have to wedge your fingers into that crevice between the decklid and body/bumper   3. Keep your stuff in the back seat during the winter months and use the trunk for warm weather hauling only   4. Move someplace that doesn't have frigid winters   Also, just a note to those of you thinking of purchasing one of those low-mileage rental/lease return Neons: rethink that.   If you're going to buy a Neon, buy a new one. All rental cars get the tar beaten out of them, and the $199/week specials seem to receive the most brutal abuse.   I already feel bad for the unknowing person who buys my Gran Prix when it comes off lease. I would never drive my personal car that way...   Seasons greetings and happy motoring to all!
#539 of 1758 Warning about those "Fake HID bulbs" by jag88 Dec 31, 2000 (12:04 pm)
I have a 2k neon in northern cali. I just wanted to warn you all about those new bulbs that are supposed to look like the HID bright-white/blue lamps on the Benz's and BMW's you see. Someone wrote above that they were installing them on their neon, like I did. They run about $20 but are just regular bulbs with blue paint on. The sellers say they are "European" and resemble the expensive HID's that cost thousands, but they suck and are illegal (I got a fat ticket)- that's all.
#540 of 1758 by eneth Dec 31, 2000 (4:22 pm)
Hersbird's advice is a little off-base. A head gasket leak is not a minor problem, and can just as easily lead to serious damage on a Neon as on any other car. Replacing a head gasket will cost several hundred dollars, which DaimlerChrysler may or may not cover (unlike Toyota, it never owned up to the faulty head gaskets and recalled the cars, and extended the warranties).   It is important to check frequently for oil leaks, since it won't be long before coolant ends up in the cylinders, or the car overheats - probably damaging the cylinder head along with the gasket.
#541 of 1758 eneth by hersbird Jan 01, 2001 (8:01 pm)
I was saying the headgasket leak does not disable the car. I had a Quad-4 motor blow a headgasket and it seized right there, filled a cylinder full of coolant and when the piston came up bent the rod, a couple of valves, and scored the crank. This all happened in a fraction of a second. I ended up getting a whole new motor, which alone cost $4500 not counting labor. Thank god it still had 5000 miles on the warranty. The neon problem may cost between $100 and $500 but that is still the same or less as the parts and labor on the Honda distributer.   PS actually there was a $100 deductable on that warranty on my Quad-4, so it ended up costing the same as my neon might if it blows the gasket even after the warranty expires next week.
#542 of 1758 One year update... by vocus Jan 02, 2001 (7:02 am)
My roommate's 2000 Neon just turned one year old with 21,500 miles on it on 12/31. It's been in the shop 8 times for various problems. All the problems are being worked out little by little though. I wish the customer service was better though. They finally did find the power steering problem though, and said it was a missing part in the system which they had to order. It's on order with a new radio (cassette died). They had to also replace and reprogram one of the remotes (broke it in a drunken state a few weeks ago). The other one doesn't work now! Have to send that one in next time I guess. Hopefully, the car will be good now since just about everything has been replaced in it that was troublesome.   Oh, and the trunk rubber ripped too. That's also on order to be replaced when the car goes into the shop for its 9th visit in a week or two.
#543 of 1758 Thanks! (six weeks late), or "A Love Story" by fc3grrl Jan 02, 2001 (12:53 pm)
I said I'd post after our purchase of a '01, so here it is, just a little late...   We couldn't get the 5-speed unless we ordered one and waited two months (so they said), so we ended up with an automatic ES, Clearcoat Black with the Sun & Sport package. This, combined with the fact that they gave me half of what my RX-7 was worth, was disappointing. Luckily that disappointment lasted only half an hour. It's been nothing but pleasure since.   It's funny to me that I had thought I'd be sacrificing performance for a back seat. While I'm no longer racing Mustangs and Honda's or rolling into the curves like I did in my 'seven, I'm still zipping onto the interstate and gliding down the highway with power to spare.   This car was full of surprises like that; it's roomy, and handles like a much bigger, more luxurious car. Bumpy roads no longer rattle my teeth, and I certainly don't miss the occasional cramp in my clutch-knee, either, thanks to the automatic, which I must admit is kind of nice *grin*. The much-ranted engine noise is non-existent; the 'seven was *much* louder, and I can no longer hear my husband pull around the corner and into the driveway when he's in the Neon. The auto-fading overhead light was a whimsical surprise, too.   The biggest surprise is our friends' reactions. Suddenly the guy with the Mercedes wants to ride in my back seat. We fit four adults comfortably. They also adore the re-designed body, and everyone we talk to has a story about someone else's Neon and how happy they are with it.   So far we've had absolutely no problems with the car, and we've got about 1200 miles on it. Mileage is averaging about 30, which is more than double what we are used to, and with regular octane instead of premium, an appreciable savings! The trunk is huge, too, and I really made use of the space when Christmas shopping, and was able to fit a new folding table into the trunk, laid completely flat with the back seats still upright. We feel that we made a smart choice, and if we had it to do over again, we'd still go with what we got.   Thanks again for all of the information and encouragement. The decision to buy this car was left up to me, and I really would've heard it forever if my husband wasn't pleased. He brags that I did good, and that's another bonus!   I love my Neon! Bev
#544 of 1758 by eneth Jan 02, 2001 (4:14 pm)
Hersbird,   If you can get a head gasket on a Neon replaced for $100-400, more power to you. You must live in a low-cost labor area. Around here, it's over $1200 for a V6 for head gaskets, and more like $700-900 for a 4-cylinder model for labor and for parts. Whether it's a Honda or a Neon, labor is labor - and it's expensive.
#545 of 1758 more cost updates by hersbird Jan 03, 2001 (9:53 pm)
Well I checked more into neon headgasket costs. All factory parts required are less then $100. The actual labor involved is pretty simple, it's easy to access and goes pretty quick. Common prices paid for labor ranges from $200 at you local grease monkey shop to $500 at a five star dealer. The warranty has been extended to 5 years and 100000 miles on the headgasket with a $100 deductable. If the failure happens it almost always occures on the drivers side rear of the block and only involves the leaking of oil, seldom does a headgasket failure on a neon result in the mixing of any fluids. If you have an oil leak at this point still don't panic yet, the most common cause, (much more likely then headgasket) is the cam position sensor seal which costs under $5 for the part and 15 minutes tops to install. Many people have this slight headgasket leak for a long time before it gets worse. A few people at www.neons.org ran upwards of 50000 miles with the headgasket leaking oil before it finally started leaking collant as well, still the neon continued to march on until the fix was made. Of course a V-6 will cost more, it is exactly twice the work and parts with reduced accesibility. By your math if a V-6 costs $1200 a inline 4 cylinder should cost less then $600. Maybe other 4 cylinders are more difficult to work on then the neon, and I'm pretty sure a factory set of top end gaskets on a Honda will cost more then the $88 the neon's do. Anyway enough death and gloom about this headgasket thing. My point is there are so many other cars out there, that have more common problems, that will leave you walking in Hayward at 1 am, and ultimately cost more then the neon's headgasket.

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