1998 Chrysler Neon
Summary:
Bloodsucking bottomless money pit
Faults:
Where to begin.. this car has been a nightmare from day one.
Brake pads and rotors replaced ($750)
Rear struts replaced ($600)
Oil leak from a burst seal ($800)
Thermostat replaced twice in six months ($500)
Been through two brand new batteries ($200)
Fuel pump died in the middle of the busiest downtown intersection, causing someone to rear end me. ($1000)
I can't even begin to express what a total piece of crap this car is. It was okay for the first 8 months or so that I had it, but since then it's like something major happens, I fix it thinking surely that'll buy me more time until I can save $ for a better car, and then within a couple weeks something else huge bites the dust on it.
In the last six months I've been broken down on the side of the road five times, had to pay for a tow truck each of those times (at $60 a pop) and sunk over $4000 into it. Every time I dare to take it anywhere it either doesn't start, overheats after a few minutes, or brakes down at the worst possible moment. What a nightmare.
Even though I've sunk that much into it, there's still a huge list of stuff wrong that I'm refusing to fix. For example...
-the horn mysteriously stopped working.
-none of the windows seal, and water and wind get in. Not to mention, the manual window crank broke off in my hand when I tried to close the window--so now the drivers window doesn't open at all... which is really inconvenient, not to mention embarrassing.
-there's still a major oil leak, I'm going through about one bottle every three or four days.
-sometimes the headlights come on by themselves and won't shut off even when the car is turned off.
-the trunk lock is broken, so it can only be opened from the inside.. not that I would use it anyway, the trunk leaks and it's a disgusting wet mildewy mess.
-There's a hole in the gas tank the size of a quarter, so I can't fill it up more than halfway or gas spills out.
-the air conditioning never did work, and the mechanic said it would be like $800 because it needs a whole rebuild.
-steering wheel makes a load clicking noise when you turn.
-the cloth interior on the roof of the car is coming away at the edges and falling off, plus the weatherstripping at all 4 windows is bubbling and very warped.
-the plastic panel that displays the gears on the gear shift is falling apart and I have to guess what gear its in...
General Comments:
Anyway, there's tons more wrong with this car, but I realize that I'm writing way too long a post here, so I'll just say NEVER NEVER BUY A NEON.. no matter how much of a deal you think it is or how broke you are.. this car will suck you dry and then some.
I finally decided that I'd had enough of it last week, parked the car on the street, and bought a 2000 Honda Civic.
I should have done that a LONG time ago.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 20th June, 2005
13th Jul 2006, 09:01
I don't agree, I purchased a brand new Neon with 60 KM on it I had it for 5 years and had many expensive problems. I always change the oil between 3-5K and had it serviced by the dealer while it was under warranty. I followed Chrysler guidelines for service and this car was still the biggest money pit I ever owned. I used this car to go to and from work and never abused it, I too would never buy another neon again and it turned me off Chrysler cars forever. I've owned 2 Dodge Caravans and 1 Plymouth Reliant before this. The Caravans had the Chrysler transmission problem (a pin would shear off and chew up the gears in the tranny) and the reliant was the best of bunch, but it too had it's issues. I now have a Honda Civic, the difference is like night and day.
20th Jun 2005, 23:47
All I can say is Amen, to ditching the Neon in favor of the Civic.