2000 Plymouth Neon

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 200 PLYMOUTH NEON. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOWERED TO THE GROUND AND BOTH FRONT TIRES BLEW OUT. THE CONTACTED CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WHO DETERMINED THAT THE JACK WENT THROUGH THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 PLYMOUTH NEON. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A POPPING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SHIFTED TO THE LEFT AND BECAME DETACHED. THE DEALER (AUTONATION CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM MOBILE, 3118 GOVERNMENT BLVD, MOBILE, AL 36606, (251)-202-2253) WAS CONTACTED TO CONFIRM RECALL INFORMATION AND TO SCHEDULE A DIAGNOSTIC APPOINTMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND CONFIRMED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO CALL NHTSA TO FILE A COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

I STARTED MY CAR GETTING READY TO LEAVE MY HOUSE AT NIGHT, TURNED ON THE HEADLIGHTS AFTER STARTING. THEN I SMELLED A PLASTIC BURNING SMELL AND SHORTLY SMOKE BEGAN TO COME OUT OF THE AREA AROUND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND STEERING WHEEL. I TURNED OFF THE LIGHTS AND THE CAR BUT SMOKE STILL CAME OUT. I POPPED THE HOOD AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY, THEN THE SMOKE EVENTUALLY STOPPED. LATER I FOUND THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH CONNECTOR MELTED AND BURNED UP, THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS FIRE IF I HAD NOT CAUGHT IT IN TIME.

FILLED GAS TANK TO FULL, AS EXITING THE GAS STATION HIT SMALL BUMP CAR DEAD STOPPED. WAS STOPPED IMMEDIATELY BY THE GAS TANK SLAMMING TO THE GROUND LIFTING THE CAR. THE CARS ENGINE IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN. GOT OUT AND LOOKED AT THE CAR. GAS WAS LEAKING ON GROUND (SMALL AMOUNT) FROM THE RETURN LINE. GAS TANK FILL TUBE RIPPED OUT OF CAR TANK WEDGED IN BETWEEN CAR AND GROUND STOPPING VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY. HAD I BEEN GOING AT A FASTER RATE OF SPEED I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. THE 4 CORNER STRAPS ARE NO WAY TO HOLD A GAS TANK IN PLACE. I SUBMIT THAT IMPROPER MATERIALS AND DESIGN CAUSED THE INCIDENT. YOU MAY WANT TO LOOK INTO THIS BEFORE LOSS OF LIFE OCCURS. MOUNTING STRAPS SHOULD BE NON CORROSIVE OR MADE OF SUPERIOR MATERIAL AND NOT THIN METAL. I ALSO SUBMIT THAT I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF AN INCIDENT LIKE THIS BEFORE, NOT ON A 15 YEAR OLD VEHICLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 PLYMOUTH NEON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELTS ON BOTH THE REAR PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S SIDES WOULD NOT LOCK INTO PLACE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THE SEAT BELTS WOULD NOT RETRACT. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 92,000.

APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY CAME TO A JARRING STOP AFTER THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL HIT A SMALL RECESSED GAS COMPANY ACCESS COVER, PERHAPS 2" DEEP AND 6" IN DIAMETER. THE FRAME MEMBER BETWEEN THE TWO FRONT WHEELS CRACKED RIGHT THROUGH IN A SHOWER OF RUST. FORTUNATELY THIS DID NOT HAPPEN AT HIGHER SPEEDS OR MAJOR INJURIES COULD HAVE OCCURRED. 12 YEARS SEEMS TOO SOON FOR THIS KIND OF UNDERCARRIAGE WEAR TO HAVE OCCURRED. CAR IS SCRAP NOW BUT HAD BEEN RUNNING WELL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 PLYMOUTH NEON WITH MERIT MYSTIC TOURING TR TIRES, THE SIZE WAS 195/65/R14 AND THE DOT# U9ABHU42802D13L. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. AFTER SLOWING DOWN, SHE NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE BELT HAD SEPARATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO ADVISED HER NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE BECAUSE ANOTHER TIRE WAS SHOWING PREMATURE BELT SEPARATION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND OFFERED HER AN OPTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 4,000.