Seven problems related to manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe have been reported for the 1998 Dodge Neon. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Intermittently vehicle stalled while driving. Vehicle was taken to the dealer, and they determined that the intake manifold was cracked and caused coolant to leak inside the engine. Consumer indicated three years ago they replaced the intake manifold at consumer's expense of $3,000. Currently, problem recurred, and will cost consumer about $5,000.
We have purchased a 1998 Dodge Neon for our son who is in college. The car only has 24,000 miles on it currently. The head gasket is gone and oil is leaking everywhere. The repair for this will be between $700 and $800. I have made contact to Chrysler who stated that because the 36,000/3 year warranty was up they would not do anything about. I asked them if that was the best that their engines could do (head gasket going at 24,000 miles). From what I have read and been told by a dealership, chrylser knew they had a problem in 1998 with head gaskets and rectified it during the same year but never recalled the cars there were manufactured early in the production. I have seen so many complaints with the head gasket on this particular model so I don't understand what it takes to get a recall on this part.
Consumer states his auto has been leaking oil for months. He finally took it to the dealership and was told that he had a bad head gasket. He thinks that this is a bad motor, because it only has 24,000 miles on it. Ts.
Dealer repaired vehicle under 7yr/70k warranty. Had to pay for broken manifold bolts ($100) - dealer said they were not part of warranty repair.
On the morning of 06/27/00,while driving to work. As I accelerated to 70 from 65, the donut on the exhaust manifold (flange gasket) gave out. The car began to sound like a lawnmower. I toke it to midas. They told me to check with Dodge for federal repairs for exhaust. Dodge said no, it wasn't covered, only catylitic converters and brain of elect. I didn't beleive the rep. He proved no proof. The brake system, had the rotors resurfaced and pads replaced at 36244. Is this normal? the drums had to be recerfaced also.
On 6/14/1999 I took my car to the dealer for warranty work. (35,784 miles) busted front motor mount,, rattling when changing gears, water in tail pipe when it rained and high rpm, even when idling. They told me there was nothing wrong with the motor mount, the high rpm was normal, they could find no rattle and no problem with exhaust pipe. I demanded a refusal in writing on the motor mount. They asked to keep the car another day and recheck the motor mount and it was now raining, they'd recheck the exhaust pipe noise. They said they replaced the motor mount, but I could find no evidence that they had actually replaced it. Being female, we are regarded as mechanically ignorant and mechanics will not listen to us in ms. Having our own repair shop for many years, I probably fixed more engines in my teenage years than they do in their career. I had no experience with these new fuel injected vehicles. They refused to listen and I couldn't win against a so-called specialist. After a few months, I found the rattle in reverse. It was a bolt above the drive shaft that was unscrewing itself and banging against the drive shaft. I tightened several times over the next few months and then my friend put silicon on it and it has never unscrewed itself since. The water in the tail pipe is an exhaust manifold leak at the motor and possibly a busted head gasket. The excessive heat has caused my rear main seal to start leaking and I am now getting oil in 2 of my spark plug and it has burnt a valve in my engine. It now has 108000 miles. Paid off in 2 years. This was my first car. Dealer said I couldn't get extended warraty cause my credit wasn't good enough. I paid full price, 13000 and it already had 127 miles on it. They said they lied to Chrysler about my income to get me financed and no problem I've had was fixed. I'm single mom,live in country. I'm disabled since 2/2000. The dealer took advantage of me, now my car needs 1000's in repairs caused by original complaint. I can't fix.
The muffler failed. Nlm.