Anyone know the common fail points for an 04 base Neon? A?C?

[occasional demons]

If my first car had been a neon, I probably wouldn't be here today. I ditched mt 1st car a few times, but being built in 1964, it never even suffered a dent. I did once get enough grass between the bead and the rim to get a flat by the end of the day though. That Polara was a beast, and saved me a few times, but if it had flipped i would have been done, being a convertible.

Being on my dime, it really didn't change my driving habits. If anything, it empowered me, because it was mine to lose, and I wouldn't have the guilt of destroying something my parents spent money on. I bought it when I was 15, before I even had a driver's licence. Which should tell you it was no beauty, but even though it had some holes in the floorboards, it was a solid tank.

A neon would have never driven out of the situations I put that car in, on it's own power or without a tow truck. I was always able to drive away, and never had the inconvenience of getting caught. Ironically, it's when I began to drove responsibly, that things happened both my own fault and other's, that had an impact on my driving record and insurance.

(In Ohio at least, insurance companies hold it against you for other people rear ending you, when you are listed as a driver on other people's cars. You are an accident magnet, so that person has to pay extra if they list you as a driver. You could have never been at fault, and have a perfect record, but it doesn't matter if you keep getting in the path of distracted drivers.)

[04rebel]

Well, so far so good for the little Neon. Have not done anything more with it for A/C, but do check tires and fluids(son still won't do that). Son's driving habits have improved tremendously since he found out that getting out of the speeding ticket is going to cost him in the area of $300.00 that HE is going to pay for on top of the $550.00 he has paid me in parts for his ride for stuff over the last year!
Had a major expense at home this last week, as my wife finally found the 4dr car she wanted to replace our 98 Avenger es. We got her a FULLY LOADED 08 G6 gt...just shy of 3 grand all inc. Summer funds are now VERY TIGHT!

[04rebel]

My son is taking much better care of the little Neon, no "episodes" yet, and at 2500 miles I just topped the motor oil up to full with 1/3 of a quart of conv. 10-30 that's running in it this oil change. He's been putting on at least 700 miles a week on the little car!

[04rebel]

Well my son has just 2 more days of work requiring 100 mile round trips, and then it drops to 70 miles a day for commuting to local college. Which he's already been doing for the past week and then the summer job on the weekend.
The little car is doing very well now that I laid the law down on how my son had been abusing the car. It may not look pretty with the lower door and rocker rust, but I would trust the mechanicals to make an "on the spot" major trip! Even without working A/C.

[04rebel]

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!
Other than giving up on the A/C and redoing complete rear brakes, the little red Neon is still soldering on with just a current slow leak at one of the brake proportioning valves on the master cylinder. This one is located on the bottom near the mounting base flange to booster. I suspect the O ring leaking, but too cold to do out in the driveway! Braking is fine and top offs happen about once a month when the fluid level sensor turns on.
Other than the NY rust gremlins still further attacking the outer rockers and lower door panels, it's running fine at 30 mpg and minimal oil consumption having 190K miles on it now.

[occasional demons]

Happy Holidays!

[04rebel]

1/23/20 UPDATE:
We had a break from the cold and snow last week(2 days), took the battery out to access the rear bottom mounted brake line and proportioning valve. Found the valve was not fully tightened to the MC by one side of the hex shape, tightened it up and put all back together. Been a week now and NO LEAK.

Unfortunately come spring, the Neon gets sold away(scrap or otherwise), and going to be replaced with a 2011 Journey AWD.
My son has had the LAW laid down about payments and care of it. This will be the newest by year car in the family, as it can't handle the wood trailer towing chores my 04 T&C does(or I'd have it)!

[JeremyJ]

I just bought a Journey. They're pretty cool vehicles.

[04rebel]

I just bought a Journey. They're pretty cool vehicles.

You got the "face lifted year, and they are very nice. This one is first year offer for 3.6 and AWD with the 6 speed trans also.
It's got the slightly smaller screen audio without nav or camera. BUT it still looks nice and has plenty of more modern features than the poor base Neon!

[occasional demons]

If all those features would have been in neons, they wouldn't have sold at the needed price point. You would have been buying a 300M for the money.

Plus the tech back then was not as good, especially since what they put in cars isn't the best to begin with, and then the ridiculous mark up. Kind of why I never go with the upgraded stereo options if I don't have to. For the option price, you can do much better in the aftermarket.

[04rebel]

I think it was the Winnie the Pooh character Tigger that made the line...ain't it the truth, ain't it the truth!...LOL

[04rebel]

Well, looks like the poor little car will be heading off to other pastures VERY soon now. Got word today that the '11 AWD Journey only needed shift solenoids and not another trans. He is going to do some other minor repairs (due to age), and sell me the ride for $4k(dropped $500 off what "ballpark" we had discussed)

Does anyone think that there is any kind of market for a good 2004 2.0 motor/trans and a particularly good front subframe(that I've heard is known to "rust out")? Seems a shame that NY rust gremlins have the lower doors,rocker panels and rear arch "dog legs" looking so bad.

[04rebel]

UPDATE:
Looks like by the end of the month (March) we will be "retiring" the Neon. It's successor will be the 2011 Journey AWD in what they call the Mainstreet trim. Just ran the VIN to find out what trim it was, as there is no trim badging on or in the car.
GOOD news is that same coverage as the Neon for insurance will only go up $12.16/ 6 mo. !! And the Journey is from Maryland and has not been on rustbelt roads (yet)....BIG

[occasional demons]

.GOOD news is that same coverage as the Neon for insurance will only go up $12.16/ 6 mo. !! And the Journey is from Maryland and has not been on rustbelt roads (yet)....BIG

Interesting. Every newer and even older car we have/had, has much cheaper insurance than the neons. Even my '99 XJ Cherokee was cheaper than my '01 neon. And I could do more property damage with any of them than the neon could.

I have always said that is the downfall of owning a neon, they hose you on insurance.

[04rebel]

Yeah, and the Pontiac(08) G6 Sedan that replaced my 98 Avenger es Coupe was CHEAPER to insure also. And I think the G6 outperforms the Avenger in all driving characteristics(when I get to drive it ALONE)! The little Neon, even with a plain 2.0 was never a "slouch" and was just about as quick (particularly in accel. time) than the Avenger was. With all I did with the Neon to make and keep it road ready, I'm going to miss it. The only mechanical thing I gave up on was the A/C, runs and drives "like a top" but the body is looking like crap.
My 04 T&C is the insurance miser by far, and would be even less if I dropped the comp and glass coverage!

When had a G6 for a rental, I accelerated from point A to point B. After I got my '01 neon back from the body shop, it did slightly better on speed at the same point B as the G6. Granted this is with an '02 Magnum cam and 60mm TB. 5 speed neon vs ATX G6. Overall, the G6 did not impress me for being a V6 car. The neon still got better fuel mileage too.

That's probably the best thing I like about the neon: It can out accelerate/equal a fair amount of other cars/trucks with bigger engines, (as long as it gets traction) and use less fuel doing it. It got roasted by Subaru's on a regular basis, because they don't spin horribly off the line. If only they made a decent AWD set up for the neon... Mostly for pulling away from a stop. I didn't have too many issues getting down the road in inclement weather.

[04rebel]

5/2/20 UPDATE
The Neon is still with us as due to NY DMV offices are closed for the "virus", can't make the plating transaction for the Journey. My friend has also been extremely busy and the Journey finish up work is on hold.
The Neon has not sat still in the driveway this long since we first trailered it home as a first car project resurrection in July 2015! Oh we still start it and move it around the yard, but with all closed down, there's nowhere for my son to go!
What is even better is that because of the "Virus" my son, MOM and I will celebrate his 21'st BIRTHDAY on CINCO DE MAYO(this Tues.) We will be home and MOM went out and got the Liquor along with taco/mexican foods for birthday meal. I've JOKED that we will post him near the bathroom for his expected "emergencies", but will not let him imbibe TOO much!
I hope all you folks still active and reading here are doing OK thru this time, and hope they get things handled SOON and our lives back to some kind of NORMAL!

[04rebel]

WINTER finally seemed to be over on Mothers Day, so I put on a complete set of 185/70R14 summer treads mounted on K car era rims. I got them in trade for my rusted out and mostly parted out "spare" 04 T&C.
The tires were NEW condition. The little car sits a little higher(which I like) but it does not seem to ride as "sporty tight" as the 185/65R14's it had been running on. Now it does fine driving normal roads and speeds and absorbs the road craters that must be hit to "DODGE" the even bigger craters around here. My son will only be driving the little car for just a little while yet until our DMV offices open back up, so that we can swap plates and put the Journey on the road!