Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
18010002/04/2000609988Subject regarding misdiagnosed leak detection pump systems with diagnostic trouble codes p1494, p0442 p0455, or p0456. *tt04/12/2000
09079812/11/1998603107Subject regarding oil seepage at cam position sensor / misinterpreted head gasket leak. *yc11/17/1999
09089909/17/1999090598607916Technical service bulletin regarding multi-layer steel (mls) head gasket installation procedures. *tt10/18/1999
09079909/17/1999607914Information regarding 2.5l v-6 head gasket application. *tt10/18/1999
09059811/06/1998602898A new multi-layer steel ( mls ) head gasket has been developed and is being implemented into production vehicles. *yc01/20/1999
983006/01/1998601763Subject on labor operation time change for domestic 2.ol dohc and 2.4l head gasket replacement. *yc08/24/1998
18189804/10/1998600764Excessive cold crank time, start die out or weak run-up, sags/stumble/hesitation after a cold start, idle rpm cycling. *yc06/05/1998
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
180200108/17/2001623153Exhibiting rough idle, hard start and start & stall.*cls10/26/2001
090080001/12/2001618396This bulletin involves installation of a new component to assist cam seal retention. *jb04/12/2001
09099712/19/19976088858Information on gasket surface preparation on aluminum engine components. *nlm01/10/2000
18309809/04/1998602429Conditions with sagging/ hesitation / and stumbling after a cold start. *ak11/04/1998
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM
80302/01/1999604810California emissions recall on reprogramming the powertrain control module. *tt05/14/1999
25029810/23/1998602881Subject regarding i/m ( inspection maintenance ) testing - obd ii carb readiness monitor information. *yc01/20/1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL
2500102A09/02/2002250010210006129Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illumination, diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0442, p0455, or p0456 - leak detection pump (ldp), leak detected. this bulletin supersedes 25-001-02 dated feb 11, 2002. *tt04/21/2004
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
7931/793212/01/1998604813Catalytic converter may have been welded with incorrect weld wire. *ak05/14/1999
98033103/31/1998601251Improperly welded catalytic converter assemblies. *ak07/14/1998

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
11/01/201179000
 Tl- the contact owns a 1998 plymouth breeze. the contact stated the vehicle was parked when he noticed a large amount of oil leaking from the engine. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that one of the head gaskets was blown. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. the failure and current mileages were 79,000. rvk
11/01/201179000
 Tl-the contact owns a 1998 plymouth breeze. the contact stated that the vehicle was parked when he noticed a large amount of oil was leaking from the engine. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that one of the head gaskets was blown out. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. the failure and current mileages were 79,000. sm.
10/29/20101
 1998 plymouth breeze, was exiting ohio turnpike when it caught on fire. bf (ohio traffic report # 10-0637-91)*jb updated 12/10/10 *bf
10/29/20101
 1998 plymouth breeze, was exiting ohio turnpike when it caught on fire. bf (ohio traffic report # 10-0637-91)*jb
10/07/2004776501
 The vehicle leaked oil. chrysler sent out a five page technical service bulletin on september 17,1999. regarding the head gasket (multi lawyer head gasket procedure). the consumer contacted chrysler and was told that there was nothing they would do for him. consumer stated that chrysler has helped people with this problem, but he was told no. please provide any further information. *jb... head gasket leaks one quart of oil a day-driving down the road. it does not leak when parked. enough oil leake dout it could cause an oil slick or cause the engine to seize and force the car to asudden stop. the technical bulletin received showed tha tchrysle rknew about th eproblem but contnued to put the engine in the cars. took the car to chrysler, and told consume rtheywikk not fix it becaus echrysler has fixed the particular problem for everybody else in the past. *ak
05/15/200367000203/15/2000
 There has been a continous oil leak involving my 1998 plymouth breeze upon inspection from a local auto shop they informed me that they have serviced and replaced the head gasket on some 1998 plymouth breeze for oil leaks. they have had to reservice the same cars within a six month period for the same head gasket leak. while driving at a speed of 50 mph the ac clutch broke off from under the hood, causing the vehicles ac unit to stop responding. prior to the ac clutch breaking there was a loud banging noise in which we pulled over to the side to investigate, we could not see anything evident at the time, but after taking it to get serviced we were informed that the noise and reason our ac was not working was due to the ac clutch breaking off. nothing has been done to correct these defects, but we have had service technicians investigate the problem.*ak
1
 While driving the vehicle at any speed, the intake manifold failed because coolant leaked in the engine. please provide additional information. *jb
03/15/200238000
 Around 38,000 miles we noticed that the breeze had a small oil leak. there wasn't alot of oil, so as needed we just added some oil now and then. in june 2003 my car over-heated out of the blue. we tried everything, in october i went to have a routine oil change(which was done every 3,000 miles) and was told that my head gasket is leaking and the problem needs to be fixed. the estimate i received was about 1,100$. the car is 5 1/2 years old with very low mileage! after reading all the complaints i do not understand why the chrysler corportation does not take responsibility for this defect.
10/15/200265000
 Around october or november 2002, at about 65,000 miles or 98 plymouth breeze started leaking oil, small spots or drops, then gradually more, took it in to get it checked, the mechanic looked for the origination of the oil leak and found it to be leaking from a head gasket and recommended we not drive our car only when necessary and very short trips, constantly check te oil level every day, and get reparied as soon as possible , could also be a fire hazard if oil builds up on engine from the leaking. he also metnioned he has seen alot of other breezes, neons, stratus, voyagers, with the same engine as ours and the neons, and stratus with the same problem, and told us that the manufactuer stop using the gasket that was on the 98 models and replaced it it the new multi-layer steel head gasket because they knew it was defective back n 97-98 when they begin using it on the car made at that time. i guess it saved them a couple of bucks on the cars. i think there will be a class action lawsuit from what i have read on the internet about the neons, breezes etc. i think a recall is in order. we stopped driving our car and have waited to have it repaired because it cost so much.
12/25/200395935103/25/2000
 Problems with the head gasket. oil mixing with coolant causing engine knocking and a cracked head. *ak
 Vehicle began leaking oil due to the blown head gasket. ph
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM
05/05/201160000
 I have a 1998 plymouth breeze with a 2.0 liter motor. i have only 6000 miles on this vehicle because i drive very little with it. i am 81 years old and dont do much driving any more. i recently found motor oil in my water inside my radiator. i was told by a chrysler dealership that my head gasket was blown. they told me that any motor between 1995-2005 had defective head gaskets and that chrysler corporation had corrected the problem by introducing a new revised version on the head gasket ...thicker, more durable! anyway the dealership new about it as did many persons on the internet that owned these vehicles from the years that i specified. so i called chrysler corporation and tyler asked me for the vin number to my vehicle and told me that i had 2 recalls on it but they knew nothing of a defective head gasket problem with the years i specified and would not opt to fix it for me or anyone else for that fact. so i am reporting chrysler corporation for their lack of honesty and customer support since we baled them out of a bad finacial situation and now look at them. all i can say is that the bail out was not worth it. we should have let them go under!
05/15/200367000203/15/2000
 There has been a continous oil leak involving my 1998 plymouth breeze upon inspection from a local auto shop they informed me that they have serviced and replaced the head gasket on some 1998 plymouth breeze for oil leaks. they have had to reservice the same cars within a six month period for the same head gasket leak. while driving at a speed of 50 mph the ac clutch broke off from under the hood, causing the vehicles ac unit to stop responding. prior to the ac clutch breaking there was a loud banging noise in which we pulled over to the side to investigate, we could not see anything evident at the time, but after taking it to get serviced we were informed that the noise and reason our ac was not working was due to the ac clutch breaking off. nothing has been done to correct these defects, but we have had service technicians investigate the problem.*ak
03/11/200205/01/1999
 Head gasket and water pump failed. nlm
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
12/12/20081160001
 Tl*the contact owns a 1998 plymouth breeze. while driving approximately 35 mph on normal road conditions, the contact heard a loud noise coming from the outside of the vehicle. the contact pulled over to inspect the vehicle and noticed smoke coming from the front end, followed by flames underneath the hood. he extinguished the fire and the fire department arrived afterwards. prior to the failure, the contact heard a clicking noise coming from the engine. he sustained minor hand injuries. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and they stated that the engine was the cause of the failure. the vehicle has not been repaired. the vin was unknown. the failure and current mileages were 116,000.
12/01/200663000111/09/2004
 About a week ago my car started leaking oil, i brought it into the mechanics and was told it was the head gasket, it should not be leaking oil, there must be a defect, there should be a recall because it looks like there is a lot more people with this problem, i want something done about this fast, because shouldn't have to pay a $1000 to get it fixed when it is daimler chrysler fault. *nm
11/14/200689000112/10/2001
 I recently took my breeze in for an oil change and my mechanic told me i had an oil leak and that it was coming from the head gasket. at the same time he told me about a recall for the gear shift lever. i asked him to wait on the head gasket repair so i could talk to the dealer while i was having the gear shift lever repaired. when i brought up the leaking head gasket at the dealership, the mechanic gave a heavy sigh and shook his head. when i asked what that was for, he said that there was nothing he could do because it wasn't a recall problem. after doing some research on the internet i've found this to be quite a common problem due to a design flaw / manufacturing defect and i find it asinine that daimler-chrysler will neither take responsibility for nor admit any problem. *nm
07/15/2005310/30/2001
 Loss of power and car stalled, unable to run ac or car stalls. had the car tuned up, mechanic found engine oil in the spark plug well. causing misfire and loss of power. replaced o-ring 6/2005. in 6/2006 same problem occurred. loss of power, unable to run ac. was going to replace timing belt, mechanic found thick gunky oil resembling lard. removed the gunk and weeks later the spark plug well has oil leaking into again with weeks. car ran well for a couple of weeks, back to the loss of power. car is not able to run with ac engaged or it will stall. *jb
03/24/200619000109/01/1997
 Dt*: the contact stated an excessive amount of oil was noticed on the garage floor. the vehicle was taken to the service dealer, who determined the upper head gasket needed to be replaced. an independent mechanic was also consulted and informed the contact there had been several chrysler vehicles, with same problem, in the shop for repair. the vehicle had been maintained on a regular basis. updated 4/11/2006 - the consumer contacted the manufacturer but they refused to provide any assistance. *nm
01/05/2004800001
 The vehicle leaked oil through the head gasket. the manufacturer stated there was no recall and offered no assistance. *jb
06/09/200481001
 About a month ago we bought a used plymouth breeze. we noticed a small oil leak and had it checked. the mechanic told us it was the head gasket. *ak we did some research online and found out that chrysler was aware that there was a problem with the head gasket in this model before the cars even came off the assembly line! instead of fixing the problem, they produced and sold the cars that way, and later redesigned the head gasket and paid for some customers to have them replaced. we took our car to a local dealership, and they confirmed that it was a common problem. they told us that chrysler had been paying to have the head gasket replaced. we were given a phone number to contact chrysler about our car. we called the number, and after being given several other numbers and sent in circles finally reached chrysler's customer assistance center. not only were we were told that they weren't aware of any such problem and couldn't help us, but the person we spoke with was extremely rude. my husband asked to speak to a supervisor, and was told that supervisors don't come to the phone. when he asked how to file a complaint, he was told that there was no method to file a complaint. he didn't believe it, so he hung up and called back. he spoke to a different person who told him the same thing. chrysler doesn't even have a method for customers to file complaints! we searched online for other numbers to call chrysler, but they all go to the same customer assistance center.
05/19/200475000105/17/2004
 Head gasket on my 1998 plymouth breeze. nearly every consumer report i have read has shown that this is a consistent problem with anyone who has onwed this this car yet there is no recall. why? *ak
01/15/2004450001
 Without warning vehicle stalled, causing the driver to pull off the road. consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer. mechanic informed the consumer that the engine head gasket malfunctioned, causing the engine to fail. *ak
01/07/200486958109/01/1999
 At 87xxx miles the car started leaking oil. it was found to be a leaking head gasket. after speaking to dealership it was found they were aware of the gasket being a problem on this and similar vehicles. when the manufacturer was comtacted directly my wife was informed that they were aware of the situation, they would do nothing to repair the vehicle and then hung up on her when she asked to speak to the customer service rep's supervisor.*ak
04/05/199844000401/21/1998
 Oil gasket leak. i drive approx. 100 miles a day and my car has 174,000 miles and i am gett ready to replace my 4th head gasket and 3rd. manifold gasket. every mechanic i have been to said it's a problem with this car. chrysler knows it a problem (they designed a new head gasket) but will not recall the thousands of us out there that have spent hundreds of dollars. i'm not replacing the head gasket this time, i'm replacing my car.*ak
07/06/200336000607/06/2000
 Rough idle with higher temp/ac load 2 shops could not fix has stalled out several times led to o2 sensor failure due to high carbon
07/11/2002108/18/1998
 Head gasket was leaking. had it repaired and 2 months later it started to leak again. told by repair shop this wa a common problem on this model.*ak
02/15/20031
 Head gasket is cracked. dealer notified.*ak
06/03/20031
 Vehicle is leaking oil. technician diagnosed that head gasket cracked. dealer notified. *ak
03/18/200362980
 The faulty head gasket caused the engine to leak oil continuously. *nlm
1
 The head gasket needed to be replaced. *jb
02/10/200390000209/01/1999
 I own a 1998 plymouth breeze. my head gasket is bad, and everyone: the local dealer repair shop and independent mechanics all say that it was a bad design in the gasket metal type. they have seen many of these come through their shops, and none are caused by owner neglect. if it is a deign error, why do i have to pay $600 to get it fixed? should design design problems be covered under a recall? *nlm
01/02/20011
 Consumer states while driving vehicle,it will just start hesitating to accelerate, had vehicle towed, dealership replaced transmission, problem reaccured, ow they are replacing the head gasket. nlm
05/05/2002111/01/2099
 Head gasket was replaced once at 70,000 now needs again at 95,000 also front stabilizer bar is loose. *ak
07/12/2002103/01/2001
 Been driving for 53 years and this is the first head gasket i ever had that failed. all service people i talk to recognize this as a prevalent breese/neon problem.nhtsa searches show 1996 1988 dodge neon failures, 39 plymouth neon failures & 20 plymouth breeze failures. i can't believe the mfg. hasn't taken any action. have they? cost = $800!!!!!.*ak
07/22/2002106/01/1998
 2.0l engine was leaking oil, and lost power while driving. vehicle taken to dealer who repaired a blown head gasket. *ak *nlm
207/01/2098
 Head gasket leaking and replaced. 1 year later haed gasket is leaking again. told by mechanic this is a problem on this model.*ak
 Head gasket leak. contacted dealer, who infromed consumer that this was a common problem.*ak
05/03/2002
 When driving head gasket blewout, causing oil to leak.*ak
 Vehicle has been repaired repeatedly due to excessive overheating from leaky head gasket. vehicle has stalled numerous times, and smoke from oil was hitting manifold. please describe details. *ak
03/11/200205/01/1999
 Head gasket and water pump failed. nlm
08/01/20010
 While driving about 60 mph engine started losing power. engine had a leakage. took vehicle to dealer, and they said that vehicle had a blown head gasket. please provide more information.*ak
10/15/2001110/02/1998
 Head gasket failure at low mileage, manufacturer notified and was unwilling to assist. *ak consumer stated that the defective head gasket was leaking oil, the camshaft sensor, and o-ring, were also leaking.*yd
06/19/2001106/01/2001
 Head gasket defect. seems to be a common problem to all models talking to the dealerships and independent repair shops.*ak
03/01/2001108/01/2000
 My head gasket is cracked and leaking oil. according to the plymouth message board on the internet and many others, this is a very common problem. this needs to be addressed and remedied. too many people are experiencing the same problem for this to be accidental. there needs to be a recall. thank you. *ak
09/14/20001
 The head gasket failed causing oil leakage for a period of time, vehicle was in for dealership service for an oil change prior and the dealership did not notice the leakage. *mjs
02/01/1999
 Blew one head gasket, leaking oil due to blown gasket. oil has leaked into spark plugs.*ak
12/15/2000106/01/1999
 Mechanics have told me of numerous head gasket oil leaks. i know of 3 other people all with 1998 plymouth breeze, all have the same head gasket oil leak. chrysler & dealer willing to fix it at a reduced rate. *ak
07/24/2000110/15/1997
 Transmission module was replaced, headgasket was leaking oil, and was replaced as well. *ak head gasket was leaking due to cylinder head failure. *yh
12/01/2000101/01/1999
 Head gasket blewout, causing oil leakage. dealer and manufacturer have been notified. *ak the consumer did research on internet and discovered quite a large number of complaints regarding head gasket leaking of this make of vehicle. *yh
01/01/2001104/01/1998
 Head gasket is leaking approx. 1 qt. of oil every 1500 miles. service department at the local chrysler dealer said failure was due to incompatable metals. an independent mechanic told me the problem was a design flaw, the design flaw was in the way the gasket was manufactured using multiple layers. after time the layers will seperate and allow leakage. the total cost of repair is $451.00, cost of parts is $136.00 for two gaskets (head and valve cover) and oil change, the remainder being labor. i feel this failure is from a design flaw and not from normally wear and the manufacture should be responcible for the repair, since it was an engineering failure.*ak
01/23/2001107/31/1998
 Excessive loss of engine oil. vehicle taken to a independent repair shop and informed of an engine head gasket failure. dealer/manufacturer were not notified at this time. *ak
03/03/200003/01/1998
 Engine coolant leakages; vehicle taken to independent repair shop and informed consumer that it was caused by a faulty oil sending unit. the leaking oil caused the engine to overheat, which caused the head gasket to warp and the block to crack. *ml
10/01/1999101/01/1999
 Engine head gasket oil leak (1 qt./1000 miles). *ak
09/30/1999
 Engine head gasket belw out prematurally, causing oil to leak into the oil pan. dealer replaced one head gasket, and the very next day the other one blew out. manufacturer has been contacted. *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
12/20/200555000103/14/1999
 Severe oil leak in my mom's 1998 plymouth breeze with less than 60,000 miles on it is causing me concern. this oil leak is caused by a bad head gasket. the oil is leaking all over the bottom of the car. i am concerned that the oil will get on the catalytic converter and cause a fire. i understand from conversations with several different mechanics and people in the automobile industry that this is a common problem with chrysler engines. i have already contacted chrysler about this problem and they have informed me that it's not their fault and there is nothing they can do about it. other reputable car manufactures fix problems like this. why isn't chrysler being required to fix this problem before someone gets hurt??? *nm
04/27/2004709891
 Oil change. bolt and or oil pan striped out. replace oil pan. old parts are not available. two deffernt kinds of metal. bolt and oil pan. aliuminim and steel. car dealer states they have to replace it after so many oil changes that it wears out and the two metals are not write with each other. this will have to be done on all cars with this kind of problem. i think that these two metal do not act write togather and that all consumers will to replace it sooner or later. i think these parts sould be all steel. if you got all these oil changes to do you need parts that are sronge and can hold up to the task at hand.*ak
05/11/200444591204/25/1998
 Headgasket and cam seal failure on my 1998 plymouth breeze which caused oil leak and led to my having to replace both to stop oil leak. car had 44591 miles on it at the time. replaced both headgasket and cam seal. *ak
12/06/2002101/01/2098
 My 1998 plymouth breeze was found to have a leaking head gasket. this seems to be a problem with other similar car engines, but i did not know this until the repairs were begun. i contacted chrysler several times only to be told that they could not help me. i attempted to follow their recommendations, only to be told that i had been misinformed by their employees. needless to say, this situation is extremely frustrating. if more details are needed, please contact me. dt
09/01/2099
 Oil leaking from head gasket, was discovered during inspection of shifter cable which wasnt installed properly after replacement due to a recall. the extended warranty had ran out the day before it was noticed, although it had apparently been leaking for awhile. cruise control quit working, when you depress the button to turn it on, the light comes on but the speed cannot be set and after a few tries the light will go out and you cannot get it to come back on. a/c vents, there is a strange smell that smells like mildew or mold that comes from the vents when you turn on the air conditioner or heat, this has been adressed with a dealership and was taken care of but returned a few days later. mr
 Vehicle has been repaired repeatedly due to excessive overheating from leaky head gasket. vehicle has stalled numerous times, and smoke from oil was hitting manifold. please describe details. *ak
2
 None
12/19/200107/01/1998
 Head gasket leaks approximately 1 qt. for every 1,000 miles. *ak
01/01/2001
 Began finding oil on the drive way. took car to a firestone service center on 3-24-01 for a scheduled oil change and also asked to check on any possible oil leaks. service center has determined that oil is leaking from the head gasket. the service center believes there may be a recall on this problem. i can not locate any recall notices but i find it very unsual to have oil leaking from the engine on a car with less that 22,000 miles. *ak
09/28/200011/01/1999
 No safety defect listed for above vehicle. *ak
10/01/1999107/01/1999
 Noticed oil leak,contacted dealer service mgr..i was told there were no tsb's on vehicle.later found out there were several tsb's on oil leaks for vehicle.
06/06/200003/01/1998
 Failure results in oil leak. also occurred on my wife's 97 breeze. *ak
 While driving while it's raining, vehicle loses power and slows down. dealer can't duplicate the problem. *ak
12/27/199808/01/1998
 Heard a sound and all of a sudden the car started out of control in an s shape motion..witness behind me states that some fell our from under my car prior to my going out of control and striking the curb. i am getting no cooperation out of the dealer and they are stalling on fixing my car. they have had it for 2 weeks now. possibly the tire rod or something caused it to veer out of control.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM
08/18/2003149995104/06/1999
 Faulty head gasket and cracked exhaust manifold. *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
08/05/200468000104/29/1999
 I learned recently thatengine head gasket has a massive leak and oil is leaking into all components. i am very frustrated and will not buy a chrysler car again! i have received no help as far as getting in touch with a supervisor at chrysler and they have offered no solution. the worst point on all of this is that they know about the problem and couldn't care less. well, millions of people will read this and hopefully will think twice before purchasing a chrysler! *ak
08/18/2003149995104/06/1999
 Faulty head gasket and cracked exhaust manifold. *ak
 When driving vehicle there was a loud noise coming from the engine. also, there was an oil leak due to a cracked engine manifold. dealer has seen vehicle, and replaced the manifold. problem has reoccurred. *ak