Our Community is 940,000 Strong. Join Us.


2001 Dodge Neon Leak when it rains/or car wash


BrittanyMarie1116
06-08-2011, 09:53 AM
I have been having a leak problem on the Driver's Side and Passenger's Side floors for a while now. It completely drenches my floor when it rains or when I get a car wash. We have tried a few things including taking out the door's sealant and replacing it, and getting a new sealant for the front of the car (underneath the windshield right by the wipers). Nothing has worked and my car is reaking of mold and I have no idea what to do. We are going to shampoo the carpet on Friday just to get some of the mold out, but the problem wont be fixed. HELP!

j400sbc5spd
06-09-2011, 03:08 PM
the door might be crooked or something else that leaves a gap for the water to go in. rust maybe considering from Illinois, or a previous accident that might of happened best thing to do is find exactly where the leak is coming from. i had a neon once that would leak when it rained into the trunk i changed the rubber seals to prevent but it would still do it was the trunk that was warped a lil just enough for the water to go in not sure if that helps. when your cleaning the carpet pick it up to see if there are any visible areas that water might be coming in might be the door not hinged properly too.

jtrombley24
07-27-2011, 07:20 AM
Brittany, have you found an answer to your problem yet? I was having the same problem with my Neon (2000). I found a forum that described a known problem with water leaking into the car through the TAIL LIGHTS!! The solution was to open the trunk and caulk the tail lights so that water couldn't leak in.

You will find that the problem is not only on your floor. If you remove the bottom part of the back seat (the part you actually sit on) you will see evidence of water. Also remove the spare tire and the floor to the trunk. The water had a path from the tail lights all the way up to your back seat floorboards.

I had this problem any time it rained or when snow melted or anytime I took the car through the carwash. Basically any time that water came in contact with the car. Now, I have no problem.

Hope that helps.


Edit: I just noticed that you didn't specify the back seat. So this might not be of help to you....maybe to someone else though! :)

bobgagt1.0
09-26-2012, 01:31 PM
Brittany, have you found an answer to your problem yet? I was having the same problem with my Neon (2000). I found a forum that described a known problem with water leaking into the car through the TAIL LIGHTS!! The solution was to open the trunk and caulk the tail lights so that water couldn't leak in.

You will find that the problem is not only on your floor. If you remove the bottom part of the back seat (the part you actually sit on) you will see evidence of water. Also remove the spare tire and the floor to the trunk. The water had a path from the tail lights all the way up to your back seat floorboards.

I had this problem any time it rained or when snow melted or anytime I took the car through the carwash. Basically any time that water came in contact with the car. Now, I have no problem.

Hope that helps.


Edit: I just noticed that you didn't specify the back seat. So this might not be of help to you....maybe to someone else though! :)

I know this is an old thread but just in case anyone ends up here looking for answers I thought I would put in my 2 cents since I have had both issues described here.

According to the O.P. The issue was in the front of the car. This is due to water getting into the ventilation system because A. the windshield drainage set up is clogged and water backflows into the cabin when accelerating or turning. or B. the box this water flows into initially is defective in some way (rusted out or simply missing sections from the manufacturer). In some cases the water will not go through the ventilation system but find its way inside near the outer edges of the dash. The same tips apply.
1. remove the cowl (plastic piece resting between the windshield and the hood) by undoing the 4 torx screws that hold it in place.
2 if the drain tube is clogged it can usually be unclogged with an air compressor or gently inserting a section of wire hanger until it forces the obstruction out the other end.
3. If the collector box is damaged it will need to be repaired / replaced. Be sure to examine all sides! mine was missing a side section near the antenna under the upper lip of the fender well which I repaired with a side+bottom section of a detergent bottle siliconed into place.
4. as an extra measure drilling a hole in the middle section where the floor of the box tapers down a bit will give the water another outlet safely away from the access to the interior compartment.

As for the rear leak problem The member quoted above is correct but a second option to siliconing the tail lights is to simply go to the dealership and buy replacement gaskets. Silicon means you can't remove the lights if you need to without a lot of clean up work. using a gasket meanS any work in the future is a quick and easy job. Just remember to buy new gaskets any time you do remove the tails. once you remove them the old gaskets are no good which is where the leak problem comes from in the first place.

Add your comment to this topic!