IllustrationHEAD GASKET LEAKS, CAUSED OIL TO LEAK INTO RADIATOR, OIL LEAK CAUSES SMOKE-SMELL TO COME OFF OF ENGINE. ITS AMAZING HOW MANY NEONS HAVE THIS PROBLEM BUT YET THERE IS NO RECALL.
1996 Dodge Neon
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Neon years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Dodge Neon are substantially higher than the model-year median of 173.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Neon years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 38 of 611 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 340 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 93 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 88 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
46 crash reports5 fire reports27 injury reports
What owners actually said
611 reportsDODGE NEON SUCK!!!!! I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE ON 1/5/97 AND HEAD GASKET FAIL ON 1/24/97. I HAVE PAID TO REPLACE THE HEAD GASKET THREE TIMES. THE DEALERSHIP HAS FAIL AND UNABLE TO SUCCEED IN FIXING THE PROBLEM TIL THIS DAY AND HEAD GASKET IS STILL LEAKING.
SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, TRIP METER, GAS AND TEMP GAUGES WILL ALL STOP WORKING. SOMETIMES THEY'LL ALL WORK, SOMETIMES THEY'LL ALL QUIT. THE SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER AND TRIPMETER WILL ALL GO OUT EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE CAR AFTER IT'S BEEN RUNNING ABOUT 20 MINUTES. THE GAS AND TEMP GAUGES WILL GO OUT OCCASIONALLY.
NO SUMMARY
NO SUMMARY
OIL LEKAGE; CONSUMER GOTTEN TWO DIFFERENT REASONS WHERE IT COULD BE COMING FROM. DEALER NOR MECHANIC CAN'T REALLY DETERMINE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. CONSUMER SAW LEAKAGE FOM UNDER LEFT FRONT TIRE.*AK
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A RATHER HIGH NUMBER CARS ON THE ROAD THAT HAVE OR HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE. THIS BLOWN HEAD GASKET ALLOWS ENGINE OIL TO LEAKOUT OF THE ENGINE DOWN THE BACK OF THE ENGINE THIS HEATED OLD COULD IGNITE AND CAUSE A "UNDER HOOD FIRE"... I CONTACTED CHRYSLER, THEBLOCK AND ON TO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. IT LOOKS LIK…
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I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A RATHER HIGH NUMBER CARS ON THE ROAD THAT HAVE OR HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE. THIS BLOWN HEAD GASKET ALLOWS ENGINE OIL TO LEAKOUT OF THE ENGINE DOWN THE BACK OF THE ENGINE THIS HEATED OLD COULD IGNITE AND CAUSE A "UNDER HOOD FIRE"... I CONTACTED CHRYSLER, THEBLOCK AND ON TO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. IT LOOKS LIKE UNDER THE RIGHT CONDITIONS Y SEEM UNCONCERNED.OLD
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45MPH A BUBBLING NOISE WAS HEARD. ENGINE HAD BLOWN HEAD GASKETS. HAD NO PRIOR WARNING OF PROBLEMS. TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. HEAD GASKETS WERE LEAKING AGAIN. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED IN OCT. 97 WITH APPROXIMATELY 19K MILES ON IT. THE HEAD GASKET FAILED WITH THE CAR JUST BARELY UNDER THE WARRANTY BY MILEAGE, BUT I HAD TO FIGHT HARD WITH THE DEALER TO HAVE THEM COVER THE REPAIR WORK. THEY EVENTUALLY REPAIRED IT AND GAVE ANOTHER 1 YEAR/12K MILE WARRANTY ON THE REPAIR. WITHIN THAT TIME F…
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I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED IN OCT. 97 WITH APPROXIMATELY 19K MILES ON IT. THE HEAD GASKET FAILED WITH THE CAR JUST BARELY UNDER THE WARRANTY BY MILEAGE, BUT I HAD TO FIGHT HARD WITH THE DEALER TO HAVE THEM COVER THE REPAIR WORK. THEY EVENTUALLY REPAIRED IT AND GAVE ANOTHER 1 YEAR/12K MILE WARRANTY ON THE REPAIR. WITHIN THAT TIME FRAME THE HEAD GASKET FAILED AGAIN. THE DEALER REPAIRED IT UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THIS TIME WOULD NOT WARRANTY THE WORK OR THE PART. THAT'S A SHAM! I'M GETTING RID OF THIS PEICE OF JUNK! *AK
Official recalls
296V075000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:master Cylinder
May 3, 1996
THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER CAN LEAK BRAKE FLUID DUE TO A DAMAGED DOUBLE LIP REAR PISTON SEAL.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE CAN RESULT IN DIMINISHED EFFECTIVENESS OF ONE HALF OF THE SPLIT BRAKE SYSTEM. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WARNING LIGHT(S) WILL SIGNAL SYSTEM IMPAIRMENT PRIOR TO PARTIAL BRAKE SYSTEM LOSS.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE REAR BRAKE MASTER CYLINDR PISTON ASSEMBLY.
96V026000 · Electrical System:wiring:front Underhood
Feb 5, 1996
AN ENGINE WIRING HARNESS CAN SHORT CIRCUIT DUE TO CONTACT WITH THE EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION TUBE..
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: SHORTING OF THE WIRING HARNESS CAN CAUSE VARIOUS ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS, INCLUDING ENGINE STALLING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REROUTE THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS PROPERLY AND ANY WIRE THAT HAS BEEN DAMAGED WILL BE REPLACED.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2PE02082 · Safety Belt Cinching Latch Plate
Opened Nov 6, 2002 · Closed Apr 23, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts
THERE ARE NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ALLEGED DEFECT.WHILE CONDUCTING THIS INVESTIGATION, ODI FOUND THAT THE SUBJECT CINCHES MEET THE LOAD BEARING REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD 208, AND THAT MANY OF THE REPORTED FAILURES WERE DUE TO INCORRECT CHILD SAFETY SEAT INSTALLATIONS. ADDITIONALLY, THE REPORT RATE IS LOW (1.60/100K).THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE FAILS TO ESTABLISH THE EXISTENCE OF A DEFECT TREND AT THIS TIME.FURTHER ALLOCATION OF AGENCY RESOURCES TO THIS ISSUE IS UNWARRANTED AND THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION IS BEING CLOSED.
PE98012 · Underhood Fires
Opened Feb 26, 1998 · Closed Jun 23, 1998
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System
There is no summary currently available