IllustrationWHILE MAKING A DEAD STOP WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE, AND AT SAME TIME CONSUMER REAR ENDED VEHICLE IN FRONT. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.*AK
1997 Dodge Neon
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Neon years
Owner complaints for the 1997 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: 35 of 390 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 222 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 44 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
44 crash reports12 fire reports24 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
41 reportsUPON IMPACT THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, UPON INSPECTION OF THE AIR BAG THERE WERE NOTICEABLE HOLES IN THE AIR BAG. NLM
WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH AND WITHOUT ANY CONTACT TO VEHICLE BOTH DRIVER'S SIDE AND FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. DEPLOYMENT CAUSED BOTH DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE WINDOWS TO SHATTER. *AK
I SEE WHERE THE AIR BAG IMPACT SENSOR IS ON THE RECALL LIST YOU HAVE PROVIDED, BUT I REPORTED IT ALSO. MY NUMBER ONE COMPLAINT IS THE WAY MY VEHICLE AND SEVERAL OTHER VEHICLES THE SAME COLOR AS MINE IS PEELING. MY VEHICLE COLOR IS LAPIS BLUE AND THE PAINT IS PEELING ALL OVER. I'VE TOOK IT TO THREE DODGE DEALERS, AND NO ONE WAN…
Read full complaint
I SEE WHERE THE AIR BAG IMPACT SENSOR IS ON THE RECALL LIST YOU HAVE PROVIDED, BUT I REPORTED IT ALSO. MY NUMBER ONE COMPLAINT IS THE WAY MY VEHICLE AND SEVERAL OTHER VEHICLES THE SAME COLOR AS MINE IS PEELING. MY VEHICLE COLOR IS LAPIS BLUE AND THE PAINT IS PEELING ALL OVER. I'VE TOOK IT TO THREE DODGE DEALERS, AND NO ONE WANTS TO TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PAINT PEELING. WHEN THE VEHICLE FIRST STARTED PEELING ABOUT A YEAR AFTER I HAD IT, I TOOK IT TO ARCHER DODGE IN HOUSTON, TX. AND I WAS SOLD SOME LAPIS BLUE TOUCH-UP PAINT BY ONE OF THE SERVICE AGENTS, AND FROM THAT POINT MY VEHICLE CONTINUED TO PEEL , AND TO THIS DATE THE PAINT PEELING IS UNBELIEVEABLE. I WAS TOLD THAT IT'S PEELING DUE TO THE MANUFACTURER'S ERROR. LIKE I SAID THERE ARE SEVERAL LAPIS BLUE DODGE NEONS THAT ARE PEELING, AND I DO HAVE AT LEAST TEN OTHER LICENSE PLATES NUMBERS TO THE OTHER LAPIS BLUE NEONS THAT ARE PEELING. HERE IT IS I'M PAYING A CAR NOTE FOR A VEHICLE THAT LOOKS HORRIBLE AND IT TAKES AWAY FROM THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS ISN'T FAIR TO THE CONSUMERS, BEING THAT THIS PAINT PEELING IS DUE TO ERROR OF THE MANUFACTURER. THE PEELING OF THE PAINT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MILEAGE NEITHER, AS SOME ARE TRYING TO CONNECT TOGETHER. I'VE SEEN OLDER MODEL VEHICLES THAT STILL HAVE THEIR ORIGINAL PAINT JOB , AND THERE'S NO PEELING AT ALL. THE PAINT PEELING WILL SPEAK FOR ITSELF. I ALSO WAS TOLD AT ONE OF THE DEALER'S I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THAT THEY COULD GET THE VEHICLE PAINTED, BUT THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY HALF THE COST, AND THERE'S NO WAY MYSELF CONSUMERS HAVE TO PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT'S NOT DIRECTLY OUR FAULTS. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION SHOULD HAVE ADDRESSED TWO YEARS AGO. CONSUMERS SHOULD HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING FOR SOMETHING THAT WE HAD NO CONTROL OVER OR R
POINT OF IMPACT WAS DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT. NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED, FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK. NEON WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS DUE TO SUSPENSION AND ENGINE DAMAGE. *AK
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 20-25 MPH AND COMING DOWN HILL ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS COMING OUT OF DRIVEWAY & DIDN'T STOP, CONSUMER REARENDED VEHICLE IN FRONT, AND AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. NO INJURIES. DEALER WILL BE CONTACTED. *AK
VIOLENT DEPLOYMENT OF PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG RESULTED IN WINDOWS EXPLODING AND CUTTING DRIVERS FACE. DRIVER ALSO SUSTAINED BURNS TO ARM FROM THE AIRBAG. CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE AIR BAGS SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED DURING A SIDE IMPACT CRASH. NLM
VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 30-35 MPH WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION IN WHICH NEITHER DRIVER'S SIDE NOR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WANT TO KNOW WHY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY
WHILE IN THE HOUSE HEARD A BIG BOOM NOISE. WENT OUT SIDE AND THE FRONT WINDOW WAS IN FLAMES. TOOK TO MECHANIC, AND AND MECHANIC SAID THAT A PREVIOUS DEALER HAD PUNCTURED THE AIR BAG AND SOME FLUID WAS LEAKING INTO CAR FOR 8 MONTH., DEALER BELIEVED THIS WAS WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. *AK
Official recalls
197V080000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE
May 16, 1997
THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT DESIGN ALLOWS THE POTENTIAL FOR AN INADVERTENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT UPON VEHICLE IGNITION SHUT DOWN.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: UNEXPECTED AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT CAN RESULT IN OCCUPANT INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AIR BAG ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED MODULE.
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
1PE02082 · 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.