IllustrationVEHICLE'S BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED.*MR THE VEHICLE HAD OTHER PROBLEMS SUCH AS A BAD BATTERY, ALTERNATOR, THREE TURN SIGNAL SWITCHES, A BLOWN HEAD GASKET, STICKING THROTTLE BODY, AN OIL PAN LEAK, ALL FOUR WINDOWS HAD AN AIR LEAK WHICH WHISTLE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN AT HIGH SPEEDS. *JB
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
Vehicle Speed Control complaints
11 reportsWHEN DRIVING VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE IN REVERSE, IT WOULD ONLY ACCELERATE FORWARD. DEALER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
SPEED CONTROL SPEEDOMETER DOESN'T WORK MOST OF THE TIME. REPLACE THE SENCSOR BUT STILL DOESN'T WORK. I WILL NEVER BUY A DODGE AGAIN. I'VE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES AND ROTOR,CATALYTIC CONVERTER. NOW I'M HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE PAINT. IT'S BUBLING AND PEELING OFF IN LAYERS ALL OVER CAR.*AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT WORK CORRECTLY. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
HEAD GASKETS LEAKING HAD TO BE REPALCED AT47272 PROBLEM STARTED AT 28000 MILES STOCKTON DODGE KEPT TELLING NOTHING WAS WRONG UNTILL I WAS LOSING A QT OF OIL A WEEK AND POWER FAILURE WS GETTING WORSE AND HAS CONTINUED EVERY SENCE. ENGINE POWER FLATENS OUT I HAVE NO EXCELORATION ABILITY DURING THAT TIME ENGINE SURGES WHICH CAUSE…
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HEAD GASKETS LEAKING HAD TO BE REPALCED AT47272 PROBLEM STARTED AT 28000 MILES STOCKTON DODGE KEPT TELLING NOTHING WAS WRONG UNTILL I WAS LOSING A QT OF OIL A WEEK AND POWER FAILURE WS GETTING WORSE AND HAS CONTINUED EVERY SENCE. ENGINE POWER FLATENS OUT I HAVE NO EXCELORATION ABILITY DURING THAT TIME ENGINE SURGES WHICH CAUSES THE CAR TO LOSE SLOW DOWN WHILE AT HIGH SPEEDS. GAS MILEAGE HAS DROPED TO 1/2 THE NORMAL RATE OF 300 MILES PER TANK OF GAS. HOWELING NOISE FROM NEWLY INSTALLED TRANSMISSION AT 20-30 MPH AND AGAIN AT 55-65 MPH. *AK
AFTER PLACING VEHICLE IN PARK, REMOVING KEY FROM THE IGNITION, AND WHEN EXITING VEHICLE, GEAR SHIFT MOVED OUT OF POSITION, CAUSING UNWANTED VEHICLE MOVEMENT, RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE ROLLING FORWARD. THIS CAUSED INJURIES TO THE DRIVER . CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. *AK
THE FIRST PROBLEM I HAD WITH THIS CAR WAS THE HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT. CHRYSLER AGREED TO PAY FOR IT (THE $1000 WAS MY ESTIMATE OF WHAT IT COST TO REPLACE THE GASKET). THE SECOND PROBLEM WAS THE THROTTLE ASSEMBLY AND COIL PACK QUIT WORKING, BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. I PAID $600 OUT OF MY POCKET TO FIX THEM. THE THIRD PROBLEM WAS THE A…
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THE FIRST PROBLEM I HAD WITH THIS CAR WAS THE HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT. CHRYSLER AGREED TO PAY FOR IT (THE $1000 WAS MY ESTIMATE OF WHAT IT COST TO REPLACE THE GASKET). THE SECOND PROBLEM WAS THE THROTTLE ASSEMBLY AND COIL PACK QUIT WORKING, BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. I PAID $600 OUT OF MY POCKET TO FIX THEM. THE THIRD PROBLEM WAS THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING AND THE CAR WILL NOT GO INTO REVERSE WHEN ITS COLD. THE FOURTH MOST CURRENT PROBLEM IS THE BRAKES ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY THE PEDAL WILL NOT GO DOWN AND THE DEALER SAYS ITS PROBABLY SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE VACUUM SYSTEM. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER AND THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS FOR THE TRANSMISSION, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE ADMITTED THAT THEY HAVE PROBLEMS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS PER INFORMATION I OBTAINED FROM A WEB SITE CALLED LEMON- AID. ****** I WILL NEVER BUY A DODGE AGAIN!!! I'M SPREADING THE WORD. I COME INTO CONTACT WITH MANY PEOPLE EVERDAY. SO SORRY DODGE!!!******
TURNED ON THE CAR WITH FOOT ON BRAKE, PUT CAR IN DRIVE, REMOVED FOOT FROM BRAKE AND CAR ACCELERATED AND HIT HEAD ON A 1999 DODGE DAKOTA. PRESSED ON THE BRAKE AS CAR SPED ACROSS THE LOT AND NOTHING HAPPENED. ENGINE MADE HIGH PITCHED WHIRRING NOISE. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MY INCIDENT RESEMBLES THE ONE POSTED ON THE NHTSA WEB …
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TURNED ON THE CAR WITH FOOT ON BRAKE, PUT CAR IN DRIVE, REMOVED FOOT FROM BRAKE AND CAR ACCELERATED AND HIT HEAD ON A 1999 DODGE DAKOTA. PRESSED ON THE BRAKE AS CAR SPED ACROSS THE LOT AND NOTHING HAPPENED. ENGINE MADE HIGH PITCHED WHIRRING NOISE. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MY INCIDENT RESEMBLES THE ONE POSTED ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE ODI ID# 535732. *AK
CRUISE CONTROL NOT OPERATING PROPERLY. STAYS ON, AND WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED, DOES NOT CUT OFF. DEALER CONTACTED, AND CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK *ML
VEHICLE ACCELERATED AFTER LETTING OFF GAS; DRIVER APPLIED BRAKES LEFT FRONT SIDE LOCKED UP, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO TURN OVER.
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.