IllustrationDRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY WHEN VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISSION WHILE CONSUMER'S DAUGHTER WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
1998 Dodge Neon
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Dodge Neon do not stand out strongly from 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: 45 of 339 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 199 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 34 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
43 crash reports3 fire reports32 injury reports
What owners actually said
339 reportsOIL LIGHT FLICKERED AND CONSUMER NOTICED THAT VEHICLE WAS DOWN 3 QUARTS OF OIL. TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID IT WAS A HEAD GASKET. DEALER REPLACED HEAD GASKET. IN JANUARY IT WAS STILL LEAKING IN SAME SPOT. *AK *SLC
VEHICLE EXPEREINCING A OIL LEAKAGES DUE TO A HEAD GASKET FAILURE. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS OUT OF ITS WARRANTY, AND NOT COVERED UNDER A MFR'S RECALL. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK
OIL LEAK AT 42,000 TOOK TO DEALERSHIP TOLD NOTHING WRONG IT WAS OVER FLOW. STILL LEAKING OIL CALLED AND THEY HAVE NO RECORD OF BRING CAR IN. CALLED AGAIN TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON CAR DEALERSHIP SAID THEY HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH THIS MAKE AND MODLE OF CAR. I HAVE TALKED WITH 15 OTHER NEON OWNERS AND EVERY ONE OF THEM HAVE…
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OIL LEAK AT 42,000 TOOK TO DEALERSHIP TOLD NOTHING WRONG IT WAS OVER FLOW. STILL LEAKING OIL CALLED AND THEY HAVE NO RECORD OF BRING CAR IN. CALLED AGAIN TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON CAR DEALERSHIP SAID THEY HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH THIS MAKE AND MODLE OF CAR. I HAVE TALKED WITH 15 OTHER NEON OWNERS AND EVERY ONE OF THEM HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. SOMETHINGS NEED TO BE DONE I DO NOT HAVE 600.00 TO FIX THE CAR AND FEEL THAT THE MANF. NEEDS TO FIX MY CAR AT NO COST TO ME. THIS A PROBLEM THAT MOST EVERYONE WITH THIS VEH. HAS THANK YOU
OIL LEAKING FROM HEAD GASKET. PER CARMAX SERVICE MECHANIC "GASKET DEFECTIVE". OIL DYE TEST PERFORMED TO VERIFY REPAIR. *JB ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS****743020
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
VEHICLE IS LEAKING OIL FROM HEAD GASKETS.*AK
EXCESSIVE OIL LEAKING AT HEAD GASKET, TOO LOW MILEAGE FOR THIS TO BE HAPPENING. *AK
WHEN IT RAINS WATER WILL LEAK INTO VEHICLE, INCLUDING TRUNK. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
I DO NOT KNOW WHEN THE HEAD GASKET STARTED LEAKING. I ONLY FOUND OUT ABOUT IT 2/01. IT TURNS OUT ALMOST ALL OWNERS OF 95-98 NEON'S HAVE HAD HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS AND CHRYSLER HAS A CASE BY CASE METHOD OF HELPING WHICH IS NOT FAIR. HEAD GASKEST SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR. I CONTACTED THEM THREE TIMES ABOUT THIS AND HAVE BEEN …
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I DO NOT KNOW WHEN THE HEAD GASKET STARTED LEAKING. I ONLY FOUND OUT ABOUT IT 2/01. IT TURNS OUT ALMOST ALL OWNERS OF 95-98 NEON'S HAVE HAD HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS AND CHRYSLER HAS A CASE BY CASE METHOD OF HELPING WHICH IS NOT FAIR. HEAD GASKEST SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR. I CONTACTED THEM THREE TIMES ABOUT THIS AND HAVE BEEN TURNED DOWN EACH TIME. *AK
Official recalls
199V001000 · Structure:body
Jan 7, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE REAR SUSPENSION CROSSMEMBER MAY BE MISSING SPOT WELDS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN STRUCTURAL CRACKS IN THE BODY, AND REDUCED CRASH PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF A REAR IMPACT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLES FOR ANY MISSING WELDS, AND WILL HAVE STRUCTURAL RIVETS INSTALLED IN PLACE OF THE MISSING WELDS.
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.