IllustrationEXHAUST HAS A SMALL AMOUNT OF BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM IT AND THE AIR-CONDITIONER COMPRESSER WHISTLES. I CHECKED FOR AN OIL LEAK AND FOUND IT TO BE THE HEAD GASKET. WHY SUCH A HUGE PROBLEM IS NOT CAUSING A FORCED RECALL IS BEYOND ME!*AK
1996 Plymouth Neon
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Neon years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Plymouth Neon are substantially higher than the model-year median of 151.
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: 19 of 308 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 167 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 45 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
32 crash reports11 fire reports24 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
167 reportsTHERE WAS LEAKING IN COOLANT. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED OIL FILTER / ANTI FREEZE, AND ENGINE BOLT. CAR HAS TO GO IN FOR SAME PROBLEM EVERY TWO YEARS. CONSUMER FEELS IT'S A MANUFACTURS DEFECT/ POOR DESIGN.*AK CONSUMER STATES HEAD GASKET FAILED THREE TIMES WITHIN THE FIRST 90,000 MILES, CONSUMER IS REQUESTIN…
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THERE WAS LEAKING IN COOLANT. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED OIL FILTER / ANTI FREEZE, AND ENGINE BOLT. CAR HAS TO GO IN FOR SAME PROBLEM EVERY TWO YEARS. CONSUMER FEELS IT'S A MANUFACTURS DEFECT/ POOR DESIGN.*AK CONSUMER STATES HEAD GASKET FAILED THREE TIMES WITHIN THE FIRST 90,000 MILES, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPAIRS. *JB
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE JUST STOPS RUNNING, CONSUMER STATES THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR 3 YEARS, IT STARTED RIGHT AFTER WARRANTY ENDED, VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES AND DEALERSHIP STATES THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH VEHICLE, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE WILL BARELY START AT ALL. *JB
HEAD GASKET ON THIS CAR HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES! IT'S NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND NOW I AM EXPECTED TO PAY FOR A NEW ONE-$750!! OBVOIUSLY THE HEAD GASKETS WERE FAULTY TO BEGIN WITH, SO WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY TO FIX CHRYSLER'S MISTAKE!?*AK
I HAVE HEARD TOO MANY COMPLAINT ON THESE PROBLEMS NOT ONLY FROM OTHER NEON OWNERS, BUT DEALERSHIP MECHANICS AS WELL. LAST CHRYSLER PRODUCT THAT I WILL EVER PURCHASE. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED. *AK
I HAVE HAD REPEATED INCIDENTS OF GASKET FAILURE (BOTH) WITH THIS 1996 NEON. I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR ANYWHERE AND RELY ON IT FOR WORK. AT THIS POINT I'M SICK OF HEARING OTHER NEON OWNERS COMPLAIN ABOUT THE GASKETS CRACKING AND LEAKING OIL, SMOKE COMING FROM THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE, ETC. CHYRSLER/DAIMLER IS ENDANGERING OUR LIVE…
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I HAVE HAD REPEATED INCIDENTS OF GASKET FAILURE (BOTH) WITH THIS 1996 NEON. I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR ANYWHERE AND RELY ON IT FOR WORK. AT THIS POINT I'M SICK OF HEARING OTHER NEON OWNERS COMPLAIN ABOUT THE GASKETS CRACKING AND LEAKING OIL, SMOKE COMING FROM THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE, ETC. CHYRSLER/DAIMLER IS ENDANGERING OUR LIVES. I HAD MY SPARK PLUGS CHANGED DURING A TUNE UP AND THE MECHANIC COULDN'T BELIEVE HOW SOAKED THEY WERE IN OIL. MY CAR COULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE. HE SAID THE ENTIRE UNDERCARRIAG OF MY CAR IS SOAKED IN OIL. CHRYSLER TRIED TO CHARGE ME FOR PREVIOUS REPAIRS AND SAID THEY HAD NO INHERENT PROBLEMS WITH THE CARS. BUT ONE OF THEIR EMPLOYEES, AND FORMER EMPLOYEES, HAVE TOLD ME IT'S A DESIGN DEFECT AND EVEN REPLACEMENT GASKETS WILL CRACK. IT'S A PROBLEM WITH THE POWER VS. THE MANIFOLD OF THE CAR (THIS IS WHAT I WAS TOLD). ISN'T IT FALSE ADVERTISEMENT TO SELL A CAR WITH A KNOWN DEFECT TO THE UNWITTING PUBLIC? DO WE NEED ANOTHER FIRESTONE WHERE PEOPLE DIE FROM THEIR CAR HAVING DEFECTS? I PLAN TO CONTACT THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU, MY CONGRESSMAN, THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (MAJOR AMOUNTS OF OIL AND SMOKE LEAVE THE CAR), AND MARYLAND STATE GOVERNMENT. I WANT SOMETHING TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THE CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED OR WE SHOULD BE OFFERED DEALS ON DIFFERENT MODEL CARS SO WE CAN GET RID OF THIS HAZARD. THESE REPAIRS TAKE MORE THAN ONE DAY BECAUSE THE ENGINE HAS TO COME OUT. MY MOTHER IS SICK AND LIVES IN NEW YORK, I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DRIVE A BUS TO GO VISIT HER BECAUSE I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE DUE TO OIL/SMOKE PROBLEMS. CONSUMERS OF THE NEONS HAVE BEEN DUPED AND BILKED OF THEIR MONEY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE NEON!*AK
THE HEAD GASKETS LEAK OIL IN A REMOTE CORNER OF THE GASKET. BOTTOM OF CAR IS SOAKED IN OIL CAUSING A FIRE HAZARD. HEARD THIS IS A DEFECT IN THE GASKET CHRYSLER IS USING AND HAPPENS EVERY 40,000 MILES. CHRYSLER KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM. FORD RECALLED THE SAME PROBLEM SEVERAL YEARS BACK.
WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED FOR A OIL CHANGE NOTICED A HEAD GASKET FAILURE. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER TO TAKE VEHICLE TO NEAREST DEALER. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK
NOTICED OIL LEAKAGE IN AUGUST 2000. *AK
AFTER HAVING MY ENGINE REPAIRED FOR $570.00, I SEARCHED THE INTERNET TO SEE IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND FOUND IT WAS.THIS IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS, IF THE ENGINE FAILED WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY TO WORK SHE COULD BE HURT.AFTER CALLING CHRYSLER ABOUT THE PROBLEM THEY WERE VERY RUDE AND OFFERED NO SOLUTION AT AL…
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AFTER HAVING MY ENGINE REPAIRED FOR $570.00, I SEARCHED THE INTERNET TO SEE IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND FOUND IT WAS.THIS IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS, IF THE ENGINE FAILED WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY TO WORK SHE COULD BE HURT.AFTER CALLING CHRYSLER ABOUT THE PROBLEM THEY WERE VERY RUDE AND OFFERED NO SOLUTION AT ALL, NOT EVEN A COMPROMISE, KNOWING THIS IS AN ISSUE BUT TECHNICALLY NOT YET RECALLED.I BELIEVE A RECALL SHOULD BE FORCED AS THIS IS A MAJOR DEFECT ON ALL THESE MODEL CARS. THANK YOU.*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