1998 Plymouth Neon

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1998 Plymouth Neon do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 151.

Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.

About this comparison →

167Owner complaints

Model-year median: 151

1Recall campaigns

View recall details →

1Investigations

View investigation details →

Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Inspection summary

1998 Plymouth Neon

NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 167 owner complaints · 1 recall campaigns · 1 investigations.

Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.

Top reported categories (up to 5)

Engine And Engine Cooling: 91 reports
Air Bags: 18 reports
Suspension: 14 reports
Power Train: 12 reports
Structure: 10 reports

Full reported-category list and vehicle report

Recall links

99V001000 — Structure:body

Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year

Compare all Neon years →

Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Engine And Engine Cooling

All reported categories

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

9 Vehicle Speed Control

4 Fuel System, Gasoline

4 Equipment

3 Seat Belts

3 Latches/locks/linkages

2 Seats

2 Fuel System, Diesel

1 Fuel System, Other

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: 22 of 167 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 91 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Air Bags. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Suspension. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

20 crash reports4 fire reports15 injury reports

Equipment complaints

3 reports

Clear category filter

Mileage unknown · May 21, 2001

Engine And Engine CoolingEquipment

Read full complaint

I HAVE OWNED MY CAR FOR ONLY 2 YEARS AND 7 MONTHS. I BOUGHT A NEW CAR SO I WOULD NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL THESE PROBLEMS. MY WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED BUT I FEEL THAT CHRYSLER ISN'T DEALING WITH KNOWN ISSUES THAT ARE A DIRECT RESULT OF THERE OWN DESIGN FLAWS. I WAS GIVEN THE GOODWILL WARRANTY FOR MY HEAD GASKET BUT WAS REQUIRED TO COPAY 250 DOLLARS. MY REQUEST TO HAVE MY A/C FIXED WAS DENIED EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE DOCUMENTED WARRANTIES FOR OTHER MODELS WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. MY CAR IS LESS THAN THREE YEARS OLD AND I SHOULDN'T BE HAVING THESE TYPES OF PROBLEM AND IT WOULDN'T BE BAD IF CHRYSLER WOULD JUST TAKE SOME OWNERSHIP FOR THERE KNOWN BUT "SECRET" DEFECTS. I JUST WANT MY CAR TO WORK LIKE A NORMAL 2 AND A HALF YEAR OLD CAR AND FOR CHRYSLER TO STOP PUSHING THE PROBLEMS OFF ON THE FACT THAT OUR WARRANTY HAS RUN OUT. THE JUST DON'T SEEM TO CARE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #745578

Mileage unknown · Jan 9, 2001

Engine And Engine CoolingEquipmentFuel System, Gasoline

THIS CAR IS THE WORST. I HAVE LOST MORE WAGES FROM MISSING WORK DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THIS VEHICLE. I AM GOING TO BE CONTACTING MY ATTORNEY FOR LEMON LAWS IN OUR STATE. NO ONE AT THE DEALERSHIP EVEN WANTS TO DEAL WITH ME OR MY PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR. IS IT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR REASONS WHY CERTAIN "FIXED" THINGS SEEM TO ALWAYS BE…

Read full complaint

NHTSA ODI #739041

Mileage unknown · Oct 27, 1998

Equipment

PAGE 159 OF THE 1998 OWNER'S MANUAL (MAINTENANCE SECTION) STATES TO USE D0T 2 BRAKE FLUID, INSTEAD OF DOT 3. WHICH IS SUPPOSE TO BE THE CORRECT BRAKE FLUID TO BE USED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #524508

Recall campaigns

99V001000 · 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 ↗

Defect investigations

PE02082 · 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.

An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.