IllustrationWHILE DRIVING ABOUT 40 TO 45 MPH, CONSUMER HIT A GRAVEL CAUSING VEHICLE TO SLID AND HIT A GUARDRAIL. UPON IMPACT, THE AIRBAG'S EXPERIENCED NO DEPLOYMENT, BUT NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. *YC
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.
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: 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
What owners actually said
167 reportsSEVERE VIBRATION & SHAKING WHENEVER VEHICLE REACHES 50 MPH OR MORE. VEHICLE BEEN IN/OUT OF DEALER SHOP ON SIX OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. SEEKING HELP AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM NHTSA. *AK
DRIVER'S DOOR WINDOW WOULD NOT ALLOW DOOR TO CLOSE WHEN UP. SQUEALING NOISES COMING FROM FRONT OF VEHICLE. ELECTRIC LIGHT IN TRUNK FAILS TO WORK. DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR IS ALSO UNEVEN. THE HOOD, LIGHTS & BUMPERS HAVE GAPS (LARGE GAPS ON ONE SIDE, SMALL GAPS ON OTHER SIDE). VEHICLE RUSTING UNDER HOOD. TOOK TO BODY SHOP & INFORMED VE…
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DRIVER'S DOOR WINDOW WOULD NOT ALLOW DOOR TO CLOSE WHEN UP. SQUEALING NOISES COMING FROM FRONT OF VEHICLE. ELECTRIC LIGHT IN TRUNK FAILS TO WORK. DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR IS ALSO UNEVEN. THE HOOD, LIGHTS & BUMPERS HAVE GAPS (LARGE GAPS ON ONE SIDE, SMALL GAPS ON OTHER SIDE). VEHICLE RUSTING UNDER HOOD. TOOK TO BODY SHOP & INFORMED VEHICLE WAS IN ACCIDENT PRIOR TO BEING SOLD BY DEALER. *AK
VEHICLE MAKES A POPPING NOISE GOING AROUND CORNERS. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ALLOWS DRIVER TO SHIFT WITHOUT APPLYING BRAKES (NO/DEFECTIVE INTERLOCK). PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN ONGOING SINCE ORIGINAL PURCHASE. 1 PREVIOUS REPAIR ATTEMPT DID NOT RESOLVE POPPING NOISE, DEALER DID NOT ADDRESS THE SHIFT INTERLOCK PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH THE OCCUPANT FELL ASLEEP, THE VEHICLE WENT ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE STREET AND HAD A ROLL OVER WHICH IT ROLL OVER IN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAG SHOULD OF DEPLOY BUT IT DID NOT DEPLOY AND DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.
WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH VEHICLE WAS HIT IN FRONT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE, CAUSING CONSUMER'S VEHICLE TO SPIN AROUND. CONSUMER WAS HIT IN THE REAR TOO. AFTER BEING HIT IN THE REAR, VEHICLE SPINNED AROUND AGAIN, AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE HEAD-ON THEN THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BA…
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WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH VEHICLE WAS HIT IN FRONT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE, CAUSING CONSUMER'S VEHICLE TO SPIN AROUND. CONSUMER WAS HIT IN THE REAR TOO. AFTER BEING HIT IN THE REAR, VEHICLE SPINNED AROUND AGAIN, AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE HEAD-ON THEN THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. *AK
THE SUNROOF HAS NOT FUNCTIONED FOR SIX TIMES AFTER 2 DEALERS WORKED ON IT. THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM WAS VERY RUDE THE LAST TIME I TOOK IT BACK, AND THE SERVICE MANGER SAID THAT HE DIDN'T CARE, AND THAT I SHOULD TAKE THE CAR TO THE SECOND DEALER THAT WORKED ON IT. *AK
HEAD GASKET FAILED RESULTING IN LEAKAGE. NLM
MY AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY WITH A 45 MPH FRONT CRASH. *AK
HEAD GASKET FAILED RESULTING IN LEAKAGE. MJS
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.