1997 Dodge Neon problems
Owners have filed 553 complaints about the 1997 Dodge Neon with NHTSA. Engine and engine cooling accounts for 44.1% of them — far more than any other system, ahead of service brakes, hydraulic at 8.9%.
Complaints553
Crashes61
Fires17
Injuries40
Deaths0
What owners report breaking
Engine and engine cooling 44.1% · 244
Service brakes, hydraulic 8.9% · 49
Air bags 7.4% · 41
Electrical system 6.5% · 36
Power train 4.9% · 27
Structure 4.3% · 24
Unknown or other 3.8% · 21
Seat belts 3.1% · 17
Severity
Of those complaints, 61 describe a crash, 17 describe a fire and 40 report an injury.
Reading the numbers
Across the 11 model years of the Dodge Neon in this data, 1997 ranks 3rd by complaint volume — 1995 draws the most.
Filings have fallen off, 13 in the last three years against 16 in the three before. That is normal as a generation leaves the road.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 62,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Through the life of owning this car. I have had to replace the head gasket several times 3 times in last 2 years alone and replace the engine. The head gasket still leaks and no one can seem to fix it even the dealer. I have talked to other people that have neons and they are experiencing the same exact head gasket problem. Why hasn't there been a recall for this. This is an extremely costly repair. Engine and engine cooling · reported at 89,500 miles
The head gasket went out of my '97 Neon only 45 days after the extended warranty expired. I called the 800 # on the warranty card and they pretty much hung up the phone on me saying there was nothing they could do about it. I have done some investigating and it seems this is a very common error with this car, even the dealer told me it was a problem. It cost me $678.00 To repair a dealer design fault. Engine and engine cooling
I have had my car checked out by a mechanic and he has stated that the oil leak is coming from the cylinder head in the back of the motor. He also stated that this is a manufacturer defect & that I should take it back to a Dodge dealer to get repaired. This is not a safety related issue, but it is a costly mechanical repair issue that I feel needs to be looked into for possible recall to repair. Engine and engine cooling
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…
Other Dodge Neon years
1995 1,415 complaints · 23.7% engine and engine cooling 1996 887 complaints · 42.2% engine and engine cooling 1998 451 complaints · 48.6% engine and engine cooling 1999 152 complaints · 38.8% engine and engine cooling 2000 489 complaints · 14.9% service brakes, hydraulic 2001 199 complaints · 16.6% air bags