IllustrationTHE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN RECALL #96V026000, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.*JB
1996 Dodge Neon
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Neon years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Dodge Neon are substantially higher than 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: 38 of 611 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 340 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 93 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 88 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
46 crash reports5 fire reports27 injury reports
What owners actually said
611 reportsI HAD THE CAR FOR JUST OVER A YEAR AND I HAVE HAD THE BRAKES REPLACED TWICE AND THE ROTORS REPLACED ONCE. ALL OF THIS HAPPENED WITHIN ABOUT 9 MONTHS. I HAVE HAD THE 2 ND PAIR OF BRAKES NOW FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS AND THEY ALREADY NEED CHANGED. *NLM
PEELING PAINT FROM DODGE 1996 NEON. LARGE FLAKES FALL OFF WHILE DRIVING, OR SIMPLY PARKED. *JB
MY 1996 DODGE NEON HAD TWO HEAD GASKET FAILURES TO DATE NOW. THE FIRST WAS REPAIRED 29,000 MILES AGO, AND NOW, AT 89,000 MILES, I HAD ANOTHER HEAD GASKET FAIL ON ME. THE CAR IS ALSO PEELING PAINT EXCESSIVELY. INSTEAD OF UNDER TEN YEARS OLD, THE CAR LOOKS OVER TWENTY YEARS OLD! *JB
IN AUGUST OF 1999, DUE TO A HEALTH PROBLEM (UNKNOWN TO ME), I FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL OF MY 1996 NEON. I AWOKE IN TIME TO FORCE THE CAR OVER TO A GRASSY MEDIAN BETWEEN TWO PARTS OF A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY. THE CAR FLEW TWENTY OR SO FEET IN THE AIR, MAKING IMPACT WITH THE GRASS, AND CONTINUING WITHOUT POWER STEERING, ETC., FOR APP…
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IN AUGUST OF 1999, DUE TO A HEALTH PROBLEM (UNKNOWN TO ME), I FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL OF MY 1996 NEON. I AWOKE IN TIME TO FORCE THE CAR OVER TO A GRASSY MEDIAN BETWEEN TWO PARTS OF A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY. THE CAR FLEW TWENTY OR SO FEET IN THE AIR, MAKING IMPACT WITH THE GRASS, AND CONTINUING WITHOUT POWER STEERING, ETC., FOR APPROXIMATELY. 300 FEET. WHILE IN THE AIR, MY LEFT ARM BROKE THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW. WHEN THE CAR LANDED DEAD ON TO THE GRASS, THE AIR BAGS BURST, BUT "WILTED" DOWN, THEY DID NOT COME STRAIGHT OUT AT ME AS NORMAL, BUT DOWN, AFTER EXPLODING. MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS NOT NORMAL FOR A CAR IN THIS KIND OF ACCIDENT, AND THAT THE CAR MAY HAVE BEEN IN A PRIOR ACCIDENT, OR THE AIR BAGS MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED. I RECEIVED CHEMICAL BURNS ON THE INNER PARTS OF THE ARMS, AND DEVELOPED A LUNG PROBLEM DUE TO THE INHALED CHEMICALS. SINCE THE AIRBAGS EXPLODED IMPROPERLY, MY TWO YOUNG DAUGHTERS WERE FRIGHTENED EVEN MORE, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT SOUNDED LIKE A GUN HAD BEEN SHOT. MY CONCERN IS THAT OTHER AIR BAGS MAY REACT IN THE SAME WAY, EVEN IF THERE IS NO FRONT IMPACT. I HAD NOTIFIED MY MECHANICS IN THE EBENSBURG AND CRESSON, PA AREAS, WHERE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED, AS WELL AS THE AMBULANCE DRIVERS, AND ANY OTHERS I COULD ABOUT THIS SITUATION. I ALSO NOTIFIED THE HOSTS OF CAR TALK. I HAVE NOT HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING ELSEWHERE, BUT I DID NOTICE THAT AIR BAGS WERE NOT MENTIONED ON YOUR WEBSITE, AND FELT THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO NOTIFY THE PUBLIC OF THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM.*JB
THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A GASOLINE LEAK.*JB
OIL LEAKED FROM FAILED HEAD GASKET OR CRACKED HEAD, EXHAUST LEAK FROM HEAD OR MANIFOLD. SPEEDOMETER DIAL STOP WORKING. THE CAR ONLY HAS 30000 MILES ON IT. MY REPAIR MAN WANTS $500.00 JUST TO TEAR DOWN THE ENGINE TO SEE IF IT IS THE GASKET OR A CRACKED HEAD, AND THATS JUST THE LABOR AND NOT INCLUDING PARTS. THIS IS A SAFTY PROBLE…
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OIL LEAKED FROM FAILED HEAD GASKET OR CRACKED HEAD, EXHAUST LEAK FROM HEAD OR MANIFOLD. SPEEDOMETER DIAL STOP WORKING. THE CAR ONLY HAS 30000 MILES ON IT. MY REPAIR MAN WANTS $500.00 JUST TO TEAR DOWN THE ENGINE TO SEE IF IT IS THE GASKET OR A CRACKED HEAD, AND THATS JUST THE LABOR AND NOT INCLUDING PARTS. THIS IS A SAFTY PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE CAUSE FOR A RECALL. HOW MANY COMPLAINTS OR LIVES WILL IT TAKE BEFORE NHTSA TAKES ACTION AGANIST THIS CAR MANUFACTURING COMPANY? *JB
OIL SENDING UNIT ON 1996 DODGE NEON - FLAWED PART CAUSING SEVERE OIL LEAK, BLOWING HEAD GASKET
WHILE DRIVING THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON, THEN THE HORN AND THE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE CLOCK SPRING. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. TS
I HAVE A 1996 DODGE NEON. THIS CAR IS A COMPLETE LEMON,MY ENGINE SEALENT HAS BEEN LEAKING FOR OVER 2 YEARS,IM AM NOT THE ONLY OWNER THAT HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE SEALENT.
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