IllustrationTHERE IS A LEAK IN THE TRUNK AREA, FLOODING THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE WITH THREE INCHES OF WATER . CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER HAS DETERMINED THE CAUSE TO BE THE NON SEALING OF THE TRUNK AND TAIL LIGHTS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
1997 Dodge Neon
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Neon years
Owner complaints for the 1997 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: 35 of 390 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 222 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 44 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
44 crash reports12 fire reports24 injury reports
What owners actually said
390 reportsWANT TO KNOW WHY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY
HEAD GASKET BLEW SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 42,000 AND 43,010 MILES. IT WAS NOTICED BECAUSE OIL WAS DRIPPING UNDERNEATH LEFT FRONT OF CAR AND OIL WAS VERY LOW. NO INDICATOR LIGHTS HAD COME ON. TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY DETERMINED THAT THE HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN. BECAUSE OF THIS THEY ALSO HAD TO DO AN ENGINE FLUSH, CLEAN THE ENGI…
Read full complaint
HEAD GASKET BLEW SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 42,000 AND 43,010 MILES. IT WAS NOTICED BECAUSE OIL WAS DRIPPING UNDERNEATH LEFT FRONT OF CAR AND OIL WAS VERY LOW. NO INDICATOR LIGHTS HAD COME ON. TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY DETERMINED THAT THE HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN. BECAUSE OF THIS THEY ALSO HAD TO DO AN ENGINE FLUSH, CLEAN THE ENGINE, REPLACE THE PCV VALVE, AND CHANGE THE OIL AND COOLANT. THIS COST ME A TOTAL OF $825.00. MY CAR IS ONLY 2 1/2 YEARS OLD! SINCE THIS OCCURED I HAVE FOUND OUT BY TALKING TO REPAIR SHOPS AND TO OTHER NEON OWNERS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT IN THE WAY IT WAS BUILT.
WHILE IN THE HOUSE HEARD A BIG BOOM NOISE. WENT OUT SIDE AND THE FRONT WINDOW WAS IN FLAMES. TOOK TO MECHANIC, AND AND MECHANIC SAID THAT A PREVIOUS DEALER HAD PUNCTURED THE AIR BAG AND SOME FLUID WAS LEAKING INTO CAR FOR 8 MONTH., DEALER BELIEVED THIS WAS WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. *AK
WEEKS AFTER ROUTINE OIL/FILTER CHANGE I NOTICED OIL POOLING UNDER VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY WHILE RUNNING. FOUND HEAD GASKET BLOWN.
HI VOLUME MOTOR OIL LEAK, SEEMS TO BE COMING FROM HI UP ON REAR SIDE OF ENGINE. MECHANIC SAYS IT'S FAULTY HEAD GASKET, $600 REPAIR JOB. CAR HAS 46K MILES, LEAK STARTED AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED. EXXON VALDEZ POLLUTER, SEEMS LIKE MFG DEFECT, SHOULD BE RECALLED, DODGE SHOULD PAY REPAIR COST
ENGINE HEAD GASKETS HAS A LEAK THAT IS CAUSING OIL TO GET ON THE ENGINE. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING NOTICED A TICKING NOISE. CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY MECHANICTHAT MAY NEED A NEW ENGINE. *AK
CONSUMER NOTICED AN OIL LEAAK. TOOK CAR TO DEALER, AND DEALER SAID THAT HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
UNDER THE DASH ELECTRICAL WIRING SHORT OUT, CAUSING A FIRE, RESULTING IN TOTAL LOSS OF VEHICLE. *AK
Official recalls
197V080000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE
May 16, 1997
THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT DESIGN ALLOWS THE POTENTIAL FOR AN INADVERTENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT UPON VEHICLE IGNITION SHUT DOWN.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: UNEXPECTED AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT CAN RESULT IN OCCUPANT INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AIR BAG ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED MODULE.
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.