IllustrationTHERE IS A BLOWN ENGINE HEAD GASKET WHICH IS CAUSING OIL LEAKAGE WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT TOWARD THE FIRE WALL. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER HAS YET TO REPLACE PARTS. *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 reportsHAVE ALSO HAD TRANSMISSION, ELECTRICAL FAILURE, AND BRAKE FAILURE AT LOW MILEAGE, VERY UNHAPPY. *AK
THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING AND HAD TO BE REPLACE IT TOOK TWO WEEKS TO GET THE PART BECAUSE THEY SAID THAT MOST OF THE 97 NEONS HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN
WHILE MAKING A TURN, A VEHICLE HIT THE SIDE OF THE BUMPER, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO TURN AND HIT A POLE ON THE FRONT END, IN WHICH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN THIS ACCIDENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. NO ONE HAS INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AS OF YET. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
CRUISE CONTROL NOT OPERATING PROPERLY. STAYS ON, AND WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED, DOES NOT CUT OFF. DEALER CONTACTED, AND CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK *ML
BRAKE PEDAL FEELS LIKE IT BOTTEMS OUT, ESPECIALLY WHEN FIRST DRIVEN.MOVING UNDER 10MPH,CAR CONTINUES TO MOVE AND BRAKES ARE APPIED FULLY,PEDAL HAS NO MORE TRAVEL,IF BRAKE IS PUMPED, IT'S OK. ,AS IF AIR IN LINES,OR BAD BRAKE BOOSTER. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE. ALSO, REPLACED PADS AND ROTORS-DOES NOT HAPPEN 100% OF THE TIME.
TIRES FAILED AT 20,000 MILES, CAUSING DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. *YC
BRAKES SQUEAK WHEN ITS BACKING UP. YH
IN THE WORDS OF THE CHRYSLER FIRE INVESTIGATOR. "... FIRE APPEARS TO HAVE STARTED AFTER THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED A HARD IMPACT TO THE FRONT AREA OF THE VEHICLE..." THE REPORT GOES ON TO SAY THAT THE FIRE WAS NOT CAUSED BY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT IF THIS VEHICLE HAD NOT CAUGHT FIRE IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN …
Read full complaint
IN THE WORDS OF THE CHRYSLER FIRE INVESTIGATOR. "... FIRE APPEARS TO HAVE STARTED AFTER THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED A HARD IMPACT TO THE FRONT AREA OF THE VEHICLE..." THE REPORT GOES ON TO SAY THAT THE FIRE WAS NOT CAUSED BY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT IF THIS VEHICLE HAD NOT CAUGHT FIRE IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A TOTAL LOSS AND THAT IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE REASON IT CAUGHT FIRE IS A DESIGN DEFECT INVOLVING THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP. I WOULD THINK THAT A PROVISION SHOULD BE MADE TO SHUT DOWN THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP ON AN IMPACT WHICH BREAKS A FUEL LINE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY PROBLEM WHICH SHOULD BE LOOKED AT AND CORRECTED.
"O" RING IN THE FUEL RAIL CRACKED, CAUSING A FUEL LEAK WHICH MAY CAUSE A FIRE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *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.