IllustrationMOTOR/TRANSMISSION MOUNT REPLACEMENT,4-5 TIMES,WILL NOT HOLD. EGRVALVE REPLACEMENT ,ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS SAYING IT NEED TO BE REPLACED EVEN AFTER IT HAS BEEN REPLACED AND LIGHT CLEARED. 4-5 TIMES .BOTH ARE NOW ON GOING. *TR
1998 Dodge Neon
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Dodge Neon do not stand out strongly from 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: 45 of 339 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 199 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 34 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
43 crash reports3 fire reports32 injury reports
Power Train complaints
20 reportsI PURCHASED A 1998 NEON ESPRESSO IN JUNE OF 2004. ON ABOUT JULY 2004 MY CAR DIED. I HAD IT TOWED AND HAD OVER $1,800 OF ENGINE WORK DONE. AFTER WORK WAS DONE THEY STATED MY REAR SEAL WAS LEAKING AND WANTED OVER $600 TO REPAIR THIS.
THE HEAD GASKET FAILED WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL, THE DEALER REPLACED THE HEAD GASKET, HOWEVER AFTER 2103 MILES THE HEAD GASKET FAILED AGAIN. PH. THE TRANSMISSION PAN WAS LEAKING FLUID AND THE WIPER BLADES WAS REPLACED.*JB
GEARS WERE NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY, VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER, AFTER INSPECTION OF VEHICLE, DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT SECOND GEAR WAS GRINDING. *SLC
WHEN VEHICLE IS SHIFTED INTO REVERSE THERE IS A DELAY BEFORE IT WILL ACTUALLY GO INTO REVERSE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
TRANSMISSION FAILED IMMEDIATELY AFTER ENGINE REPAIRED BY FARRIS CHRYSLER PLYMOUTH IN JEFFERSON CITY TN. *AK
HEAD GASKET AND OIL PAN GASKET FAILURES. VEHICLE TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR REPAIRS. CURRENTLY, A TRANSMISSION REAR GASKET FAILURE OCCURRED, CAUSING FLUID LEAKAGE. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. *AK THE DEALER WAS UNWILLING TO DO REPAIR BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN AT INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP EARLIER. *YH
SPRAG GEAR BROKE, VEHICLE WAS MAINTAINED ACCORDING OWNERS MANUAL. A GOOD TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT FAIL AT 56000. THIS CAR WAS NOT DRIVEN HARD. AND THERE IS NO REASON FOR TRANNY TO FAIL.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WAS REALLY HOT, IT WOULD SOUND LIKE SOMEONE BLOW A BULL HORN. MECHANIC SAID THE LEFT AND RIGHT BEARINGS MALFUNCTIONED. CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE LOST POWER WHILE IN TRAFFIC AND VEHICLE MISSED. THIS HAPPENED EVERY 8000 MILES.*AK
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.