IllustrationTHIS CAR HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS SINCE DAY ONE. I HAVE TALKED TO OTHER NEON OWNERS WHO HAVE ALSO HAD TO HAVE THE HEAD GASKETS REPLACED. I TALKED TO TWO DIFFERENT MECHANICS WHO HAVE SAID THIS OUGHT TO BE RECALLED BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF PROBLEMS.*AK
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
What owners actually said
339 reportsHEAD GASKET HAS BEEN LEAKING FROM ENGINE, AND DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *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
WAS TAKING OFF WHEN THROTTLE WOULD SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THROTTLE WOULD BE WIDE OPEN. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, AND WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. *AK THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION OCCURED TWICE AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *YH
VEHICLE WAS LEAKING OIL FOR ABOUT 3-4 WEEKS. CONSUMER CALLED DEALER, AND THEY KNEW EXACTLY WHAT PROBLEM WAS. IT SEEMED TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM THAT HASN'T REACHED AN INVESTIGATION. *AK
ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILURE AT 57,000 MILES. FACTORY CHANGED GASKET AT ASS'Y PLANTS IN LATE 1998, HOWEVER, MINE WAS BUILT IN APRIL 1998 WITH ORIGINAL FAULTY DESIGN. THIS DESIGN FLAW IS COMMON AND SHOULD TRIGGER A RECALL.*AK
THE FIRST TIME WOULD HAVE BEEN HEADED UP 23 N THE CAR HESITATED ON THE HILL, LATER THAT DAY, BEING THE NEXT DAY AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR, IT STOPPED GOING UP A SLIGHT INCLINE ON HIGH STREET IN WORTHINGTON OH IN LUNCH HOUR TRAFFIC, I WAS IN THE FAR LANE AND COULD FEEL THERE WAS NO PRESSURE ON THE GAS PEDAL, THE NEXT WAS 2 DAYS LATE…
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THE FIRST TIME WOULD HAVE BEEN HEADED UP 23 N THE CAR HESITATED ON THE HILL, LATER THAT DAY, BEING THE NEXT DAY AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR, IT STOPPED GOING UP A SLIGHT INCLINE ON HIGH STREET IN WORTHINGTON OH IN LUNCH HOUR TRAFFIC, I WAS IN THE FAR LANE AND COULD FEEL THERE WAS NO PRESSURE ON THE GAS PEDAL, THE NEXT WAS 2 DAYS LATER GOING UP KENNEY RD, I WAS HALF WAY WHEN I COULD FEEL NO PRESSURE IN THE GAS PEDAL, I MANAGED TO GET OFF THE ROAD AND TURN THE CORNER WHEN THE CAR STOPPED, THE FINAL TIME I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK IN MORNING RUSH WHEN IT STARTED TO ACT UP, AGAIN THERE WAS NO PRESSURE IN THE GAS PEDAL, I WAS MOVING AT A RATE THAT I COULD PULL OFF THE ROAD, EACH TIME EVEN THOUGH I WAS ON LEVEL GROUND THE CAR WOULD NOT START AGAIN, THE FIRST TIME THE DEALER SAID I WAS OUT OF GAS, THE SECOND TIME HE SAID I WAS OUT OF GAS AND DIDN'T BOTHER TO HAVE IT REPAIRED ONLY AFTER THE THIRD CONFLICT WITH HIM AND THIS CAR WAS IT FIXED, I ALSO THINK THIS CAR MAY HAVE BEEN WRECKED, IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY BUT WAS ON THE SALES LOT WITH ALL THESE PROB AND THE DRIVER DOOR LEAKS AIR QUITE A BIT, IF THER IS A WAY THAT COULD BE CHECKED OUT I WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO IT IF I HAD THE INFORMATION. *AK
HEAD GASKET FAILURE THEN HEAD REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS PITTED. *AK
BLOWN HEAD GASKET. *AK
REPLACED BLOWN HEAD GASKET.... NEW GASKET WAS OF SUPERIOR QUALITY AND DESIGN THAN ORIGINAL. THE MANUFACTURER OBVIOUSLY REDESIGNED IT DUE TO A FAULTY ORIGINAL DESIGN.*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.