IllustrationTHE OIL LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND OIL WOULD LEAK OUT OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE THE ENGINE DOES NOT CONNECT AT FIRST, HAS TO TRY AT LEAST TWO TIMES BEFORE IT WILL START. DEALER STATED IT COULD BE EITHER THE STARTER OR THE ENGINE.*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 reportsINTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED AND CAUSED COOLANT TO LEAK INSIDE THE ENGINE. CONSUMER INDICATED THREE YEARS AGO THEY REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE OF $3,000. CURRENTLY, PROBLEM RECURRED, AND WILL COST…
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INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED AND CAUSED COOLANT TO LEAK INSIDE THE ENGINE. CONSUMER INDICATED THREE YEARS AGO THEY REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE OF $3,000. CURRENTLY, PROBLEM RECURRED, AND WILL COST CONSUMER ABOUT $5,000. *AK
CONSUMER HAD THE AIR CONDITIONER REPAIRED FOR BLOWING HOT AIR SIX MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. TWO YEARS LATER, THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE AT HALF PRICE TO THE OWNER. VEHICLE IS IN THE SHOP AGAIN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BY THE CONSUMER.*AK
WE HAVE PURCHASED A 1998 DODGE NEON FOR OUR SON WHO IS IN COLLEGE. THE CAR ONLY HAS 24,000 MILES ON IT CURRENTLY. THE HEAD GASKET IS GONE AND OIL IS LEAKING EVERYWHERE. THE REPAIR FOR THIS WILL BE BETWEEN $700 AND $800. I HAVE MADE CONTACT TO CHRYSLER WHO STATED THAT BECAUSE THE 36,000/3 YEAR WARRANTY WAS UP THEY WOULD NOT D…
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WE HAVE PURCHASED A 1998 DODGE NEON FOR OUR SON WHO IS IN COLLEGE. THE CAR ONLY HAS 24,000 MILES ON IT CURRENTLY. THE HEAD GASKET IS GONE AND OIL IS LEAKING EVERYWHERE. THE REPAIR FOR THIS WILL BE BETWEEN $700 AND $800. I HAVE MADE CONTACT TO CHRYSLER WHO STATED THAT BECAUSE THE 36,000/3 YEAR WARRANTY WAS UP THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT. I ASKED THEM IF THAT WAS THE BEST THAT THEIR ENGINES COULD DO (HEAD GASKET GOING AT 24,000 MILES). FROM WHAT I HAVE READ AND BEEN TOLD BY A DEALERSHIP, CHRYLSER KNEW THEY HAD A PROBLEM IN 1998 WITH HEAD GASKETS AND RECTIFIED IT DURING THE SAME YEAR BUT NEVER RECALLED THE CARS THERE WERE MANUFACTURED EARLY IN THE PRODUCTION. I HAVE SEEN SO MANY COMPLAINTS WITH THE HEAD GASKET ON THIS PARTICULAR MODEL SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT IT TAKES TO GET A RECALL ON THIS PART.*AK
REAR SEAT AREA AND INSIDE OF TRUNK GETTING SEVERAL INCHES OF WATER DURING RAINSTORM. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. CAN'T FIND LEAK.*AK
WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A NOISE, THEN THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WENT OUT. WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT, THE DASHBOARD COMPONENTS BECAME INOPERATIVE. THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS CAME BACK ON WITHIN 15-30 SECONDS, BUT ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS STAYED ILLUMINATED FOR A FEW SECONDS BEFORE GOING OFF. THIS FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAIL…
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WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A NOISE, THEN THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WENT OUT. WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT, THE DASHBOARD COMPONENTS BECAME INOPERATIVE. THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS CAME BACK ON WITHIN 15-30 SECONDS, BUT ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS STAYED ILLUMINATED FOR A FEW SECONDS BEFORE GOING OFF. THIS FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE, BUT DEALERSHIP NOR MANUFACTURER WERE VERY HELPFUL.*AK
SUN ROOF GLASS CAME OF THE TRACK AND WILL NOT OPEN OR CLOSE. THE TRACK WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES. *AK THE SUNROOF WOULD DRAG AND MAKE KNOCKING NOISES. THE VEHICLE ALSO EXPERIENCED A BATTERY PROBLEM AND OIL LEAKS WHICH HAD COME FROM THE CYLINDER HEAD. *SC *JB
WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE STALLED, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILED, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO MALFUNCTION. *AK
WHILE HAVING A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE, MECHANIC NOTICED AN OIL LEAK DUE TO A DEFECTIVE OIL GASKET. *LA THE SERVICE TECH SUGGESTED THE PROBLEM COULD HAVE BEEN THE OIL PRESSURE SWITCH. A WEEK LATER THE COOLING SYSTEM WAS FLUSHED AND THE SERVICE TECH FOUND THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS NO GOOD. *SC
VEHICLE WAS LEAKING OIL. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND DEALER DETERMINED THAT VALVE SEALS WERE LEAKING. CONSUMER FELT ENGINE COULD OVERHEAT AND CATCH ON FIRE. *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.