Dodge Neon Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 3,489 consumer complaints across the 12 model years of the Dodge Neon (1994–2005) that have at least 5 complaints. 1995 has the most, with 976. Across all years, the part named most often is engine cooling (1,261 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Neon model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 96 | 45,200 | 0 | 31 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2004 | 94 | 60,000 | 0 | 27 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2003 | 202 | 54,700 | 0 | 20 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2002 | 173 | 48,000 | 0 | 16 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2001 | 146 | 53,500 | 4 | 16 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2000 | 337 | 62,500 | 5 | 16 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1999 | 116 | 59,995 | 0 | 12 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1998 | 339 | 61,000 | 1 | 12 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1997 | 390 | 62,000 | 1 | 9 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1996 | 611 | 81,500 | 2 | 8 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1995 | 976 | 82,741 | 6 | 2 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1994 | 9 | — | 0 | 1 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Engine cooling1,261 35%
- Brakes513 14%
- Electrical system450 13%
- Air bags413 12%
- Transmission and drivetrain334 9.4%
- Steering244 6.8%
- Body and structure190 5.3%
- Exterior lighting164 4.6%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2005: “I shifted my car into reverse and it accelerated by itself. Shifted into neutral and could not stop crashed thru my neighbors garage door. There s no check engine light and could not stop when applying the brakes even in neutral. I checked and there was nothing under or blocking the gas pedal. No mats in car.”
NHTSA complaint #10863951, filed 2016-05, 132,000 miles1996: “My headlights are too low. Hard for me to see. Especially when going around a corner, I can't see far enough ahead. Afraid of wrecking. I tried cleaning the outside headlights thinking they may have a film on them, but it didn't help. If their are no reflective markers on the road it is very hard to see the white line.”
NHTSA complaint #10730776, filed 2015-06, 107,326 miles2003: “Oil problem although I paid thousands for repairs.-but the engine light flashes when car is stopped at a traffic light or idling for even a short time. When car is in motion, a steady engine light is on all the time, except when it flashes. This has been happening for a couple of years. I need info on this and all recalls or complimentary repairs available . I need to be safe .thank you.”
NHTSA complaint #10786850, filed 2015-10, 100,000 milesOther Dodge models
13,779 complaintsDodge Grand Caravan
13,511 complaintsDodge RAM 1500
12,422 complaintsDodge Caravan
10,523 complaintsDodge Dakota
6,626 complaintsDodge RAM 2500
6,443 complaintsDodge Intrepid
6,223 complaintsDodge Charger
5,732 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology