1998 Dodge Neon Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 1998 Dodge Neon most often report engine oil leaks traced to the head gasket, along with overheating, coolant loss and stalling. Complaints commonly surface between roughly 20,000 and 90,000 miles, and many describe the leak starting gradually before worsening. Smaller clusters of complaints concern airbags that did not deploy in a crash, a sunroof that loosens or leaves its track, and dashboard gauges that quit intermittently.

1. 1
   Engine cooling

   Head gasket oil and coolant leaks

   • 150 complaints (44%)
   • median 47,515 mi at 5.3 yrs old (20 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $850 (median of 12 quotes)
   • filed 1998–2008

   Complaints describe oil pooling under the car, oil consumption rising from about a quart every few thousand miles to several quarts a week, and coolant loss or overheating. Several owners say a shop or dealer identified the head gasket as the source; some report the gasket was replaced with an updated gasket, and a few say it failed again shortly after. Owners also describe being told the repair was not covered because the car was out of warranty, and some mention Chrysler assisting with part of the cost case by case. Mostly reported between about 20,000 and 90,000 miles, often noticed as a slow leak that grew worse over months.

   What to check: Check the oil level and look for oil seeping at the back of the engine and coolant loss; ask whether the head gasket has been replaced and keep records of any repair.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Head gasket blew at 60,000 miles. Fortunately, my cousin is a claims adjuster for an extended warranty group. I was told to go to chrysler and remind them of the others that they have reimbursed for these damages and it worked. Chrysler paid for the repairs, all though it was not easy. I got the run around and an ear full of lies. But, in the end they paid. Don't take no for an answer. They have to fix it.”

   NHTSA complaint #10025590, filed 2003-07, 62,000 miles

   “My wife bought her 1998 Dodge NEON in august of 2000. We recently passed 60,000 miles on the car and it began to leak oil. The leak was gradual at first and I assumed that the oil pan bolt had been put in incorrectly by the servicemen at the lube shop. However, on further review, the car was found to have a head gasket leak (approx. An $800 repair). Further research has LED me to find that this problem is common to all Dodge vehicles using this engine. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10000246, filed 2002-12, 64,218 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Airbags did not deploy in a crash

   • 33 complaints (10%)
   • median 35,000 mi at 7.9 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • 31 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2015

   Owners describe frontal collisions in which neither the driver nor passenger airbag deployed, including impacts at moderate speed and one report of a pole impact. Some complaints note injuries following the non-deployment. The complaints generally do not state a diagnosis from a dealer or manufacturer. Reported across a wide mileage range, including vehicles with well over 100,000 miles and one listed at very low mileage.

   What to check: Ask whether the airbag warning lamp comes on at start-up and goes out, and whether the vehicle has been in a prior collision with airbag repair history documented.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “1998 Dodge NEON was forced off the roadway by a mitsubishi eclipse that turned across 19 year old female drivers lane of travel. Sideswipe caused left front control arm to collapse, vehicle briefly bottomed onto pavement, leaving a short distance gouge mark. The NEON then jumped onto a curb and impacted a utility pole head on at an estimated 27-35mph impact speed. This accident occurred on nellis boulevard in las vegas, nevada. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10621563, filed 2014-08, 60,000 miles

   “Dt: the contact's daughter was involved in a car accident on october 7, 2005. Upon impact, the front air bags did not deploy. This was front end collision. Has not contacted the manufacturer at this point.”

   NHTSA complaint #10139244, filed 2005-10, 153,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Speedometer and gauge cluster failure

   Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the speedometer dropping out while driving, sometimes along with the temperature and fuel gauges, and in one case all dashboard lights and gauges going dead briefly. Owners report being told the instrument cluster needed replacement; one complaint mentions a printed circuit board failure. Mostly reported between about 70,000 and 120,000 miles.

   What to check: Drive the car and watch whether the speedometer and fuel gauge move smoothly without dropping out; ask whether the instrument cluster has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Complete speedometer failure while vehicle is being driven. Loss of all data regarding speed vehicle is traveling, and at times, all information from the engine temperature gauge and fuel gauge. Issues with NEON speedometers are widely published on the internet. I am shocked to see that there has never been a recall for such a well documented vehicle failure.”

   NHTSA complaint #10158717, filed 2006-05, 96,780 miles

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #10073697, filed 2004-05, 70,000 miles
4. 4
   Other or unknown

   Stalling and fuel delivery problems

   • 33 complaints (10%)
   • median 93,500 mi at 8.6 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2012

   Complaints describe the engine cutting out or stalling while driving or when slowing to an intersection, sometimes with a gas smell, and in some cases the vehicle would not restart. Owners report fuel pump replacement, in one case repeated, and one complaint describes a rusted filler pipe leaking fuel heavily. Reported from very low mileage up to about 130,000 miles in the sample.

   What to check: Inspect the fuel filler pipe and lines under the car for rust, and ask about fuel pump replacement history; note any stumble or stall during a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The pipe that comes down from the filler into the tank rusted. This caused fuel to leak very heavily at times. Fuel pump has had to be replaced twice already. The local junkyard imformed the consumer that the filler pipe is a common problem, they sell them as fast as they get them.”

   NHTSA complaint #10116981, filed 2005-05, 93,500 miles

   “The 1998 Dodge NEON is notorious for faulty head gaskets. The problem is first noticed by an oil leak and the vehicle overheating. The head gaskets are expensive to replace. After the car gets hot, it stalls at every intersection and every time the vehicle starts to slow down or is placed in neutral (manual transmission). My car stalled in the middle of a busy intersection where traffic was getting on and off of the freeway and would not start again. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10199315, filed 2007-08, 90,000 miles

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection look specifically for head gasket oil and coolant leaks, and confirm the airbag system, sunroof and instrument gauges all work. Service records showing a head gasket replacement and past fuel pump work are worth asking for.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.