2005 Dodge Neon Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe unintended or sudden acceleration and poor brake response, along with air bags that did not deploy in frontal or side impacts. Non-safety complaints cluster around water leaks into the cabin and a transmission that shudders, slips or locks out of gear at low mileage. Reports span very low to high mileage, with acceleration and brake accounts appearing from a few thousand miles upward.

1. 1
   Vehicle speed control

   Unintended / sudden acceleration

   • 15 complaints (16%)
   • median 45,000 mi at 4.8 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2022

   Owners describe the car accelerating with no pressure on the pedal, sometimes at steady highway speed with cruise control engaged and sometimes right after starting or shifting into gear. Braking slows the car only partly, and in some accounts the engine revs up when shifted to neutral. Several say no warning light came on; in some cases a fire department or mechanic attributed it to a throttle stuck open, in another a cracked intake hose created a vacuum leak that was replaced. Reported from a few thousand miles up to roughly 130,000 miles, at all speeds and in ordinary driving conditions.

   What to check: On a test drive, confirm the throttle pedal and cruise control release cleanly and that the engine returns to idle promptly; ask whether the throttle body, sensors or intake hoses have ever been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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 miles

   “Purchased 05 NEON in '06 w/16,000 miles. Tires were already in bad shape. Current incident occurred while accelerated on entry ramp to freeway. Once on freeway notice vehicle was accelerating on its own. Attempted to apply brakes and they would not engage. I assumed brakes had failed. Finally after a terrified exit from the freeway, I was finally able to come to a stop my eventually entering a vacant graveled, uneven lot and driving atop concrete blocks. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10263102, filed 2009-03, 45,000 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Air bags did not deploy in a crash

   • 14 complaints (15%)
   • median 35,000 mi at 5.3 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • 14 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2005–2016

   In frontal and side impacts, including ones that totaled the car, owners report that neither front air bag inflated. Complaints describe moderate-speed collisions where occupants were held by seat belts but struck the interior, and some note seat belts that did not lock. Several say they or the body shop expected deployment based on the damage. Described in crashes ranging from very low mileage to over 250,000 miles, mostly at impact speeds around 40-45 mph.

   What to check: Ask for any history of air bag repairs and check whether the air bag warning lamp comes on briefly at start-up and then goes out; a lamp that stays lit or never lights warrants diagnosis.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “It was raining and my husband was driving at 45 MPH on our local highway when someone pulled across both lanes and stopped. My husband had to swerve to miss hitting the other driver directly in the door and unavoidably hit him in the passenger side front end with our passenger side front end at 45 miles per hour. The impact was serious and our car was totaled. Neither air bag deployed.”

   NHTSA complaint #10503775, filed 2013-03, 151,000 miles

   “My sons had a crash in a 2005 Dodge NEON. They were going approximately 40-45 MPH. They hit a mailbox with metal pipes, a parked durango, a parked malibu, decorative rocks in the corner, went airborne and totaled the whole passenger side front end of the car. Neither of the air bags deployed, and the seat belts didn't lock. We bought this card because of the safety features for our teenage son and they did not work.”

   NHTSA complaint #10515136, filed 2013-06, 72,000 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission shudder, slip or gear lockout

   • 18 complaints (19%)
   • median 13,400 mi at 2.0 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2022

   Owners describe rough or shuddering 1-2 upshifts, a sensation like slipping on ice, and occasional refusal to engage a gear until the clutch is released and the engine revved. Some report the shifter can be left in a gear other than park or reverse without the car being held, and in a few cases a car rolled on an incline. Complaints mention the fluid looking normal, no trouble codes stored, and dealers either unable to duplicate the problem or denying a repair. Mostly reported from under 20,000 miles to about 45,000 miles, with some accounts at higher mileage; a few note it is worse in warm weather.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive the car from cold and feel for shudder or hesitation on the 1-2 shift, and test that the parking brake and gear selector hold the car on a slope; ask whether any powertrain control module reflash or transmission work was done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 2005 Dodge NEON srt-4. I purchased the car last may brand new with 2 miles on the odometer. Since about 800 miles I have been having a problem with the 3rd gear during both up shifting and down shifting. During the up shift, at times it will just lock out of gear, and I will have to release the clutch, rev the engine and then press the clutch again to get the gear to engage. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10162695, filed 2006-07, 800 miles

   “My vehicle has a problem when I accelerate. However, the automatic transmission is bumpy or shudder into rough first or second gear shift. Also, another way when I stopped the brake pedal then I quickly press the gas pedal is shakes a little bit. I will consider going to the Dodge dealer to see what's going on.”

   NHTSA complaint #10163995, filed 2006-07, 17,000 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   Weak or failing brakes

   • 19 complaints (20%)
   • median 28,475 mi at 3.8 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2022

   Complaints describe the brake pedal going to the floor with little resistance, brake fluid leaking, and stopping distance far longer than expected. In one account a leaking rear component soaked the brake pads; others mention air in the lines after repeated dealer visits and a master cylinder replacement. Some owners report the pedal feeling firm on a second press, or the cruise control staying engaged when braking. Described from very low mileage, under 20,000 miles in many cases, through about 150,000 miles.

   What to check: Check brake fluid level and look for leaks at the wheel cylinders and lines, and confirm the pedal does not sink when held under steady pressure; ask when the fluid and hardware were last serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On 10/6/15 my son was involved in a car accident. He was merging onto the parkway when the SUV he was following came to a complete stop due to the car in front of it doing the same, but when my son tried to break the breaks were completely out causing him to hit the back of SUV he was following, with his quick thinking he pulled the emergency breaks to prevent hit SUV again as it was pulling over.”

   NHTSA complaint #10781464, filed 2015-10, 10,200 miles

   “For 3 to 4 weeks, intermittent braking problems with car. After driving about 3 miles from start, stopping at 4 stop signs, passing through 3 traffic lights no problems - driving using cruise control set at 55-65mph, driving up hill, often the engine is accelerating , when I put my foot on the brake because I want to slow down - the brake pedal does not move - I can't push it down on the first try. Until yesterday, the second attempt at braking worked normally 100% of the time. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10177341, filed 2006-12, 29,900 miles
5. 5
   Body and structure

   Water leaks into floor, trunk and cabin

   • 8 complaints (8%)
   • median 64,635 mi at 8.4 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2007–2019

   Owners report water pooling under the rear seat and in the footwells after rain, sometimes a liter or more, and water entering the trunk through the seal and running into the rear seat area. Related accounts describe a door or body seal letting moisture in and rust forming in the floor, and one dealer traced a leak to debris in the evaporator drain. Repairs such as clearing the drain or replacing the windshield did not always stop the leak. Reported from around 55,000 to 65,000 miles, typically during or after heavy or prolonged rain.

   What to check: Check carpets, the spare-tire well and the area under the rear seat for dampness, staining or musty smells, and inspect the floorpan and door bottoms for rust.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Because rain season here in mexico we had several days raining almost the entire day. Yesterday when a take mi wife to work I noticed that the rug of my cars floor was wet, at night after work I tried to check why the water was inside my car and I noticed that below the back seat was wet, I disassemble the back seat and notice that there was water below the seat and due to that all the floor below the rug has water (1 to 2 liters of water), I notice that the clips that give route to the harness (tail lights, pump, and trunk wiring) has water …”

   NHTSA complaint #10233741, filed 2008-07, 69,270 miles

   “The contact owns a 2005 Dodge NEON. The contact stated that water would leak through the trunk seal and into the tire well whenever it would rain. The water would then flow into the rear seat of the vehicle, causing a small to moderate flood. The vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired for the failure. The failure mileage was 55,000 and the current mileage was 55,100.”

   NHTSA complaint #10449605, filed 2012-02, 55,000 miles

Buying note. This model year has a long list of owner complaints, several involving brakes, air bags and unintended acceleration, so a thorough mechanical inspection and a check of open recall status are worth the cost. Focus on pedal and throttle behavior, braking feel, and cabin water intrusion before deciding.

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.