1998 Plymouth Neon Problems

What owners report

Complaints about this model year center heavily on engine oil and coolant leaks attributed by owners and mechanics to the head gasket, with many reports at low mileage for the vehicle's age. Repeat failures after repair are described often, alongside a smaller set of airbag non-deployment and steering or suspension complaints.

1. 1
   Engine cooling

   Head gasket oil and coolant leaks

   • 62 complaints (37%)
   • median 57,825 mi at 6.0 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $850 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 1999–2011

   Owners describe oil spots under the car, oil in the coolant reservoir, overheating, low oil lights, and check-engine lights, with mechanics and dealers telling them the head gasket has failed. Several report the gasket was replaced and then failed again within a short distance, and some say an engine had to be replaced as a result. Costs quoted range from a few hundred to over a thousand dollars, and owners frequently note that repairs were not covered after warranty. Reports cluster from roughly 24,000 to 90,000 miles, with many appearing under 55,000 miles and some after only a few years of use.

   What to check: Check for oil residue under the engine and in the coolant reservoir, ask for head gasket service records, and have a pre-purchase inspection look for coolant and oil mixing.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I bought the car and had great mileage for about 4 months. Now I get less than someone who owns a chevy camero that is 3 years older than my car. I went on a trip to southern illinois and 5 and 1/2 hour drive. I used all the oil in my car. I took it to a dealer and was told that I had blown a head gasket.”

   NHTSA complaint #10021470, filed 2003-06, 76,983 miles

   “Car has 36,000 miles on it and oil started running out underneath the car. Took car to dealer and the head gasket was blown. This is a known problem and chrysler has yet to correct it. Upon further investigation I have found that I will have this problem again since it is a defect from the manufacturer. I was told from mechanic that several other cars the heads are also affected by this problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #10404311, filed 2011-06, 36,000 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Airbags not deploying or deploying unexpectedly

   • 18 complaints (11%)
   • median 77,500 mi at 7.5 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 15 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2006

   Complaints describe frontal impacts in which the airbags did not deploy, including collisions with another vehicle, a guardrail, and an animal, as well as one case of both bags deploying during ordinary driving. Some owners also report a cracked or warped passenger-side dash area near the airbag cover. Mileage varies widely, including reports from vehicles with no mileage listed and one around 90,000 miles; several came from impact events at highway speeds.

   What to check: Ask whether the airbag warning lamp behaves normally on startup and whether the bags have ever been serviced; inspect the dash and airbag covers for cracks or warping.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “A 1990 chevy impala turned left in front of my son while he was driving my car, he was going 30 MPH he hit the other car in the b pillar, both side doors with the front of my car. Neither air bag was deployed on my car. The passenger door would not open due to the fender being jammed back into the door. The bumper is dangling about 4-5 inches from where it should be. The passenger and driver injured their knees on the dash when they slid forward from the impact. The seat belts held.”

   NHTSA complaint #10149985, filed 2006-02, 90,000 miles

   “Passenger's side airbag cracked. Consumer contacted manufacturer and was told that she would have to pay for repairs. Consumer stated that if the air bag suddenly deployed she was afraid it will harm her daughter. The heat from the sun warped the dash board.”

   NHTSA complaint #10087340, filed 2004-12, 65,000 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission shifting and reverse failures

   • 12 complaints (7%)
   • median 66,532 mi at 4.5 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2002

   Owners describe hard shifting, loss of reverse, and inability to move through certain gears, with some reporting the transmission was replaced more than once within a short period. In several cases the transmission issue is reported alongside engine and head gasket work. Reports appear from roughly 61,000 to 77,000 miles, usually after several years of ownership.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Test reverse and each gear from cold and warm, listen for harsh engagement, and ask for transmission service history, including any rebuilds or replacements.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “These problems were found during a replacement of our third transmission. We are really upset with Plymouth/dodge auto. We had this car for only a year and it has been nothing but trouble. Like I said, 3 transmissions, 1 engine due to head gasket problems. Now, the oil pressure sending unit, vehicle speed sensor, and the rear main oil seal. ----dims 11 ivoq entry after 12/12/01 cut-over to artemis-------769336.”

   NHTSA complaint #10008548, filed 2002-11, 71,514 miles

   “Junk!!! The computer system has now failed on my car. I have already had 2 major transmission repairs on this vechile. An oil leak which caused replacement of the head gaskets due to the fact they were faulty according to the dealership. The power train control module went out. This car has been nothing but problems and I would not recommed anyone to purchase a NEON. I reported the computer failure to chrysler and they noted it in a file. I feel as if they should be held responsible for this. …”

   NHTSA complaint #742417, filed 2001-03
4. 4
   Suspension

   Steering locks up or loses feel

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the steering wheel becoming very hard to turn, sometimes for a period of seconds, often while turning or after driving through water. Some owners say the dealer could not reproduce or identify the cause, and a few connect the symptom to loose or broken engine mounts. Reports come at a mix of mileages and ages, with several described during turns at low speed and others at highway speed.

   What to check: Turn the wheel lock to lock with the engine running and listen for noise or binding, and have the engine mounts and steering components inspected.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Power steering would lock up intermittently when driving over a water puddle. Also, vehicle experienced problem with oil leakages due to a head gasket failure. When appying brakes pedal would go to floor, and caused extended stopping distance. Dealer was notified, and informed consumer that none of the problems were covered under a recall, and vehicle was out of its warranty. Feel free to provide any further details on this matter.”

   NHTSA complaint #881184, filed 2001-02

   “When turning corners steering wheel will lock up, cannot move steering wheel for at least 30 seconds, causing a loss of control,which almost resulted in an accident. Dealer cannot determine defect.”

   NHTSA complaint #834844, filed 1999-02
5. 5
   Suspension

   Front-end vibration and suspension noise

   • 11 complaints (7%)
   • typically at 0.9 yrs old
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2010

   Owners report shaking and vibration through the steering wheel and body at highway speed, plus popping or grinding noises from the front and rear when turning or braking. Dealers in the complaints replaced rotors or tightened strut mounts and shocks, and some owners say the vibration persisted afterward. Mostly described at highway speeds, with complaints spanning vehicles of varied mileage and age.

   Recall 99V001000

   What to check: Drive at highway speed to check for shake, listen for clunks over bumps and in turns, and have the strut mounts, ball joints and rear crossmember inspected.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I had a slow speed accident in my 1998 Plymouth NEON. I was in a parking lot and only going 5 MPH. The other car hit my left front fender. My strut is broken & various other parts of the suspension, including the axel. I can't understand how this could happen in a slow speed accident. I see there is a rear suspension defect and am wondering about the front.”

   NHTSA complaint #745088, filed 2001-05

   “While driivng the vehicle a popping sound came from the right front end of vehicle. The driver would also get a vibration when using the gas/ brake pedal. Dealer found that the strut mounts and shocks were lo0se. There was also a lack of lubrication on the ball joints which caused the noise and vibration. Problem has been corrected.”

   NHTSA complaint #823201, filed 1998-06

Buying note. Have any candidate inspected specifically for head gasket oil and coolant leaks and check for service records showing prior gasket work, since repeat repairs are commonly described. Also test reverse gear and highway-speed steering and vibration 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.