1996 Dodge NEON problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
352 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
81,500 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1996 model year. Data snapshot: . 38 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 161 of 352 complaints (45.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 37 | 10.5% |
| Engine operation | 30 | 8.5% |
| Braking behavior | 30 | 8.5% |
| Transmission and shifting | 25 | 7.1% |
| Steering behavior | 10 | 2.8% |
| Fuel system concerns | 8 | 2.3% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 161 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 45 |
| Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood | 23 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 19 |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 14 |
| Unknown Or Other | 14 |
| Electrical System | 10 |
| Electrical System:Ignition | 10 |
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 161; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 45; Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood: 23; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 19; Air Bags:Frontal: 14; Unknown Or Other: 14; Electrical System: 10; Electrical System:Ignition: 10
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 2 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 2 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 13 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 11 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 9 |
| 150,000 and above | 1 |
Under 25,000: 2; 25,000 to 49,999: 2; 50,000 to 74,999: 13; 75,000 to 99,999: 11; 100,000 to 149,999: 9; 150,000 and above: 1
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (13). 314 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 2 |
| 1996 | 13 |
| 2000 | 130 |
| 2001 | 94 |
| 2002 | 49 |
| 2003 | 28 |
| 2004 | 19 |
| 2005 | 5 |
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 1 |
1995: 2; 1996: 13; 2000: 130; 2001: 94; 2002: 49; 2003: 28; 2004: 19; 2005: 5; 2006: 2; 2007: 2; 2008: 3; 2011: 3; 2014: 1; 2015: 1
Pattern summary
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 37 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 30 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 30 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10000276 · 2002-12-19 (December 19, 2002)
SAME ENGINE WIRING HARNESS PROBLEM AS STATED IN RECALL # 96V026000, BUT MY NEON WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, BECAUSE IT WAS NOT MADE IN MEXICO. AN ENGINE WIRING HARNESS CAN SHORT CIRCUIT DUE TO CONTACT WITH THE EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION TUBE.. SHORTING OF THE WIRING HARNESS CAN CAUSE VARIOUS ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS, INCLUDING ENGINE STALLING.
Owner-reported narrative. 85,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000276 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10038535 · 2003-09-09 (September 9, 2003)
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE WILL INTERMITTENTLY STALL. AFTER A FEW MINUTES ENGINE COULD BE STARTED AS IF NOTHING EVER HAPPENED. VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM TWELVE TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE WIRING HARNESS, AND THERE WAS A RECALL. HOWEVER, CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 92,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10038535 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10010602 · 2003-03-17 (March 17, 2003)
I HAD THE CAR FOR JUST OVER A YEAR AND I HAVE HAD THE BRAKES REPLACED TWICE AND THE ROTORS REPLACED ONCE. ALL OF THIS HAPPENED WITHIN ABOUT 9 MONTHS. I HAVE HAD THE 2 ND PAIR OF BRAKES NOW FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS AND THEY ALREADY NEED CHANGED. *NLM
Owner-reported narrative. 53,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10010602 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10062888 · 2004-03-02 (March 2, 2004)
ENGINE, WIRE HARNESS AND BRAKE PROBLEMS. *PH ENGINE AND WIRE HARNESS WERE REPLACED TWO OR THREE TIMES. LEFT FRONT PADS AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. ENGINE BLEW UP FOR THE THIRD TIME AND WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. MECHANIC SAID THAT VEHICLE'S ENGINE NEEDED REPLACEMENT. ALSO, INSTRUMENT PANEL NEVER WORKED PROPERLY. AIR CONDITIONER (AC) WENT OUT AFTER TWO YEARS OF PURCHASE. AC WAS NEVER REPAIRED. VEHICLE OVERHEAT MOST OF THE TIME. CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE ON ENGINE WIRING HARNESS MAY SHORT CIRCUIT DUE TO CO…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10062888 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10054458 · 2004-01-19 (January 19, 2004)
I PURCHASED A 1996 DODGE NEON FROM BOBB CHEVROLET ON 12/28/99. THE SALES FOLKS WERE TIM AND WENDY RYAN. I PAID $6343.85 FOR THE CAR. THE SERIAL NUMBER OF THE CAR IS [XXX] WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR I ASKED TIM RYAN 2 QUESTIONS: (1) WOULD HE HAVE THE HEAD GASKET CHECKED AND (2) WHY WAS THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING. BYERS FIXED THE HEAD GASKET AND HE SAID THAT SLIPPING TRANSMISSION WAS A CHRYSLER THING. THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING ALL THROUGH THE SPRING AND SUMMER OF 2000. SO ON 9/8/2000, THE HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED AT BYERS. IT WAS BYERS INVOICE [X…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10054458 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10067743 · 2004-04-23 (April 23, 2004)
THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS WRONG WITH THIS CAR. THANKFULLY, NONE OF THEM MECHANICAL, BUT COSTLY STILL. THE DOOR PANELS ON MY 2 DOOR KEEP ON GETTING DISCONNECTED FROM THE DOOR FRAME DUE TO SUBSTANDARD (IN MY BOOK ANYWAY) ANCHORS BETWEEN THE DOOR FRAME AND THE PANELS. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, AND ONCE ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE. IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT GETTING IN AND OUT OF THE CAR. I GET THE ISSUE FIXED, AND WITHIN AN FEW MONTHS IT'S BROKEN AGAIN. THE ANTENNA BROKE OFF AT THE BASE AND FLEW OFF SOMEWHERE ON THE HIG…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10067743 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10008498 · 2003-03-06 (March 6, 2003)
IN AUGUST OF 1999, DUE TO A HEALTH PROBLEM (UNKNOWN TO ME), I FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL OF MY 1996 NEON. I AWOKE IN TIME TO FORCE THE CAR OVER TO A GRASSY MEDIAN BETWEEN TWO PARTS OF A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY. THE CAR FLEW TWENTY OR SO FEET IN THE AIR, MAKING IMPACT WITH THE GRASS, AND CONTINUING WITHOUT POWER STEERING, ETC., FOR APPROXIMATELY. 300 FEET. WHILE IN THE AIR, MY LEFT ARM BROKE THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW. WHEN THE CAR LANDED DEAD ON TO THE GRASS, THE AIR BAGS BURST, BUT "WILTED" DOWN, THEY DID NOT COME STRAIGHT OUT AT ME AS NORMAL, BUT DO…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10008498 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10015701 · 2003-04-11 (April 11, 2003)
THE CONSUMER HAD TO USE EXCESSIVE FORCE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL IN ANY DIRECTION, THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS INSPECTED AND WAS DETERMINED TO BE ADEQUATE. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10015701 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10073565 · 2004-06-14 (June 14, 2004)
WIRING HARNESS BURNED AND SHORT CIRCUITED SOME FUSES. THE FUEL PUMP BOX SHORTED OUT. MANUFACTURER ISSUED A RECALL, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK THE SERVICE DEALER FOUND NO ELECTRICAL COMMUNICATION FROM THE CAMSHAFT OR CRANKSHAFT SENSORS, FOUND ENGINE OIL IN THE SPARK PLUG TUBE HOLES DUE TO A LEAKING VALVE COVER GASKET, FOUND ELECTRICAL WIRE LEADING TO THE ECM MODULE, CAMSHAFT AND CRANKSHAFT SENSORS FUSED TOGETHER, CAUSED BOTH SENSORS AND ECM TO FAIL. THE ENGINE DISPLAYED A ROUGH IDLE. THE CONSUMER REQU…
Owner-reported narrative. 108,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10073565 at NHTSA ↗