U.S. public vehicle records

2005 Dodge NEON problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

95 owner complaints analyzed

0 distinct recall campaigns

45,100 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2005 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 82 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Vehicle Speed Control is the most frequently named component, appearing in 13 of 95 complaints (13.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	21	22.1%
Transmission and shifting	13	13.7%
Engine operation	7	7.4%
Electrical and battery issues	7	7.4%
Steering behavior	7	7.4%
Fuel system concerns	1	1.1%

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.

Vehicle Speed Control

Electrical System

Structure:Body

Air Bags

Air Bags:Frontal

Engine

Engine And Engine Cooling

Power Train:Manual Transmission

Vehicle Speed Control: 13; Electrical System: 11; Structure:Body: 9; Air Bags: 8; Air Bags:Frontal: 6; Engine: 5; Engine And Engine Cooling: 5; Power Train:Manual Transmission: 5

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 23; 25,000 to 49,999: 20; 50,000 to 74,999: 14; 75,000 to 99,999: 13; 100,000 to 149,999: 7; 150,000 and above: 5

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (23). 13 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.

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2022

2004: 1; 2005: 3; 2006: 16; 2007: 7; 2008: 9; 2009: 8; 2010: 15; 2011: 4; 2012: 2; 2013: 6; 2014: 9; 2015: 3; 2016: 5; 2017: 1; 2018: 1; 2019: 2; 2020: 1; 2022: 2

Pattern summary

Vehicle Speed Control leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 21 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 13 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 7 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 10103797 · 2004-12-14 (December 14, 2004)

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH AND WHILE COMING TO A RIGHT TURN LOST CONTROL OF BRAKES AND STEERING. VEHICLE HIT AND WENT UP ON THE CURB. THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE WHEEL WAS DAMAGED.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10103797 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10150022 · 2006-02-11 (February 11, 2006)

COMPLETE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE. AFTER NEON SAT FOR APPROX 36 HOURS PARKED IT WAS DRIVEN AT HWY SPEEDS FOR APPROX 12 MILES AND BRAKE PEDAL WOULD TRAVEL WITHOUT EFFORT TO FLOOR. USING A COMBINATION OF ENGINE BRAKING AND HAND BRAKE I WAS ABLE TO COME TO A STOP AFTER PUMPING PEDAL NORMAL BRAKING WOULD OCCUR. IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER FOUR TIMES NOW WITH AIR IN THE LINES FOR NO APPARENT REASON. AFTER A MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED IT SEEMED NORMAL ONLY TO HAVE THE PEDAL TRAVEL TO THE FLOOR ONCE AGAIN. DEALER NOW STATES UNABLE TO DUPLICATE. I BOUGHT T…

Owner-reported narrative. 8,176 miles reported. Look up ODI 10150022 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10152082 · 2006-03-07 (March 7, 2006)

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TURNING, AT 30 MPH, A POP WAS HEARD. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND THE CONTACT DID NOT HEAR ANY ADDITIONAL NOISES. A BURNING SMELL WAS NOTICED AND THERE WAS A LIQUID TRAIL BEHIND THE VEHICLE. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TORN APART FOR INSPECTION, BUT THE DISTRICT TECHNICIAN AND MANUFACTURER REPRESENTATIVE DETERMINED, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS ON A LIFT, A PIECE OF THE PRESSURE PLATE BROKE LOOSE AND WENT THROUGH THE TRANSMISSION. IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE OWNER ABUSE AND NO REPAIR WAS OFFER…

Owner-reported narrative. 7,674 miles reported. Look up ODI 10152082 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10162695 · 2006-07-17 (July 17, 2006)

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. DURING THE DOWN SHIFT, ABOUT 1 OUT OF 10 TIMES IT WILL EITHER JUST POP BACK OUT OF GEAR, IT WILL SEEM TO ONLY PARTLY ENGAGE, THEN GRIND AND POP OUT, OR JUST GR…

Owner-reported narrative. 800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10162695 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10348741 · 2010-08-11 (August 11, 2010)

CAR FINE UNTIL IT WARMS UP THEN THE MOTOR BEGINS TO SHAKE, HUGE RPM LOSS, CUTS OFF MID-TRAFFIC. HAPPENS EVERY TIME CAR IS DRIVEN OVER 30 MILES, THEN IS UNDRIVEABLE FOR AT LEAST 6 HOURS. STALLS IN THE MIDDLE OF HIGHWAY OR UPHILLS, OR DOWN HILLS . VERY DANGEROUS GOING OVER 30 MPH. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 112,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10348741 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10348900 · 2010-08-11 (August 11, 2010)

AT 112,000 MILES VEHICLE STARTED LOOSING RPMS AT ALL SPEEDS AND CONDITIONS, USUALLY AFTER BEING DRIVEN FOR 30 MILES OR MORE. SUDDEN ONSET, NO PRIOR INDICATION. ENTIRE CAR SHAKES THEN AT TIMES STALLS IN HEAVY OR NO TRAFFIC, PARTICULARLY AT ANY INCLINES. TODAY I MERGED INTO HEAVY INTERSTATE TRAFFIC AND VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED. THE FUEL PUMP HAS BEEN REPLACED AND NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO OFFER ANY HELP AS TO WHAT ELSE IT MAY BE. I HAVE FOUND VARIOUS FORUMS WITH THIS MAKE, MODEL, YEAR WITH THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM WITH NO SOLUTION INDICATED. THIS IS …

Owner-reported narrative. 112,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10348900 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10153953 · 2006-03-28 (March 28, 2006)

2005 DODGE NEON [XXX]. 4 CYL, 2.0 LTR ENGINE, 12,326 MILES, I WAS DRIVING IN ANCHORAGE ALASKA, ON 03/06/06, MY ACCELERATOR GOT STUCK, AND I WAS GOING FASTER, BEFORE I KNEW WHAT TO DO I SLAMMED INTO AN ABANDONED VEHICLE, I WAS GOING ABOUT 30/40 MPH, AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. AT IMPACT I HIT MY HEAD GOT A CONCUSSION. AFTER IMPACT CAR WAS STILL ACCELERATING, PUT THE CAR IN PARK, REALIZED THE ACCELERATORS STUCK, NOW SMOKE WAS FILLING THE CAR, AND I GOT MY PHONE AND RAN THINKING IT WAS GOING TO EXPLODE, I CALLED 911, THEY ASKED IF THE ENGINE WAS STILL…

Owner-reported narrative. 12,326 miles reported. Look up ODI 10153953 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10233741 · 2008-07-10 (July 10, 2008)

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, …

Owner-reported narrative. 69,270 miles reported. Look up ODI 10233741 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10164811 · 2006-08-07 (August 7, 2006)

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO SECOND GEAR AND IT ACCELERATED BEYOND EFFORT. THE BRAKES AND STEERING FAILED AFTER THIS OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RESTART THE VEHICLE , IT WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE AIR INTAKE HOSE CRACKED AND CAUSED A VACUUM LEAK. THE HOSE WAS REPLACED.

Owner-reported narrative. 13,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10164811 at NHTSA ↗