What breaks most · 1993 to 2005 model years
Dodge Neon problems by year
Owners have filed 3,489 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Dodge Neon across model years 1993 to 2005. Three years stand out: 1995 for engine and cooling complaints, 1996 for engine and cooling complaints and 1997 for engine and cooling complaints. The quietest years are 1993, 1994 and 1999.
- Years to check closely: 1995, 1996, 1997
- Fewest complaints: 1993, 1994, 1999
- Complaints on file
- 34891993 to 2005, all trims
- Worst year
- 1995976 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 486117 fires · 409 injuries · 28 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 60kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 75Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Air bags (1) | |
| 9 | 2 | 0 | Speed control and throttle (2) | |
| 976 | 130 | 11 | Engine and cooling (294) | |
| 611 | 46 | 7 | Engine and cooling (340) | |
| 390 | 44 | 6 | Engine and cooling (222) | |
| 339 | 43 | 6 | Engine and cooling (199) | |
| 116 | 21 | 4 | Engine and cooling (55) | |
| 337 | 74 | 11 | Air bags (71) | |
| 146 | 35 | 10 | Air bags (33) | |
| 173 | 26 | 6 | Powertrain and transmission (36) | |
| 202 | 23 | 5 | Electrical system (72) | |
| 94 | 19 | 5 | Powertrain and transmission (23) | |
| 95 | 23 | 4 | Speed control and throttle (15) |
What fails on the 1995 Dodge Neon
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 30% |
294 | 5 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 1995 Dodge Neon |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 21% |
208 | 25 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 1995 Dodge Neon |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 13% |
124 | 25 | Shop steering parts for the 1995 Dodge Neon |
| Air bags | 11% |
106 | 64 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 10% |
98 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 1995 Dodge Neon |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 10% |
93 | 5 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 5% |
47 | 6 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 5% |
46 | 1 | Shop fuel system parts for the 1995 Dodge Neon |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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The consumer took the vehicle into the mechanic and was told that the had gone bad. Water seeped into the tank</a>. While driving consumer heard a clanking noise that came from the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle over heated. Please provide any further information. *jb *tc
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Consumer stated while traveling on the highway at 60 mph vehicle buckled, then shut off. Consumer had to pull to the side. He had to wait about 3-5 minutes before vehicle restarted. Consumer was told by mechanic this was a common problem with this make and model vehicle.*ak
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Safety/emissions reprt states recall on my vehicle/ defect number: dr-1158. The solid state fan relay may fail because of heat rellated electrical over stress causing the fan to stop and the vehicle to over heat.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Dodge Neon years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1995, 1996, 1997 carry the most filings on the Dodge Neon. The 1995 alone has 976 complaints, led by engine and cooling.
What is the most common Dodge Neon problem?
On the 1995 model year, the most-reported component is engine and cooling with 294 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Dodge Neon problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Dodge Neon complaints that include mileage is about 60,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.