Page 3 of 3 · complaints 101–116 of 116

1999 Dodge Neon complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1999 record →

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › GasolineFire
Filed Mar 30, 2000VA

WHILE PARKED WITH THE IGNITION ON VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. EXACT CAUSE OF THE FIRE UNKNOWN, BUT MOST LIKELY DUE TO A LEAK IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT THAT WAS IGNITED, A RESULT OF A DEFECT. CHRYSLER OFFERED TO COVER THE LOAN, BUT IS NOT COMPENSATING FOR LOSS. *AK *ML

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Mar 30, 2000NJ

LEAKING HEAD GASKET. *AK

Steering › Linkages › Knuckle › Spindle › ArmCrash
Filed Mar 29, 2000NY

DAMAGE TO LEFT SIDE OF VEHICLE. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN SUMMARY. *AK

Power Train › Driveline › Driveshaft
Filed Mar 24, 2000PA

SECOND DAMAGE TO DRIVETRAIN WAS NOT COVERED BY MANUFACTURER. *AK

Air Bags › FrontalCrash2 injured
Filed Feb 15, 2000PA

CONSUMER AND A PASSENGER HAD A HEAD ON COLLISON AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, SOME INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. *AK *ML

Air Bags › FrontalCrash
Filed Feb 11, 2000IL

WHILE DRIVING ON A MAIN STREET, TRAVELING 45MPH CONSUMER REARENDED VEHICLE IN FRONT, AND NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. CONTACTED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER.*AK

Electrical System › Ignition › Module
Filed Jan 11, 2000IL

IN RAINY OR WET CONDITIONS VEHICLE STALLS UNEXPECTLY OR LOSES ALL POWER WHICH MAY CAUSE A CRASH. ALSO, SOMETIMES HAS A NO START CONDITION. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Jan 3, 2000PA

WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN UNDER CRUISE CONTROL, IT SPEEDED 11MPH BEYOND SET SPEED. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Oct 7, 1999MD

NOT LONG AFTER CARS ARE BOUGHT THE MOUNTS CRACK AND ALOW THE ENGINE TO MOVE TO MUCH CAUSING CAR TO JERK AROUND, THIS SEEMS TO ME TO BE A DESIGN FLAW .

Suspension
Filed Aug 10, 1999IN

WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, VEHICLE VIBRATES SEVERELY. *AK

Visibility › Rearview Mirrors/Devices › Exterior
Filed Aug 2, 1999OR

CAR WENT THROUGH A CAR WASH AND PASSENGER EXTERIOR MIRROR FELL OFF. DEALER CONTACTED, AND WAS NOT AWARE. REPAIRWORK NOT DONE. NO WARRANTY. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

SuspensionCrash1 injured
Filed Jul 21, 1999UT

WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HWY @ APPRO 70 MPH, THE STEERING COLUMN STARTED TO SHIMMY, AND MY FRONT PASSANGER BLEW. I LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND LANDED IN THE MEDIAN IN APPROX 3 FEET OF WATER. HAD TO TOW THE CAR FOR 50 MILES, BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD THAT THE "BEAD BROKE ON THE TIRE, DUE TO IMPROPER MOUNTING AT THE TIME OF MANUFACTURING." THEN ALMOST IN THE SAME BREATH, I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS MY FAULT, MY TIRE WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER "ROAD HAZARD OR WEAR AND TEAR ON THE TIRE". I WAS THEN TOLD TO TURN IT INTO MY INSURANCE COMPANY, WHICH I DID, AFTER LOSING MY JOB FOR LACK OF TRANSPORTATION. I FILED A DEFECT COMPLAINT WITH GOODYEAR, AND CHRYSLER. CHRYSLER TOLD ME IT WAS UP TO GOODYEAR, WHO IN TURN DENIED MY CLAIM 3 HOURS LATER AFTER I FILED. MY INSURANCE COMPANY TOTALED OUT THE VEHICLE, AND LEFT ME WITH A $400 BALANCE STILL TO PAY ON MY LOAN FOR THE CAR. I UNDERSTAND THAT IN 1997, BOTH MANUFACTURES INVOLVED WERE FORCED TO RECALL APPROX 40,000+ VEHICLES DUE TO THE SAME PROBLEM. EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT PHYSICALLY HURT, THE AMOUNT OF STRESS BOTH FINANCIALY AND MENTALLY HAS BEEN ENORMOUS. PLEASE ADVISE ME ASAP OF WHAT I CAN DO. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P185/65R14 )

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jul 10, 1999MN

THIS CAR "JUMPS" OUT OF GEAR AND HAS DONE THIS TWICE. THE FIRST TIME, I HAD THE CAR IN PARK IN MY DRIVEWAY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT ROLLED FORWARD AND HIT MY GARAGE. THERE WAS SOME DAMAGE, BUT THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT PAY FOR IT. THEY MADE ME FEEL AS THOUGH IT WAS ALL IN MY HEAD. THE SECOND TIME, I WAS DRIVING 75 MILES PER HOUR AND IT WENT INTO NEUTRAL. THE DEALERSHIP IS NOT AWARE OF THIS. I DID NOT TELL THEM YET BECAUSE THEY DO NOT BELIEVE ME AND THEY TELL ME EVERYTHING IS FINE. THE LOUD "CHIRPING" NOISE IS SUPPOSEDLY COMING FROM THE DASH. THEY HAVE NOT FIXED IT BECAUSE THEY DO NOT KNOW WHERE IN THE DASH IT IS. HELP!!!

Electrical System › Horn
Filed Jun 9, 1999TX

HORN DOES NOT WORK AND HAS NEVER WORKED, AT ALL. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK

Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System1 injured
Filed May 10, 1999CT

VENTILLATION SYSTEM OF THE VEHICLE DOES NOT CONTAIN AN AIR CIRCULATION SWITCH TO SHUT OFF EXTERIOR AIR FLOW TO PREVENT EXTERIOR EXHAUST AND AIR FROM ENTERING VEHICLE, RESULTING IN NAUSEA AND HEADACHES TO CONSUMER.

Seats › Front Assembly › ReclinerCrash1 injured
Filed Mar 27, 1999FL

THE VEHICLE WAS STRUCK FROM BEHIND IN THE LEFT REAR. THE NEON WAS MOVING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AND THE VEHICLE WHICH HIT THE NEON WAS MOVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30-35 MPH. UPON IMPACT, THE DRIVERS SEATBACK COLLAPSED, AND THE HEAD RESTRAINT STOPPED ON THE BACK SEAT. NECK STRAIN TO THE DRIVER, RESULTED FROM THIS INCIDENT. DRIVER WAS LOOKING UP AT THE CEILING OF THE NEON WHEN HE RESUMED CONSCIOUSNESS. THE VEHICLE WAS A RENTAL. *AK

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Full record for the 1999 Dodge Neon → · Every Neon year → · How the figures are calculated →