Problems · by component

1998 Dodge Neon air bags problems

35 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1998 Dodge Neon cite air bags, 10% of all 351 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
35
10% of all complaints
Crashes
31
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
25
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the air bags

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“I HAD AN CAR WRECK IN MY 1998 DODGE NEON (BLUE) IN NOVEMBER 24,2002 DUE TO THE BREAKS & THE TIRES & THE AIR BAG DID NOT COME OUT WHEN I WRECK & I GOT STUCK IN MY SEAT BELT OUT THE CAR WRECK & THEN I HAD ANOTHER 1999 DODGE NEON (WHITE) & I HAD CAR PROBLEMS WITH IT TO”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 5, 2015Air bags, Wheels, Service brakesCrash reportedODI 10788687
“1998 DODGE NEON WAS FORCED OFF THE ROADWAY BY A MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE THAT TURNED ACROSS 19 YEAR OLD FEMALE DRIVERS LANE OF TRAVEL. SIDESWIPE CAUSED LEFT FRONT CONTROL ARM TO COLLAPSE, VEHICLE BRIEFLY BOTTOMED ONTO PAVEMENT, LEAVING A SHORT DISTANCE GOUGE MARK. THE NEON THEN JUMPED ONTO A CURB AND IMPACTED A UTILITY POLE HEAD ON AT AN ESTIMATED 27-35MPH IMPACT SPEED. THIS ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON NELLIS BOULEVARD IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA. THE FRONTAL IMPACT AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, FEMALE DRIVER HAD SEVERE NECK INJURIES THAT RESULTED IN A STROKE AND PERMANENT DISABILITY. TRW CLAIMS THE SYSTEM PERFORMED EXACTLY AS DESIGNED. THEY CLAIM THEIR 1998 VEAM CRASH SENSING ALGORITHM ASCERTAINED THAT THE DRIVER WOULD HAVE BEEN OUT OF POSITION AT THE TIME OF THE UTILITY POLE IMPACT AND THE DEPOWERED AIRBAG WOULD HAVE CAUSED MORE HARM THAN GOOD. I AM THE EXPERT WITNESS ON THIS CASE FOR THE PLAINTIFF AGAINST TRW. THIS DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THE SENSING SYSTEM IS AN INDICATION OF WHY THIS SUBJECT VEHICLE AND ITS SIMILAR MODEL YEARS HAS AN EXORBITANTLY HIGH NUMBER OF NON DEPLOYMENT OF FRONT AIRBAGS COMPLAINTS IN THE NHTSA COMPLAINTS DATABASE COMPARED TO ITS PEERS. I AM REPORTING THIS AT…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 11, 2014Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10621563
“DT: THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER WAS INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT ON OCTOBER 7, 2005. UPON IMPACT, THE FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THIS WAS FRONT END COLLISION. HAS NOT CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AT THIS POINT. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 11, 2005Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10139244
“IN APRIL ON 2002 MY AIR BAG LIGHT WENT ON, I BROUGHT IT IN TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED A CLOCKSPRING FOR IT, I DECLINED TO HAVE IT REPAIR AS IT WAS NOT A COVERED ITEM. IN JUNE 2002 MY CRUISE CONTROL WENT OUT, AFTER BRINGING IT IN TO THE DEALER AGAIN I WAS TOLD IN WAS THE CLOCKSPRING, AGAIN I DECLINED REPAIR AS IT WASN'T COVERED. IN SEPT2002 MY HORN WENT AGAIN I WAS TIOLD THAT IT WAS THE CLOCKSPRING. STILL NOT COVERED BUT NOW I HAVE TO GET IT FIXED. THE PART WAS BACK ODERED DURING THIS TIME A SAFTEY RECALL WAS ISSUSED AND CHRYSLER SAID THAT THEY WOULD PAY FOR REPAIRS. ON 12-10-2002 I BROUGHT MY CAR IN TO THE DEALER TO REPAIR THE CLOCKSPRING WELL NOW MY HORN AND CRUISE WORK BUT THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS STILL ON. NOW I'M TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT I NEED A NEW AIR BAG AGAIN NOT COVERED ITEMED, I DECLINED REPAIR. I WANT TO FIND OUT IF THE AIR BAG AND THE CLOCKSPRING FAILURE ARE CONNECTED IN SOME WAY.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 11, 2002Air bagsODI 10000018
“CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN HIT AT 30MPH IN THE FRONT CENTER OF THE VEHICLE THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY CAUSING MINOR INJURIES TO THE CONSUMER. DEALER NOTIFIED TF”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 20, 2002Air bagsCrash reportedODI 8023048
“WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE T-BONED ANOTHER VEHICLE AND AIRBAGS DIDNOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. PASSENGER WAS INJURED.CONTACTED DEALER. PLEASE ADD VIN. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 23, 2002Air bagsCrash reportedODI 8002729

Showing 6 of 35 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 7, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Other 1998 Neon problem areas