Problems · NHTSA complaints

1996 Plymouth Neon problems

Owners filed 309 complaints about the 1996 Plymouth Neon with NHTSA between Feb 1996 and Feb 2022. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (163).

Complaints
309
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
32
Reported by owners
Fires
11
Reported by owners
Injuries
31
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine and engine cooling163
  2. Electrical system45
  3. Service brakes, hydraulic32
  4. Power train25
  5. Air bags21
  6. Fuel system, gasoline14
  7. Steering12
  8. Visibility11
  9. Equipment11
  10. Exterior lighting10
  11. Vehicle speed control9
  12. Structure7
  13. Suspension5
  14. Seat belts4

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

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 31, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
199617
199719
199829
199961
200078
200142
200226
200314
200412
20054
20063
20072
20080
20090
20100
20110
20120
20130
20140
20150
20160
20170
20180
20190
20200
20211
20221

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine and engine cooling

163 reports3 crashes3 fires
“THE CAR WAS RUN FOR 45MINS AT 10MPH FOLLOWING A TRACTOR. THE LAST 2 MILES WERE AT 55MPH. A FEW MINUTES AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS HOME AND THE ENGINE TURNED OFF, THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT ON FIRE. ALL WIRING AND PLASTIC COMPONENTS ARE A COMPLETE LOSS, HOOD IS DAMAGED, AND ALL LIGHT UNITS ARE RUINED. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 1, 2007Engine and engine coolingFire reportedODI 10198159

Electrical system

45 reports1 crash1 fire1 related recall
“I was driving when the instrument cluster gauges started moving up and down like if the instrument cluster was making false contact with the connector to get a calibrated read on the speed, gasoline, temperature gauges”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 31, 2021Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Unknown or otherODI 11445703

Service brakes, hydraulic

32 reports5 crashes1 related recall
“OIL LEAKS, DASHBOARD FAILURE, NOISE IN BRAKES, WIND NOISE IN PASSENGERS DOOR. HAVE REPLACED VALVE COVER GASKET TWICE, REPLACED OIL SENDIND UNIT,CAM SENSOR WAS REPLACED NOW I HAVE A BIG OIL LEAK, CAR ONLY HAS 45000 MILES ON IT. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 28, 2004Service brakes, hydraulic, Engine and engine cooling, Electrical systemODI 10100675

Power train

25 reports2 crashes
“CONSUMER 1996 PLYMOUTH NEON PCM HAD TO BE REPROGRAMMED CAUSING COMER VEHICLE TO FAIL EMISSIONS. *TS THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE FAILED STATE EMISSION INSPECTION BECAUSE THE VEHICLE'S READINESS CODES WERE CLEARED EACH TIME THE KEY WAS TURNED TO THE OFF POSITION. THE CONSUMER FOUND A TSB WHICH STATED THAT THE PCM MUST BE REPROGRAMMED TO REMEDY THE CONDITION. AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO GET THE LOCAL DEALER TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE ELSEWHERE WHERE THE PCM WAS REPROGRAMMED AT NO CHARGE. *NM”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 3, 2006Power trainODI 10147566

Air bags

21 reports18 crashes1 fire
“ON EVERY PLYMOUTH NEON IN THE COLOR OF BLUE, THE PAINT IS CHIPPING FROM THE HOOD TO THE TRUNK. ALSO, WHEN IT RAINS, THE INSIDE OF THE CAR ON THE FLOORS AND IN THE TRUNK GETS WET AND IN ORDER TO GET THE WATER OUT, IT HAS TO BE VACUUMED. I BELIEVE THAT SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS. AFTER HAVING TO INVEST A LOT OF MONEY IN SOMETHING THAT YOU EXPECT TO HAVE FOR MANY YEARS, THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING UNLESS IT IS CAUSED BY YOU.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 17, 2005Air bagsODI 10125664

Fuel system, gasoline

14 reports4 fires
“MY NEON HAS BEEN INTERMITTENTLY STALLING OUT WHEN SLOWING FOR STOPS, STARTING THE VEHICLE AND INTERMITTENTLY WHEN I AM AT IDLE. THIS BECOMES AN ISSUE WHEN I AM PULLING OFF THE HIGHWAY AND THE CAR STALLS, THUS MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR VEHICLES BEHIND ME TO STOP IN TIME. NO CRASHES HAVE INCURRED YET, BUT THEY ARE POSSIBLE. I HAVE TAKEN IT IN 3 TIMES NOW TO LEBANON CHRYSLER-PLYMOUTH FOR REPAIR. 11-19: FUEL PUMP AND VARIOUS CABLES REPLACED. PROBLEM RETURNED. !2-31: IDLE MEMORY NEEDED TO BE RESET. 1-2-02: THROTTLE BODY AND THERMOSTAT NEED REPLACED...ALL OF THESE ITEMS WERE COMPLETED ON DIFFERENT DATES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. MY CAR IS CURRENTLY AT LEBANON CHRYSLER AND HOPEFULLY THE PROBLEM WILL BE FIXED COMPLETELY THIS TIME, BUT IT HAS BEEN A SAFETY ISSUE WHILE I DRIVE. I LEAVE SUFFICIENT DISTANCE BETWEEN MYSELF AND OTHER VEHICLES, BUT I CANNOT PREDICT HOW OTHERS WILL DRIVE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP. LISA BRADY. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 2, 2002Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, gasolineODI 756302
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 31, 2026

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