Problems · NHTSA complaints
2000 Plymouth Neon problems
Owners filed 140 complaints about the 2000 Plymouth Neon with NHTSA between Aug 1999 and Feb 2020. The most-cited component is service brakes, hydraulic (35).
Complaints
140
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
29
Reported by owners
Fires
5
Reported by owners
Injuries
23
People reported injured
Deaths
3
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Service brakes, hydraulic35
- Air bags23
- Engine and engine cooling19
- Vehicle speed control18
- Electrical system15
- Structure13
- Steering11
- Suspension10
- Power train10
- Seat belts7
- Fuel system, gasoline6
- Exterior lighting5
- Equipment4
- Visibility3
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
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
5
19
37
19
14
17
7
2
0
4
3
3
1
1
0
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 5 |
| 2000 | 19 |
| 2001 | 37 |
| 2002 | 19 |
| 2003 | 14 |
| 2004 | 17 |
| 2005 | 7 |
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 4 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 3 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
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.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Service brakes, hydraulic
35 reports5 crashes1 related recall
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 PLYMOUTH NEON. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE CONTACT CHANGED GEARS INTO REVERSE AND THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. SHE RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND SHIFTED INTO PARK; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. THE BRAKES FAILED TO WORK WHEN THE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SHIFT INTO PARK, BUT THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF A FEW MINUTES LATER. SHE WAITED A WHILE BEFORE RESTARTING THE VEHICLE AND IT RETURNED TO NORMAL. SHE WILL TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 100,000.”
Air bags
23 reports17 crashes1 fire1 related recall
“2000 NEON MY AIR BAGS AND CRUISE CONTROL AND HORN ARE NOT WORKING. I NEED A CLOCKSPRING ASSEMBLY AND THIS HAS HAPPEN TO OTHER CAR SAME YR AND THEY WILL NOT DO ANY THING ABOUT IT CAN YOU HELP ME. *TR”
Engine and engine cooling
19 reports1 crash
“I HAVE A 2000 PLYMOUTH NEON AND I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE CAR STALLS AND WAS LEAKING WATER FROM THE SIDE OF THE MOTOR I GET OUT TO CHECK IT CAR WAS IN PARK BUT THE CAR STARTED ROLLING AND RAN OVER MY FOOT. *TR”
Vehicle speed control
18 reports8 crashes1 fire1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACTS OWNS A 2000 PLYMOUTH NEON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME DETACHED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. NEITHER MANUFACTURER NOR THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 175,550.”
Electrical system
15 reports4 fires
“I STARTED MY CAR GETTING READY TO LEAVE MY HOUSE AT NIGHT, TURNED ON THE HEADLIGHTS AFTER STARTING. THEN I SMELLED A PLASTIC BURNING SMELL AND SHORTLY SMOKE BEGAN TO COME OUT OF THE AREA AROUND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND STEERING WHEEL. I TURNED OFF THE LIGHTS AND THE CAR BUT SMOKE STILL CAME OUT. I POPPED THE HOOD AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY, THEN THE SMOKE EVENTUALLY STOPPED. LATER I FOUND THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH CONNECTOR MELTED AND BURNED UP, THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS FIRE IF I HAD NOT CAUGHT IT IN TIME.”
Structure
13 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 200 PLYMOUTH NEON. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOWERED TO THE GROUND AND BOTH FRONT TIRES BLEW OUT. THE CONTACTED CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WHO DETERMINED THAT THE JACK WENT THROUGH THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.”
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.