Problems · NHTSA complaints
2001 Plymouth Neon problems
Owners filed 49 complaints about the 2001 Plymouth Neon with NHTSA between Jan 2001 and May 2017. The most-cited component is service brakes, hydraulic (14).
Complaints
49
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
15
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
5
People reported injured
Deaths
1
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Service brakes, hydraulic14
- Air bags12
- Electrical system7
- Engine and engine cooling6
- Structure5
- Tires4
- Suspension3
- Seat belts3
- Equipment3
- Fuel system, gasoline3
- Power train2
- Steering2
- Vehicle speed control2
- Engine1
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 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
13
7
9
4
6
4
0
2
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
2
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 13 |
| 2002 | 7 |
| 2003 | 9 |
| 2004 | 4 |
| 2005 | 6 |
| 2006 | 4 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
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
14 reports1 crash1 related recall
“BROKEN TIE ROD ENDS BOTH SIDES, TRANSMISSION FAILURE, HEAD GASKET FAILURE, READ DOOR DRIVER'S SIDE WILL NOT CLOSE AT ALL, TRUNK WILL NOT UNLOCK WITH KEY, BRAKES WEAR EVERY 3 TO 4 MONTHS, HIGH RATE OF OIL BURN OFF. THE CAR HAD LESS THAN 60,000 MILES ON IT. *TR”
Air bags
12 reports11 crashes
“I HAD HIT THE SIDE OF A VAN WITH THE FRONT OF MY VEHICLE, I WAS BRAKING WHEN I HIT HIM SO I COULD HAVE BEEN GOING BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH. MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *NM”
Electrical system
7 reports1 crash1 fire
“MY VECHILE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP MORE THE 20 TIMES. MOST OF THE PARTS WHERE REPAIRED MORE THEN THREE TIME. RECENTLY MY CAR FAILED CHECK. I WANT OUT OF THE CAR BECAUSE THIS CAR IS UNSAFE IT BREAKS EVERY THREE WEEKS TO EVERY THREE TO FOUR MONTHS. *AK”
Engine and engine cooling
6 reports1 crash
“CONSUMER REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR RECALL REPAIR DONE ON THEIR 2001 PLYMOUTH NEON. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE RECALL PROBLEM BEFORE THE RECALL WAS RECEIVED AND WOULD LIKE REIMBURSEMENT. *KB THE VALVE COVER GASKET WAS REPLACED. *JB”
Structure
5 reports
“A MECHANIC WAS CHECKING THE FRONT SUSPENSION OF MY CAR WHILE PERFORMING A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE WHEN HE NOTICED AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF RUST AND SEVERAL CRACKS FORMING IN THE SUB FRAME. *TR”
Tires
4 reports1 crash
“CONSTANT PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE SINCE TIME OF PURCHASE WHEN IT ONLY HAD 500 MILES & WAS SUPPOSED TO BE "NEW". IT'S THE WORST VEHICLE I'VE EVER OWNED. I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND THIS HEADACHE TO ANYONE!”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.