Your vehicle report
1998 Dodge Neon
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 339
- Received Feb 1998 to Nov 2015
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Head gasket leaks coolant into engine94 complaints · 28% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Airbags fail to deploy in crashes29 complaints · 8.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Water leaks into cabin during rain15 complaints · 4.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #99V001000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The rear suspension crossmember may be missing spot welds.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 43 crashes, 3 fires, 46 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
- Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly
- Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed
- Steering wheel clunks or clicks when turning
1 more problem
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 13 |
| 1999 | 65 |
| 2000 | 70 |
| 2001 | 70 |
| 2002 | 45 |
| 2003 | 42 |
| 2004 | 16 |
| 2005 | 6 |
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 339 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 94 | 28% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 29 | 8.6% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 15 | 4.4% | – | |
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 15 | 4.4% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 8 | 2.4% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 6 | 1.8% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 5 | 1.5% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 5 | 1.5% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 5 | 1.5% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 5 | 1.5% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 4 | 1.2% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 4 | 1.2% | – | |
| Steering wheel clunks or clicks when turning | 4 | 1.2% | – | |
| Paint peels off roof and hood | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Air conditioner blows hot air or fails | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 3 | 0.9% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #99V001000January 7, 19993,683 vehicles affected
structure: body
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The rear suspension crossmember may be missing spot welds.
This condition Can result in structural cracks in the body, and reduced crash protection in the event of a rear impact.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the vehicles for any missing welds, and will have structural rivets installed in place of the missing welds.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1998 Dodge Neon.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN