AI Damage1998 Plymouth Neon: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Plymouth Neon filed 167 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 167
- involving a crash
- 20
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 54% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 11% of all complaints
- 3 Suspension 8% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 6% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 5% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 5% of all complaints
- 8 Electrical system 4% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 91 complaints (54% of all).
- Air bags: 18 complaints (11% of all), 14 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 14 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 12 complaints (7% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 10 complaints (6% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 167 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 91 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 18 | 14 | 0 |
| Suspension | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The passenger door would not open due to the fender being jammed back into the door. The bumper is dangling about 4-5 inches from where it should be. The passenger and driver injured their knees on the dash when they slid forward from the impact. The seat belts held.
Vehicle was involved in a frontal collision 0f 30-40 mph and front structure was damaged, poorly designed. Dealer and manufacturer were not notified at this time. Feel free to provide any further informatiom concerning this matter.
Both frontal air bags failed to deploy during this crash, and there were no injuries to report. Vehicle has not been examined to determine a cause for problem with air bags. Please provide any additional information / documentation.
This car was owned by my sister, who died as a result of this accident. Please contact me as I would like an investigation of this car.
It is a grinding noise. The air bags did not deploy in a collision. The dealership advises that I 'just go buy a battery.' I think it is unreasonable for a car to have these problems after two years, although the mileage is high, these are not hard miles in my opinion.
Upon impact with deer, air bags failed to deploy. Vehicle towed to body shop. While at body shop for repairs, mechanic could not find location of air bag sensors. Found wiring harness for air bags. 1 injury. No emergency room treatment.
In a rear end collsion the driver's and passenger's seatbacks broke, causing both to fall backwards, which may cause injuries to occupant in the rear of the vehicle. Manufacturer stated thats the way the seat were designe caused the problem. . Please provide further information.
While applying brakes in a routine stop, brakes failed to respond, resulting in an accident. .dealer noted problem was driver error.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 2,402 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 7% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Neon has 153 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 167, about average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Plymouth Neon?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, air bags, suspension. Total complaints: 167. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: oil leak or consumption (17%), airbags did not deploy (5%), knocking, grinding or other noise (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Plymouth Neon?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1998 Plymouth Neon from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1998 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.