AI Damage2000 Plymouth Neon: common problems
Owners of the 2000 Plymouth Neon filed 141 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 141
- involving a crash
- 29
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 26% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 16% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 14% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 13% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 9% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 8% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 36 complaints (26% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 23 complaints (16% of all), 17 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 20 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 18 complaints (13% of all), 8 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 15 complaints (11% of all).
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 141 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 36 | 5 | 0 |
| Air bags | 23 | 17 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 20 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 18 | 8 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 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.
Filled gas tank to full, as exiting the gas station hit small bump car dead stopped. Was stopped immediately by the gas tank slamming to the ground lifting the car. The cars engine immediately shut down. Got out and looked at the car. Gas was leaking on ground (small amount) from the return line.
I have to replace the tires every 3 months and a/c went out 3 years after I bought the car. I haven't fixed the a./c compressor the cassette tape player stopped working after I bought the car and it's still broke. The bulbs in the lens of the light are very dim can't drive at night.
Upon impact, both frontal air bags failed to deploy. Driver sustained minor injuries. Vehicle was towed to a garage. This information was provided by jason mother joyce betrial.
My air bags didn't deploy. I didn't even scratch the other vehicle but within seconds a fire started coming out where the windshield wipers were, in a matter of minutes my car was enguled. The front of my car had little damage but the fire engulfed the rest.
Upon impact, airbags did not deploy. Driver sustained injuries, and vehicle was totaled.
While traveling approximately 30 mph was unable to slow or stop vehicle due to sudden brake failure. She drove vehicle up onto an embankment to stop vehicle. Dealership that examined vehicle found a hose for brake booster caming loose, resulting in brake failure.
Both frontal air bags failed to deploy during this crash. Vehicle has not been examined by dealership or insurance company. *note: passenger has experienced back pain since this incident happened. Please provide any additional information / attachments.
Consumer was traveling 55-60mph slid on some black ice, sliding almosts 550 feet, and accelerator got stuck and hit a light pole in center of road. Manufacturer will conduct an investigation. Vehicle was totalled by insurance company.
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 2,778 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 8% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Neon has 153 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 141, about average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2000 Plymouth Neon?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, air bags, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 141. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (9%), knocking, grinding or other noise (7%), seat belts (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2000 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 2000 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 2000 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 2026-11-05.