RoadVitals

1998 Dodge Neon Visibility Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Visibility reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
16
Latest Apr 20, 2004
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
5%
of 339 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Dodge Neon submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 16 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming visibility

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

ElectricalEngineVisibility
Filed Apr 20, 2004

SUN ROOF GLASS CAME OF THE TRACK AND WILL NOT OPEN OR CLOSE. THE TRACK WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES. *AK THE SUNROOF WOULD DRAG AND MAKE KNOCKING NOISES. THE VEHICLE ALSO EXPERIENCED A BATTERY PROBLEM AND OIL LEAKS WHICH HAD COME FROM THE CYLINDER HEAD. *SC *JB

NHTSA ID
10055505
Incident
Feb 7, 2001
Mileage
46,124 mi
Visibility
Filed Jun 25, 2003

AS YOU ARE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE SCREWS THAT HOLD THE LARGE SUNROOF GLASS TO THE VEHICLE VIBRATE OUT CAUSING AT ANY SPEED FOR THE GLASS TO FLAP VIGOROUSLY OF THE TOP OF YOU VEHICLE. NOT ONLY CAUSING POTENTIAL HARM TO PEOPLE BEHIND YOU BUT ALSO DAMAGE TO YOURSELF AND THE SUNROOF ASSEMBLY. *NLM

NHTSA ID
10023784
Incident
Jun 25, 2003
Mileage
40,000 mi
EngineVisibility
Filed Apr 25, 2003

AFTER DRIVING MY NEON FOR ABOUT A YEAR, I AM FINDING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS OTHER OWNERS ARE HAVING. ITEM NUMBER ONE, THE SUN ROOF HAS JUST BEEN REPAIRED. THE LAST ITEM IS THE MOST IMPORTANT. THE HEAD GASKET PROBLEM HAS ARRIVED. FROM WHAT I AM LEARNING, CHRYSLER IS AND HAS BEEN RECEIVING A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS PROBLEM FOR SOME TIME. THE COST IN THE REPAIR IS SOMETHING THAT CHRYSLER DOES NOT WANT TO BEAR. INSTEAD WILL CONTINUE TO PASS IT ON TO IT'S CUSTOMERS. I OWN TWO OTHER CHRYSLER PRODUCTS THAT ARE MUCH NEWER AND THEY TOO ARE TROUBLESOME. *JB

NHTSA ID
10016491
Incident
Apr 22, 2003
EngineTransmissionVisibility
Filed Dec 9, 2002

THE HEAD GASKET FAILED WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL, THE DEALER REPLACED THE HEAD GASKET, HOWEVER AFTER 2103 MILES THE HEAD GASKET FAILED AGAIN. PH. THE TRANSMISSION PAN WAS LEAKING FLUID AND THE WIPER BLADES WAS REPLACED.*JB

NHTSA ID
8023994
Incident
Jan 1, 2002
Mileage
39,640 mi
EngineVisibility
Filed Mar 29, 2002

HEAD GASTKET IS BLOWN, NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. MECHANIC SAID "THERE'S OIL AND COOLANT EVERYWHERE". THIS CAR HAS ONLY 39,000 MILES! I'VE CONTACTED 7 REPAIR SHOPS, AVERAGE COST TO FIX IS $700. THREE MECHANICS TOLD ME THAT THIS PROBLEM IS SO COMMON, THEY CAN'T BELIEVE THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL YET. ONE MECHANIC SAID THAT HE DOES THESE AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM--I ALONE HAVE FOUND NEARLY 100 REPORTS OF THE SAME THING HAPPENING. AS FOR THE SUNROOF...IT BROKE AND WAS REPAIRED IN AUGUST 2000. NOW, JUST OVER A YEAR LATER (NO MORE WARRANTY) THE SAME PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED AGAIN. THERE HAVE BEEN TSB'S ISSUED ON BOTH OF THESE PROBLEMS. A RECALL IS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY.*AK

NHTSA ID
759985
Incident
Feb 15, 2002
Visibility
Filed Jan 23, 2002

SUNROOF MOTOR, GUIDES, AND CABLES MALFUNCTIONED (WOULD NOT OPEN OR CLOSE). REPLACED AT 55,000MI AND COVERED BY CHRYSLER ON 01/23/01. ON 01/18/02 DEALER DIAGNOSED SUNROOF COOMPONENTS NEEDING REPLACED (MOTOR, GUIDES, AND CABLES). CHRYSLER IS REFUSING TO COVER THE REPAIRS BECAUSE THE PARTS WERE GUARANTEED FOR ONE YEAR/12,000 MILES. ALSO, HEAD GASKET FIRST WENT AT 30,000 MILES AND WAS REPLACED. REPLACED AGAIN AT 55,000 MILES. AND AGAIN NEEDS REPLACED AT 80,000. FIRST REPAIRS WERE COVERED BY CUSTOMERS EXTENDED 5YR/75,000 MI WARRENTY.*AK

NHTSA ID
757254
Incident
Aug 31, 2001
Fuel systemVisibility
Filed Aug 8, 2001

I PURCHASED THIS DODGE NEON USED WITH 23,000 MILES. I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH IT SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING. FIRST THE FUEL PUMP WENT OUT. WE HAD CONTINUOUS PROBLEMS WITH OIL LEAKING AND OVERHEATING. THE AIR-CONDITIONING HAS STARTED TO WORK ONLY OCCASSIONALLY. THE SEALS ON THE WINDOWS ARE VERY POOR AND IT ALWAYS SOUNDS LIKE THE WINDOW NEEDS TO BE ROLLED UP. THE TRUNK DIDN'T HAVE ANY SEAL TO PROTECT AGAINST THE RAIN AND MY INTERIOR WAS FLOODED SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE WINTER, OVER A COUPLE OF YEARS UNTIL WE WERE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS. I ACTUALLY HAD TO REMOVE THE BACK SEAT AND ALL INTERIOR CARPET FOR THE RAINY SEASON. NOW THE WATER PUMP AND MY HEAD GASKET HAVE GIVEN OUT. I HAD HEARD ABOUT THE HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS ON MY MANY SERVICE VISITS, BUT ALWAYS HELD OUT HOPE UNTIL NOW THAT IS. THESE REPAIRS WILL COST ME WELL OVER $1,000. AND THE CAR IS BARELY 4 YEARS OLD. VERY BIG MISTAKE I MADE PURCHASING THE DODGE NEON, NOT ONLY IS IT ALWAYS IN NEED OF REPAIR, BUT THEY HAVE THE ABSOLUTE WORSE DEALER CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT I HAVE EVER DEALT WITH. I STOPPED GOING TO DODGE FOR SERVICE AFTER MY FIRST COUPLE OF ENCOUNTERS WITH THEM.

NHTSA ID
750116
Incident
Dec 1, 1998
BrakesElectricalVisibility
Filed May 15, 2001

THIS CAR WAS BROUGHT BRAND NEW AND EVER SINCE I GOT IT IT HAS BEEN A CONSTANT HEADACHE. I HAD HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR AS WELL AS OTHER OWNERS OF DODGE NEONS. I FIND IT VERY ODD AND SUSPICIOUS THAT THESE CARS HAVE NOT BEEN RECALLED TO FIX THEIR POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEMS. I MYSELF, DO NOT INTEND TO LET THIS GO AFTER THE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS I HAVE INVESTED IN THIS CAR. I WILL BE A CONSTANT THORN IN THE SIDE TO CHRYSLER IF THEY DO NOT GET THESE CARS OFF THE STREETS WHERE THEY ARE ENDANGERING THE DRIVERS AS WELL AS OTHER TRAVELING IN OTHER CARS. NO SAFETY DEFEC TLISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK

NHTSA ID
745376
Incident
May 3, 2001
BrakesElectricalEngine+1 more
Filed Jan 29, 2001

MY NEON HAS BEEN REPAIRED FOR SPARK PLUGS, ENGINE MISFIRES, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TRIGGERED, BRAKES ARE VERY NOISY BUT ACCORDING TO DEALERSHIP-NEED NO REPLACEMENT, SUNROOF REPAIRED TWICE; IT FELL OFF TRACK AND WOULDN'T SHUT IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER, RECENTLY THE HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING; WINDOWS LEAK AIR, OXYGEN SENSOR NEEDED REPAIR, WARRANTY HAS PAID FOR ITSELF PLUS MORE.....I AM WAITING FOR THE NEXT PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID
740076
Incident
Dec 1, 1998
Visibility
Filed Aug 15, 2000

SUN ROOF HAD CLOSED UP. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNING BECAUSE TRACK OF SUN ROOF WAS OKAY. THEN, SUN ROOF JUST STOPPED WORKING. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP. MECHANIC TOLD HER THAT DESIGN DOESN'T SUPPORT WINDOW BECAUSE OF HEAVY GLASS. CONSUMER STATED THAT DEALERSHIP MECHANIC DIDN'T FIX VEHICLE. TRACKS OF THE THE SUN ROOF WERE STILL HAVING PROBLEMS. *AK

NHTSA ID
867829
Incident
Jun 23, 2000
Body & structureElectricalEngine+1 more
Filed May 4, 2000

FOR AS MUCH AS I PAY PER MONTH ON THIS VEHICLE, IT HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT CONSTANT PROBLEMS. I AM A SINGLE MOM AND CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE MY ONLY VEHICLE IN THE SHOP EVERY TIME I TURN AROUND. IT SEEMS THAT MOST OF MY PROBLEMS ARE COMMON IN THE NEONS. NO AFETY DEFECT LISTED IN THE SUMMARY. *AK

NHTSA ID
722264
Incident
Apr 21, 2000
Interior & seatsVisibility
Filed Apr 15, 2000

DALER HAS TRIED TO REPAIR THE INTERIOR DOME/MIRROR LIGHTS 4 TIMES.

NHTSA ID
721491
Incident
Jan 18, 2000
Exterior lightingVisibility
Filed Jul 27, 1999

LET WINDOW DOWN AS A RESULT MOISTURE GOT INTO THE CAR FROM RAIN . ALSO, HEADLIGHTS DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. *AK

NHTSA ID
843538
Incident
Jul 16, 1999
Visibility
Filed Jun 9, 1999

AT TIME OF PURCHASE VEHICLE HAD SPOT ON THE WINDSHIELD. VEHICLE HAS BEEN ACID WASHED MORE THAN THREE TIMES, WHEN THE GLASS IS DRY YOU CANNOT SEE SPOTS, DURING RAINY DAYS CONSUMER CANNOT SEE OUT OF WINDSHIELD.

NHTSA ID
839136
Visibility
Filed Feb 1, 1999

WINDOW SWITCH FAILED. *YC

NHTSA ID
606760
Visibility
Filed Jul 6, 1998

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WINDOW EXPLODED IN WARM WEATHER, CAUSING GLASS TO FLY EVERYWHERE. CAUSE OF PROBLEM UNKNOWN. *AK

NHTSA ID
824986

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .