1996 Dodge Neon Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 340 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1996 Dodge Neon, 56% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 75,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “head gasket” (54% of reports).
- 340engine and engine cooling complaints
- 75,000median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,200typical repair cost reported by owners
- 40%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Head gasket: mentioned in 185 of 340 complaints (54%)
- Oil leak: mentioned in 35 of 340 complaints (10%)
- Provide further: mentioned in 27 of 340 complaints (8%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the 1996 Dodge Neon at $1,200, and half of them between $870 and $1,500.
Based on 23 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (1998–2004), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 10 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 340 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 2 a fire.
Dodge Neon engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 1996 Dodge Neon. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 dodge neon. The contact stated that all braking function was lost while driving at an unknown speed. She stated that in order to stop the vehicle she had to engage the emergency brake. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop who diagnosed that the rotors, brake…
I have had ongoing problems with my 1996 dodge neon sport, it has been inoperable for the last year or so, due to electrical problems and stalling which i believe stem from the wiring harness. I have had the brakes replaced a few times, the a/c replaced, fuel injection acts up and the fuel gauge…
Purchased in july of 1996 only put on 26,345 miles motor mount repaired twice,brakes front replaced they were completly gone ,back brakes are no good need to be replaced, high pitch squealing comes from them ,oil gasgets had to be replaced, stearing to a hard right or left you get a grinding noise…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1996 Dodge Neons have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 340 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 1996 Dodge Neon (56% of the 611 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Dodge Neon engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 75,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the 1996 Dodge Neon?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,200 (half paid between $870 and $1,500), from 23 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1996 Dodge Neon?
The most frequent phrase is “head gasket”, in 185 of 340 complaints, followed by “oil leak” (35).
Other 1996 Dodge Neon problems
See all 1996 Dodge Neon problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Neon years.