1998 Dodge Neon Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 199 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Dodge Neon, 59% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 49,284 miles. The words owners use most often: “head gasket” (50% of reports).
- 199engine and engine cooling complaints
- 49,284median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,450typical repair cost reported by owners
- 56%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 100 of 199 complaints (50%)
- Oil leak: mentioned in 23 of 199 complaints (12%)
- Summary listed: mentioned in 15 of 199 complaints (8%)
- Provide further: mentioned in 15 of 199 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 1998 Dodge Neon at $1,450, and half of them between $920 and $1,850.
Based on 12 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (1999–2007), 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 22 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 199 complaints, 3 mention a crash.
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 1998 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 1998 dodge neon. The speedometer isnt operating normally and doesn't display the speed; however, if you tap on the dashboard it began operating normally. The inoperable speedometer is a safety issue since it doesn't display the correct speed. The heat gauge also failed to show…
The 1998 dodge neon is notorious for faulty head gaskets. The problem is first noticed by an oil leak and the vehicle overheating. The head gaskets are expensive to replace. After the car gets hot, it stalls at every intersection and every time the vehicle starts to slow down or is placed in…
I purchased a 1998 neon espresso in june of 2004. On about july 2004 my car died. I had it towed and had over $1,800 of engine work done. After work was done they stated my rear seal was leaking and wanted over $600 to repair this.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Dodge Neons have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 199 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 1998 Dodge Neon (59% of the 339 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 1998 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 49,284 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 1998 Dodge Neon?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,450 (half paid between $920 and $1,850), from 12 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Dodge Neon?
The most frequent phrase is “head gasket”, in 100 of 199 complaints, followed by “oil leak” (23).
See all 1998 Dodge Neon problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Neon years.