Dodge Neon Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 1,259 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the Dodge Neon across 11 model years. The 1996 model year has the most (340). The words owners use most often: “head gasket” (48% of reports).
- 1,259engine and engine cooling complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 20mention a crash
- 9mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,250typical repair cost reported by owners
- 39%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 604 of 1,259 complaints (48%)
- Oil leak: mentioned in 115 of 1,259 complaints (9%)
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 Dodge Neon at $1,250, and half of them between $1,000 and $1,750.
Based on 81 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (1998–2009), 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 161 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 1,259 complaints, 20 mention a crash, 21 a fire, 9 an injury.
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 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.
Upon warming the car before driving to work windows steamed up badly i thought it was because of cold temp outside. This happened throughout the winter. Always having a sweet taste in my mouth took the car back to the dealer where i bought it there said the heater core was leaking would have to…
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge neon. The contact stated that while driving, the transmission shifted in and out of drive. In addition, there was a transmission fluid spill. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who performed a diagnostic that located the failure at the radiator. The radiator…
The neon was driving down the road when i lost acceleration and it spewed transmission fluid (and mixed with what i later found out was cooling fluid) all over the road. The car could no longer accelerate and is inoperable. The mechanic later determined that the radiator had failed and leaked…
My 2005 dodge neon, began accelerating all by it self. I was not giving it gas and applying the brakes. I pulled into my driveway, it kept going, i went through my garage door. I tried to put the car in park, but the garage door slowed me down, and i then put the car in park. I read on line this…
Engine blowing due to rings deteriorating before reaching 100,000 miles. Compression low, car shakes, close to stalling out. Harder to start. Only way to fix is by replacing engine. Have seen thousands of references to this on many dodge forums and other sites. Does not just include the 03 neon…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Dodge Neons have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 1,259 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the Dodge Neon. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Dodge Neon engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the Dodge Neon?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,250 (half paid between $1,000 and $1,750), from 81 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the Dodge Neon?
The most frequent phrase is “head gasket”, in 604 of 1,259 complaints, followed by “oil leak” (115).
Other Dodge Neon problems
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems (489)
- Electrical System problems (449)
- Air Bags problems (411)
- Power Train problems (332)
- Steering problems (243)
- Structure problems (190)
- Exterior Lighting problems (164)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (149)
See all Dodge Neon problems.