1996 Plymouth Neon Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 167 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1996 Plymouth Neon, 54% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 70,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “head gasket” (50% of reports).
- 167engine and engine cooling complaints
- 70,000median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,500typical repair cost reported by owners
- 23%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 83 of 167 complaints (50%)
- Leaking oil: mentioned in 26 of 167 complaints (16%)
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 Plymouth Neon at $1,500, and half of them between $1,200 and $2,300.
Based on 12 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (1999–2004), 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 9 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 167 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 4 an injury.
Plymouth 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 Plymouth 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.
The car was run for 45mins at 10mph following a tractor. The last 2 miles were at 55mph. A few minutes after the vehicle was home and the engine turned off, the engine compartment caught on fire. All wiring and plastic components are a complete loss, hood is damaged, and all light units are ruined…
Consumer is experiencing problems getting her 1996 plymouth neon registered because it allegedly failed to pass a smog check.*mr in september 200 the vehicle passed the test. In september 2003 the consumer received a letter from the manufacturer advising her that her make/model had been recalled…
Vehicle stalled unexpectedly at various speeds when on the road. Occasionally, the left turn signal did not operate, which did not inform other drivers when making turns. Cruise control did not operate, as well preventing the vehicle from increasing or decreasing speed.*ak
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1996 Plymouth Neons have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 167 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 1996 Plymouth Neon (54% of the 308 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 Plymouth 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 70,000 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 Plymouth Neon?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,500 (half paid between $1,200 and $2,300), 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 1996 Plymouth Neon?
The most frequent phrase is “head gasket”, in 83 of 167 complaints, followed by “leaking oil” (26).
See all 1996 Plymouth Neon problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Neon years.