1997 Plymouth Neon Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Neon years
- About as many complaints as other years 4th of 7 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 161 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Plymouth Neon. That ranks 4th out of 7 Neon model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (103 complaints, 64%), typically at around 65,000 miles. Complaints mention 19 crashes, 2 fires, 23 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 161owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 19complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Plymouth Neon problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 103 | 64% | 65,000 | “head gasket” (61%) | $1,300 |
| Air Bags | 16 | 10% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 14 | 9% | 122,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 11 | 7% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 11 | 7% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 9 | 6% | 67,650 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 8 | 5% | 65,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 6 | 4% | 122,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 3% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 3% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 5 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 5 | 3% | 5,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 4 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 2% | 122,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Plymouth Neon recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: The electrical circuit design allows the potential for an inadvertent air bag deployment upon vehicle ignition shut down.
Risk: Unexpected air bag deployment can result in occupant injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the air bag electronic control module with a newly designed module.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Safety belt cinching latch plate (PE02082) — opened Nov 6, 2002, closed Apr 23, 2003.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was in a drive-thru, both frontal airbags deployed. The contact was not in the vehicle when this occurred, but stated nothing was hit or run over. Both front windows shattered and the occupants sustained minor injuries. The vehicle has not been seen by a…
I bought this 1997 plymouth neon on 8/19/2005 used with 66000 miles it seemed like a solid vehicle but in sept/oct we had quite a bit of rain and i noticed puddles in my back seat area on the floor both sides,i checked around the car for open windows ect.....there was nothing i checked the trunk…
Since 2003 this vehicle had small patches and a car wash by hand or brushless and no sun will cause it to peel. The patches have become larger.*jb
Plymouth neon 1997 found paint used to paint neon is defective. *bf the consumer stated it was peeling off in alarmingly large patches. *jb
Car stalled out and stopped on freeway! I was almost rear ended. Stated right up but stalled again. Had it towed to shop (pepboys). They replaced several parts before referring me to dealership as they could not find and fix the problem. Chrysler dealership says it is engine wire harness at $930.00…
Other Plymouth Neon years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 Neon | 49 | 2 |
| 2000 Neon | 141 | 5 |
| 1999 Neon | 62 | 0 |
| 1998 Neon | 167 | 1 |
| 1997 | 161 | 1 |
| 1996 Neon | 308 | 2 |
| 1995 Neon | 481 | 6 |
See all Plymouth Neon problems by year, every Plymouth model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Plymouth models
Embed this 1997 Plymouth Neon badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Plymouth Neon?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, air bags, power train problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 103 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Plymouth Neon?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 Plymouth Neon a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Neon model years, the 1997 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.