1998 Plymouth Neon

Typical pattern

13.4% of complaints about the 1998 Plymouth Neon came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 1998 vehicle — around the middle of the 180 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 3.7 yr in service. The most-reported system is engine cooling (80 complaints), typically at 3.9 yr or about 63,000 miles.

Complaints: 187
Median age at failure: 3.7 yr
Median mileage: 66,123 n=33
Crash / fire / tow: 15.5% of reports
Safety recalls: 1

In owners’ own words

Engine cooling mileage not reported 7 mo in service

WHILE DRIIVNG THE VEHICLE A POPPING SOUND CAME FROM THE RIGHT FRONT END OF VEHICLE. THE DRIVER WOULD ALSO GET A VIBRATION WHEN USING THE GAS/ BRAKE PEDAL. DEALER FOUND THAT THE STRUT MOUNTS AND SHOCKS WERE LO0SE. THERE WAS ALSO A LACK OF LUBRICATION ON THE BALL JOINTS WHICH CAUSED THE NOISE AND VIBRATION. PROBLEM HAS BEEN CORRECTED. *AK

Engine cooling mileage not reported 4 mo in service

VEHICLE BEEN EXPERIENCING VARIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE FOLLOWING: 1. SUN ROOF LEAKING; 2. SPARK PLUGS FAILED, AND HAD TO BE REPLACED ON TWO OCCASIONS WITHIN A YEAR; 3. OXYGEN SENSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED ON TWO OCCASIONS ; 4. THE HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED DUE TO FAILURE; 5. THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A BROKEN BOLT, CAUSING ENGINE TO OVERHEAT, WHICH RESULTS IN INTERMITTENT STALLING. CAN NHTSA PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THIS MATTER. *AK *ML

Engine cooling mileage not reported 4 mo in service

VEHICLE BEEN EXPERIENCING VARIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE FOLLOWING: 1. SUN ROOF LEAKING; 2. SPARK PLUGS FAILED, AND HAD TO BE REPLACED ON TWO OCCASIONS WITHIN A YEAR; 3. OXYGEN SENSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED ON TWO OCCASIONS ; 4. THE HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED DUE TO FAILURE; 5. THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A BROKEN BOLT, CAUSING ENGINE TO OVERHEAT, WHICH RESULTS IN INTERMITTENT STALLING. CAN NHTSA PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THIS MATTER. *AK *ML

Air bags mileage not reported 1.0 yr in service crash / fire / tow

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL IMPACT AT 20-25 MPH AND NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. DEALER IS NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

Other Neon model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

1998 Plymouth Neon

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Neon model years

How to read this