1994 Plymouth Neon Highline 4 Door review from North America

My 1995 Neon was/is my first car and I never had many complaints until it reached about 100,000 miles.

At <100,000 miles the rear struts began to malfunction causing the car to bounce severely as well as the rear end to sway or "scoot" while going across railroad tracks or small bumps.

Also around the same time the car began to leak severely around the cam sensor going though 5-6 quarts of oil in a week costing over $200 to repair.

At about 105,000 miles the dash cluster (speedometer, odometer, tachometer...) failed needing to be replaced for about $90 (with a used part).

Also around this time the headlights went out, requiring a new dimmer switch (the only way you could use headlights was by holding the dimmer switch back while driving using the brights).

At around 115,000 miles the air conditioner "clutch" froze rendering the A/C useless and causing a the combined A/C and power steering belt to break leaving me without power steering on a four lane highway.

At around 125,000 the front and rear brakes were replaced due to normal wear and tear and then re-adjusted.

Also at the same time the car began to leak power steering fluid with no sign of where it is coming from. Still needing fluid added at least every other day to eliminate squealing as well as stiffness while turning.

Later at 135,000 the brakes needed repaired again due to friction. They were basically falling apart as I drove. This was fixed by replacing the rear brakes. However, front brakes remained immaculate considering they weren't even assisting with stops!

Now at around 140,000 the brakes are malfunctioning again! Overnight braking went from great to horrid! This includes having plenty of fluid in the master cylinder, however the brakes do NOT want to stop even while pressing them all the way to the floor!

Today at 144,000 the power steering still leaks or whatever, while the oil (even after numerous repairs) still leaks requiring at the very least two quarts a week. Although I believe now that the car is burning the oil rather than leaking since there are no oil spots underneath after parking.

Also, transmission is about the go considering it has never shifted right since I have had the car, however now fluid is a necessity to keep at hand with it using almost as much fluid (and oil, and power steering) as it does gasoline!

Also ever since I have had the car the headlights are WEAK! Even after replacing bulbs and cleaning and ultimately replacing headlight covers I drive with my brights on all the time so I can see, it doesn't seem to blind other motorists either considering my Neon's brights are about the strength of the dims on other vehicles!

P.S. I have had the same issues with pealing paint as many others have expressed, even after a new paint job it is still will not hold paint.

**UPDATE: Now at about 145,000 miles all of the leaks need fixed and the culprit has been identified. Not being very car savvy, it was all leaking from a rack and pinion or something involving the word "pinion." Also, I have acquired a broken tie-rod as well as finally getting the rear struts replaced and servicing the A/C. This costing around $900 for all.

My Neon is fun to drive, but is not very comfortable. It is great on gas, but needs some improvement on the mechanical side of the spectrum regarding the reliability and cost of maintenance. However, I can honestly say in despite of all the points made above that my car has never really let me down (other than the power steering mishap). It has started every time without a struggle ever since I've owned it.