2003 Dodge Neon SXT review from North America
"The worst financial decision I have made was to spend 8 grand on this piece of junk."
What things have gone wrong with the car?
At 33,000 miles, I began getting vibration all over the vehicle, coming from the engine compartment. I wasn't sure what it was, but it went away if I applied firm pressure to the engine. Dodge eventually troubleshot it down to completely obliterated engine mounts. Cost to have them replaced? 1200 U.S. dollars.
At 42,000 miles I no longer have heat and in Washington that is a problem.
0-44xxx miles I have experienced the worst service in my life when dealing with the people at any Dodge dealership while trying to resolve these 2 issues, mainly the first issue. Dodge does not stand behind it's product and the most irritating thing is that they have resorted immediately to blaming me and my my ASSUMED driving habits for the problems on both occasions (it's an automatic 2-something-litre sedan, everyone knows this) rather than helping me find solutions or options for the quickest, most cost effective fix. On the engine mount issue I took it in right before my warranty expired (at 36k) and they said it was fine and that "some vibration is normal". Judging from previous dealings with them I'm sure it was simply to lighten their workload and allow me time to drive away those last 3000 miles of my warranty.
General comments?
It's a mass produced, economic family car. What can you expect I guess. Don't buy it if you value quality.
The manufacturer is in no way helpful.
Recommended Reviews:
![]() ![]() | A Melon |
![]() ![]() | A Great Car |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model Year | 2003 |
| First year of ownership | 2004 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | Automatic |
| Performance marks | 4/10 |
| Reliability marks | 2/10 |
| Comfort marks | 6/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 1/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 28000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 44456 miles |
| Previous car | Honda Prelude |
| Date of Entry | 30th September, 2007 |

