1997 Dodge Neon review from North America
"Noisy, terrible bucket of bolts"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Oil leak in head gasket. Had to refill oil weekly. Thousands to repair, and apparently happens to ALL Neons around 70000 miles.
Transmission has always been jerky. Now transmission takes 1-2 seconds to engage an getting worse.
Check engine light always on. Is set off by the slightest sputter.
Engine is very noisy. Pick-up has deteriorated and it accelerates slower than it used to.
Advertised 40 mpg, actually gets only 20 mpg.
Tires blowing constantly. Alignment continues to get off track, even after fixed.
AC causes engine to shudder and squeal.
Breaks squeal, especially when wet.
Turning causes belts to squeal.
General comments?
This is a terrible car. It looks good, but it's falling apart all over the place. Dodge/Chrysler knows about the head gasket oil leaks, but won't do anything about it.
Never buy this car. I'm never buying a Dodge or Chrysler again.
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| Cheap "beater" daily driver car possessed by demons and has gremlins living under the hood |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| First year of ownership | 1998 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | Automatic |
| Performance marks | 2/10 |
| Reliability marks | 3/10 |
| Comfort marks | 6/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 2/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 30000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 93000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 1st October, 2003 |