1998 Dodge Neon 2-door Sport review from North America

I purchased this sporty 2-yr-old Neon in 2000 as a reconditioned vehicle after it suffered a rear collision. Unfortunately, that meant it's warranty was void.

At the time of purchase, the trunk leaked water, perhaps due to it's former accident. Soon after I noticed water also leaks onto the floor behind the driver's seat. It does not appear to come through the door or window. Can you say "air freshener?" ;-)

The sunroof stopped working shortly after purchase and the mechanic informed me that both Dodge and Saturn have difficulty with their sunroof because of the curve in the roof. I did not repair this.

Next to go in 2000 was the radiator ($350) and then the battery.

The little car held up pretty well for two years, but in 2002 the engine light kept coming on and mechanics never could figure out what the problem was.

In 2003 I had to replace the fuel pump ($450).

Now in 2004 at 57,000mi, it's flooding pools of oil from a leaking head gasket so I've stopped driving it until I decide if it's worth the $650+ to replace it; I've heard "shade tree mechanics" can patch it instead. All the mechanics say this should be a recall item.

I am also strongly advised to replace the timing belt ($160). This is standard at 60K, but apparently in this car they are breaking a little on the early side.

Well, I just love this cute little car and have really enjoyed driving the 5 speed. However, it's a needy little fellow and my wallet doesn't run that deep. (I had a little Ford Festiva for 8 years & replaced the distributor cap twice and the battery twice and that was it. It was a lot roomier too.)

Dodge service folks have been decidedly unhelpful. They just try to get me to trade it in for a new model. Frankly, that Hyundai warranty is looking like the way to go.