1995 Dodge Neon Highline review from North America
"If you know what you're doing, mechanically, this car is the way to go for performance"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Everything. The transmission has gone twice on it. Something is breaking loose inside the transmission and getting caught between the gears and it blows a hole in the side of the bell-housing..
The fuel lines blew apart taking out my rear brake lines due to a recall taken care of by the dealership.
The Motor mounts can't stay from rotting in the manual transmission and especially the bobble strut on the rear of the transmission.
The timing belt idler pulley broke around 155000 miles and took out the valve train on the cylinder head. This meaning I needed a new cylinder head and timing belt and idler pulley costing about $2400 from the dealership.
The paint would turn white every here and there and I found out that was due to moisture getting underneath the clear coat from the factory paint job.
The inside of the car would also get a lake in the back seat due to the weather seals on the rear taillights not sealing all the way and also because of a leak on the A-pillar (pillar by the drivers left foot.)
Had a problem with the passenger side ball joint falling apart. Only happened once, but cost $125 to replace.
General comments?
When the car did run right, it was fast and very fuel efficient. Even tho the fuel tank is only 11 gallons or so, I could still get over 300 miles to a tank.
Very big aftermarket for neons and very inexpensive. A coil-over kit for the suspension stiffens the ride and feels like you're riding on rails.
Was my first real car. Very easy to work on and very user friendly. Only problem was after you fix one problem, another problem follows right behind it!
Recommended reviews
![]() ![]() | It's awfully tempermental |
![]() ![]() | Unreliable past 60,000 miles |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0L SOHC Manual |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 5/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 6/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 111000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 158000 miles |
| Previous car | Chevrolet Spectrum |
| Date of Entry | 26th April, 2004 |

