1999 Dodge Neon SL review from North America

The transmission blew at 30,000 miles.

The radiator was replaced twice.

A connecting rod was sucked through the engine at 63,000 miles and exited through the oil pan.

The steering wheel vibrated at high speeds from the day we got the car.

A major clunk in the front left wheel well occurred every time I hit even the smallest of bumps on the road.

Driver's side door latch quit working properly.

This was my first car. I bought it because I wanted a new car with a decent warranty so I didn't need to worry about the cost of fixing the vehicle if something went wrong. The Neon was about all I could afford at the time. This car was 100% unreliable. I had it back at the dealership almost every month. Every time I took it in, the dealership could find nothing wrong with it. The only time I could get something fixed was if the car broke down entirely and it had to be towed to the dealership (this happened three times). Chrysler was extraordinarily unhelpful. Even though the warranty was supposed to cover a rental car, I would go for days without a vehicle until they determined whether or not the breakdown was covered by the warranty. I found this awfully ironic since all maintenance was up to date on the vehicle, and all maintenance was on record at the dealership. Also many small things were not covered by the warranty, such as the faulty door latch.

My nightmare with this vehicle finally ended when a connecting rod was sucked through the engine and out through the oil-pan. This destroyed the engine. It was going to cost at least $5000 to put a new engine in and just under $3000 to put in an engine with similar mileage on it. I traded the vehicle for parts at that point. I'd had enough.

I would not recommend this vehicle to anyone. It is a hazard.