1998 Chrysler Neon Expresso review from North America
"Love the car never giving it up, ever"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Head gasket had to be replaced with timing belt at 98,000.
Someone changed down the voltage on my relay to fuel pump causing it to short out. 1 lawsuit later, all was cleared, relay replaced.
Clutch cable snapped twice.
Head gasket replaced at 400,000 miles approx.
New suspension put in at 532,000 miles.
Engine died, overheating caused by catastrophic failure in water pump. $2,000 later, all was set again.
Car accident screwed up the front bumper, 2,000 and change to fix that, covered by insurance.
Finally at 763,000 trans locked up which screwed up the flywheel and totally ripped apart the engine. made it back to the states where it sits waiting for a diesel engine and 5 speed manual trans.
General comments?
This car has been in 16 countries, 3 continents, and over 100 different city/states. I couldn't have asked for a better car.
You could say the most expensive part was transporting her across the waterways.
when I first got it, she was getting about 34mpg over the highways. with modifications, she started getting around 46mpg depending on the weather, (and passengers). for the last 3 years I've been earning as a ground transport for travelers. its been a pleasure. one thing I wish would change is the frequency at which I go through motor mounts. once a year they all get replaced.
All the seats were replaced with seats out of a 2004 neon that was wrecked. I installed noise insulator all around. doors, trunk, firewall, floor. made a huge difference. this was all done about 300,000 miles. can't remember exactly. was good fun, easy on the wallet.
Had to have it repainted as she started to oxidize. about 200,00 miles. well, I could have gotten a Honda and paid way, more, but in a race against my colleagues, I made most profit with my 98 neon. thanks and cheers to Chrysler.
Recommended reviews
| Bloodsucking bottomless money pit |
| Horrible build quality, cheap components and terrible service |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1998 |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | DOHC 2.0 litre Manual |
| Performance marks | 10 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 9 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 2 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 43000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 763450 miles |
| Date of Entry | 13th November, 2005 |