1996 Dodge Neon 2.0 SOHC review from North America
"This car was not worth the money you will sink into it"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Electrical problems at the time of purchase.
Dash light outage at 36,000 miles.
Fuel indicator broke at 64,000 miles.
Oil leaking problems.
Head gasket blown right now at 75,000 miles.
General comments?
When I bought the car, I noticed the stereo would stay on for a few seconds after you turned the car off. I just thought it was a feature, and it wasn't a bad one, I kinda liked it.
At 36,000 the dash lights went out. I was still under the manufacturers warranty I believe, if not then definitely on my extended (stupid move, shouldn't have bought it).
The fuel indicator broke on a trip home from Eureka, CA to my home in Santa Rosa... if you know that stretch of highway right before Ukiah on 101 through the mountains there, it's not pleasant to have your car stop going. I had AAA and I got a tow into Ukiah and they found out it was the fuel gauge. When my car lost power, and wouldn't accelerate anymore, it was at a quarter of a tank of gas, yet the verdict was that I was out of gas, and my fuel indicator was the culprit. This wasn't a nice thing to have to deal with on this fuel injected car.
Began to leak oil at 75,000 some odd miles and I didn't get it repaired immediately and was planning to for about a week, just feed it oil, to keep it going till I got a paycheck to have someone fix my leak. Subsequently, on about the fourth day into that week of light driving, maybe 2 miles a day, the head gasket blows. I look into my radiator and there's the creamy colored oil gathered in there that's a tell tale sign of a head gasket blow out.
I haven't had it looked at by a mechanic yet, but can anyone perhaps comment on the approximate price of such an operation?
Recommended reviews
| Great car for the amount of money, but a little bit too under-done for its price |
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| 1996 - Neon 4 door Highline Coupe 4 cylinder. A cheap car with many problems |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 1998 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | Manual |
| Performance marks | |
| Reliability marks | |
| Comfort marks | |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | |
| Distance when acquired | 34000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 75600 miles |
| Previous car | Geo Metro |
| Date of Entry | 10th February, 2002 |