1997 Dodge Neon Sport review from North America
"Dependable high mileage sportiness"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
I just bought this car, and did a 125 mile trip with the family over the weekend. Made a stop at a Firestone dealer and got tires and a 4-wheel alignment. All the records were included with the car, and I just went through them all last night. The previous owner did all the right maintenance on it, and the only things I saw unusual were a stuck thermostat causing an overheat around 55,000 miles, and then a left-rear tire out of round at about 68,000 miles. They did transmission oil changes, 2 major tune-ups, and had two recalls (air bag, and radiator fan switch) taken care of.
General comments?
For under $4,000 I feel this was a very nice deal. The interior is completely perfect (just a little bit of dust in the air vents). The exterior red paint is glossy, although there are a few little nicks that show as white. Someone apparently tried to clean the headlights and front turn signals with a cleaner that fogged the plastic. I've found a replacement set of headlights/turn signals for under $200. I currently own a '99 Durango, and bought this for a commuter (60 miles per day) car for work. Even though it's been one weekend since I bought it, I think this will be a great little car. Handling with the new 205-60-HR14 tires is excellent.
Recommended reviews
| Overall Great Car |
| Wanna beat a Honda? Just buy this car for half as much! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 9 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 90080 miles |
| Most recent distance | 90256 miles |
| Previous car | Dodge Durango |
| Date of Entry | 22nd April, 2002 |