1997 Dodge Neon Sedan review from North America
"A good bargain, but you get what you pay for"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The head gasket blew around 60,000 miles, but luckily it was still under dealer warranty.
The "check engine" light would go on for a while, then shut off. When I took it to the dealer to have it checked, they could find nothing wrong.
The transmission would occasionally skip, usually around the time that the "check engine" light came on.
Very hard to handle in the snow.
The tires wore very unevenly and the car always needed an alignment. My mechanic told me this is because the Neon uses camber-adjusting bolts on the wheels, which require tire rotation every 10,000 miles.
General comments?
Overall, this was not a bad car, but the dealer's inability to discover why the "check engine" light came on was problematic.
This was the worst car I have ever owned in terms of snow handling.
The interior is very roomy and comfortable.
Recommended reviews
| A good car to go to work/school in |
|
| Cheap "beater" daily driver car possessed by demons and has gremlins living under the hood |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8L Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 9 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 3 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 37000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 98000 miles |
| Previous car | Volkswagen Fox |
| Date of Entry | 10th September, 2002 |