1997 Plymouth Neon 4cyc from North America

Summary:

Motor wise reliable a/c wise terrible!!

Faults:

A/c leaked at 52k and also the head gasket warranty only covered one of the problems.

General Comments:

When the salesman first showed me the car the only features it had was the sun visor expanded to block the sun WOW?! I kept waiting for him to come up with other things maybe a cup holder for *#%$ sakes, but that was it. My dad couldn't find any car cheaper. SO I only had to chose a color. Well 5 years later and it has been pretty reliable except for the a/c. Terrible every year it breaks down last year it was $600 this year $300. All my friends that own one have the same problem. Right about 52k miles something big on the car broke maybe a gasket it was going to cost 800 but they covered it even though I was over warranty, but I had to pay for the a/c repair of course. Not very comfortable, but other than that it has been reliable.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 10th July, 2003

1997 Plymouth Neon Expresso 2.5 DOHC from North America

Summary:

Fun reliable car for a good price

Faults:

My head gasket blew at 93000 kilometres.

Replaced front brake pads and rotors at 90000 kilometres.

General Comments:

Very reliable, but if you buy one put money away to replace the head gasket.

Very fun to drive, lots of power off the line and on the highway.

Lots of room and reasonably comfortable.

Perfect car fix up, lots of high performance parts available.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th July, 2003

1997 Plymouth Neon Expresso 2.0 DOHC from North America

Summary:

Definateley a good sporty looking car.

Faults:

Check engine light always comes on while freeway driving. Error code says oxygen sensor. We replaced it, and check light still coming on. Cost $80

Mechanics are baffled by the error.

The air conditioning broke down and even after recharging, still nothing cool coming out of the vents! I did not fix it as is too expensive.

Fuel filter had to be replaced. Why is it in the tank? And why can it not be like regular filters located on frame rail? Cost $100.

The driver seat foam is tearing away making a very uncomfortable and lopsided driver seat.

Belts are very squeaky... all the time!

General Comments:

The Expresso Neon is a great looking car and for the most part has been very reliable for my family.

However, it is not designed like other cars, and makes it hard for anyone to work on or afford parts.

My particular car does drive very smooth and handles very well.

Overall I like it for now, but would not buy one again unless it was the brand new SX2.0.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 21st June, 2003

1997 Plymouth Neon 2.0 from North America

Summary:

If you enjoy fixing cars, buy this one

Faults:

-An oil leak was found at my first oil change. Turned out it was something to do with the head gasket.

-Head gasket replaced 3 times.

-Transmission had to be completely overhauled a couple of years ago.

-Breaks constantly screech. They are the worst when they are wet from either rain or dew. The screech is ear-splitting, but everywhere I take it, everyone says that there's nothing wrong with the brakes- they're supposed to sound like that.

-The car has overheated twice in a couple of years.

-The gas mileage is bad.

-The oxygen sensor has been replaced quite a few times.

-The door has to oiled all the time, or it screeches like the brakes.

-Basically, way too much has gone wrong with this car.

General Comments:

-If there weren't so many different problems with this car, it would be a great first car.

-I don't care how many improvements they have made over the years, I will never recommend someone to buy this car.

-Overall, for being a cheap car, you end up paying a lot more for the constant stream of repairs.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 3rd June, 2003

1997 Plymouth Neon Expresso 2.0 DOHC from North America

Summary:

Good performance for a good price

Faults:

My head gasket went at 67,000 miles.

I had problems with the radiator fans not working properly.

The igition coil pack died at 76,000 miles.

General Comments:

For what I paid for this car, it was definitely worth it. The car has taken quite a beating here and there, and it still runs very well. You can't beat the performance that the DOHC motor delivers from the factory for the price you buy it for. I have no problem screaming past many six cylinder, and even some eight cylinder cars. Handling is terrific, but I must say the Goodyear Eagle GA tires that were on the car from the factory are really cheap, and I was happy to be rid of them. I like the feel of the five speed transmission. The shifter is not at all sloppy, and the motor is very tourqey, and just begs to be pushed to the red line. My only complaints are the head gasket failure. I hear people complain about Neon head gaskets all of the time. I think Chrysler should change the gasket design to prevent this from happening. I was a little angry when I had to pay money out of my pocket to get this fixed, only to learn later on that Chrysler would have picked up part of the tab on parts and labor. They should have sent out a notice in the mail to make everyone aware. I like this car, and wouldn't mind on owning a second one someday.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 16th April, 2003