The Lemon IndexDodge Neon reliability.
Is it reliable? Mostly. Somewhat fewer complaints than the average car.
Better than average · 2000–2005
What owners say on YouTube
1995–1999 Neon · 185 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Before you buy, watch
2000–2005 Neon · 195 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Fixes owners look up most
Before you buy, watch
Praise and complaints: the share of each generation's most-watched videos that mention a topic with a praise or trouble word next to it, in the title or what's said. YouTube rank: how positive owners and reviewers sound, compared with every car of the same model year. It measures tone, not failure rates. Videos belong to their creators; we link to them.
Fewest complaints
2005.
Every year. Lower is better. Tap a year for its full report.
Show 5 older years (1995–1999, YouTube reviews only, no complaint data)
Newest year first. Red = worse than average, gray = about average or too few complaints to score. #1, #2… = that year's YouTube rank among the 11 Dodge Neon years with enough videos (#1 = the year owners and reviewers talk about most positively). It is not a reliability rank.
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<iframe src="https://lemonindex.com/embed/cars/dodge-neon/" title="Dodge Neon reliability by model year (The Lemon Index)" width="100%" height="353" style="border:0;max-width:720px" loading="lazy"></iframe><p style="font-size:13px;margin:4px 0 0">Data: <a href="https://lemonindex.com/cars/dodge-neon/">Lemon Index</a> (Dodge Neon reliability by year)</p>Scores before 2010 are rough: fewer owners filed complaints back then.
YouTube rank: we read 394 YouTube videos about the Dodge Neon, 1995 to 2005, and ranked every year by how much they praise it vs. how much they talk about problems. YouTube's favorite: 1998. Old cars rank lower partly because most of their videos are repair and restoration videos. A gray dot means not enough data yet: under 10 videos, or a new year with no owner complaints to compare.
Compare the Dodge Neon.
Opens the compare tool with both cars, every year side by side. Compare with any car →
Quick answers.
Is the Dodge Neon reliable?
Mostly. It draws somewhat fewer complaints than the average car, but YouTube owners complain about it more than about most cars its age. Fewest complaints: 2005. Most complaints: 2000.
Is the Dodge Neon a good car?
Yes, it draws fewer complaints than the average car, by owner complaints to the government per car sold (2000-2005: Lemon Index 83; 100 is average). Some years are much better than others: 2005 drew the fewest complaints and 2000 the most.
What are the best Dodge Neon years to buy?
By owner complaints per car sold: 2005, 2004, 2002. 2005 drew the fewest.
What Dodge Neon years should you stay away from?
The 3 years with the most complaints per car sold: 2000 (worse than average, Lemon Index 131), 2003 (about average, Lemon Index 104), 2001 (better than average, Lemon Index 76). 100 is the average car; lower is better.
How many recalls does the Dodge Neon have?
41 safety recalls across the 6 model years we track. Most: 2000 (11), 2001 (10), 2002 (6). Each year's page lists them, and every Dodge Neon recall is in one list here.
What are the most common Dodge Neon problems?
Across every year, owners' complaints to the government name airbags, brakes and electrical most. Some years are much worse than others: see the chart above.
Every year in one table
| Year | Index | Compared with average | Complaints | Top complaint | Recalls | Crash test | MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 131 | a bit more than the average car's complaints | 236 | service brakes, hydraulic (27%) | 11 | — | 24–27 |
| 2001 | 76 | about three-quarters as many complaints as the average car | 110 | airbags (27%) | 10 | — | 24–26 |
| 2002 | 70 | about two-thirds as many complaints as the average car | 90 | engine (22%) | 6 | — | 24–27 |
| 2003 | 104 | about average | 102 | electrical (32%) | 5 | — | 22–28 |
| 2004 | 45 | about half as many complaints as the average car | 43 | electrical (23%) | 5 | — | 22–28 |
| 2005 | 40 | a bit under half as many complaints as the average car | 36 | transmission & drivetrain (33%) | 4 | — | 22–28 |
The Lemon Index counts owner complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model years (100 = average, lower is better). It measures complaints, not crash safety. U.S. sales source: en.wikipedia.org. How it works
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Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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