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#BS-1997-DODNEO-720A

1997 Dodge Neon

Based on reports from 553 owners and 6 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
553
Crashes
61
Fires
17
Recalls
6
TSBs
62
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 553 complaints, 61 crashes, 17 fires, and 6 recalls. Complaint rate is 2.8x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

paint peeling

1 complaints • Severity 4/10

$X,XXX
2

little braking power

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
3

head gasket premature deterioration

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Engine And Engine Cooling:engineHIGH

151 owners reported engine and engine cooling:engine issues — failures commonly reported around 62K miles.

!Inspect the Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasolineMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

4
0–30K
19
30–60K
14
60–90K
6
90–120K
4
120–150K
1
150K+

Peak failure range: 30–60K miles (19 reports) • Median: 62K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Engine And Engine Cooling:engine (151 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine151 (27%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline47 (8%)
Air Bags:frontal31 (6%)
Other23 (4%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission21 (4%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components17 (3%)
Engine17 (3%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System11 (2%)

1997 Dodge Neon: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine complaints account for 27% of all reports filed for the 1997 Dodge Neon, with 151 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 62,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 62K-mile mark.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 1997 Dodge Neon, with 47 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Air Bags:frontal Issues

Air Bags:frontal complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 1997 Dodge Neon, with 31 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to air bags:frontal-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 1997 Dodge Neon, with 21 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to power train:automatic transmission-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

127
00
103
01
62
02
31
03
30
04
11
05
4
06
1
07
9
08
3
09
1
14

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1997 Dodge Neon. Recent trend: decreasing.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (6 recalls)

06E026000Apr 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

06E049000Jul 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN CK MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, CLEAR CORNER, BUMPER, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

06E060000Aug 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN AAI MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LIST PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

09E012000May 2009

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

09E025000Jul 2009

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

+ 1 more recall in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Dodge Neon is the 2002 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

1997 Dodge Neon vs. Class Average (Compact Cars)

This vehicle

553

Class avg

198

2.8x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical compact cars vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 553 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 6 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Dodge Neon Model Years

2005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993
View all Dodge Neon years →

1997 Dodge Neon: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1997 Dodge Neon?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1997 Dodge Neon is related to the engine and engine cooling:engine, with 151 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1997 Dodge Neon reliable?
The 1997 Dodge Neon has 553 complaints, 61 crash reports, and 17 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 2.8x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 1997 Dodge Neon problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1997 Dodge Neon have any recalls?
Yes, the 1997 Dodge Neon has 6 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Dodge Neon problems start?
Based on 48 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 62,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 30–60K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 553 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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