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#BS-2002-DODNEO-720A2002 Dodge Neon
Based on reports from 230 owners and 6 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Red Flag
Based on 230 complaints, 34 crashes, 3 fires, and 6 recalls. This is the worst model year for this vehicle.
Top reported problems
transmission failure
14 complaints β’ Severity 9.3/10
dashboard gauges fail
6 complaints β’ Severity 8/10
wont go into gear
2 complaints β’ Severity 10/10
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
24 owners reported power train:automatic transmission issues β failures commonly reported around 50K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 30β60K miles (46 reports) β’ Median: 50K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Power Train:automatic Transmission (24 reports).
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
Where the complaints fall
2002 Dodge Neon: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues
Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2002 Dodge Neon, with 24 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 49,800 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 50K-mile mark.
Electrical Issues
Electrical complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2002 Dodge Neon, with 14 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-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 2002 Dodge Neon, with 13 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to air bags:frontal-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine Issues
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 2002 Dodge Neon, with 12 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:engine-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
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2002 Dodge Neon. Recent trend: decreasing.



Don't negotiate blind β know what this car costs to own
Repair costs β’ Negotiation scripts β’ Mechanic checklist β’ Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (6 recalls)
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.
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.
SUSPENSION
FEDERAL MOGUL IS RECALLING 6,903 AFTERMARKET BALL JOINT ASSEMBLIES SHIPPED BETWEEN NOVEMBER 9, 2007 AND MARCH 26, 2008, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN PACKAGED WITH INCORRECT NUTS. THE PART NUMBERS PACKAGED WITH INCORRECT NUTS ARE: K7147, K7329, K8683, AND 104353. THESE PARTS WERE MADE FOR USE ON THE VARIOUS VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
K2 MOTOR IS RECALLING 1,921 AFTERMARKET HEADLAMPS OF VARIOUS MODELS SOLD FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS ARE MISSING THE AMBER SIDE REFLEX REFLECTOR WHICH FAILS TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."
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.
+ 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.
This is the worst model year for the Dodge Neon according to owner complaint data. The biggest problem area is engine.
2002 Dodge Neon vs. Class Average (Compact Cars)
This vehicle
230
Class avg
176
Complaint volume is roughly in line with other compact cars vehicles from 2002.
Complaint counts correlate with sales volume β popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 230 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
View all Dodge Neon years β2002 Dodge Neon: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common problem with the 2002 Dodge Neon?
Is the 2002 Dodge Neon reliable?
How much does it cost to fix 2002 Dodge Neon problems?
Does the 2002 Dodge Neon have any recalls?
What mileage do Dodge Neon problems start?
Whatβs in the full report?
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
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Get the Full 2002 Dodge Neon Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 230 owner reports. Know before you buy.