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#BS-1997-PLYNEO-72CE

1997 Plymouth Neon

Based on reports from 234 owners and 1 recall for this exact model.

Complaints
234
Crashes
22
Fires
2
Recalls
1
TSBs
48
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 234 complaints, 22 crashes, 2 fires, and 1 recalls. This is the worst model year for this vehicle.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

paint peels and is defective

2 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
2

speedometer not working

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
3

left turn problems

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Engine And Engine Cooling:engineHIGH

76 owners reported engine and engine cooling:engine issues — failures commonly reported around 65K 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
7
30–60K
14
60–90K
3
90–120K
7
120–150K
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (14 reports) • Median: 65K 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 (76 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:engine76 (32%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline16 (7%)
Air Bags:frontal13 (6%)
Other12 (5%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission9 (4%)
Structure5 (2%)
Wheels & Tires4 (2%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System4 (2%)

1997 Plymouth Neon: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine complaints account for 32% of all reports filed for the 1997 Plymouth Neon, with 76 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 65,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 65K-mile mark.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 1997 Plymouth Neon, with 16 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 Plymouth 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.

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 1997 Plymouth Neon, with 9 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

56
00
29
01
29
02
23
03
12
04
3
05
1
06

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1997 Plymouth 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 (1 recall)

97V080000Jul 1997

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE

THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT DESIGN ALLOWS THE POTENTIAL FOR AN INADVERTENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT UPON VEHICLE IGNITION SHUT DOWN.

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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This is the worst model year for the Plymouth Neon according to owner complaint data. The biggest problem area is electrical.

1997 Plymouth Neon vs. Class Average (Compact Cars)

This vehicle

234

Class avg

198

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other compact cars vehicles from 1997.

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. 234 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 1 recall found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

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

Other Plymouth Neon Model Years

202620252024202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000199919981997199619951994
View all Plymouth Neon years →

1997 Plymouth Neon: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1997 Plymouth Neon?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1997 Plymouth Neon is related to the engine and engine cooling:engine, with 76 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1997 Plymouth Neon reliable?
The 1997 Plymouth Neon has 234 complaints, 22 crash reports, and 2 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 1997 Plymouth 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 Plymouth Neon have any recalls?
Yes, the 1997 Plymouth Neon has 1 recall on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Plymouth Neon problems start?
Based on 35 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 65,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K 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 234 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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