The Dodge Neon has 23 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 1995–2005. On average a defect was admitted 6.21 years after the car was built, the slowest took 14 years. The most recalled system is Exterior Lighting (6 campaigns). Owners also filed 2,528 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Dodge Neon
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Exterior Lighting 6 Read
What's wrong. 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
Risk. Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash
Fix. Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on may 11, 2009. Owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589
What's wrong. 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
Risk. Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning
Fix. Ck motorsport will notify owners and replace the noncompliant lamps free of charge. The recall began on july 1, 2006. Owners may contact ck motorsport at 1-909-610-7211
What's wrong. 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
Risk. Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning
Fix. Pro-a motors will notify owners and offer to repurchase the lamps. The recall began on april 3, 2006. Owners may contact pro-a motors at 323-838-2988
Service Brakes, Hydraulic 5 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. In the presence of oil and heat, the brake booster vacuum hose could swell and loosen from the intake manifold
Risk. This could cause a loss of power brake assist and an increase in engine idle speed
Fix. Dealers will replace the brake booster vacuum hose. Owner notification began july 2, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. In the presence of oil and heat, the brake booster vacuum hose could swell and loosen from the intake manifold
Risk. This could cause a loss of power brake assist and an increase in engine idle speed
Fix. Dealers will replace the brake booster vacuum hose. Owner notification began july 2, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403
What's wrong. The brake master cylinder can leak brake fluid due to a damaged double lip rear piston seal
Risk. Brake fluid leakage can result in diminished effectiveness of one half of the split brake system. The instrument panel warning light(s) will signal system impairment prior to partial brake system loss
Fix. Dealers will replace the rear brake master cylindr piston assembly
Suspension 2 Read
What's wrong. 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
Risk. The nuts included in the packaging for these ball joint assemblies are missing the intended prevailing torque (self-locking) feature. If the incorrect nut was to become loose, the joining members may loosen leading to a separation of the ball joint. This may result in loss of vehicle control, possibly resulting in a…
Fix. Federal mogul will notify owners and replace the parts free of charge. The recall began on may 22, 2008. Owners can contact federal mogul at 877-489-6659
What's wrong. 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
Risk. The nuts included in the packaging for these ball joint assemblies are missing the intended prevailing torque (self-locking) feature. If the incorrect nut was to become loose, the joining members may loosen leading to a separation of the ball joint. This may result in loss of vehicle control, possibly resulting in a…
Fix. Federal mogul will notify owners and replace the parts free of charge. The recall began on may 22, 2008. Owners can contact federal mogul at 877-489-6659
What's wrong. 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
Risk. The nuts included in the packaging for these ball joint assemblies are missing the intended prevailing torque (self-locking) feature. If the incorrect nut was to become loose, the joining members may loosen leading to a separation of the ball joint. This may result in loss of vehicle control, possibly resulting in a…
Fix. Federal mogul will notify owners and replace the parts free of charge. The recall began on may 22, 2008. Owners can contact federal mogul at 877-489-6659
Equipment 2 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles built with 15" wheels, equipped with an r/t package. Certain vehicles were equipped with an incorrect tire placard. The vehicles were equipped with p195/50r16 tires but the tire placard indicated that the recommended tire sizes were p185/65r14 and p185/65r15. This does not comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 110, "tire selection and rims."
Risk. The label specifies the wrong recommended tire size. This could cause the owner to select incorrect replacement tires
Fix. Owners will be provided with a correct label and installation instructions. Owner notification began february 14, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with the sport appearance package fail to comply with the requirements of fmvss 110, "tire selection and rims." certain vehicles built with 16" wheels and tires were equipped with the incorrect tire placard
Risk. The label specifies the wrong recommended tire size. This could cause the owner to select incorrect replacement tires
Fix. Owners will be provided with a new label, or, if the owner wishes, their dealer can install the label for them
Air Bags 2 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Some frontal (passenger side) air bags may not inflate properly
Risk. In the event of a crash, the passenger may not be adequately restrained, increasing the risk of personal injury
Fix. Dealers will replace the air bag module on the passenger side
What's wrong. The electrical circuit design allows the potential for an inadvertent air bag deployment upon vehicle ignition shut down
Risk. Unexpected air bag deployment can result in occupant injury
Fix. Dealers will replace the air bag electronic control module with a newly designed module
Child Seat 1 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles, pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." some of the owner's manuals for these vehicles are missing instructions that provide a step-by-step procedure, including diagrams, for properly attaching a child restraint system's tether strap to the tether anchorage
Risk. In the event of a crash, the child seat may not be properly attached increasing the risk of injury to the child
Fix. Owners will be provided with an addendum to the owner's manuals
What's wrong. Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles, pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." some of the owner's manuals for these vehicles are missing instructions that provide a step-by-step procedure, including diagrams, for properly attaching a child restraint system's tether strap to the tether anchorage
Risk. In the event of a crash, the child seat may not be properly attached increasing the risk of injury to the child
Fix. Owners will be provided with an addendum to the owner's manuals
Vehicle Speed Control 1 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger cars. Vapors from the positive crankcase ventilation (pcv) system can condense and freeze inside of the throttle body when the vehicle is operated in extremely cold ambient temperatures
Risk. This can prevent the throttle from fully returning to idle, which could cause a crash without warning
Fix. Dealers will replace and relocate a pcv system tube
Structure 1 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The rear suspension crossmember may be missing spot welds
Risk. This condition can result in structural cracks in the body, and reduced crash protection in the event of a rear impact
Fix. Dealers will inspect the vehicles for any missing welds, and will have structural rivets installed in place of the missing welds
Electrical System 1 Read
What's wrong. An engine wiring harness can short circuit due to contact with the exhaust gas recirculation tube
Risk. Shorting of the wiring harness can cause various electrical malfunctions, including engine stalling
Fix. Dealers will reroute the engine wiring harness properly and any wire that has been damaged will be replaced
Steering 1 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The steering column coupler can become disconnected when the vehicle experiences an underbody impact
Risk. Loss of steering control can occur
Fix. Dealers will replace the steering column coupler with a coupler design that collapses on impact
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 6.21 years |
| Slowest campaign | 14 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 64.7% |
| Campaigns on record | 23 |
Which Neon years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 2004 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 2003 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 2002 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 2001 | Child Seat | |
| 2000 | Vehicle Speed Control | |
| 1999 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1998 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1997 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1996 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1995 | Exterior Lighting |
Check your own car
A campaign applies to a range of production, not to every car of the model. The only way to know whether yours is affected — and whether the repair was already done — is by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
Go deeper
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Dodge Neon have?
23 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 1995–2005. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my Neon still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 6.21 years, and the slowest campaign came 14 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.