PLYMOUTH NEON · model year

1999 PLYMOUTH NEON

82 NHTSA complaints, 8 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1999PLYMOUTHNEON carries 82 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 8 crashes, 3 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1999 NEON is engine and engine cooling:engine with 16 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (7) and air bags:frontal (6). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 5 investigation files overlapping the 1999 NEON. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

82
Complaints
8
Crashes
3
Fires
5
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

82 filings

Crashes Reported

8 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE16
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE7
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL6
UNKNOWN OR OTHER6
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING6
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3
SUSPENSION2
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION2
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER2
EQUIPMENT2
POWER TRAIN1
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY1

Recent Complaints

20160702ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

FUEL GAUGE SUDDENLY DROPS TO EMPTY. EVEN AFTER A COMPLETE TANK REFILL. IT WOULD SEEM TO BE AN ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION IN EITHER THE SENSOR OR DASH GAUGE ITSELF. IT CAN BE "CLEARED" FROM BEING STUCK ON EMPTY BY SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE AND THEN RESTARTING IT.

Mileage: 94,000

20160119ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 PLYMOUTH NEON, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE INDICATED HOT. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE, BUT THE IGNITION KEY WAS TOO HOT AND FAILED TO REMOVE FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE REPAIRS WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 173,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

Mileage: 173,000

20160119ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 PLYMOUTH NEON, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE INDICATED HOT. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE, BUT THE IGNITION KEY WAS TOO HOT AND FAILED TO REMOVE FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE REPAIRS WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 173,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

Mileage: 173,000

20090615ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

HEAD GASKET FAILURE THIS IS OBVIOUSLY AN ON GOING PROBLEM FOR THIS MODEL CAR - CAR SHOULD BE RECALLED OR AT VERY LEAST REPAIRED BY CHRYSLER. *TR

Mileage: 40,000

20061206CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

AIR BAG FAILURE. STRUCK A DEER IN FRONT OF CAR. FRONT BUMPER, GRILL, HOOD, DRIVER SIDE FRONT FENDER, HEADLIGHT AND WINDSHIELD WERE DAMAGED QUITE SEVERELY. DAMAGE IS APPROXIMATELY $4000. SPEED WAS 45 MPH. DEER WAS LARGE BUCK, 12 POINTS. NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. *JB

Mileage: 98,700

20050622STRUCTURE:BODY:TRUNK LID

DT: THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START,.OPENED THE HOOD, LOOKED LIKE AN ELECTRICAL SHORT, THE WIRING ON THE END GLOWED RED RIGHT ABOVE THE BATTERY. PREVIOUSLY, THERE WAS AN AIR CONDITIONING PROBLEM, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THEY SAID IT WAS A SENSOR. ALSO A TRUNK LATCH.*AK

Mileage: 100,400

20050622ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

DT: THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START,.OPENED THE HOOD, LOOKED LIKE AN ELECTRICAL SHORT, THE WIRING ON THE END GLOWED RED RIGHT ABOVE THE BATTERY. PREVIOUSLY, THERE WAS AN AIR CONDITIONING PROBLEM, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THEY SAID IT WAS A SENSOR. ALSO A TRUNK LATCH.*AK

Mileage: 100,400

20050207ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

MY NEON HAS 86,000. I HAVE HAD IT FROM NEW. IN NOVEMBER OF 2003, I HAD MY SECOND HEAD GASKET REPLACED. I BELIEVE I AM ON MY WAY TO THE 3RD. I HAVE AN APPT WITH THE DEALER TOMORROW. I HAVE HAD THE EGR VALVE REPLACED AND MY SUNROOF HAS NOT WORKED FOR THE LAST 4. I HAD IT FIXED 4 YEARS AGO ONLY TO HAVE IT MALFUNCTION WITHIN 4 MONTHS. THE DEALER STATED IT WAS NOT UNDER MY WARRANTY, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE LAST DEALER ADMITTED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE HEAD GASKET FROM FACTORY AND CHRYSLER CHANGED THEM. APPARENTLY NOT SINCE MY HEAD GASKET WENT AGAIN IN LESS THAN 18000 MILES. 3 HEAD GASKETS IN 6 YEARS. *JB

Mileage: 86

20040611ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

NOTICE OIL LEAK ON 1999 PLYMOUTH NEON. TOOK CAR TO LAUREL CHRYLSER JOHNSTOWN PA. ON MONDAY JUNE 7. WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS BAD. TOLD THEM TO REPAIR IT COST OF $534.00. TOLD CAR WOULD BE DONE ON TUESDAY. IT WASN'T. WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON DEALER CALLED TO SAY HE HAD GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEW. GOOD NEWS WAS THE HEAD GASKET WAS DONE. BUT THE REAR MAIN SEAL WAS LEAKING. COST TO REPLACE SEAL $334.00. I ASKED IF CAR WAS TESTED TO SEE IF HEAD GASKET WAS THE PROBLEM. WAS TOLD MECHANIC LOOK AND SAID IT WAS THE HEAD GASKET. I ASKED THE DEALER IS THE MECHANIC KNEW ABOUT A SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT THE CAM SENSOR SEAL LEAKING WHICH WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT WHEN THE CAM SEAL LEAKED IT LOOKED LIKE THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING. HE SAID THE MECHANIC LOOKED AND HE KNEW IT WAS THE HEAD. CAR ONLY HAS 47,576 MILES. I QUESTION THE DEALER IF THE MECHANIC COULD HAVE MADE A MISTAKE. THE SERVICE MANAGER WAS RUDE AND SAID HE DIDN'T NEED TO MAKE MONEY WITH UNNECCESSARY REPAIRS. I ASKED IF THE

Mileage: 47,575

20040518EQUIPMENT

I BOUGHT THIS CAR 3 WEEKS AGO AND HAVE ALREADY REPLACED THE REAR MAIN SEAL AND PUT A NEW OIL SENDING UNIT IN. NOW I AM TOLD IT IS THE HEAD GASKET FOR WHICH IS ESTIMATED AT $800 TO FIX.MY 1999 NEON ONLY HAS 55,000 MILES ON IT!THIS CAR OF MINE IS STILL LEAKING OIL AND I AM SCARED TO DRIVE ANY WHERE WITH MY SON, IN FEAR THAT I WILL BE STRANDED SOME WHERE AND NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO! I AM A SINGLE MOM AND CANNOT AFFORD THIS....WHY AREN'T THE DEALERSHIPS RECALLING THESE CARS TO FIX RIGHT. I THINK THIS IS WRONG AND MAKES THEM LOOK BAD WHY DON'T THEY REDEEM THEIR REPUTTAION AND FIX THE PROBLEM IN THESE NEON.I AM A VERY UNHAPPY NEON OWNER!!!*AK

20040506ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

HEAD GASKET LEAKED OIL. *PH CAM SHAFT SENSOR SEAL ALSO LEAKS OIL. THE OIL LEAKED ON TO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND ON TO THE GROUND. CHRYSLER KNEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM. *LA

Mileage: 46,000

20040422ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR A 60,000 MILE CHECK-UP AND WAS ASTOUNDED TO LEARN THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING AT ONLY 57,000. I COULD NOT AFFORD THE REPAIR AT THIS TIME AND THE MECHANIC SAID THAT NOTHING WAS LEAKING THAT WOULD HURT THE ENGINE, BUT IT SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF SOON. IN ALL THE YEARS I'VE HAD A CAR I'VE NEVER HAD A LEAKING HEAD GASKET AND AT 57,000, TOO. MY LAST CAR, ALSO A PLYMOUTH, HAD OVER 127,000 MILES ON IT AND I NEVER HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE. I DO NOT MISUSE MY VEHICLE, I HAVE THE OIL CHANGED EVERY 3 TO 6,000 MILES AND DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO KEEP IT TROUBLE FREE.

Mileage: 52,000

20040422UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR A 60,000 MILE CHECK-UP AND WAS ASTOUNDED TO LEARN THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING AT ONLY 57,000. I COULD NOT AFFORD THE REPAIR AT THIS TIME AND THE MECHANIC SAID THAT NOTHING WAS LEAKING THAT WOULD HURT THE ENGINE, BUT IT SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF SOON. IN ALL THE YEARS I'VE HAD A CAR I'VE NEVER HAD A LEAKING HEAD GASKET AND AT 57,000, TOO. MY LAST CAR, ALSO A PLYMOUTH, HAD OVER 127,000 MILES ON IT AND I NEVER HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE. I DO NOT MISUSE MY VEHICLE, I HAVE THE OIL CHANGED EVERY 3 TO 6,000 MILES AND DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO KEEP IT TROUBLE FREE.

Mileage: 52,000

20040422VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR A 60,000 MILE CHECK-UP AND WAS ASTOUNDED TO LEARN THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING AT ONLY 57,000. I COULD NOT AFFORD THE REPAIR AT THIS TIME AND THE MECHANIC SAID THAT NOTHING WAS LEAKING THAT WOULD HURT THE ENGINE, BUT IT SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF SOON. IN ALL THE YEARS I'VE HAD A CAR I'VE NEVER HAD A LEAKING HEAD GASKET AND AT 57,000, TOO. MY LAST CAR, ALSO A PLYMOUTH, HAD OVER 127,000 MILES ON IT AND I NEVER HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE. I DO NOT MISUSE MY VEHICLE, I HAVE THE OIL CHANGED EVERY 3 TO 6,000 MILES AND DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO KEEP IT TROUBLE FREE.

Mileage: 52,000

20040422ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

THE HIGH PRESSURE A/C HOSE VIBRATED AND CAUSED A HOLE. THE CAR IS ONLY 3,000 MILES OVER WARRANTY. THE DEALERSHIP INDCIATED THAT IT WENT OUT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY. DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY CAUSED THE PROBLEM THE INSIST THAT I PAY FOR THE REPAIR. THEY SAID IT WON'T GO OUT AGAIN BECAUSE THEY WILL INSTALL IT PROPERLY. THEY WANTED $370.00 TO REPAIR IT. I CAN'T AFFORD THE COST AT THE MOMENT SO I JUST PICKED UP FROM THE DEALERSHIP TODAY.

Mileage: 39,000

20040422ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

THE HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED AT 24304 MILES ON 6/21/00 AND NOW HAS WENT BAD AGAIN AT 63000 9/15/03 AND CHRYSLER IS REFUSING TO PAY FOR IT

Mileage: 63,000

20040310ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

OIL LEAKED FROM CAMSHAFT AND HEAD GASKETS. *AK THIS HAD BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE 1996. CHRYSLER CHANGED THE PART TWO TIMES, BUT DID NOT NOTIFY OWNERS. THE CONSUMER SMELLED BURNING OIL REGULARLY. *SC *JB

Mileage: 44,000

20040303SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS, COST MORE TO FIX THE PROBLEM THAN THE CAR IS WORTH, HAVE ALSO HAD BRAKES REPLACED TWICE AND ALSO NEW ROTORS. *AK

20040303ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS, COST MORE TO FIX THE PROBLEM THAN THE CAR IS WORTH, HAVE ALSO HAD BRAKES REPLACED TWICE AND ALSO NEW ROTORS. *AK

20031026ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKET ON MY 1999 PLYMOUTH NEON. ALSO HAS AFFECTED OTHER CHRYSLER MODELS CHECK TSB NO. 09-05-98 FOR MORE DETAILS. CHRYSLER SHOULD HAVE HAD A RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES. IT COST ME $586.00 TO HAVE IT REPLACED THROUGH NEARBY CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID THEY HAVE REPLACED QUITE A FEW OF THESE. IF SO WHY IN WORLD HAVE THEY NOT WARNED PEOPLE OF THESE VEHICLES THAT THE PROBLEM COULD HAPPEN TO THEM BEFORE IT RESULTS IN MORE COSTLY REPAIRS. A SERVICE BULLETIN SHOULD BE SENT TO THESE OWNERS STATING THAT IF THEY FIND ANY OIL LEAKING PROBLEMS IT COULD BE THE RESULT OF A DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKET. CHRYSLER SHOULD BE PAYING ALL OR PART OF THE REPAIR COSTS FOR THIS DEFECT. *LA

Compare 1999PLYMOUTHNEON to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1999 PLYMOUTH NEON have?
The 1999 PLYMOUTH NEON has 82 NHTSA complaints, 8 crashes, 3 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1999 PLYMOUTH NEON?
The most-complained component for the 1999 PLYMOUTH NEON is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 16 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE and AIR BAGS:FRONTAL.
Is the 1999 PLYMOUTH NEON safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.