"How reliable is the 1997 Plymouth Neon?"

"Based on 234 NHTSA complaints, the 1997 Plymouth Neon has a median complaint mileage of 65000 miles. The most common issue is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE."

"What are common problems with the 1997 Plymouth Neon?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1997 Plymouth Neon is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE, accounting for a significant portion of the 234 total complaints filed."

1997 Plymouth Neon: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 234 complaints

234

Total Complaints

65,000mi

Median Mileage

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

35,054 25th Percentile

65,000 Median Mileage

93,500 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

STRUCTURE

TIRES

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

AIR BAGS

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"PLASTIC AIR INTAKE FAILED."

"MICHELIN TIRES SIZE 185-65R14 FAILED."

"ENGINE GASKET: DRIVING DOWN ON INTERSTATE AT APPROXIMATELY 60MPH WHEN SUDDENLY BEGAN TO SMELL SMOKE, LOOKED DOWN AND THERMOSTAT WAS VERY HIGH, VEHICLE JUST STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS SO HOT THAT COULD NOT TOUCH ANYTHING UNDER HOOD. VEHICLE TOWED IN FOR REPAIR . *AK"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28