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1997 Dodge Neon Engine And Engine Cooling:engine Problems

NHTSA component category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE · data through 07/12/2026

151Engine And Engine Cooling:engine complaints
38.7%Of all 390 complaints
#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How engine and engine cooling:engine ranks on this vehicle

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE151 · 38.7%
Unspecified / other21 · 5.4%

Share of the 390 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1997 Dodge Neon overview page.

What owners report

“DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKETS MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING HESITATION AND STALLING WHICH MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.”NHTSA complaint 853221 — filed 11/22/1999
“KEPT HAVING A LEAKE. TOOK IN VEHICLE TO BE SERVICED, TIRE TO BE ROTATED. CAR INSPECTED, AND THEY NOTICED ENGINE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING, COMING…”NHTSA complaint 853090 — filed 11/18/1999
“STARTED AS SMALL OIL LEAK, KEPT GETTING WORSE. TOLD 3-4 WEEKS AGO THERE WAS A BAD HEAD GASKET AND A CHRYSLER ZONE REP WOULD BE…”NHTSA complaint 714445 — filed 11/07/1999

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine complaints by year filed

7199824199948200037200115200292003820041200522008

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1997 Dodge Neon have engine and engine cooling:engine problems?

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine is the most-reported problem area on the 1997 Dodge Neon: 151 of 390 complaints on file (38.7%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1997 Dodge Neon have in total?

390 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 44 involved a crash, 12 involved a fire, 28 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's engine and engine cooling:engine category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.