The 1997 Dodge Neon has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 125,000 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 553 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.
THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT DESIGN ALLOWS THE POTENTIAL FOR AN INADVERTENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT UPON VEHICLE IGNITION SHUT DOWN.
UNEXPECTED AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT CAN RESULT IN OCCUPANT INJURY.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AIR BAG ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED MODULE.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“I am having a lot of problems with my 1997 dodge neon. The steering wheel has nothing but clicks. I am having so much problems turning on my signal lights. The problem has gotten worse. I am hoping that this is a recall so I won't have to pay so much money out of pocket. *tr”
“None of my vehicles have latch supported systems although all my carseats do. Is it still safe to use a carseat with just a seat belt? Can the vehicle manufacturers install the latch systems in my vehicles for free as this is a safety requirement for carseats? I cannot afford to pay for this…”
“I made a short trip to a local store and large amounts of smoke started coming from the front of my car. The car was overheating and I had to stop and pull over. The car had to be towed to the dealership. The car had a head gasket failure.which cost $920 to repair. Although the vehicle is old…”
“Safety/emissions reprt states recall on my vehicle/ defect number: dr-1158. The solid state fan relay may fail because of heat rellated electrical over stress causing the fan to stop and the vehicle to over heat. *tr”
“Passenger side air bag randomly deployed, while going 4 miles per hour, there was no impact to initiate the deployment of airbag. The deployment busted out the passenger side airbag with such force that it blew glass to the complete other side of the vehicle. *tr”
“Tl*the contact owns a 1997 dodge neon. While placing fuel into the vehicle, the filler tube fell to the ground and caused gasoline to leak onto the ground. The dealer stated that there was no recall and the vehicle was taken to a repair shop. The mechanic stated that the filler tube had rusted…”
“Whenever I sit in the driveway, or look for a parking spaces, or sit in traffic...the car's temperature gage goes all the way to hot. I had it diagnosed and they said that its the fan control module or relay...basically the fans stop working. *tr I had a new water pump put in, a new thermostat, a…”
“Tl*the contact owns a 1997 dodge neon. The headlights and high beams are very dim. The bulbs were replaced; however, the lights remained dim. Oil was placed in the vehicle, but then leaked onto the ground, causing the oil warning indicator light to illuminate intermittently. The contact noticed a…”
THERE ARE NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ALLEGED DEFECT.WHILE CONDUCTING THIS INVESTIGATION, ODI FOUND THAT THE SUBJECT CINCHES MEET THE LOAD BEARING REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD 208, AND THAT MANY OF THE REPORTED FAILURES WERE DUE TO INCORRECT CHILD SAFETY SEAT INSTALLATIONS.…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1997 Dodge Neon as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.