Used 1995 Dodge Neon Sedan Consumer Reviews
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ARGH!
I bought this car in 1999. For the first 6 months, it treated me well. After that, it was all down hill. I blew my head gasket, my oil and transmission fluid are always leaking, my air conditioning only wants to work for one summer at a time, I've had problems with the oxygen sensor, and just recently there was a problem with my accelerator plate; I accelerated to 90 on the highway without even touching the gas petal, and when I decided it was time to slow down, neither the brakes or emergency brake would stop it. During the good times, it has treated me well, but when troubled time hit, they hit the pocket book hard!
The Ultimate Lemon
Be prepared to have it in the shop often, and be prepared for the most expensive of repairs. Beware corrosion issues with the starter cables/wires, battery, and terminals. Beware belts breaking/snapping, burning for both serpentine and timing belts. Beware having to replace the Head Gaskets, and the AC/compressor. Beware having to replace O-rings & seals for solving gas tank leaks. Beware the windshield suddenly cracking right down the middle while its parked and untouched one random day. I have to admit, when the car ran, it was a decently good car. Problem is, it doesn't run often, requires towing often, and is expensive to live with.
Roller coaster
The Dodge Neon is the worst car I have ever had. I wanted the car because it was cheap. But the car repairs make up for the money that I was trying to save. I had to replace the head gasket. It cost me a thousand dollars to fix. The brakes are bad. They have to have a heavy duty liner on it to help it last a little longer. The car is loud when you drive it. The axle was bad. The heat doesn't work well at all. The clear coat on the paint is coming off. It just is a sad little car what can I say.
106,000 strong and still going
I bought this as my first car back in may 2001. This can be a good first car for a teenager, college student or anyone looking for affordable transportation at a low price. The fuel economy is very good for this car. It has been very reliable for the 5 years that I have owned it so far. I had to replace the cylinder head gasket, rotors, brakes,electrical soleniod, and pcm. I regularly maintain it with oil changes, tire rotations, and tune ups. Even though certain things may break in this car, the maintenance costs sre very low. The acceleration is good and the braking and turning radius are good.
Hate it!!!
Wouldn't do it again
a lot of problems
Constant noise because of windows without frames!! A weird knocking noise coming from the back of the car that no- one ever could figure out. Squeaky brakes. Head gasket went out at 95K, Engine oil leaking at 100K, struts went out at 100K. I run 15K on it, and have spent more than $2000 for fixing it.
Used and abused and still loving it
I purchased my 1995 neon about ten months ago. It has been one of the best vehicles I have ever owned. My car is Red 5 speed transmission and faster then any neon I have ever had the pleasure of driving. They do have the problems with head gaskets going on certain neons, but my car hasn't had any bigger of a problem then brakes,starter,suspensioni. But what car wouldn't have these problems at seven years old. My car has surpassed 120k and it runs like a champ.
Great Value
I wanted a small sports sedan with ABS, 4-wheel disc brakes, 5-speed, good power and room for my family at a low price- Neon delivered. It has been surprisingly durable and the cost of ownership has been very low- just passed 100,000 miles with original clutch, shocks, head-gasket, etc. Brake pads lasted to 80,000 miles!
Great Car!
I bought car with 13,000 miles on it. Have driven it from Utah to Maryland 3 times with no problems! Cruises at 80 to 85 mph all day with no problem. 12 hr drive days are great, not tired at the end. Car has over 130,000 miles on it, and the interior still looks new! has the usual wear & tear. The only thing major was the tranny (I let the car set for 6 months while getting it licensed, this probably was not good for tranny.) I love the car. It has great handling, and gets great mileage (32 to 35 on highway, 28 around town.) Still looks good. I want to keep it for another 10 years! You can't go wrong with getting a 95 Neon!
amazing little car
This car was purchased new. It now has 115,000 miles on it, virtually trouble free. Original plugs, brakes and hoses sill in place. All belts replaced at 70,000 miles. The a/c compressor bearing went out at 12 years and approx. 98,000 miles. That's it for breakage. The car was ordered with Sport Suspension and handles like a sports car. I've had it up to 125 mph and it had more to go.... Fuel mileage is still a consistent 30mpg city/42 hwy. since break in, stick shift of course(after the first 10,000 miles). What truly amazes me are the mutts who buy one of these with a ton of miles, put on by someone who abuses the car, and than complain about all the problems they are having.
Best (worst) of both worlds
Bought car new for my wife. Head gasket went at 30k just before warranty. At 65k again! Wanted me to pay for labor (maybe $300 on $600 bill) but I whined and they said Chrysler picked it up. At 100k it went again and I'm pretty sure we split the cost with the dealer.
Reality Check
Nice base ride but do not look for extra comforts on this car. Watch out for engine trouble, especially areas related to the cylinder head. Solid tranmission, but a three speed auto limits the top speed as well as giving the impression you are working the engine too hard beyond 75-80 mph.
Please do not buy this car
Ok, first off don't buy this car. But, if you really want to don't say I didn't warn you. This was my first car so I didn't know what I was getting into but it was a nightmare! I've put more money into repairs than I've spent on it!
Get Rid of it before you hit 90K
Head Gasket blew Chysler only paid half and it was like pulling teeth to get them to pay. A/C compressor and evaporator blew at the same time over 1000 dollars to fix. Won't do it since the car isn't worth that much. Sensors for gas gauge bad. Windows when open have water pour in when it rains had to put on vent shades.
Reliability and Economy
I bought the Neon new 8 years ago as a commuter car (4D, 5-speed manual). Has been serving me with excellent reliability and economy. With an 80/20 mix of highway/city, mileage is consistently better than 31 mpg. No major repairs so far, only wear and tear items such as brakes, tires replaced. Including cost of purchase, fuel, insurance, maintenance and repair, the cost per mile is 21 cents at this time.
flogging neons
I have a 1995 neon with approximately 125,000 miles on it after getting it I found one gremlin in the instrument cluster (repaired ground) then built it for minor performance and fuel economy amazingly I was getting 55+ mpg highway from my .75 overdiven manual trans. 2.0l sohc only thing I have yet to find wrong has been the head gasket never had any problems up to the point I rebuilt the cylinder head for more perf. and no signs of leaks.
Do not buy!!
I bought this car with only 24K on it. It was my first car. I should have realized that it was a piece of crap when the previous owner told me they already had to replace the transmission. every 6-7 months, something else would go wrong with it, my head gasket went, then the timing belt, and now my check engine like keeps coming on and going off again. It only has 50K on it right now! I've been really good to it, regular oil changes and tune-ups, but it was a very bad buy, I will never buy another Dodge.
Terrific Ride
I absolutely love my Neon! I bought the car because I needed a point A to point B kind of car originally, but now I can't think of any other car I would want. I've been to San Diego to Las Vegas and everywhere in between and it hasn't failed me once yet. It handles nicely and it saves me a bundle on gas... (if I don't lead foot it everywhere). The Neon is a terrific first car for anyone who likes a neat looking ride and likes to travel.
WORST CAR EVER MADE?
I bought a Neon new in 1994. This was the worst car I ever owned, with dozens of problems, like 4 replaced engine computers, loose exhaust, clunking suspension, leaking window seals (window are frameless, beware!), bad brakes, electrical probelms, etc, etc, etc. I sold this car at a significant loss in 1998, but I would have paid someone to take it off my hands.
Do Not Buy a First Year Car!!
As soon as I saw the Sunflower field commercial with the Neon, I ran out and bought it. In 1994. I will never do that again. Too many variables. I can not stand the windows having no frames that they fit into. Constant noise!! A weird knocking noise coming from the back of the car that no-one ever could figure out. Squeaky brakes. The worst of all is the Air Conditioning went and until this day I only have 83k on the car. I really should have read that Lemon-Law booklet they gave me with the car. Also, 4 recalls for steering and brake issues.
I don't know
The Neon is not a great car, however, for cheap transportation you can't beat it. Really, you can't beat it or it will break. but once you get used to the poor acceleration, which is a lack of low end torque, it's an alright car to drive because it handles amazingly well. If you like to zig-zag in traffic, this car can be fun. The brake are kind of crappy, so watch out. And the car, not just as a domestic but rather as a Dodge, tends to break down a lot. I got the sport and blew a water pump as soon as I got it. Now the brain and the fuel pump have gone out, and it's really not worth the fix. Good luck and God bless.
It's a Lemon!
I replaced close to about absolutely everything on this vehicle except the engine. Auto Transmission only lasts 60K miles! AC and Head Gasket Last about 36K miles. Alternator belt, cables/wires/starter last about 4 years. This car is a complete lemon, and almost all Neons are like this. Neons were designed to break-down after the 3 year warranty.
Great car for a cheap price
Great car for a cheap price. I purchased this car with 27K miles, now I have over 200,000 miles and it is still going strong. I have changed the head gasket once and had to replace a faulty turn signal switch, other then that, it has been a very solid car. Of course I change the oil on time and keep the tires in good shape. I still get over 35 miles per gallon on the freeway. My only complaint is the paint. It fell off in large chunks because of a bad base coat. I have asked the dealership to repaint it, but they refused. Hay, it only looks bad for Dodge, I do not care. I still drive this car about 1500 miles a month.
Glad I got rid of it
when we got the car it ran for a while, then the transmission went sour, then the engine went sour, so we got rid of it. the thing came, however, came with an awesome stock sound system.
Avoid the Neon
I purchased this vehicle used with with 40k on it in 1998. While for the most part it was dependable, nearly every little thing that could go wrong did: insturment cluster failure, stereo stopped working, paint coming off with major rust, tinting bubbling, windows stopped working, power locks failed, interior and exterior trim falling off the car. I could go on. Performance-wise, the ride was stiff, but it handled well. Low power, not very sporty at all and fuel economy was bad. I averaged about 22mpg with mostly city use. Very low miles were put on the car. With no warning and about 80,000 total miles on the vehicle, it threw the timing belt and destroyed the engine.
Better Than I Expected!!!!
I bought my '95 Neon in Dec. of 2008, Since then, except for routine tune- ups, I haven't had one problem out of the car that I bought for 300.00. I have been to out of state 17 times in the past 6 months on business, the car has helped me make almost a quarter million dollars, and she is still ticking. So now i'm going to return the favor a let someone buy the car for 300 dollars.
Wonderful car
My 1995 dodge neon was my first car I purchased. It's really reliable and takes me everywhere!!
360,000 miles on engine!
My Dodge Neon's engine came from another that was in a roll-over accident, so the engine currently has about 360k on it and still running strong. (updated head gaskets as soon as it started acting up) It's amazing how it gets the mileage of a pile of junk Ford Escort but the comfort and smooth ride of an Intrepid. Overall, a beautiful car. Just be sure if you buy one, it's got updated head gaskets. That's the only problem I've had.
95 Neon. Not a bad little car
We may have been lucky and got a good one, but we have had good luck with our 95 Neon. No mechanical issues other than a voltage regulator going. Good mileage, relatively fun to drive with a stick shift. Brakes have always been a little soft, but overall not a bad little car.
Neon Power
I have a standard 1995 Neon. This car is so much fun to drive and packs substantial power. With a 2.0 liter engine with 16 valves and 132 horsepower, this compact car can easily take somebody off the line. I've had a few problems with my Neon: paint chipping and the head gasket. These problems were fixed, so I'm still flying by other cars. Long live Neon Power!
piece of trash that goes fast
I won't lie to you. I enjoy driving this car. It's fairly fast for the price and manual trans is the best way to go here. The style is good, too. Unfortunately, the standard features on this car are awful. It has no power steering or a/c. There's no armrest or center console, making it difficult to be comfortable in the car. Other than the blown head gasket (I hate Chrysler), it's been very reliable. It has never broken down or had another serious problem in the eight years that it's been running. Go power!!
I agree - WORST CAR EVER MADE
DO NOT buy this car, it's a piece of junk! My husband bought it in 1999, and it's been nothing but problems. We now have a car that is worthless because it has more damage than it's even worth. It now has a cracked head gasket and cylinder, the AC was gone a couple of years ago, we've had muffler problems, belt problems, power windows went out and do not even shut properly, you name it! Now we're stuck trying to get another car with no trade-in (the dealers won't even give us 50 bucks for it!). We have paid more to have this car fixed than it's even worth, and now there is another $2,000+ in damage on it! I will never buy a Dodge again.
The car that could & Dealership didn't!
I love this car, I got one of the last ones off the assemly line. I custom ordered the car. My main complaint was the dealership, Tupelo Auto Sales (Tupelo,MS) service department is the worst dealership I have ever dealt with. They swindled me out of nearly 2,000 dollars in faulty work & breaks. An example, they supposed to install mophar parts, well guess where they went to get my break pads, WAL-MART!. They never told me ANYTHING.The bill even shows Mophar break pads!!! Oh well guess I have to go WAY out of my way to have service done.
you get what you pay for
I bought my Neon in '98 and it had 40,000 miles. I knew that it wasn't really built to last but reliability was high on my priority list so I gave this car a go. For the most part, it treated me right since I didn't really have any major problems until I surpassed the 100k mark when my engine just died on me. I think this car is great for a college student or for someone buying for the first time. Keep it for no more than 3 years and move on.
Cheap fast car
Very reliable car, put 15000 miles on it and the only thing that went was the rear main seal, and that was from doing 100 mph for 2000 miles ($35 and a long weekend of work), other than that no big problems, Has 130k miles and it still kills all the imports, even v6's I race it almost every weekend and hit 120 more times than I can count and it still runs stong. Gas milage is not good, but I also have a lead foot. If you maintain it, it will last. drive 50 miles back and forth to work every day and it never broke down on me.
Doesn't owe me a dime
I bought this car in '97 with 89,000 miles on it. It now has over 190,000 miles on it. Now,the headliner is falling; paint is chipping; speedometer is intermittent; head gasket was replaced; and, the block has a hairline crack. So what! Over the past 5 years this car has been a blast to drive. In the right hands, with a 5 speed, this car will embarrasse Hondas, Toyotas, and a few V6s. I now do all the work myself and I'm amazed at how much you can do for cheap. The car is on its second college student. It was a godsend when we bought and it doesn't owe us a dime. Its one of those special family cars you here about.
could be better....
The two biggest problems with this car are the A/C and the Oxygen Sensor. Can't believe how many times they have each been repaired. I have completely given up on fixing the A/C because it is like throwing money out the window. But, the car is really fun to drive. Very zippy! And it does get good gas mileage. Currently pondering an expensive head gasket repair. I know I should just buy another car...
Fast and Furious
My first car and still loving every minute of it. Bought it in fire engine red color with manual transmission and it is loads of fun to drive. Had to do standard maintenance with oil changes every 3K, etc. Just had my timing belts changed at 102K.
Dont get it!
I purchased it with 60000 miles, and after 7k miles it needed a head gasket and tires. The floor in the back always leaks, and in the winter the floor on the INSIDE freezes along with the trunk. I had to scrap the inside of the winsheild instead of the outside. The heat takes forever to kick in, and the paint started to chip.
No Joke, this car is a keeper
We bought this car new with no frills, no AC, PW or PS. It has over 226,000 miles on it now and though it did blow a head gasket at about 170,000 miles, it has been practically a free car when you consider what most cars cost. We have maintained it regularly. Great Car, Great mileage...I recently got 41 MPG on a trip, though 34 MPG is typical, Great get up and go...even now. If you maintain these vehicles, I promise you will not be disappointed by anything.
95 dodge neon highline
43000 miles when i bought it. Repairs are expensive. I have had to replace the water pump several times, the transmission $3400, alternator, cv joints fuel pump, fuel filter and much more. Oh by the way if you live where it snows, careful getting stuck. This car handles well in the snow i certainly feel safe. Or could that be because it is constantly stuck. Dont rock it.I have put about 7000- 8000 dollars into this car. I drove to new york once, car broke down on the way back in pennsylvania. I have not felt comfortable driving the hour to visit my family for fear that my children and i will be stranded. I swore off dodges after driving this car.
Lots of Fun - Lets do it again
My Neon was a late 1995 model; so 95% of those early bugs were gone (it was introduced almost 2 years before it was originally intended). Wonderfully intellegent vehicle; you can look and look at it and see (like it or not) the thinking that went into making it the best in the segment by a long shot. Excellent torque biased powerplant, comfort and quality of a much more expensive sedan
180,000 miles and still running strong
I bought the car with 145000 miles on it, and all I had to replace was the head gasket. I bought some performance struts and lowering springs. The car carves corners like nothing. With only 132 hp, the car is pretty quick. I haven't had any problems with this car and I plan to own it all the way to 200,000 miles! My only complaints are that it leaks oil, and the brakes stink, but upgrade them and it shouldn't be that big of deal. I love my Neon!
Torn!
I'm torn. It's sooo cute and fun to drive, great mileage, and you wouldn't believe the amount of stuff I've packed into this car. BUT...while it never actually broke down on me, it's had to have a ton of work - tranny, head gasket, HO2 sensor, electrical, shocks, rust on edges of hood and trunk, and major paint flaking.
95 No go
Significant reoccurring electrical problems due to poor design of electrical harness. overheating because of head gasket problems. The electrical problems have been the most frustrating because they are difficult to impossible to track down. '96's made in Mexico have the harness problems that is recallable. Same problem exists in 95 but dealership is unwilling to acknowledge or repair under recall. Same dealership has had a lemon plymouth van parked in front of their shop for over 2 years.
Overall a good experience
When I purchasee this vehicle in 1998 it had about 80,000 km on it. overall through the years I feel it held up quite well. It did have some repairs done but not the flurry of them one frequently sees in reviews for it, maybe I just got lucky. However in my case this car did not age well, at around 220,000 km or so, it turned into a money pit and I ended up selling it for parts. Still I got 6 pretty good years out of it and feel it was a worthwhile purchase. Parts are also fairly cheap.
1995 Dodge neon Highline 4door hardtop
Great value overall. I paid 12,500 for this vehicle new and has 200,000 miles to date and is still running strong. I have had a few minor problems, but nothing that is not considered to be normal wear: Cruise control actuator, fuel gauge sending unit, timing belt tensioner, shifter cable ends (5-spd).
Mechanical Dream
I bought this car as I am a college student who needed cheap, reliable transportation, but this car is perfect for whatever you want to do. Basically, as long as you take good care of the Neon, and dont drive it too hard, it will last many many miles. The key is to take care of it -- it is a mechanical dream to work on.
Lemon
Head gasket went after 38K, A/C repaired in 3rd year, electrical problems with signal lights, then radio. Paint pealing off roof and both wiper arms had paint peeling and they both have broken. On the highway the windows scream. Weather stripping around doors and trunk were coming off. Piece of crap!
Learned to appreciate it
Bought mine with about 150 K miles. Really didnt like it at first...it's not exactly attractive, and it sometimes has a tiny feel. but it grew on me due to the reliability. So many quirks--trunk/back seat leak, weak dashboard, everything rattles, 3 speakers have gone out, meters give out, AC stinks (especially here in AZ), etc. But at the end of the day its done exactly what I've needed it to do. No major problems, just a few things here and there. The acceleration is horrible (automatic) but the car handles amazingly. I've had friends with new cars comment on it. Lasted longer than everyone elses '92-'98 used cars even though people make fun of it. The little compact that could.