Used 1997 Dodge Neon Consumer Reviews
run in the exact opposite direction
the price sounded good. thats about it. they should pay the consumer to take the car from them. fun to drive when it runs right. those times are few and far between. bad head gaskets, fuel pumps, cam seal, bad brake life, light seals, not to mention all the noise. wind noise is annoying at highway speeds, occasional clunking from front end, and the rear struts always sound like they're shot too. and the worst part is when the noises are checked by professionals they can't find anything wrong. if you enjoy getting taken then i suggest buying a dodge/plymouth neon.
Neon Sport 4Dr
I have driven this car for about 2 years (it now has 55000 miles), and have had no major problems. The brakes are noisy, and the parking brake always need re-adjusting, but it's been great. I wish I had the ABS, but oh well. It does slide a bit on wet roads. It is a reliable, and fun to drive car, as long as you aren't friends with too many "car" people.
The best cheap car
This is by far the best cheap car that money can buy. It out performs all other cars in its price range with respects to acceleration, braking, handling, and MPG. Only major complaint it paint quality, and some goofy interior parts.
A good, sporty, economical car.
I'm the original owner of the Neon and I will admit that during the first two years, this car suffered through a lot of problems. Some examples are blown head gasket after 9 months, clouding paint after one year, and factory sunroof breaking EVERY summer ( three times during the third year ). However, after these "teething" problems, the car has turned out to be a reliable, thrifty, comfortable and fun little car.
Split Decision on this car
It's got a nice exterior look and decent accelaration for a car in it's size/class. The doors feel cheap. The big problems that I experienced were reat oil seal and then a blown head gasket, around the 65-75 thousand mile timeframe. Ask any mechanic, the head gasket will blow, and while the replacement gasket is improved, it will blow also. Each of these repairs will cost $1000+.