Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Dodge Neon owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Had stopped at a stop sign,was proceding thru intersection when there was a loud "bang"and it felt as if something had fallen off the car.stopped vehicle and gave it an exterior inspection that found 1 tire pointing in the the expected direction and the driver's side tire pointing off in a different direction.had car towed to dealership who advised both tie-rods are broke and need to be replaced.this is a 2000 Dodge Neon with about 51,500 miles on it. Over the phone the service person advised this is not normal wear&tear and that these parts could not be greased. I had a Honda with over 250,000 miles on it and the tie rods never broke and my husband has a Chevy truck with over 148,000 miles and his tie-rods are fine. The service person advised that we would be responsible for the bill to repair this.service dept.was advised that we wanted the old parts saved and they agreed.
Severe corrosion caused a weakness in the suspension cradle/ engine cradle that resulted in the front suspension control arm to break away from its mounting to the suspension crossmember/ cradle. The control arm and all associated components seemed to be in acceptable condition and did not exhibit any failures. The failure was severe enough that the drive axle was pulled out of the transmission. The vehicle was completely undriveable. I was extremely lucky to have had the failure at a very low speed while turning into a driveway. The same failure at posted speed (45mph at the time) would have resulted in total loss of control and likely severe crash.
We heard a pop in our engine while driving down the highway, uncertain that it was our vehicle we continued, as we exited the highway we had lost power steering it seemed. Continue home about 20 miles and once we pulled into our driveway we opened the hood to find our power steering belt had come off. While investigating the belt, noticed our drivebelt idler pulley had disintegrated. We have been trying to order this part from several auto part stores and the dealer to no avail. It is on factory back order for over the past month, which has left us with only one vehicle for our household.
Tl* - the contact owns a 2000 Dodge Neon. While turning left into a parking lot the vehicle abruptly stopped. The front driver's side tie rod failed, causing that tire to lean. The travel speed was approximately 5 MPH. The vehicle was towed away. The dealer replaced both tie rod ends. The current and failure mileage were both 90,898. The contact has the repair order.
While driving through shopping center at about 25 MPH tried to make left turn down lane the steering wheel locked in mid turn and my son looked down to see why wheel locked and slammed head on into a concrete light post, causing over $4000.00 in damage to the car. Also the airbag did not deploy during a head on inpact
There is a vibration in the steering wheel. The steering column was replaced. There was also a grinding noise when making turns, the left front axle had made a grinding noise, and the vehicle leaked when it had rained.
When applying the brakes, the vehicle will start to pulsate at any speed. Also, extended stopping distance. Contacted dealer. The consumer states the following as problems occured: the passenger air bag, throttle blade icing, defective rotors, charging system over charging-no trouble codes; 3 battery replacements(defective per mechanic), many gas tank repairs/replacements(would not take gas without clicking and ticking/filler tank/gas tank), warning brake light and buzzer chimes when brake is applied also with the gas pedal when applied (due to defective rotors and lack of brake fluid, transmission problem-grinding noise/won't go in reverse, brake noise in rear tire/brake booster replace per recall-needs rotors & pads in front, A/C blows warm air-compessor clutch wouldn't engage(found broken wire), problem with the voltage regulator, and noise in the power steering.
Interior trunk lock wasn't operable. Consumer went to open the trunk and lock wouldn't unlock/ cigerette lighter and cd player failed. Consumer took vehicle to the dealership. Mechanic told her that they couldn't duplicate the problems. Seat belt malfunctions. Door light and dome light stays on alarm system malfunctons continuously. Power windows malfunctions. Cruise control failed. The vehicle stalled on the road. Vehicle alignment problems while using brakes.
Problems with air bag warning light on Dodge Neon 2000. The light was intermittent and would beep everytime the consumer would make a turn. Recall# 99V043000. The tie rods had to be replaced. When the consumer turned the air condition on, the vehicle felt as though it was going to cut off.
The vehicle experiences popping noise from the steering column and noise from the front end while turning, the dealer replaced the rack and pinion gear assembly twice, the steering wheel is misaligned, faulty imtermediate shaft/brake tube caused the steering wheel to shake. Nlm
Steering complaints in other Neon years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2000 Dodge Neon?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the steering of the 2000 Dodge Neon, 8% of the model year's 337 complaints. The component named most often is steering wheel/handle bar (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Dodge Neon steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2000 Dodge Neon, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2000 Dodge Neon steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 87,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to steering problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.