Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Dodge Neon owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Dodge Neon. When the contact opened the vehicle door, a mouse was seen running from the floor of the passenger side of the vehicle and under the seat. The contact stated that the rodent entered the vehicle through the air vents in the rear of the vehicle to chew on the wires inside the engine compartment. The contact had to place mouse traps inside the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 29,000.
While the vehicle was parked in a parking lot, some one informed the consumer that vehicle was on fire. By the time the consumer reached the vehicle all of the windows were covered with soot. Fire department arrived and extinguished the flames, and concluded that the fire started behind the dashboard.
My car is only two years old. When we bought the car we bought an aftermarket warranty for the car. My instrument panel and interior lights completely went out one day and I took it to the dealer I bought it from. They amazing could not find anything. A second time this has happened and the battery died on the car. The dealership replaced the battery they said because that was the cause of my problem. They never tried to charge or jump the battery . I have yet to pick up my car, but I don't think that the battery going dead caused this issue. If that was the case the battery would not allow me to ever start the car. I believe that this is a dangerous issue that needs to be addressed with Dodge as I have talked to others who have had this issue. Also I don't think that it is appropriate for a car with a bumper to bumper warranty on it that is only two years old should be breaking down. …
My car is in the shop for the 5th time since November of 2003. Sometimes when driving, the car will lurch or will die unexpectedly. When it lurches, the RPM's rev up for a few seconds and the radio crackles off. When it dies, it sometimes dies when I am at a stop or when I am driving down the road. When it does, all power is gone, I cannot even turn on the hazard lights. It sometimes regains power within a minute, once it took 16 hours. When the power returns, the radio has returned to the beginning of the dial and the clock is reset to 12:00 am. This is extremely dangerous when the power is lost...even if I'm able to coast onto the shoulder of the road I have no hazard lights to warn oncoming traffic, which is very frightening at night time. …
This car has used more than 10 quarts of oil since new (not counting changes). It has just over 20K miles now and still uses oil. It does not smoke or leak. The fuel mileage is nowhere near the advertised mileage. The dealer was contacted regarding no brake lights just after purchase. After two trips to the dealer (and the service writer telling us that we removed the cigarette lighter adapter wrong), they discovered the wiring harness for the backup lights was crushed by the shifter in reverse and shorted the lights. After complaining about poor starting and shuddering after a cold soak, the dealer replaced the injector o-rings, which solved the shudder, but not the mileage. Nothing has helped the oil usage, not even the two trips to the dealer to replace a baffle in the valve cover and an "oil consumption" test, which we performed. Yes, it uses oil. …
I have a 2002 Dodge Neon sxt. For about a year now my fog lights have not worked properly. When my headlights are on my fog lights flicker on and of on their own. If I go over a bump the turn on another bump turns them off. They even flicker on and off on smooth road. I thought nothing about it until I started smelling something electrical burning. I then saw a stream of white smoke coming out of the top of my steering column through the hazard light button. This happens everytime I turn on my headlights. I have not had the problem repaired yet but I need to very soon. I am most scared that a fire will ignite while I am driving or the electrical problem will cause my airbag to deploy and cause an accident resulting in injury or death.
My 2002 Dodge Neon es has had nothing but problems leading up to the expiration of my warranty. Everything from electrical issues to radiator problems to the transmission. I took it for service at 65,000 miles because the transmission was slipping. My dealership said it was the radiator and the transmission was fine. I knew they were lying and sure enough, at 72,000 miles, 2,000 miles after my warranty expired, my transmission is dead. Chrysler corp. Refuses to fix or even discount a transmission for me saying that my car is "above and beyond" any warranty. I don't consider 2,000 miles above and beyond, especially considering the car had 5,000 miles when I bought it and was considered brand new.
Dt: the contact recently purchased a vehicle, and when checking out the vehicle it had serious problems. The frame was bent, the radiator was bent into the fan, the air cleaner was not bolted on the side, the radiator was painted red and bent, the core supplier was damaged, and underneath the hood the wiring was frayed. The contact just had the car inspected by a mechanic, and he found the aforementioned things wrong with the car. The contact was upset that the dealership would sell a car in that condition. The car is a 2002 Dodge Neon. The contact would contact ftc on the dealership selling the car in that condition.
My headlights & fog lights stopped working last week. The only way I was able to drive in the dark was holding my high-beams on. I took my car to the shop on Friday, it was $500 to replace a burnt wiring harness & multifunction switch. There was no warning that this system would stop working. I had no choice but to pay for the repairs because of the time change and the fact it gets darker earlier, I had to have headlights to go work. I think this is something Dodge should have warned their customers about or replaced. Something failed in the system, this is not normal wear and tear.
A problem with a wiring harness on my 2002 Dodge Neon has caused the head lights to suddenly fail on my vehicle while I was driving at night. According to my auto repair man, the wiring harness connected to the switch on the steering column that operates the lights suddenly burned out. This caused the head lights to fail repeadtedly. Daimlerchrysler, makers of the vehicle, told my auto mechanic that they have no repair manual for this harness, and that the harness would have to be replaced at a cost of $1,000 to $1,500 to me.
Electrical complaints in other Neon years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2002 Dodge Neon?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the electrical system of the 2002 Dodge Neon, 14% of the model year's 173 complaints. The component named most often is wiring (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Dodge Neon electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2002 Dodge Neon. 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 2002 Dodge Neon electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 46,000 miles, and 24% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to electrical system 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.