Acceleration complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The gas pedal has come disconnected or stuck continuing to accelerate and I miraculously stopped the car with the emergency brake before it nearly Crashed into a crowded bus stop! The car only has 65k miles but regardless a car should never put anyone in this danger! It is giving me a nervous breakdown almost running people over!
No warning or engine light appeared; the gas pedal did not function as intended and accelerated while trying to parallel park when I put the shift knob in reverse the car immediately accelerated on its own to full force and I nearly Crashed into a bus stop filled with people losing control of the car I immediately managed to stop the car by pressing on the brake pedal which the car still had slight force but then I put the car in park and only at that time did it completely stop. The gas pedal and shift linkage and accelerator linkage have some dangerous unprovoked issues. This car has always had a high idle problem as warned to me by the first owners, as soon as you put the car into drive it would immediately go. I have researched recalls for years on this and have also discovered many reports of people losing control in this manner coincidentally going unaddressed. …
While driving at 70 MPH, the consumer attempted to exit a freeway and the vehicle lurched and made a loud noise. The vehicle was pulled into a parking lot and smoke began to emit from the hood. Consumer turned the key off, but the vehicle continued to run. The fire department arrived and disconnected the battery cables. At that time the smoking ceased and the engine shut down. The consumers vehicle continued to run rough and lurch forward, the check engine light would come on, , the vehicle would run with the key out of the ignition, and when the door was inadvertently shut, the door would lock. The dealer could not find anything wrong with the vehicle. The consumer was told that the fuel was delivered at a rich combustion level. The service dealer replaced the ab/master relay and the power train control module. …
On occasion the cruise control does not engage and on occasion it does engage and when you try to slow down the brake becomes hard to depress and the car starts to accelerate but repeated attempts to depress brake or pump brakes allows control again over speed without incident. This has happened on several occasions while driving over 45 MPH . As this happens randomly cause has not been found and this only happens when cruise control has been engaged . Problem noticed in 2014 when I got car to present date .. Not an isolated incident.
While I was accelerating to get on the highway, my car suddenly lurched violently forward causing me and my passengers to sustain neck trauma, not significant enough though to require medical assistance. This has happened about 150 times since I have owned the car, which has been almost 3 years. This last time was concerning enough for me to file this report. Most times it is really not that significant of a jerk or lurch, but definitely noticeable and annoying/concerning. It happens when I am usually stopped and start to proceed, and the speedometer will show a drop in speed, hesitate, and jerk the car forward. I have had this problem since I bought my car and have had it in for service twice. Once they replaced the gas cap, and once they replaced the output speed sensor. …
While driving my 2003 Dodge Neon sxt the throttle cable snapped and I lost the ability to accelerate or control the car speed. This happened in the fast lane of a 6 lane roadway. I was able to coast the vehicle off the roadway and had it towed to the dealer. While with this incident I was fortunate to avoid a collision if the potential for a serious accident was obvious. Several approaching cars narrowly avoided colliding with my vehicle because of the sudden loss of the ability to maintain speed.
Dt: while driving in bumper to bumper traffic the consumer's vehicle was involved in a collision. The owner glanced away for a moment, looked back and the brake pedal was applied and the accelerator kicked in. There was a feeling of the vehicle braking against acceleration. Then the vehicle hit the car in front. There was no investigation into the accident, however, the owner believed the accelerator May had something to do with this accident. Since then it has happened several times in emergency braking situations.
After driving in 2 hours of traffic I parked my 2002 Neon. As I parked it started to accelerate on its own. It still does so but only when reversing. When I brake as I am reversing its as if the brake tightens up and doesn't want to brake. This to me is a huge safety issue what if there is a child behind me and I need the brakes to actually work???
Related recalls (1)
Vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: passenger cars. Vapors from the positive crankcase ventilation (pcv) system can condense and freeze inside of the throttle body when the vehicle is operated in extremely cold ambient temperatures.
Remedy: Dealers will replace and relocate a pcv system tube.
Frequently asked questions
Which Dodge Neon years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1995 (47), 2000 (20), 1996 (16), 2005 (15) and 1997 (11) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 5% of all complaints for the 1995.
Is there a recall for Dodge Neon acceleration problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 00V-194 (vehicle speed control, Jul 17, 2000). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Dodge Neon acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 93,000 miles; 29% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the accelerator pedal (20 mentions), followed by the cruise control (11).
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.