Brake complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
On 10/6/15 my son was involved in a car accident. He was merging onto the parkway when the SUV he was following came to a complete stop due to the car in front of it doing the same, but when my son tried to break the breaks were completely out causing him to hit the back of SUV he was following, with his quick thinking he pulled the emergency breaks to prevent hit SUV again as it was pulling over.
I shifted my car into reverse and it accelerated by itself. Shifted into neutral and could not stop crashed thru my neighbors garage door. There s no check engine light and could not stop when applying the brakes even in neutral. I checked and there was nothing under or blocking the gas pedal. No mats in car.
Tl* - the contact stated that while driving his 2004 Dodge Neon down hill at a speed of 40 MPH, he tried to apply the breaks and the brakes seized, rear ending another vehicle. The contact stated that the hood of the vehicle was crushed, as well as, the engine falling out of the vehicle. At the time of the incident contact stated that his head struck the steering wheel and the air bags didn't deploy. The failure mileage was 38504. The contact can provide a copy of police report and pictures if needed. Updated 2/16/2007 -
I bought my 2004 Dodge Neon around March of 2005. A couple of months later, the brakes would squeak while driving down the road. At first it was not too bothersome, but I took it to the Chrysler dealership and they told me the brakes were just dirty, and that nothing else was wrong. Now, the problem has continued to progress, and the brake squeaking is really loud and irritating. I have yet to take it back to the dealer, as it is no longer under warranty. Previously, I owned a 2000 Dodge Neon, and I went through the same problem with it. I noticed while searching through previous recalls, that my older Neon did have a recall on the "brake booster vacuum hose". When I had my older Neon fixed of this problem, I took it to midas, and they did not inform me of any recall regarding this problem; however, they May not have know. …
The following is, what I consider a life threatening problem with the 2003, 2004 & 2005 Dodge Neon srt-4 model cars and possibly other models that have unsecured vacuum lines in the brake system. I have two first-hand occurrences of this problem. The first occurrence did not result in an incident, but the second caused destruction of my vehicle and could have resulted in my & my sons death. In the first incident the small vacuum line coming from the turbo boost gage and the check valve blew off the brake booster. This line is not secured to the brake booster. It is only a push fit. As a result the brake pedal became very hard and I had about 20% braking at 30-40 MPH. To keep this from happening again I zip tied the check valve and line on the brake booster. In the second incident the large vacuum line from the brake booster to the intake manifold blew off the intake manifold. …
ABS brakes failed and the vehicle slid into a guard rail. This occurred upon going down a hill on a snowy road at 7 MPH. Prior to the incident vehicle was serviced 4 times by the dealership because the brakes were squeaking. Dealership indicated that the brakes were fine, they just had to wear in. Also, when consumer put vehicle in reverse and depressed the gas pedal vehicle accelerated forward. Consumer then put vehicle back in park, then in reverse again to correct the problem.
While driving a 2002 Neon, either the transmission/brakes locked up on the car, stopping abrubtly without any warning on interstate 400 in atlanta, ga. Due to the mechanical failure of the auto, my daughter's auto was then rear-ended by another car. Both autos were totallled, neither driver was charged with the accident, but she was written up "mechanical failure" on the accident report. I believe that the Neon auto itself was at fault/defective. I have another 2002 Neon which just had to be repaired August 1-8th, 2003 for the "transmission locking up and shutting down" and had to have the torque converter replaced. I located a service bulletin from Chrysler on the internet which described this condition that was occuring in the 2001-2002 neons. I believe Chrysler should be held responsible to this accident. …
Vehicle 2002 Dodge Neon 22,351 miles on vehicle. While my wife was backing out of garage the brakes failed. Three pieces of front disk brake pads were found lying on the garage floor (still in my possession). Both front inside disk pads appeared to have broken in half. Upon checking the front brakes I found no pads in place on the left inside of the brake and only one half of the brake pad on the inside of the right brake which was still with the vehicle, obviously the rest of the pads were on the floor of my garage. My wife was shaken but thankful that she wasn't driving in traffic when the brake pads fell off the car. The vehicle had to be towed to joe cecconi"s Chrysler to have new front brakes put on the vehicle. …
Related recalls (4)
Service brakes, hydraulic › Power assist › Vacuum
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. In the presence of oil and heat, the brake booster vacuum hose could swell and loosen from the intake manifold.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake booster vacuum hose. Owner notification began July 2, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within…
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Master cylinder
The brake master cylinder can leak brake fluid due to a damaged double lip rear piston seal.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rear brake master cylindr piston assembly.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
The rear brake hose mounting bracket screws can fail allowing the brake hoses to move out of position. The unrestrained hoses are then susceptible to damage which could result in brake fluid leakage.
Remedy: The rear brake line hose bracket screws on these vehicles will be replaced.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
The ABS brake master cylinder rear seal allows air to enter the brake system, causing spongy brakes or partial brake system loss.
Remedy: Master cylinders will be inspected for the suspect build date code range and will be replaced if necessary.
Frequently asked questions
Which Dodge Neon years have brake problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1995 (215), 1996 (89), 2000 (69), 1997 (47) and 2001 (21) model years. Brake complaints make up 22% of all complaints for the 1995.
Is there a recall for Dodge Neon brake problems?
Yes — 4 recalls, including 01V-154 (vacuum, May 8, 2001); 96V-075 (master cylinder, May 3, 1996); 94V-034 (hoses, lines/piping, and fittings, Feb 23, 1994). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Dodge Neon brake problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles; 58% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (143 mentions), followed by the foundation components (111).
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.