Seat Belt complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (buckles, retractors, anchors and pretensioners).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
My sons had a crash in a 2005 Dodge Neon. They were going approximately 40-45 MPH. They hit a mailbox with metal pipes, a parked durango, a parked malibu, decorative rocks in the corner, went airborne and totaled the whole passenger side front end of the car. Neither of the air bags deployed, and the seat belts didn't lock. We bought this card because of the safety features for our teenage son and they did not work.
It was another Sunday afternoon, we had just left church (me, my husband, and 2 year son and was on our way to see a friend and her newborn baby at the hospital. On our way to the hospital a truck pulled out from the access road from I-20 directly into our paths. We were traveling under 50 MPH and had the right of way....all we could do to avoid the truck was to hit the brakes. Unfortunately, that was not sufficient. Our 2004 Dodge Neon struck a chevyrolet avalanche pick up. The impact was on the front passenger side where it completely destroyed the right front fender, grill, headlights, and the hood is now a rainbow over the engine. The ugliest part of this though, is that I was the passenger in the front seat, the passenger's air bag as well as the driver's air bag never deployed. In addition, the seat belt never locked, and I was thrown forward with the impact of the car. …
When hitting a pole at 40 MPH in the front end front air bags did not deploy nor did the front seat belt restrain the consumer. Driver suffered minor injuries. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Dodge Neon. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the contact was involved in a severe crash and the vehicle was destroyed. The driver side seat belt did not properly secure her and she struck the steering column. None of the air bags deployed. Prior to the crash, the contact never saw any air bag warning lights illuminated on the instrument control panel. She notified the manufacturer and is waiting for a response. The VIN, engine size, and powertrain were unknown. The failure and current mileages were 29,000.
Neon had to have the manual transmission replaced twice within the total milage of 20,000 miles. The car was delivered with a defective battery temperature sensor, and 1 month before the car caught fire it was in the shop and the mechanic failed to replace the battery tiedown bar. On August 26, 2004 the car caught fire while the ignition was off and was driven for only 5 miles. The vehicle also had a bad passanger seat belt buckle. Many passangers complained of it being difficult to insert the belt into the locking mechanism.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Dodge Neon. She has had several failures within the transmission , engine and seat belts. The manufacturer was called, but the representatives refused to discuss the failures .the failure mileage was 87,000.
While a technician was installing the car seat inside the vehicle he determined that the seat belts were not locking properly. Vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the seat belts needed to be replaced.
Dt: consumer has a 2001 Dodge Neon, while in an accident the rear seat belt on the passenger's side did not lock. Consumer's 5 year old son was in his booster seat which hit the front seat. Child sustained upper lip cuts. According to the manual rear seat belts were suppose to lock, but according to employees for Dodge, the rear seat belts were not meant to lock. The mileage was in kilometers, and the vehicle was bought from the consumer's brother.
NHTSA investigations
Safety belt cinching latch plate
There are no injuries or fatalities associated with this alleged defect.while conducting this investigation, odi found that the subject cinches meet the load bearing requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard 208, and that many of the reported failures were due to incorrect child safety seat installations.
Frequently asked questions
Which Dodge Neon years have seat belt problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2000 (19), 1995 (18), 1997 (17), 1996 (10) and 1998 (7) model years. Seat Belt complaints make up 6% of all complaints for the 2000.
Is there a recall for Dodge Neon seat belt problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seat belts recall for any Dodge Neon model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Dodge Neon seat belt problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 67,000 miles; 39% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front › buckle assembly (22 mentions), followed by the front › anchorage (17).
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.