Most common 1995 Plymouth Neon problems
Share of the 481 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Plymouth Neon complaints by model year
Best Neon years: 2001, 1999, 2000. Years to avoid: 1995, 1996. Compare all years →
1995 Plymouth Neon recalls (6)
Steering › Steering wheel/handle bar
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The steering column coupler can become disconnected when the vehicle experiences an underbody impact.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the steering column coupler with a coupler design that collapses on impact.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
The fuel and rear brake tubes can experience accelerated corrosion between the tubes and a rubber isolator.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the brake, fuel supply and fuel vapor tubes for the presence of corrosion. Any tubes showing corrosion will be replaced. All vehicles will have the rubber isolator replaced with a plastic clip.
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.
Power train
Moisture can get into the powertrain control module (PCM) causing driveability malfunctions, including stalling.
Remedy: The powertrain control modules 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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 9 possible defects involving the 1995 Plymouth Neon:
Underhood fires
There is no summary currently available
Oversensitive air bag deployment
There is no summary currently available
Alleged fires in steering column area
The apparent cause of the problem is the accumulation of brass powder, that wears off the electrical contacts inside the turn signal switch.this powder collects in small trails of grease that track from one contact to another.when the concentration of brass in the grease gets high enough, it can cause a high resistance short.this short, in turn can ignite the grease and cause smoke to be emitted from the steering…
Loss of steering control
There is no summary currently available
Loss of steering control
There is no summary currently available
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.
Oversensitive air bag deployments
Loss of steering control
There is no summary currently available
Steering column separation
Mr. Larry a. Sackey submitted a petition to the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) by letter dated April 18, 2003, requesting that nhtsafurther investigate the defective collapsible steering shaft system on 1987-1995 vehicles manufactured by the daimlerchrysler corporation.in part because of 49 cfr ? 30120(g), NHTSA has decided to limit the scope of the petition vehicles to 1993-1995 models,…
What 1995 Plymouth Neon owners say
Engine & cooling all 147 →
I recently discovered that my 1995 Plymouth Neon has a blown head gasket. The dealer that I took it to for repairs told me that it was no longer under warrenty, but that I could contact Chrysler to see if they would cover the repairs. My car is in excellent shape and only has 63,000 miles on it. Chrysler has declined to cover any of the cost of parts and service for this repair, despite the fact that they are aware that head gaskets are a defect in this car. I have done some research and discovered that many Neon owners are fighting this same battle. I am apalled that a recall was never done on this part. View others problems with the Neon head gastket at this website. <http://groups.google.com/groups?q=Neon+head+gasket&ie=iso-8859-1&hl=en> I would appreciate it if you could give me any advice on this matter. Do you believe that this defect warrants a recall?
Defective headgasket caused erosion and damage to the head, Chrysler denies to cover cost of $2500. There are many reports on the internet of broken headgaskets in the neons and Chrysler admits to the defect and pays to repair some, but says vehicle has too many miles and consumer is a third owner so they won't cover it. On 22-feb-2002 consumers son was hit head on by another vehicle traveling at 35 MPH, the driver and passenger airbags did not deploy, the vehicle caught fire on impact, consumer was injured in accident, the doors would not open, consumer had to crawl out of the windows.
Brakes all 87 →
Brakes failed to work right when my boyfriend wrecked the car which then made him hit the guard rail. The air bags didn't come out. We contacted the place we got the car from but they could not tell us anything. Then the transmission went out of it on October 1, 2003. The whole transmission exploded. We were told the place we bought it from did not put in new clutch and pressure plate and throw out bearings in when we had just bought it. We had told them the clutch was making noise. They would not fixed it. They said it was nothing when I took it in; that's just neons they said... My biggest concern beside the tranny and clutch is the air bags not coming out at all...
When driving 55 MPH another vehicle stopped in front of the consumer's vehicle, causing the consumer to hit a dump truck from the side. When applying the brakes, the brakes locked up and pedal went straight to the floorboard. Also, brakes were very soft, and the vehicle spinned around due to the consumer losing control of the steering. This is the second time the brakes locked up, causing an accident. Vehicle has been in the shop six times for brakes, and the dealer can't determine the problem.
Steering all 71 →
Tl* the contact owns a 1995 Plymouth Neon. While driving various speeds, the air bag warning light illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. On another occasion, the contact stated that while reversing, the steering column started smoking. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the steering column coupler and steering harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact also mentioned that the turn signals and interior lighting failed to operate intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 97V169000 (steering). The failure mileage was 60,000.
Consumer was traveling about 40mph on a city street, she was proceeding through an intersection going straight when another vehicle came into her lane and veered into consumer's vehicle straight on, causing it to jump into the opposite direction, and resulting in a crash. Upon impact, driver's air bag failed to deploy. Vehicle was totaled, and consumer sustained internal injuries.
1995 Plymouth Neon engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 25 / 34 / 28 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 3-speed automatic | FWD | 23 / 30 / 26 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1995 Plymouth Neon a good car?
Based on 481 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1995 Neon rates avoid: 3.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the Neon at the same age. It is one of the Neon years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1995 Plymouth Neon?
The engine & cooling — 147 complaints, 31% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the brakes (87) and steering (71).
How many recalls does the 1995 Plymouth Neon have?
There are 6 recalls for the 1995 Plymouth Neon, the most recent from October 7, 1997 (steering wheel/handle bar). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Plymouth Neon?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2001, 1999 and 2000. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1995 and 1996. See the full Plymouth Neon years comparison.
At what mileage do 1995 Plymouth Neon problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 85,000 miles; 17% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.