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 1995 Plymouth Neon owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I bought this car...with a trade in with a Pontiac bonneville..I had bad luck with this Neon 1995 model from day I drove..the instrument panel fail and they sometimes work..like ex..to see how much gas, and how fast I am going..odometer..and the temp gauges..they work and most of the time they do not!..I also seen a oil leak and the car seems to use alot of oil..and a very bad smell comes from underneath the hood!...I am sick and tired of me having to fix something that I feel is the default of the manufacturer of ply. Neon company should fix these things free of charge!!! I wish somebody will call me soon as possible..I am unsure of how I will be safe or the car catch on fire while me & 2 kids are inside of it..I feel there is something very wrong with this Neon!! …
Fire started inside of vehicle possibly due to short circuit of remote mirror wiring or motor on driver's side. Discovered by daughter upon opening driver's door to go to work. At first, she realized that the outside driver's mirror was hanging down from the vehicle. Upon opening door, flames emerged from the interior, slightly burning her on the arm. All heavy burn damage seems to be at the area of the motor and switch for the remote mirrors. The interior suffered total loss. No electrical alterations were done to the vehicle. All componets on the vehicle are factory installed. Can't seem to get through to Chrysler for any assistance. Vehicle is of course out of warranty (3yr - 36,000)
Vehicle was parked and noticed that the inside of the steering column was burning, owner disconnected the battery because it was an electrical fire, the vehicle was off and noticed that the headlights were on, consumer thinks the fire started from the headlights, was under investigation 96 June-97april, pe97007.
While driving the vehicle noticed smoke coming from under dashboard. Few of the components would not work after that, but the vehicle was still driveable. The dealer said that the vehicle had a short circuit in the wiring and that resulted in replacement of the ignition.
The instrument panel sometimes do not show how much gas, or tempt gauges do not work...it seems if it is cold -or damp-raining outside- the gauges do not work...I have a feeling there is more recalls on my plymoth-Neon 1995.
The first problem began with the timing belt breaking, I returned to casino auto sales to find a solution,their mechanic " fixed" the problem so I thought only to have the same problem occur again about a month and half later with a bad fuel pump added to the problem so I went somewhere else to have that fixed. About a week after I purchased the vehicle I was taken to sears to purchase a new set of tires, I was told by a sears rep. That I was lucky to not have had an accident because the wrong size tires were put on the car which caused me to have problems with the right passenger side tired with wobbling. …
Numerous heating cooling problems. Incorrect temperature gauge, overheating, radiator fans not coming on, erratic fan operation, water leaking in from firewall pouring into the blower motor causing blown fuses, faulty blower motors and soaking carpets. Wiring problems causing fuses to blow when fans would kick on, A/C was turned on, or dash would emit smoke when the parking break was engaged with the vehicle running, erratic gauge cluster, off and on gauges, interior lights failure.
Vehicle's turn signal wires burned. Contacted Chrysler to complain about problem, and they told her that there was nothing that they could do . While driving, consumer smelled burning rubber, mechanic from precision tune examined vehicle and stated that a wire had burned in the harness of the turn signal and that the air bag could have deployed or vehicle could have caught fire, harness was replaced.
While driving vehicle started to accelerate on it own. When restarting, engine revved real high, there were no turn signals or air condtioning. Engine check light and air bag warning light came on. When car was checked a short was found between the ignition and the main wiring harness. The car has not been repaired. Please provide further details.
All who bought this vehicle seem to have the same problems and symptoms that lead up to the problems. What will it take for Chrysler to take action and keep the good name that they used to have? We all paid a lot of money for these cars and now we all might as well junk them and buy new cars. In the long run it will save us all a lot of money!
NHTSA investigations
Underhood fires
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…
Electrical complaints in other Neon years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1995 Plymouth Neon?
NHTSA has 54 complaints about the electrical system of the 1995 Plymouth Neon, 11% of the model year's 481 complaints. The component named most often is wiring › interior/under dash (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1995 Plymouth Neon electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 1995 Plymouth Neon, though it has 6 recalls for other components. 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 1995 Plymouth Neon electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 27,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 10 fires and 4 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.