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 1996 Plymouth Neon owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was driving when the instrument cluster gauges started moving up and down like if the instrument cluster was making false contact with the connector to get a calibrated read on the speed, gasoline, temperature gauges
Dbr2 not working or obd 2 not working when plug in obd reader no sign of workingness on vehicle
An electrical short in the wiring harness caused the vehicle to stall. The consumer received NHTSA recall 96V026000 concerning the wiring harness failure due to an electrical short, but Chrysler told the consumer that this recall did not exist. The dealer could not locate the problem but stated that the wiring in the horn needed to be replaced. The electrical short and the engine misfiring caused the vehicle to lose power and sputter after a short drive.
Entire instrument cluster ceases to function. Speedometer goes to zero, tachometer goes to zero, gas gauge stops, temp gauge goes to cold. This happens usually while on the highway at 70 MPH., or whatever the legal limit for a given area is. A bit disconcerting at times. After a time period, things start to work again, and then they quit again. We have owned this car since new.
Oil leaks, dashboard failure, noise in brakes, wind noise in passengers door. Have replaced valve cover gasket twice, replaced oil sendind unit,cam sensor was replaced now I have a big oil leak, car only has 45000 miles on it.
Dashboard indicators stop working. I could have a full tank of gas and the fuel indicator will read empty. The car could be running for an hour and the temperature still reads cold. Ph
Going down road at close to stopping, about 10mph and all the needles started going crazy in colunm of dashboard with lights of seatbelt and battery going off and on. Took car to get diagnostic test done on it and found out that the altenator is producing too much output for car and is trying to burn up wiring harness unit in car. Said this can be very dangerous and catch the car on fire. Have extended warrenty but the dealership seems to find ways around the warrenty of the things I find wrong of saying it iss something else doing it. Service lights did not come on to indecate problem with anything in engine nor did the oil light come on to tell me that my car had leaked out all oil. Have a oil leak again. Fixed once already. 350.00 is too much to pay out for a problem occuring every two years. This also dangerous according to mechanic. …
1. Every time it rains outside I have a lake on the inside of the car, mainly on the passenger side in the back and in the trunk which is molding the carpet and items kept inside. 2. The back up light on the driver side doesn't work properly, due to the moisture. 3. The turn signal on the passenger side blinks really fast, and stays on on the inside of the car. 4. The turn signal on the driver side has to be manually turned off after turning left. 5. The steering wheel has locked on a steep turn resulting me going off road, luckily not hitting anyone. 6. Headlights are very poor at night. 7. Radio reception is getting worse. Stations that used to come in won't anymore. 8. Car shakes at different speeds and at a light. 9. There is glare on the windsheild from dash that causes poor visibility in the day time.
Failure#1:1/97-6/97 horn made no noise when pushed. Several visits to two dealers in ft.wayne and indianapolis, in and 6 months later it was finally resolved as being a pinched wire. Had to involve owner of the dealership before it was fixed properly. Failure#2:1/97-3/97 the rear defrost switch failed on occassion for first three months of ownership. Works continuously now. Failure#3:8/97-1998 left turn signal would light up when the brake was applied, only occassionally and while it was slowing down, not at a stop. Failure#4:6/99-current power locks failed. Failure#5: 7/99-8/99 power steering failed. Power switch replaced. Failure#6: 3/00-7/00 A/C failed. 1/2 lb coolant leaked out and was replaced.
The vehicle stalled while the consumer was traveling, the check engine light, and oil light would come on, and now the lights no longer warn the consumer, the coil pack was replaced as possible cause but the problem was not solved, the consumer tried several service places but none of them could find the cause of the problem, consumer states he found a recall that states the exacat symptons he was experiencing, but was informed that his vehicle identification number was not included in the recall.
Related recalls
Electrical system › Wiring › Front underhood
An engine wiring harness can short circuit due to contact with the exhaust gas recirculation tube..
Remedy: Dealers will reroute the engine wiring harness properly and any wire that has been damaged will be replaced.
NHTSA investigations
Underhood fires
There is no summary currently available
Electrical complaints in other Neon years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1996 Plymouth Neon?
NHTSA has 45 complaints about the electrical system of the 1996 Plymouth Neon, 15% of the model year's 308 complaints. The component named most often is wiring › front underhood (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1996 Plymouth Neon electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 96V-026 (front underhood, Feb 5, 1996). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1996 Plymouth Neon electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 98,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 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.