Most common 2001 Plymouth Neon problems
Share of the 49 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 →
2001 Plymouth Neon recalls (2)
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…
Child seat
Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles, pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of FMVSS no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." some of the owner's manuals for these vehicles are missing instructions that provide a step-by-step procedure, including diagrams, for properly…
Remedy: Owners will be provided with an addendum to the owner's manuals.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2001 Plymouth Neon:
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.
What 2001 Plymouth Neon owners say
Brakes
Broken tie rod ends both sides, transmission failure, head gasket failure, read door driver's side will not close at all, trunk will not unlock with key, brakes wear every 3 to 4 months, high rate of oil burn off. The car had less than 60,000 miles on it.
The consumer received a recall (01v-154) notice about brake vacuum hose,but had to make three trips for getting it fixed. The vehicle began making noise after the repair and the consumer went to another dealer and found it the previous dealer had not stalled the recall parts.
Air bags
A tractor trailer suddenly pulled out in-front of the consumer. The consumer wasn't able to stop because their vehicle skidded on a patch of ice. The vehicle's speed was 40 MPH before it skidded on the ice. This resulted in the vehicle crashing into the trailer head on. Upon impact the vehicle bounced off the trailer before coming to a complete stop. While at a complete stop the vehicle was rear ended by a SUV truck. The frontal air bags failed to deploy upon impact. The driver sustained whip lash, cervical strain and back injuries.
My daughter was dirving to work, another vehicle ran a red light and they collided. The driver side air bag failed to deploy. My daughter hit the steering wheel and suffered a concussion. The car was totaled by the insurance company.
Electrical system
When coming to or waiting at 4 way stops to turn left the car chokes and dies. This is very dangerous because sometimes I'am yielding to oncoming traffic. The diagnostic at the dealers cannot locate the problem because the engine light does not come on. Plus they charge me 50 dollers for diagnostic hookup fees since they cannot locate the problem. This apparently is common practice among many dealerships and is reffered to as double dipping since the manufacturer pays the dealership every time I bring the car in. The dealership and manufacterer accept no responsibility for this car however after fighting on the phone with them for weeks I have a suspision they know exactly what the problem is.
The starter on my 2001 Plymouth Neon needed to be replaced before I even owned it for 2 years. I did not buy the extended warranty and my 3 year/36,000 mile warranty has expired by 6000 miles. I had a remote car starter installed but I have been told the remote starter more than likely did not cause the starter to fail. A brand new, or 2 year old car's starter should not have failed so soon. Is there any way to get reimbursed for my repair and brand new starter's cost of $405.00 by either the dealer of the vehicle or the manufacturer or installer of the remote car starter?
2001 Plymouth Neon engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 24 / 30 / 26 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 3-speed automatic | FWD | 21 / 28 / 24 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2001 Plymouth Neon a good car?
Based on 49 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2001 Neon rates better than average: 70% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Neon at the same age. It is one of the best Neon years by this measure. 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 2001 Plymouth Neon?
The brakes — 14 complaints, 29% of all complaints for this model year, most often about power assist › vacuum. Next are the air bags (12) and electrical system (7).
How many recalls does the 2001 Plymouth Neon have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2001 Plymouth Neon, the most recent from May 8, 2001 (vacuum). 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 2001 Plymouth Neon problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 60,000 miles; 36% 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.