Electrical complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
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?
I started my car getting ready to leave my house at night, turned on the headlights after starting. Then I smelled a plastic burning smell and shortly smoke began to come out of the area around the instrument cluster and steering wheel. I turned off the lights and the car but smoke still came out. I popped the hood and disconnected the battery, then the smoke eventually stopped. Later I found the multifunction switch connector melted and burned up, this could have caused a serious fire if I had not caught it in time.
Start to smell electrical burning. Then saw smoke come from steering column. Steering column hot top left. Removed covers. Wiring harness hot. Appears to be the harness for the head lights. Turn off head lights and column cooled down.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Plymouth Neon, while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle overheated and the temperature gauge indicated hot. The contact attempted to shut off the vehicle, but the ignition key was too hot and failed to remove from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the repairs were unknown. The failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 173,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Fuel gauge suddenly drops to empty. Even after a complete tank refill. It would seem to be an electrical malfunction in either the sensor or dash gauge itself. It can be "cleared" from being stuck on empty by shutting off the engine and then restarting it.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Plymouth Neon. The contact stated that the speedometer failed and would not display the speed being traveled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the speedometer circuit board resistor was replaced. The failure recurred. The failure and current mileage was 74,000. Updated 11/15/13
Junk!!! The computer system has now failed on my car. I have already had 2 major transmission repairs on this vechile. An oil leak which caused replacement of the head gaskets due to the fact they were faulty according to the dealership. The power train control module went out. This car has been nothing but problems and I would not recommed anyone to purchase a Neon. I reported the computer failure to Chrysler and they "noted" it in a file. I feel as if they should be held responsible for this. Computer systems on a car are not meant to just quit at 75,000 miles. This repair is going to cost me over $1000.00 to fix and I don't feel as if I should have to pay for this. Apparently this is a defect of some sort and this problem should be addressed. My car is still driveable on days--but when I make a right hand turn and my car cuts off I'm not only endangering myself but others behind me. …
Related recalls (1)
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
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…
Frequently asked questions
Which Plymouth Neon years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1995 (54), 1996 (45), 2000 (15), 1997 (8) and 1999 (8) model years. Electrical complaints make up 11% of all complaints for the 1995.
Is there a recall for Plymouth Neon electrical problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 96V-026 (front underhood, Feb 5, 1996). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Plymouth Neon electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 79,000 miles; 24% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the wiring › interior/under dash (26 mentions), followed by the wiring › front underhood (23).
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.