1995 Plymouth Neon problems & reliability
481 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1995 Plymouth Neon. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
44 complaints report injuries (57 injured, 4 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1995 Plymouth Neon vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 147 | 31% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 86 | 18% |
| Steering | 71 | 15% |
| Air Bags | 61 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 54 | 11% |
| Power Train | 38 | 8% |
| Unknown OR Other | 24 | 5% |
| Equipment | 21 | 4% |
| Exterior Lighting | 21 | 4% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 17 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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…”
Steering · filed Sep 22, 2015
“Primary hood latch comes unlatched while driving. Dealer states that cable connecting latch to interior has stretched over time leading to this failure - this is a serious mvss design defect that could lead to a fatality. Dealer refuses to repair at no charge. *tr”
Latches/locks/linkages · filed Dec 15, 2010
“While driving into the driveway, both air bags deployed causing injuries to our 16 year old daughter. She incurred impact burns and a sprain to her left wrist.*tr”
Air Bags · filed Aug 18, 2008
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- STEERING COLUMN SEPARATION
Defect Petition DP03002 · opened May 7, 2003 · closed Jul 22, 2003
- SAFETY BELT CINCHING LATCH PLATE
Preliminary Evaluation PE02082 · opened Nov 6, 2002 · closed Apr 23, 2003
- UNDERHOOD FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE98012 · opened Feb 26, 1998 · closed Jun 23, 1998
- OVERSENSITIVE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS
Engineering Analysis EA98003 · opened Jan 30, 1998 · closed Jan 5, 2000
- OVERSENSITIVE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT
Preliminary Evaluation PE97042 · opened Sep 21, 1997 · closed Jan 30, 1998
- LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL
Engineering Analysis EA97009 · opened Apr 30, 1997 · closed Oct 8, 1997 · led to recall 97V169000
- ALLEGED FIRES IN STEERING COLUMN AREA
Preliminary Evaluation PE97007 · opened Jan 31, 1997 · closed Apr 7, 1997
- LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL
Preliminary Evaluation PE96069 · opened Nov 26, 1996 · closed Apr 30, 1997
Technical service bulletins
53 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1995 Plymouth Neon. The 10 most recent:
Valve Body. These may cause over drive cycling.
R2118796A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 26, 2016
Flash programming failure recovery. *slc
1802002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 24, 2002
Subject regarding generic scan tool (gst), publication no. 81-170-00008 provided with this technical service bulletin to provide reference information when using generic scan tool on obdii vehicles. *tt
1801201 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 25, 2001
Subject regarding airbag / clock spring service for various models including 2002 model year jeep liberty. *tt
0801001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 25, 2001
Subject regarding child seat tether anchors. *tt
2300800B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 24, 2000
Subject regarding non-deployed airbag handling procedures. *tt
082700 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 29, 2000
Subject on proportioning valve brake pressure adapter tool revision. *tt
050300 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 14, 2000
Subject regarding child seat tether anchors. *tt
230800 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 3, 2000
This bulletin provides a revised wire splice procedure and related parts. *tt
080600 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 25, 2000
Daimlerchrysler corporation is now offering internal emergency trunk releases for selection vehicles. *tt
230200 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 4, 2000
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1995 Plymouth Neon in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1995 Plymouth Neon?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.