Faults:
When I bought the car, the speedometer/odometer/all other guages would stick 95% of the time that the car was in use. I bought a new complete panel and, although it works the majority of the time, there are occasions when I have to hit it to make it work.
The steering wheel doesn't like to make sharp turns. It makes a horrifying screeching noise when I am backing up and cutting the wheel.
Brakes constantly squeal, and in the rain and/or when I'm at the bottom of a hill, they grind.
The whole car shakes when I go above 65 mph.
The trunk latch doesn't work unless one person is pulling it up while another person is opening the trunk.
Sometimes the interior light doesn't work when the doors are opened.
Headlights aren't very bright. Even with high beams on, it's difficult to see at night in areas where there are no street lights.
Doesn't like to start up in the winter and is TERRIBLE when driving in winter weather.
Head gasket blew at 155,000 miles.
The seats are pretty comfortable and the car is very roomy. I love the 40/60 split backseat, and the trunk is spacious as well.
It's a cute car and, as the first car for a high school student, it wasn't the worst. However, I didn't feel very safe in the car and probably would have been better off had I ended up with something else.
General Comments:
I always felt like something was going wrong with the car, and there were a lot of little things about it that, although not serious, were very annoying. It did it's job and took me from Point A to Point B, but I felt like it should have done so more efficiently, and it should have lasted longer. These cars are pretty cheap, but I guess you get what you pay for.
22nd Sep 2004, 12:53
I also have a 1996 Dodge Neon with the brakes that squeal not constantly, but on all flat surfaces. (??!!) This is embarassing because the squeal is so unbearably loud. It is often hard to convince passengers that this is just a glitch and that the brakes are new or in good condition. I also have a service engine light that goes on for no reason, sending me to Auto Zone many times a week "just in case" there is really something wrong with it.