Faults:

Fuel pump went out around 115,000 miles. I did the repair myself and it cost me $75.00 because I ordered a replacement pump myself, soldered the wires, and put the pump into the in tank module. My only complaint is the plastic ring that holds the pump into the tank is difficult to remove. A dull chisel must be placed on a plastic lip and tapped until the thing threads off.

Before I purchased this car the head gasket was replaced, virtually all neons from this year have either had the head gasket replaced or need it to be replaced, it is a known problem.

The previous owner prophylactically replaced the timing belt at around 80,000 miles.

General Comments:

This car produces 150 HP at around 5000 RPMs, which isn't as high as it sounds because the red line is at 6500. The car produces just 90 horsepower near idle. These large differences is what allows the car to produce all the power needed, but still get 40 MPG on the highway. The power is in the hands of the driver who is selecting the gears. I do not believe I would like an automatic in these cars for this reason.

This is not a luxury car, it is an economy car, so the seats are not very comfortable, and are not adjustable. The interior on these cars is very nice and well constructed. The car is somewhat noisy on the highway, the design of the windows means that some wind does leak through the weather seal, especially when the wind is blowing. Anyone purchasing one of these cars should take it to a mechanic for an inspection, insure that the head gasket has been replaced. If it has not been replaced, assume you will have to have it done.

I really like these cars, I think they are highly underrated due to their known flaws, and the character of the types of people who typically purchase them. They see a lot of abuse, but in the right hands they offer perhaps the best balance of fuel efficiency and power on the road.

Faults:

The Neon is a reliable car. True The head gasket was blown when I purchased this car with 82,000 miles on it. It cost approximately $600 to repair, but I knew this when I purchased the vehicle. This is my second neon, and will admit that the head gasket blew on the first one at 12,000, but was covered under manufacturer's warranty. Unfortunately, the first Neon was totaled in an accident. In any case, notwithstanding the known head gasket issue with the 1999 and older Neons, they are reliable. That is why I purchased another one. I have never broken down once in eight years, and the cars have always turned over with a simple turn of the key.

Faults:

First of all, at 37500 miles on the car, the head gasket blew, costing me 660.00 to replace.

Three months later, the fuel pump went out, costing me another 700.00. Ironically, both these problems happened right after the 3/36000 warranty expired. I think the computer was programed to do so.

Problem after problem, including, spark plugs and wires going bad at 45000, O2 sensors after that, and exhaust gas regulator valve went out not to long after that.

At nearly 70000 miles, the transmission started to shift harder, and only earning about 200.00 a week, I knew it would be only a matter of time before I would be walking.

Fortunately, since I still owed on the car, a 1998 Ford Mustang put my car out of commission, and it was the Mustangs fault.

The car depreciates faster than a Kia...

General Comments:

If you want to have nothing, but problems, buy this kind of car, but seriously, don't waste your time nor money. The only reason I got this car was for all the wrong reasons. Even though the car is great on gas and drives comfortable, the problems this car has is hard to swallow.