Faults:

Sunroof failed to close properly.

Washer fluid pump stopped working.

Air leak around passenger-side window.

Rough idle - fixed by changing plugs and wires.

General Comments:

I owned my Neon for about 16 months and am now having a tough time finding a good replacement for it.

Some of the positives:

- My Neon 4dr 5spd had the DOHC engine with 150hp and was a lot of fun to drive.

- It had all the power I needed and got fantastic fuel economy, even well over the speed limit (seems rare in engines of this size).

- My Neon was tight (had no rattles) and was very comfortable.

- Two little 'smart' things about the car: 1) easiest oil change I've ever done due to intelligent oil filter location. 2) right-side gas fill (handier than you might guess).

- I got this car for a great price and it was well-spec'd.

My complaints are minor, but as follows:

- poor drink holders/lower console design.

- hardtop design is foolish. The outer seals around the windows take a lot of abuse in cold weather and ended up developing a fold in one spot, which then made it noisy on the highway and allowed slight leakage when washing the vehicle.

- The sunroof and other problems already mentioned.

My Neon was recently killed in an accident and I am now faced with replacing it. I am considering other vehicles b/c of the great ratings they get here, but don't understand why people are apparently so happy with cars that they have to spend a lot of money on. My Neon was cheap to buy, maintain, and drive unlike the Nissan and Honda I've had in the past.

Faults:

Nothing, car runs Fine.

General Comments:

I really have had no problems with this car. My only complaints are: 1. A sound that comes from the passenger side window at high speed, this can be fixed by removing the antenna, 2. It tends to lose power over 8,000 feet (I live in Colorado).

I love the acceleration, I have made very few modifications, I changed the air filter to a Fram AirHog, and added a sport racing chip. Now I do 0-60 in 5.2 seconds, and I can outrun a Camero anytime.

The simple design makes installing aftermarket parts very easy, even for someone with no mechanical knowledge (like me).

I have heard that DOHC neons don't run well after 40000 miles. I think these people are just not using the right gas. You have to put 91 octane or higher in this car. I also put "STP Octane Boost" in every time I gas up. Regular oil and coolant checks are also needed.

The car handles very well. I wouldn't try power sliding without 17" drift rims and a lower suspension though.

I feel sorry for all the people with faulty neons. But you have to realize that if one or two thousand neons break down, that doesn't mean all 135,000 of them are bad.