2004 Dodge Neon SE 2.0L from North America

Summary:

This car SUCKS and is not safe!

Faults:

The car would shut down while I was driving it. All panel lights would come on and speedometer needle would go all the way to the right and then back. It felt like car would go from 4th or 5th gear straight down to 1st when it lost power. Also, the radio would turn itself off multiple times before the car would shut down.

Plug wires are bad at 42,000 miles.

General Comments:

I first time that the car shut down was about 1 month after purchase. I took it to the dealer, they kept it for over a week. When I picked it up, they told me that they could not find anything wrong.

After the 3rd time that I took it in for the same problem, the battery was replaced. The car ran fine for 3 months then it began to shut down again. I had it towed in because it wouldn't restart. the mechanic said that it started for him and again said that nothing was wrong. The car was definitely defective. It had shut down in oncoming traffic with my son in the car and I was nearly hit. At this point I prompted the service dept to replace the battery cables; this had been suggested when the battery was replaced. The cables were replaced and then I had no problems for a couple months then the car died again!!! I took it back to the dealer. Corrosion was found on battery terminal and th battery was replaced again. So there have been three batteries in this vehicle in 1.5 yrs of ownership!?!

So now, my car had been "chugging and jumping" periodically and plug wires need replacement.

This is my first "new" (used) car. I had to do my own research to find out that the car had been a rental. This has been a horrible experience especially since the dealer as well as Chrysler/ Daimler had no answers or options to solve these issues.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 3rd February, 2006

2004 Dodge Neon SXT 2.0 16v SOHC from North America

Summary:

The Neon is a solid commuter car with great options at a great price.

Faults:

Nothing at all.

General Comments:

Build quality is solid. There are no interior squeaks or rattles. Nothing has fallen apart or cracked. Floor mats stay in place, and there are ample storage spaces around the cabin.

Handling is great. Body roll is fairly minimal around sharper corners. The tires don't whine and make good contact with the road.

Engine is more utilized with the 5-speed. The automatic has been revised and lets the engine rev to redline when you floor it, but the 5-speed offers more favorable gear ratios.

Climate control systems are great; quick heat and cold AC. Front and rear defrosting is good.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th April, 2005

16th Apr 2005, 14:40

I own the 2005 Dodge Neon SXT (which I love). I just traded in my 2004 Ford Focus SE (which I thought I loved). I love the quick manual transmission in the Neon as compared to the zippy automatic in the Focus. As of right now the gas mileage sucks on the neon, but I have only had it a week, from first fill-up to third fill-up about 24 mpg. The Focus at least started out with 27 mpg. Lets hope it gets better. The stereo is great in the Neon however a step down from the Focus' Blaupunkt stereo. The Neon has more BOOM BOOM. I get lots of looks from everyone, my neon is the Electric Blue which is very nice, as compared to Sangria Red on the Focus. I love the Spoiler which the Focus did not have.

19th Jul 2005, 00:54

Yes, the car is great! I also have a new Neon '05 (5 speed manual). The dash and all is somewhat outdated. but all in all this is a tight car. The 5 speed is the better of the transmissions; the automatic feels sluggish while the manual is zippy (rarely ever red-lines). Do you own this vehicle or did you just test drive it?

25th Jul 2005, 11:13

About your fuel consumption, it gets excellant mileage unless you drive it too hard. I have a 00 neon and I too wondered why it wasn't getting that awesome mileage its reviews brag about.

2004 Dodge Neon sxt 2.0 liter 4 cylinder. sequential -port from North America

Summary:

This is an excellent starter car and due to it's size and handling is perfect for city driving

Faults:

The rear right side tail light developed a short.

The interior is very difficult to clean.

The braking system, while having been checked out on two occasions as working properly, is louder than any other car I have ever driven. They squeal the loudest when applied cold, & gradually stop squeaking as they heat up.

General Comments:

I really like this car.

It has a nice balance between comfort, performance, & fuel economy.

It has been a very reliable car with very little going wrong in it's first 25,000 miles.

It needs to be insulated for road noise a little better, & the front end is so low that it grounds out on practically everything, unless you are driving at a very low speed.

Dodge definitely needs to work on the squeaky braking system.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st March, 2005

16th Aug 2005, 21:57

Yes, the brakes are loud in Neons... I have driven many different years of Neons in test drives and my salesman always tells me not to worry about the brakes making noise because that is what Neons do, so if I was in your position... I would not worry too much about it.