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The 2005 Dodge Neon has 95 NHTSA owner complaints and 4 active recall campaigns on file. Here's the breakdown — what's serious, what's noise, and what a working mechanic would actually do about it.
The 2005 Dodge Neon has 95 NHTSA owner complaints and 4 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of September 2026). The most-reported system is airbags at 13 complaints, typically surfacing around 87,311 miles (~$1,100 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: airbags is flagged severe on this model , showing up around 87,311 mi. Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 4 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 7.0/10 model. The priciest documented failure is engine (~$3,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
When owners report each system failing, in actual miles — so you can see what's likely behind you, what's due around now, and what to budget for next. Enter your mileage to mark where you are.
"Typical" = median owner-reported failure mileage from the NHTSA complaint record for this exact year and model. Not a maintenance schedule — a heads-up on where this model's failures cluster.
My 2005 Dodge neon does not want to crank. When it does crank and you accelerate then rpms increase rapidly and then fall back to about 1500 and the car starts acting like it wants to cut off. The engine light is now on and does not go off. When you come to a stop the car…
For 3 to 4 weeks, intermittent braking problems with car. After driving about 3 miles from start, stopping at 4 stop signs, passing through 3 traffic lights no problems - driving using cruise control set at 55-65mph, driving up hill, often the engine is accelerating , when I…
About 1 year ago, the vehicle started by itself when I was in the car and engaged the automatic door locks. Then on this occasion I was laying down in my room and must have rolled over on the remote and engaged the door lock button. The car started in the garage. Luckily, it was…
My 2005 Dodge neon, began accelerating all by it self. I was not giving it gas and applying the brakes. I pulled into my driveway, it kept going, I went through my garage door. I tried to put the car in park, but the garage door slowed me down, and I then put the car in park.…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
The nuts included in the packaging for these ball joint assemblies are missing the intended prevailing torque (self-locking) feature. If the incorrect nut was to become loose, the joining members may loosen leading to a separation of the ball joint. This may result in loss of vehicle control, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.0 out of 10 based on 95 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 Dodge Neon is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
The 2005 Dodge Neon is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Reliability score 7.0/10 — around the segment average; 4 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the airbags first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 13 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 87,311 miles. Average repair cost runs about $1,100 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 7.0 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 95 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is airbags. Typical failure occurs around 87,311 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is airbags, with 13 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 87,311 miles. Average repair cost runs about $1,100 at an independent shop.
The airbags is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $1,100 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 87,311 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 95 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $1,100, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.