There are 4 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2001 Plymouth Neon in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
2001 PLYMOUTH NEON PURCHASED NEW. WHILE DRIVING,ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING LOUDLY.CONTINUED HOME FOR ABOUT 3 MORE MILES. ENGINE STILL KNOCKING,VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER,AND DIAGNOSED AS NEEDING A NEW ENGINE. 95,000 MILES. NO ADVANCE WARNING OF ENGINE FAILURE, OIL CLEAN AND FULL,OIL CHANGED EVERY 4-5000 MILES.*AK
THE TIMING CHAIN AND VALVES WERE BROKEN ON A 2001 PLYMOUTH NEON WITH 45000 MILES ON IT. THE PLYMOUTH DEALER STATES THIS DAMAGE SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO THIS CAR THIS YOUNG. THE CAR ONLY HAD .09 AT PURCHASE (1 OWNER CAR). *NLM
ON 4/21/2003 THE OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONSUMER PUT OIL IN THE VEHICLE WHICH LEAKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THERE WAS A NOISE WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER STATED THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *JB
WHEN BACKING INTO A PARKING SPACE VEHICLE ACCELERATED BACKWARDS, RESULTING IN AN IMPACT IN REVERSE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATED PROBLEM. BOTH DEALERSHIP AND INSURANCE COMPANY WERE UNABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE.*AK CONSUMER STATES ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START.*JB
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Sep 8, 2026