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1996 Plymouth Neon Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Critical

476 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.62 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical96V026000

Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood

SHORTING OF THE WIRING HARNESS CAN CAUSE VARIOUS ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS, INCLUDING ENGINE STALLING.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REROUTE THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS PROPERLY AND ANY WIRE THAT HAS BEEN DAMAGED WILL BE REPLACED.

AN ENGINE WIRING HARNESS CAN SHORT CIRCUIT DUE TO CONTACT WITH THE EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION TUBE..

Moderate96V075000

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Master Cylinder

BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE CAN RESULT IN DIMINISHED EFFECTIVENESS OF ONE HALF OF THE SPLIT BRAKE SYSTEM.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE REAR BRAKE MASTER CYLINDR PISTON ASSEMBLY.

THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER CAN LEAK BRAKE FLUID DUE TO A DAMAGED DOUBLE LIP REAR PISTON SEAL.

Complaint volume

476 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

41Crashes
11Fires
45Injuries
0Deaths

Across 476 complaints. Severity Index 0.62.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Engine And Engine Cooling…119 · 25%Engine And Engine Cooling…44 · 9%Unknown Or Other23 · 5%Air Bags · Frontal22 · 5%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…14 · 3%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…14 · 3%Electrical System · Wirin…14 · 3%Power Train · Automatic T…13 · 3%
  1. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 119 reports
  2. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline — 44 reports
  3. Unknown Or Other — 23 reports
  4. Air Bags:Frontal — 22 reports
  5. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components — 14 reports
  6. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 14 reports
  7. Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood — 14 reports
  8. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 13 reports
  9. Vehicle Speed Control — 10 reports
  10. Electrical System:Wiring:Interior/Under Dash — 10 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (6) · 1996 · 1997 (1) · 1998 (1) · 1999 · 2000 (6) · 2001 (3)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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