When Chrysler introduced the Neon in the mid 1990s, both in its Dodge and Plymouth versions, the car was said to have broken the rules and the limitations for a small car. But as it broke the performance and capacity limits for cars of its size, it also broke other things like its engine head gaskets and a lot of other mechanical parts. This makes the Plymouth Neon a good car but with a poor reliability image hunting it through its entire production years.
The Plymouth Neon was a subcompact car manufactured and sold by Plymouth in the US from 1994, as an early 1995 model, up to 2001 when the entire Plymouth line-up was about to be phased out by Daimler-Chrysler. It was initially offered only in 4-door sedan body style but a 2-door coupe variant debut on the same year the sedan was introduced. It was similar to the Dodge Neon, which is basically the same car except for some few minor styling and badging difference. Both cars underwent a redesign in 2000, and while the second generation of the Dodge Neon is still being manufactured today, the Plymouth version lasted only until the middle of 2001.
On its first year, the Plymouth Neon was available in Base, Highline, and Sport trim levels, although the coupe version is not available on the Base model. An ARC sub model was also available and was basically used for amateur cross racing. An R/T trim was introduced later on the first generation, as the Base and Sport trims were phased out. All trims were initially fitted with a 135 hp SOHC 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine while a more powerful DOHC version of the said engine, rated at 150 hp, was made available later after introduction. A 5-speed manual transmission was standard while a 3-speed automatic shift was available as an option.
The first generation Plymouth Neon’s performance was impressive and caught most of its competitors by surprise. The small car was fast to accelerate and handles well, making it a favorite on amateur races, especially the ACR and R/T trims. The car also boasts of an unexpectedly roomy interior for its small outside appearance. But the first generation of the Neon had some problems with its parts that would definitely affect its performance and reliability. Faulty head gaskets and head bolts hole were indicated as its primary problems, and also the primary concern for Neon car buyers. And although most of these problems were already remedied on the later cars, especially on the second generation, the Neon was never able to regain its reputation in reliability.
The second generation could have been better but there were only a few Plymouth Neons manufactured during the period. So if you own a Plymouth Neon, it must probably one of the earlier ones, and its reliability problems may haunt you all along. For you to be sure that your car would function well, you better replace those problematic parts with brand new Plymouth Neon parts. Here at Parts Train, every Plymouth Neon part we have surely performs better than your stock Plymouth Neon automotive part.
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