intital quality for the Neon is good overall but after awhile it's true
colors come out. From the very first of ownership we noticed trim/weatherstripping quality issues that were fixed under warranty. Next came a faulty fuel pump that created a hard start up. The Neon has had many service notices sent to dealers that consumers never know about unless they check on-line services. Two of these issue include a loud clunking in the front suspension when backing up and a off smell from the air ducts. Both of which our car had (and still has). They attempeted to fix it under warrenty and made some front end repairs but the problem is still there, now with the warranty gone we have no protection. The air duct smell is a hot weather issue that goes away in winter due to no mold growing so they figured they had fixed it. The Neon air intake for the air duct is in front of the windshield where water can enter the system and stagnate creating a very bad odor. The dealer sprayed some type of chemcial into the system to "clean" it but the stuff ended up dripping into the glove box ruining our owner hand book and other papers in a sticky mess. The dealer denied the spray did this.

Overall, I would avoid the pre-2000 Neon's as a poor performing, poor quality car that has more problems than dealers wish to fess up to. The engine torque only kicks in at a very high RPM with low speed torque poor. Windnoise is terrible on the Neon. In real heavy rain or snow the Neon produces a sound from underneath that is so bad that you wonder if the car is going to fall apart. If you do buy a Neon get an extended warranty as you will need it!