1997 Dodge Neon Air Bags:frontal Problems

NHTSA component category: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL · data through 07/14/2026

31Air Bags:frontal complaints

7.9%Of all 390 complaints

#3Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How air bags:frontal ranks on this vehicle

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE151 · 38.7%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE47 · 12.1%

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL31 · 7.9%

Unspecified / other21 · 5.4%

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION21 · 5.4%

Share of the 390 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1997 Dodge Neon overview page.

What owners report

“VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE HEAD ON AT 40MPH AND NEITHER OF THE DUAL AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. ALSO VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BLEW UP. VEHICLE IS…”NHTSA complaint 843119 — filed 07/23/1999

“TURNED ON THE CAR WITH FOOT ON BRAKE, PUT CAR IN DRIVE, REMOVED FOOT FROM BRAKE AND CAR ACCELERATED AND HIT HEAD ON A 1999…”NHTSA complaint 705452 — filed 04/09/1999

“WHILE MAKING A TURN, A VEHICLE HIT THE SIDE OF THE BUMPER, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO TURN AND HIT A POLE ON THE FRONT END…”NHTSA complaint 835189 — filed 02/24/1999

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Air Bags:frontal complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1997 Dodge Neon have air bags:frontal problems?

Air Bags:frontal is the #3 most-reported problem area on the 1997 Dodge Neon: 31 of 390 complaints on file (7.9%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1997 Dodge Neon have in total?

390 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 44 involved a crash, 12 involved a fire, 28 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's air bags:frontal category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the AIR BAGS:FRONTAL category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.