How long do you think this Dodge Neon could last?

Question

Im looking for a new car that wont cost me much. I found a 2001 Dodge neon Se with about 77k miles on it. Body looks good, the owner says it has 05 SRT-D dual exhaust. AEM cold air intake. B&M transmission cooler. Vibrant strut tower bar. I dont know what those things are. Will they help the car last longer? or are they more for speed? How long do dodge neons usually last, with 77k miles is $5k a good price? Ive been reading reviews that they dont need head gaskets, what are those? If you can help me out id appreciate it. Thanks Dave

Alright looked up reviews on one site pretty much everyone liked theirs, on carsurvey.org it was just a few words to discribe the car. Does anyone know how long neons usually last

I have a honda right now 1987 accord, its got 160k miles and things are falling apart, so yea i figured a honda or toyota would be a good way to go but for like 6k all the cars are over 100k miles. I cant find a good honda or toyota with low miles

KK so say i take this on a test drive can i check the gasket and stuff to see if its good. How much does a gasket cost, is it hard to find? So is the basic problem with neons the gasket, say i dont see an oil leak coudl the car last me another 40-50k miles. And you say look on the back of the engine where the head meets the block, i know nothing about cars, could you explain a little more how i could find an "oil leak"

The owner says the coolant and tranny have been flushed and filled since I owned it. High performance struts and springs. New Pads, rotors and brake fluid. Rear brakes adjusted. New coilpack, plug wires and spark plugs recently installed. Headlights and bulbs. Newer muffler. Oil changed with synthetic oil every 4k. Is this the car for me?

Answer 1

the only thing you really have to look out for is head gasket problems on the neon. this is very common especially 70 - 90 thousand miles. look on the back of the engine where the head meets the block and make sur you do not see a big oil leak. also the exhaust is deffinatley a improvement, and the cold air induction basically relocates where the air is taken in to the intake which is supposed to improve the proformance because cooler air will make the engine run stronger and give better flow depending on the air filter used on the end of the induction. usually it is a k&n air filter which u never have to replace, cause you clean them out with a cleaner and oil. the strut tower brace is supposed to improve handling, cause it connects both strut towers to prevent body sway due to your subframe, (unibody) car. 5k seems not too bad of a price long as the car is not rusted out. check for this also, especially if you live in states that salt the road in the winter time. these cars do rot out underneath when they are introduced to salt. i just did a neons fuel lines and brake lines today at my shop because of the rot from winter. hope this helps. good luck

Answer 2

Dual exhaust is for looks, cold air intake adds like 3 horsepower, transmission cooler is unnecessary, strut tower bar probably doesn't add anything at all. Nothings changed at all for the longevity, only difference is you gotta clean and oil your airfilter instead of replacing it every 20k miles or so.

Doesnt sound too bad, i'd look up some reviews on carsurvey.org or msn autos and see if there are any problem spots or if a lot of people had trouble with that car. Sounds to me like a teen bought the car, wanted it to go fast so he poured some $$ into it, but when he realized it wasn't a fast car he dumped it.

I'd go with it, im not too big into american cars myself, I perfer toyota, but it it's a good deal it's a good deal, but I don't know the blue book value either. As for the headgasket, not sure what you mean, but when a headgasket goes it can be a costly repair, so what you heard may be that their headgaskets don't break or something. Mileage is right where you want it with that time, means the car was regularly used and probaly didnt see too much idle time or short trips.

Answer 3

5K sounds high. I would stay away from a car with those performance options.
You can buy a newer Neon with less miles for the same money.
Check the new car dealer ads. I would guess you could buy a 2004 with under 40,000 miles in the $5000 price range

Answer 4

When your buying a vehicle in the $ 5000. range condition comes before make and model to last you a few years, and this is where you better have done some homework, for starters go to my website http://www.usedcartips.org/ and navigate toTEST DRIVE from there study some more steps if you find the time that is...sorry to be so blunt but after 30 years and now retired selling cars trying to help consumers as a hobby there are steps to follow getting valid value..good luck

Answer 5

i own a repair shop,and the deal you found on this one isn't too bad,,id expect to get it for less though,,with all the stuff that it has added to it,,it helps it to be worth more,,but it don't make it last longer, though.the have added this stuff to it to dress it up,and as for the head gasket,,its true that around 120 thousand ,miles most neon's usually need the head gasket replaced on it,,but its no big deal,,its about a 300 dollar job to do,,and that's if it goes bad,,only 2 out of 10 will ever need the gasket replaced ,they are good cars to own,,they give good service also,,id look it over real good ,and try to get it as cheap as i could,but it sound like a pretty good car,,and with low miles on it,you should be ok for a long time,,good luck hope this help,s,.happy new years.

Answer 6

neons are good cars. low maintenance and gas efficient. duel exhaust helps gas mileage and ups the horse power. those other things aren't any thing special. 5 grand is a good price. head gaskets are a gasket that keeps the oil out of the heads, usually not a common problem unless its an older car. my old lady has has her's since '00, and has only had minor problems-(brakes-oil changes-etc...) Dual exhaust can be a pricey repair though.

Answer 7

First thing to ask yourself is regrding the price........5K for a 2001 model w/only 77K miles... Whats wrong with it. I know it has "Performance add ons", but Dodge neons are typically a lower price 'cheap' car. If you wand a cheaper car that will last a long time, you should look at a Toyota.

Answer 8

Listen and listen good, not that you can hear me but the point is when someone is selling a car and all they have to point out is all the good things and the car is a 2001 which makes it so old that there is most likely problems that are just hiding under the hood not to mention the rest of the vehicle.

Answer 9

$5000 for a 6 year old Peon? Hell no.... I wouldn't pay more than $3000.

I remember when they first came out back in 1995.... dealers had markups of $2500 on em because they were so popular. Now they can't even give em away.