15 problems related to front air bag have been reported for the 1996 Dodge Neon. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Front collision at 40 mph. Upon impact neither air bag deployed. The driver suffered minor injuries, vehicle was totalled.
Airbags didn't deploy when another vehicle veered into consumer's vehicle while traveling on highway. Dealership was aware of problem.
While traveling 40-45mph driver hit an embankment and neither airbag deployed.
Was driving 35mph when a truck ran stop sign. Neon "t" boned truck. Front end lifted up. Front end of driver's side was crushed. Door was bent outward. Upon impact with truck, neither air bags deployed. Driver suffered some injuries ,but no hospital treatment.
In August of 1999, due to a health problem (unknown to me), I fell asleep at the wheel of my 1996 Neon. I awoke in time to force the car over to a grassy median between two parts of a four lane highway. The car flew twenty or so feet in the air, making impact with the grass, and continuing without power steering, etc. , for approximately. 300 feet. While in the air, my left arm broke the driver side window. When the car landed dead on to the grass, the air bags burst, but "wilted" down, they did not come straight out at me as normal, but down, after exploding. My mechanic informed me that this was not normal for a car in this kind of accident, and that the car may have been in a prior accident, or the air bags may have been improperly installed. I received chemical burns on the inner parts of the arms, and developed a lung problem due to the inhaled chemicals. Since the airbags exploded improperly, my two young daughters were frightened even more, especially since it sounded like a gun had been shot. My concern is that other air bags may react in the same way, even if there is no front impact. I had notified my mechanics in the ebensburg and cresson, PA areas, where the accident occurred, as well as the ambulance drivers, and any others I could about this situation. I also notified the hosts of car talk. I have not heard of this happening elsewhere, but I did notice that air bags were not mentioned on your website, and felt that it was important to notify the public of this potential problem.
Airbag didn't deploy. Consumer was driving vehicle and another vehicle veered into consumer's vehicle, and ran it off the road into shoulder. Consumer hit the median rail. No injuries.
While vehicle was parked air bags deployed without indications, blowing out the windows of vehicle. Also injuring consumer. Please provide further informaton.
Vehicle was involved in an head- on collision which involved a tree and neither air bags deployed.
In an accident when the driver's airbag deployed the bag caught on fire due to wiring inside were melting.
While going (25) mph on slick road conditions, when applying the brakes, the vehicle went off the road, went into a ditch, hitting a tree head-on and there was no deployment of the air bags. Insurance adjustor is looking at vehicle.
While driving hit a big dog and both air bags deployed, the air bag broke out the driver's and the passenger's windows, causing expensive damages to the vehicle.
Had a frontal collision, neither air bag deployed.
Air bags deployed and broke the driver and passenger side windows.
Mechanism which fired the passenger airbag became hot and melted parts of the dashboard.
Water coming in from dash which causes the water to leak from the floorboard. This defect happens only when it is raining. Dealer has torn out dash, cannot figure out where the water is coming from. Also, airbags' screws are loosening which causes them to make noises.