1997 Dodge neon tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 1997 Dodge Neon, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
| Tire size | Rim size | PCD (bolt pattern) | Offset | Load index | Speed rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 185/65R14 OEM | R14 | 5x100 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
1997 Dodge neon wheel bolt pattern & specs
| Bolt pattern (PCD) | 5x100 |
|---|---|
| Wheel thread / lug size | M12x1.5 |
| Center bore | 57.1 mm |
| Source | adaptitusa-reference |
Best by use case
Four tires, four jobs
Best all-season
Bridgestone
Blizzak WS90
winter touring
Best budget
Falken
Sincera SN250 A/S
Lowest cost per mile in this size; UTQG 720
Best quiet
Bridgestone
Blizzak WS90
71 dB cabin noise (EU label); quietest in this size
Best winter
Bridgestone
Blizzak WS90
Dedicated winter (premium compound); ice/snow grip
See the best tires for the Dodge Neon, ranked by category →
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Dodge Neon →
Compatible alternative sizes for 185/65R14
Sizes within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter safe-fit tolerance. Each row links to the size's own page.
| Alternative size | %Δ OD | Category | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
215/50R15 |
-0.02% | plus 1 | Safe |
165/65R15 |
-0.10% | plus 1 | Safe |
195/55R15 |
-0.10% | plus 1 | Safe |
205/65R13 |
0.10% | alternative | Safe |
165/80R13 |
-0.32% | winter narrower | Safe |
For the full list of alternatives with comfort/handling impact, see 185/65R14 upsize options. To check an arbitrary size pair, use the tire compatibility calculator.
Check a different size against this vehicle
Type any tire size below; we'll compute its overall-diameter delta against the OEM 185/65R14 and verdict using the ETRTO ±3% rule.
Common upgrade paths
- Plus-1: 215/50R15; one rim size up, -0.02% OD change. Sharper steering, mild ride penalty, modest cost premium.
- Plus-2: 175/55R16; two rim sizes up, 0.47% OD change. Noticeable ride penalty, higher pothole risk, meaningful tire-cost premium.
Use the plus-size calculator to evaluate any rim step against the OEM size.
How to choose tires for the 1997 dodge neon sport
The 1997 Dodge Neon Sport ships from the factory on 185/65R14 tires mounted on R14 wheels. Only one approved fitment is documented for this model year, so replacement options should match the original size exactly unless a plus-size upgrade is being considered. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the Dodge Neon comes down to three trade-offs that matter more than brand loyalty: load index (must equal or exceed the OEM number), speed rating (must match or exceed the placard), and UTQG treadwear (higher means longer life, lower usually means stickier rubber). Owners replacing factory tires with the same compound class, for example all-season for all-season, generally see no change in ride characteristics or fuel economy. Switching categories (performance summer to all-season touring, for example) is where the trade-offs show up at the contact patch.
For 1997 Dodge Neon Sport owners considering a plus-size upgrade, the safer option is a Plus-1 step (one rim size up with a 10-point aspect drop and ~10 mm of additional section width). Plus-2 is technically viable on this chassis if the alternative-sizes table lists a Plus-2 candidate within tolerance, but expect a meaningful ride-harshness penalty and a tire-cost premium of 30–60% per tire relative to the OEM fitment. For winter use the recommended pattern is one width step down (e.g. from a 235 to a 225) with the aspect ratio bumped up to preserve overall diameter; narrower tires apply higher contact pressure per square inch on snow, which translates directly into shorter braking distances. The plus-size calculator evaluates any specific rim step against this OEM size.
Before purchasing, verify the tire size on the driver-door placard of your specific 1997 Dodge Neon Sport, since trim levels and option packages can shift the original fitment from what is documented here. The placard reading is the authoritative source per FMVSS 110, and dealers will reference the placard rather than aftermarket catalogs when validating warranty claims.
NHTSA-reported issues for 1997 dodge neon
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Reported across: 1997 – 1997 (1 year)
What owners described
Blowout or sudden deflation is the most common description, in 27% of these reports. Percentages are shares of the 41 reports covering every model year of the Dodge Neon that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 27% | 20% | 1.3× |
| Sidewall failure | 22% | 15% | 1.5× |
| Loss of control, rollover or collision | 10% | 8% | 1.2× |
| Bubble or bulge in the tire | 7% | 6% | 1.2× |
| Tread or belt separation | 5% | 13% | 0.4× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 2% | 9% | 0.3× |
Mileage at failure
22 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 19,500 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 6,000 and 77,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Dodge Neon. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
I BOUGHT 4 PIRELLI P4 P185/60R-15 TIRES. LESS THAN 6K MILES A TIRE BLEW OUT THE SIDEWALL. NOW AT 17K MILES ANOTHER TIRE HAS A BIG BUBBLE ON THE SIDEWALL. I AM TAKING THAT BACK TO DISCOUNT TIRE FOR A REPLACEMENT. I DID NOT HIT ANY POTHOLES AND I DRIVE SLOW. THIS IS SCARY.
INSTRUMENT PANEL (DASH GAUGES) HAS A SHORT AND DOES NOT WORK, THIS INCLUDES THE SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, AND FUEL &TEMP GAUGES. ENGINE HEAD GASKET IS BLOWN AND IS LEAKING OIL BADLY, AND EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR ON THE FRONT OF THE CAR... CAR IS EXPERIENCING EXCESSIVE GAS CONSUMPTION... GOES ABOUT 180 MILES TO A FULL 12 GALLON TANK OF GAS...IT PASSES EVERYTHING BUT A GAS STATION... A TECH AT THE DEALERSHIP (RAGLAND DODGE, ANGLETON TEXAS) TOLD ME THAT THESE ARE VERY COMMON PROBLEMS WITH THE DODGE NEON...( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 165/80R/13 )
EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR IN THE FRONT....HEAD GASKET BLOWN AND LEAKING OIL BADLY...EXCESSIVE GAS CONSUMPTION, (180 MILES TO A 12 GALLON TANK) DASHBOARD CLUSTER (ALL GUAGES INCLUDING, SPEEDODMETER, ODOMETER, AND FUEL AND TEMP GUAGES) DOES NOT WORK AT ALL NOW...WAS SHORTING OUT AND COMING ON FROM TIME TO TIME BUT DOES NOT WORK AT ALL NOW....( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P165/80R13 )
AT ONLY 19000 MILES THE CAR HAS BLOWN THE HEAD GASKET, THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE SPLIT DOWN THE SIDE IN SEVERAL PLACES,BOTH DRIVE BELTS BROKE CAUSING DEAD CELLS IN THE BATTERY,NOW TEMP GAUGE GOES TO RED WHEN IN TRAFFIC WITH A/C WORKING.DEALER REPLACED HEAD GASKET AND BELTS BUT CANT FIND THE OVERHEATING PROBLEM. WHAT A PIECE OF JUNK!!!!
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
What size tires fit a 1997 Dodge Neon?
What is the bolt pattern of a 1997 Dodge Neon?
Can I run a different tire size on my 1997 Dodge Neon?
Where can I buy tires for my 1997 Dodge Neon?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 1997 Dodge Neon?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 1997 Dodge Neon?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 1997 Dodge Neon?
For broader tire questions; replacement timing, UTQG, EV-specific tires, winter swaps; see the tire FAQ.
Sources for this page
- Vehicle owner's manual tire & wheel placard; door-jamb placard on the Dodge Neon is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 1997 Dodge Neon.
- ETRTO 2024 Standards Manual §2.3; overall-diameter math used for the alternative-size verdicts above.
- Tire & Rim Association 2025 Yearbook; load-index to maximum-load reference.
Last verified 2026-09-02.