1994 Chevrolet Corsica

Fatalities reported

Owners filed 123 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic › antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip19
112
Seats6
101
Air Bags › Frontal6
401
Steering › Steering Wheel/Handle Bar5
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components5
010
Unknown or Other4
000
Exterior Lighting › Headlights › High/Low Beam Dimmer Switch4
000
Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Lower Ball Joint3
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor3
000
Seat Belts3
202

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Suspension › Front93V157000
Filed Sep 24, 199339 vehiclesGeneral Motors Corp.

Defect. THE SUSPENSION SUPPORT ASSEMBLIES DO NOT MEET GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION'S SPECIFICATION FOR WELD INTEGRITY AND THE AFFECTED WELD CAN FAIL CAUSING THE FRONT OF THE CONTROL ARM TO SEPARATE FROM THE SUSPENSION SUPPORT ASSEMBLY.

Risk. IF THIS OCCURS, THE AFFECTED TIRE/WHEEL ASSEMBLY CAN MOVESUBSTANTIALLY FROM ITS DESIGNED POSITION AND STEERING CONTROL CAN BE SEVERELYIMPAIRED WHICH MAY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.

Remedy. INSTALL REVISED SUSPENSION SUPPORTS WITH ADEQUATE WELD INTEGRITY.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Unknown or Other
Filed May 4, 201756,000 milesMO

SMOKE COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN WHILE DRIVING.

Seat BeltsCrash2 injured
Filed Oct 24, 2008168,000 milesVA

TL*THE CONTACT'S SPOUSE OWNS A 1994 CHEVROLET CORSICA. INTERMITTENTLY, WHILE DRIVING AT ANY RATE OF SPEED, THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WOULD DETACH. APPROXIMATELY THREE MONTHS LATER, THE SPOUSE WAS IN A ONE CAR CRASH AND SUSTAINED MAJOR INJURIES. HIS SON SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY TWELVE TIMES WHILE ACCELERATING OR DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 170,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 168,000.

Suspension › Front › Stabilizer Bar
Filed Jun 22, 200669,900 milesMN

THE 2 BOLTS HOLDING THE FRONT STABILIZER BAR IN PLACE BROKE APART DUE TO RUST. THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE BUT I WASN'T GOING THAT FAST SO I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR. *NM

Seat Belts › Front
Filed Oct 6, 2005100,000 milesNY

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED SHOULDER AND LAP BELTS ARE CONNECTED TO THE DOOR, NOT TO THE FLOOR. SHE WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF HER CAR WITH THE SEAT BELT ON. THE CONSUMER DOES NOT FEEL SHE SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO EXIT WITH THE SEAT BELT ON. SHE FEELS THIS IS A DEFECT IN DESIGN ONLY.*AK *JB

Structure
Filed Jul 27, 2004AR

PAINT PEALING FROM THE HOOD AND TOP OF CAR. 1994 CHEVROLET CORSICA 4 DOOR. *AK

Tires › Sidewall
Filed Jun 20, 200473,000 milesNY

ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO I PURCHASED 4 GOODYEAR REGETTA TIRES.SO FAR I HAD TO REPLACE 2 OF THEM DUE TO CRACKING ON THE SIDEWALL.SHORTLY I WILL NEED TO REPLACE THE OTHER 2.I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN TO ANY OTHER TIRES I HAVE EVER OWNED.THIS IS VERY UNUSAL THAT THIS SHOULD HAPPED TO TIRES.BUT,I HAD PEOPLE TELL ME ITS COMMEN WITH THE REGETTA BRAND. *AK

Suspension › Rear › Axle › Non-powered Axle AssemblyCrash10 injured2 killed
Filed Apr 29, 2004127,490 milesWI

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND IT COLLIDED WITH TWO OTHER VEHICLES. TEN PEOPLE WERE INJURED, AND TWO PEOPLE DIED IN THIS COLLISION. ENGINEERS FOUND A STRUCTURAL FAILURE IN THE REAR AXLE. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE CONTROL ARM TO SEPARATE. CONSUMER WAS INCARCERATED DUE TO THE FATALITIES. *AK

Structure
Filed Jan 14, 2004TX

THE PAINT ON MY 94 CORSICA IS COMING OFF IN SHEETS. POSSIBLY DUE TO FAULTY PRIMER.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe
Filed Jan 10, 2004100,000 milesIA

THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ON MY 1994 CHEVY CORSICA IS LEAKING. I HAD THE CAR TO THE SHOP LAST WEEK AND HAD THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON THE GM 3.1L ENGINES. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH I CAUGHT MINE BEFORE SERIOUS PROBLEMS OCCURED, IT IS STILL A VERY COSTLY REPAIR. THERE ARE HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO WEREN'T AS FORTUNATE AS ME, AND HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THEIR ENGINES. EVEN THE OWNER OF THE LOCAL SMALL TOWN REPAIR SHOP HERE SAID THAT THIS IS A COMMON. I AM GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND UPWARDS OF $500 TO GET THIS FIXED, THAT MAY NOT BE MUCH FOR A GOVERNMENT AGENCY SUCH AS YOURSELVES, BUT IT IS FOR MY FAMILY. MY HOPE IS THAT YOU TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION FROM WHAT I HAVE WRITTEN TO YOU, AND THE HUNDREDS OF OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, AND MAKE GM DO A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM. IT IS A WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEM, AND A VERY COMMON ONE TO SAY THE LEAST. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. ERIC GENGLER. *AK

Suspension › Front › Control Arm
Filed Oct 21, 2003IA

WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT 5 MPH DRIVER HEARD A GRINDING NOISE AND VEHICLE WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT. CONSUMER STOPPED VEHICLE AND LOOKED UNDERNEATH THE FRONT END. THE WELD BROKE ON THE RIGHT SIDE, SEPARATING THE FRONT CONTROL ARM FROM THE SUSPENSION. THERE WAS A RECALL, BUT PER MANUFACTURER THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT AFFECTED.*AK

Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator PedalCrash3 injured
Filed Oct 13, 2003147,000 milesIA

SPONTANEOUS ACCELERATION OF MY DAUGHTER'S 1994 CHEVROLET CORSICA RESULTING IN TOTAL LOSS OF CORSICA, DAMAGE AND INJURY TO MY DAUGHTER AND (2) DRIVERS OF OTHER VEHICLES STRUCK BY THE CORSICA. *LA

Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly
Filed Aug 27, 2003CA

FRONT PASSANGER SEATBELT SPRING BROKE FRONT DRIVER SEATBELT SOMTIMES COMES UNDONE. *AK

Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Lower Ball Joint
Filed May 3, 2003MN

LOWER BALL JOINT FAILURE. *BF THE CONSUMER IS QUESTIONING WHEATHER OR NOT HIS VEHICLE WAS ISSUED A RECALL FOR PROBLEMS WITH THE LOWER BALL JOINT. THE RECALL ISSUED FOR THIS VEHICLE DID NOT PERTAIN TO THE PROBLEM CONSUMER WAS HAVING WITH HIS VEHICLE. *TC

Air Bags › FrontalCrash
Filed Apr 14, 2003DC

THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION, FLIPPED OVER THREE TIMES, AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *JB

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Mar 7, 2003NJ

OIL PAN LEAKED OIL, ROOF BRACE INSIDE BENT, AND THE SEAL OUTSIDE COWL BELOW FRONT WINDSHIELD LEAKED WATER FROM OUTSIDE. *AK *JB

Steering › Steering Wheel/Handle Bar
Filed Dec 9, 2002NY

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. THE POWER STEERING PUMP IS BROKE, THE HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING OIL. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. AS WE SPOKE JUST ONE RECALL NHTSA#6818-93-V-157-3000 SEP-16-1993 THE SUSPENSION SUPORT ASSEMBLIES. THE AFECTED TIRE/WHEEL ASSEMBLY CAN MOVE SUSTANTIALLY FROM ITS DESIGNED POSITION AND STEERING CONTROL CAN BE SEVERELY IMPARED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. PH

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components
Filed Aug 6, 2002OR

WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED THEY LET GO, AND VEHICLE JERKS FORWARD. CONTACTED DEALER.*AK

Steering › Steering Wheel/Handle Bar
Filed Apr 4, 2002MO

CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING, SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN AREA, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER, AND THE BLINKER SWITCH WAS REPLACED, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS, DEALER STATED THAT THE CONTINOUS SMOKE WAS POSSIBILY DUE TO FRESH OIL ON NEW WIRES.*JB

Electrical System › Wiring › Front UnderhoodCrashFire1 killed
Filed Mar 5, 2002IL

HAD STARTED TO TURN A CORNER, AND WITHOUT APPLYING BRAKES, VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER AND BURST INTO FLAMES. FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. POSSIBLE INDICATION WAS FIRE IN STEERING. DRIVER DIED. POLICE REPORT.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Feb 18, 2002AR

I HAVE NOT EVEN HAD THIS CAR FOR A WEEK AND THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE ENGINE AND I AM STRANDED WAY IN MILWAUKEE AND THE CAR IS STRANDED IN MT. VERNON, IL AT A CAR PLACE CALLED "THE CAR DOCTOR".*AK

20 of 123 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1992
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
19971000Routine
1996110100Routine
1995102030Routine
1994 — this page123183Fatalities reported
1993100080Routine
1992125172Fatalities reported
1991108150Routine
199055240Routine

Compare every Corsica year →

Reading this record

3 deaths reported in complaints filed with NHTSA.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Sep 24, 1993. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.