Chevrolet Prizm
Owners filed 155 complaints across 8 model years of the Chevrolet Prizm. The 2001 drew the most (45); the 1996 the fewest (1).
Model years8
Complaints155
Recalls5
Fires7
Deaths0
Every Chevrolet Prizm model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 19 | 1 | — | 2 | Steering | Routine | |
| 2001 | 45 | 1 | 1 | 7 | Engine and Engine Cooling | Routine | |
| 2000 | 24 | 1 | 2 | 4 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Routine | |
| 1999 | 36 | 1 | 2 | 8 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 1998 | 27 | 1 | — | 6 | Tires | Routine | |
| 1996 | 1 | 0 | — | — | Tires | Routine | |
| 1991 | 2 | 0 | 1 | — | Seat Belts › Rear/Other | Routine | |
| 1990 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — | Electrical System › Wiring › Front Underhood | Routine |
Which Chevrolet Prizm years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 2001 is the weakest year on record, with 45 complaints concentrated in the engine and engine cooling. It carries 1 recall.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.