1990 Geo Prizm

Routine

Owners filed 37 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the structure › body › door. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly3
000
Exterior Lighting › Brake Lights3
010
Structure › Body › Door2
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components2
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline2
000
Wheels1
000
Visibility › Windshield1
000
Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal1
000
Tires1
000
Suspension1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Suspension10E002000
Filed Feb 11, 201012,657 vehiclesRide Control, Llc

Defect. RIDE CONTROL IS RECALLING CERTAIN FRONT STRUT MOUNTS BRANDED AS GABRIEL RIDE CONTROL OR ARVINMERITOR, P/NOS. 142435, 142193, 142305, 142303, SOLD AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE AFFECTED FRONT STRUT MOUNTS DID NOT CONTAIN A WELD JOINT BETWEEN THE BEARING HOUSING AND THE RATE PLATE.

Risk. THE ABSENCE OF THE WELD CAN ALLOW THE STRUT TO COME OUT OF ITS MOUNTING POSITION UNDER CERTAIN EXTREME DRIVING CONDITIONS WHICH COULD CAUSE DAMAGE TO SURROUNDING VEHICLE COMPONENTS INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy. RIDE CONTROL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF RECORD AND REPLACE THE AFFECTED PARTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 15, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT RIDE CONTROL AT 1-248-458-1396.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Seat Belts › Front › Retractor
Filed Jun 2, 2006125,500 milesNV

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT. THIS OCCURS EVERY TIME THE SEAT BELT IS USED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY ACCIDENTS THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THIS FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE CONTACTED; THE SEAT BELT COULD NO LONGER BE REPLACED DUE TO THE AVAILABILITY OF THE PARTS. THERE ARE NO AFTER MARKET PARTS AVAILABLE. WHEN THE CONSUMER DID FIND A PART, NO ONE WAS WILLING TO INSTALL THE LAP BELT FOR FEAR OF LIABILITY. UPDATED 05/30/06. *JB

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Apr 10, 2002NJ

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

Tires
Filed Apr 26, 1999FL

GENERAL TIRES UPC 20111G165-80R18, SIZE 165-80-13. CONSUMER PURCHASED TIRES ON 02/29/96. WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING, TIRES FELL APART. WIRES/ RUBBER CAME OUT. DAMAGE DONE TO FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. MANUFACTURER CONTACTED, AND COULD NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER REPLACED TIRES AT OWN EXPENSE. AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System
Filed Oct 25, 1998WI

NONE

Seat Belts › Front
Filed Sep 22, 1998KS

SEAT BELTS COME APART.

Suspension
Filed Aug 23, 1998FL

DOOR HANDLES MALFUNCTIONED. GEAR SHIFT WILL NOT MOVE. REAR STRUTS WE WORN IN LESS THAN 1 YEAR AFTER PURCHASE. DEALER REFUSED TO STAND BY WARRANTY.

Power Train › Driveline › Constant Velocity Joint
Filed Aug 11, 1998TX

CV JOINTS WERE DEFECTIVE WHEN VEHICLE STARTED TO MAKE NOISE. *AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jul 8, 1998NY

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE LURCHED INTO A STOP. THE WHEELS LOCKED UP. MECHANIC INFORMED OWNER THAT THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

Structure › Frame and Members
Filed May 26, 1998NY

FRAME MISALIGNED CAUSING DAMAGE TO TIRES.

Structure › Body › Door
Filed Jan 14, 1998CO

ALL OF THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE IN VEHICLE HAVE BROKEN.

Power Train › Manual Transmission
Filed Dec 28, 1997MI

VEHICLE COMES TO AN ABRUPT STOP, LIKE SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES. AFTER THE SECOND INSTANCE, THE VEHICLE WILL STARTS BUT WILL NOT MOVE.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Nov 7, 1997AL

ENGINE FAILED.

Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/Regulator
Filed Jan 2, 1997IL

ALTERNATOR FAILED THREE TIMES. *AK

Structure › Body › Hatchback/Liftgate › Support Device/Strut1 injured
Filed Oct 21, 1996PA

REAR HATCH HYDRAULIC UNITS FAILED TO SUPPORT HATCH WHEN LIFTED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly
Filed Aug 8, 1996CT

PLASTIC COVER FEMALE PORTION WHICH HOLDS BUCKLE IN PLACE HAS DETACHED FROM SEAT BELT, RENDERING PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT INOPERATIVE.*AK

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Trunk Lid › Lock
Filed Aug 5, 1996TX

FAILURE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HANDLE, THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE.*AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Torque Converter
Filed Jul 31, 1996MD

REPLACED TORQUE CONVERTER TWICE. *AK

Exterior Lighting › Brake Lights
Filed Jul 8, 1996CA

WHEN DRIVING WITH HEADLIGHTS ON, THE RIGHT BRAKE LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly
Filed Jun 29, 1996CA

SEAT BELT BUCKLE PLASTIC LATCH PLATE BROKE. *DH

Exterior Lighting › Brake Lights
Filed Apr 29, 1996OH

REAR WINDOW BRAKE LIGHT, CONTINUES TO FAIL, AFTER REPLACEMENT OF 6 TIMES. *AK

20 of 37 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1994
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20023000Routine
20016000Routine
20007000Routine
199924010Routine
199811000Routine
199750220Routine
199661120Routine
199596310Routine
1994134362Fatalities reported
199377220Routine
199250100Routine
199146230Routine
1990 — this page37110Routine

Compare every Prizm year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

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: Feb 11, 2010. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.