TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 GEO PRIZM. THE ROOF HEADLINER IS DRY ROTTED, CORRODED, AND HANGING DOWN IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THE DOOR GASKETS ON EACH DOOR HAVE CRACKED, MELTED, AND HARDENED. THE ENTIRE EXTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE HAS WHITE HAZE SPOTS, WHERE THE PRIMER IS COMING THROUGH THE PAINT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURES BEGAN RIGHT AFTER THE THREE YEAR WARRANTY ENDED ON THE VEHICLE. HE ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS A SAFETY RECALL ON THE BLACK METALLIC PAINT. THE RECALL WAS GOOD FOR THREE YEARS AND THEN IT WAS EXTENDED TO FIVE YEARS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT CHEVROLET GAVE HIM THE RUN AROUND UNTIL THE SAFETY RECALL EXTENSION EXPIRED. HE WAS ABLE TO GET THE ROOF OF THE VEHICLE PAINTED UNDER THE RECALL, HOWEVER, THE PAINT JOB FAILED SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES OF THE VEHICLE, IF NEEDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND RECALL NUMBER WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52,000.
1998 Geo Prizm
Owners filed 11 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the suspension › front › stabilizer bar. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Suspension › Front › Stabilizer Bar | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Structure › Body › Door | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Structure › Body | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Pedals and Linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Seat Belts › Front › Retractor | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Child Seat | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Air Bags › Frontal › Sensor/Control Module | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsALL OF THE HANDLES INSIDE THE VEHICLE DO NOT WORK. NO ONE CAN EXIT THE VEHICLE. CURRENTLY, THE PASSENGER'S SIDE HANDLES DO NOT WORK, AND ONE CANNOT OPEN THE VEHICLE FROM THE OUTSIDE.*AK
THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR CAUGHT THE CONSUMER ON THE HEEL TAKING PART OF HER HEEL. THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR WAS VERY SHARP. *JB
AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT STAYS ON. DEALER STATES WIRE HARNESS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *AK *MR
I WAS TOLD BY MY TRANSMISSION/MECHANIC EXPERT THAT EVEN THOUGH CHEVROLET MADE THE PRIZM IT HAD A TOYOTA ENGINE WHICH IS WHY I BOUGHT THE CAR TO BEGIN WITH. THEN WHEN THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR WENT OUT HE WAS SURPRISED BECAUSE USUSALLY THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN UNTIL YOU HAVE A LOT OF MILES LIKE 200,000 MILES ON A CAR. I EXPECTED BETTER THAN THE FACT THE THIS WENT OUT ON MY CAR AND I BASICALLY HAD 55,000 MILES. *AK
THE SEAT BELT SENSOR DOES NOT ACTIVATE DASH LIGHT WHEN THE SEAT BELT IS NOT IN USE. WHEN THE SEAT BELT IS IN USE BY PEOPLE WHO DO NOT NEED TO PULL THE BELT OUT VERY FAR (I.E. SLENDER, TALL PEOPLE WHO LEAVE THE SEAT AT THE BACK OF THE TRACK), THE DASH LIGHT MISTAKENLY IS LIT.*AK
WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND THE HARDWARE NEEDED TO ATTACH THE TETHER TO THE CAR. THE ANCHOR NUTS APPEAR TO BE WELDED TO THE REAR SHELF OF THE CAR BUT NEITHER THE OWNERS MANUAL OR THE CAR DEALERSHIP HAS ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL HARDWARE NEEDED TO CREATE A TETHER ATTACHMENT POINT. WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO USE THE TETHER STRAP ON OUR CAR SEAT, BUT AT THIS POINT WE ARE UNABLE TO DO SO.
BRAKE PEDAL HEIGHT IS HIGHER THAN THE GAS PEDAL WHICH CAUSES OCCUPANT'S FOOT TO GO UNDERNEATH THE BRAKE PEDAL, AND CAUSES PEDAL MISAPPLICATION. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM THE RIGHT REAR AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH. DEALER NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK
BRAKES ARE DEFECTIVE. WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED, EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE OCCURS BECAUSE THE BRAKES LOCK UP. DEALER NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
VEHICLE HAS NO STABILIZER BARS. ACCORDING TO CONSUMER REPORT, TOYOTA WILL INSTALL STABILIZER BARS ON ALL PRIZMS/COROLLAS.
11 of 11 complaints, reproduced as filed.
Across model years
Worst on record: 1994Other Geo models
All Geo models →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.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.