1992 Geo Storm

Fatalities reported

Owners filed 77 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the air bags › frontal. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Air Bags › Frontal12
11013
Electrical System › Ignition › Module11
101
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline7
000
Vehicle Speed Control › Cruise Control5
000
Unknown or Other5
100
Electrical System4
000
Vehicle Speed Control3
000
Structure › Body › Door2
000
Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage2
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System2
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Air Bags92V091001
Filed Jul 6, 1992211,306 vehiclesGeneral Motors Corp.

Defect. THE STEERING WHEEL CENTER HUB CAN FRACTURE DURING CERTAIN FRONTAL AND NEAR FRONTAL VEHICLE COLLISIONS.

Risk. FRACTURING OF THE STEERING WHEEL HUB CAN DECREASE THEDRIVER'S CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND COULD REDUCE THE CRASH PROTECTION OF THESTEERING SYSTEM AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG.

Remedy. A STEERING WHEEL REINFORCEMENT PLATE AND NUT WILL BE ADDED TO THE STEERING WHEEL HUB.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Electrical System
Filed Nov 18, 2003131,680 milesPA

I HAVE A 1992 GEO STORM 2+2 WITH A 12 VALVE MOTOR AND A 5 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION THE CAR CONSTANTLY OVERHEATS EVEN AFTER ENTIRE COOLING SYSTEM WAS REPLACE. CAR STALLS, IDLES ERATICALLY DUE TO GM'S FAULTY ECM INSULATIVE SPRAY. AND JUST RECENTLY LOSS OF REAR TAIL LAMPS AND DASH LAMPS. BRAKE TURNING AND HAZARD LAMPS STILL WORK. ALL FUSES AND RELAYS ARE GOOD. *LA

Unknown or Other
Filed Oct 13, 2003MD

ECM CAUSES ENGINE RPM TO INCREASE DURING WARM/HOT WEATHER WHICH WILL NOT DROP TO NORMAL WHEN THE CLUTCH IS ENGAGED UNLESS THE THROTTLE IS PHYSICALLY MOVED (BLIPPED). THIS DANGEROUS AS IT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN AND CAN CAUSE THE CAR TO NOT DECELERATE WHEN THE THROTTLE PEDAL IS LIFTED. THIS IS NOT A ONCE A YEAR DEFECT AS YOU ASK BELOW; (HAD TO FILL IN THE BLOCKS OR I COULDN'T CONTINUE). IT IS PREVALENT ON ALL FWD ISUZU BUILT AUTOMOBILES FROM 1989 THROUGH 1994. *LA

Electrical System
Filed May 13, 20035,000 milesOH

CAR IDLES ERRATICALLY, IT ALSO IDLES ABOVE 2000 RPM SOMETIMES IT LACKS POWER AND SOMETIME IT DOES NOT. THE CAR STALLS WHILE AT IDLE, OR SOMETIMES IT PUMPS GAS IRREGULARLY CAUSING A PULSING.....*JN

Electrical System
Filed Apr 27, 2003SC

ECU CAUSING ERRATIC IDLE IN MY 1992 GEO STORM. IT IS WORSE IN WARM WEATHER. IT HAS ALMOST CAUSED ME TO RUN INTO A TRAIN WHEN R.P.M JUMPED UP TO OVER 2000 RPM. SINCE IT WAS AN AUTOMATIC IT LURCHED FORWARD. GM SAID IT WAS BECAUSE OF INSULATING SPRAY CONTRACTING CAUSING SHORTS IN ECU. MY CAR HAS SHUT OFF IN TRAFFIC CAUSING TRAFFIC JAMS ALSO. PLEASE MAKE GM RECALL THESE CARS FOR ECU REPAIR BEFORE SOME ONE GETS KILLED. *NLM

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Apr 24, 2003FL

THE CAR SHUT OFF WITH NO WARNING AT VARIOUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SEVERAL MECHANICS AND THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE LAST INCIDENT HAPPENED 4/22/03. *JB

Electrical System › Wiring
Filed Apr 3, 2003MD

FOR WELL OVER A YEAR NOW, MY 1992 GEO STORM-4 CYL., HAS EXHIBITED RPM'S ABOVE 2000 WHEN IDLING AT A STOP WHEN THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE IS ABOVE 60 DEGREES F. I MUST KEEP THE BRAKE PEDAL FIRMLY PRESSED TO THE FLOOR SINCE THE AUTO. TRANSMISSION WANTS TO ENGAGE. THIS SYMPTOM ALSO CAUSES MY VEHICLE TO ACT AS IF IT IS ENGAGED IN CRUISE CONTROL, ACCELERATING TO ABOUT 30 MPH, ONCE THE BRAKE PEDAL IS RELEASED. CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT OPTION INSTALLED IN THE CAR AT PURCHASE. I HAVE COME TO REALIZE THIS IS ALSO A PROBLEM WITH ISUZU'S, (THE GEO STORM ENGINE IS AN ISUZU PRODUCT), ALL DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE INSULATIVE SPRAY ON THE ECM. I CERTAINLY HOPE THE MANUFACTURERS CAN BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CONDITION.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jan 3, 2003OH

WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND VEHICLE WENT INTO NEUTRAL AND ALL RPM DROPPED AND VEHICLE SHUT OFF. DEALER STATES THAT THEY CAN NOT REPAIR VEHICLE BECAUSE IT IS OLDER THAN 10 YEARS. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System
Filed Sep 7, 2002MD

AFTER I PURCHASED THIS CAR ON APPROX. 5/20/2002,I NOTICED A SMALL RUMBLING SOUND ACCOMPANIED WITH THE SMELL OF EXHAUST FUMES INSIDE THE VEHICLE.ON 9/1/2002 I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT WHEN I HEARD AN ENORMOUS RUMBLE I PROCEEDEDBACK HOME APPROX.2 BLOCKS. I THEN PUT THECAR UP ON CAR RAMPS AND SAW THE PIPE FROM THE MANIFOLD TO THECONVERTER WAS IN GOOD SHAPE EXCEPT AT THE FLANGE BY THE MANIFOLD IT WAS SHEARED (NO RUST)I THEN INSPECTED THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND DISCOVEREDA 5 INCH CRACK.I THEN CALLED REPAIR SHOPS ,THEY TELL ME THIS IS CONSTANT ON ALL GEO,S I CALLED 30 USED AUTO PARTS YARDS THEY TELL ME ALL GEO EXHAUST MANIFOLDS CRACK AND THERE ARE NONE TO BE FOUND.AS THIS IS AN EXHAUST AND POTENTIALY FATAL FLAW I WILL AWAIT YOUR RESPONSE BEFORE WRITING THE NEWSPAPERS.*AK

Electrical System › Ignition › Module
Filed Aug 23, 2002FL

RPMS REV UP AND DOWN... CAR DIES... INSULATIVE SPRAY THAT MANUFACTURER USES ON THE COMPUTER SHINKS AND CONTRACTS WITH CHANGING TEMPERATURES AND BREAKS THE SOLDER AT THE COMPUTER CAUSING MISFIRES AT IDLE AND THOUGHOUT ALL DRIVING SPEEDS AND RANGES, ENGINE REVVING UP AND DOWN, ENGINE DYING, AND RPM HOLDING AT 2000 RPM GM KNOWS ABOUT THE FAULT IN THERE COMPUTERS...THEY REFUSE TO FIX IT AT THEIR EXPENSE... THEY USED THIS SPRAY ON INSULATORS ON 85-93 DELCO COMPUTERS... THEY USE A NEW SPRAY ON 95 AND UP, BUT DON'T ON FACTORY RECONDITIONERD ECU'S PRIOR TO 1995. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Jul 23, 2002KS

CAUSES MOTOR TO REV HIGH WHEN HOT AND DIE AT IDLE WHEN HOT HAS CAUSED AN OVER HEATING PROBLEM BEFORE. *AK

Electrical System › Ignition › ModuleCrash1 injured
Filed Jun 20, 2002MI

THE FAULTY ECU COMPONENT ON MY CAR HAS AGAIN MADE MY CAR TO STALL, BUT THIS TIME I WAS IN A BAD SITUATION, W/THE ENGINE STALLING OUT I HAD NO POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES, THUS CAUSING ME TO DRIVE INTO A 10FT DEEP DITCH. AS METIONED BEFORE, THIS HAS NOT BEEN THE ONLY TIME MY CAR HAS STALLED DUE TO THIS PROBLEM (IE IN THE MIDDLE OF BUSY INTERSECTIONS AND SO FORTH) THIS IS A VERY DAGEROUS DEFECT THAT, IZUZU UAND NHTSA ARE AWARE OF, I'M HOPING THAT THIS INCIDENT ALONG W/THE MANY OTHERS IS ENOUGH FOR NHTSA TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM . THANK YOU. *AK

Electrical System › Ignition › Module
Filed Apr 23, 2002CA

I APOLOGIZE IF SOME OF MY DATA ENTRY SEEMS ILLOGICAL. MY ECM WAS BAD SINCE THE FIRST DAY I PURCHASED MY USED GEO STORM GSI. I HAD EVERY ERRATIC IDLE/DRIVEABILITY PROBLEM POSSIBLE. WHEN PULLING UP TO LIGHTS THE CAR WOULD IDLE AT 3000 RPMS. IN TRAFFIC, T. *AK

Air Bags › FrontalCrash2 injured
Filed Apr 3, 2002NV

THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WAS HIT DUE TO A MOTORIST WHO FAILED TO YIELD THE RIGHT OF WAY, DRIVERS AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT AIR, CAUSING CONSUMER TO SUSTAIN INJURIES, CONSUMER CONTINUES TO BE UNDER DOCTORS CARE, ANOTHER PERSON WAS INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT AS WELL. *SLC

Electrical System › Ignition › Module
Filed Mar 18, 2002FL

THIS ECU HAS BEEN THE CULRPIT IN AN IDLE PROBLEM. CAR WILL DIE AT TAKE OFF, AND HAS THIS HAS BEEN TH SECOND TIME REPLACING ONE. *AK

Air Bags › FrontalCrash2 injured
Filed Mar 5, 2002NV

WHILE DRIVING AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY AIR IN THEM. INJURIES OCCURRED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.

Air Bags › FrontalCrash1 injured
Filed Feb 27, 2002NV

WHILE DRIVING AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED. HOWEVER, VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN A PREVIOUS ACCIDENT WHICH WAS NEVER REPORTED TO CONSUMER. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, BUT DID NOT HAVE AIR IN THEM DUE TO PREVIOUS ACCIDENT. DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURHTER INFORMATION.*AK

Electrical System › Ignition › Module
Filed Feb 24, 2002NY

MANY PEOPLE I KNOW HAVE THIS SAME COMPUTER PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP US FIX THIS. THANK YOU. *AK

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Nov 29, 2001IL

ENGINE RUNS ERRATIC TIMES EVEN AFTER TUNEUP,HIGHREVS, POWER SURGES,AND STALLING. *AK

Vehicle Speed Control › Cruise Control
Filed Sep 17, 2001CO

ERRATIC IDLE, IDLE REVVING AND DROPPING, ENGINE DYING OR STALLING FOR NO REASON WITH NO TROUBLE CODES. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Aug 20, 2001TN

THE ENGINE IS IDLING ERRATIC (HIGH THEN LOW), IDLE DIPPING THEN ENGINE DYING, NOT WANTING TO START BUT NO TROUBLE LIGHTS OR CODES.*AK

20 of 77 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1991
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
19952000Routine
199356011Fatalities reported
1992 — this page77102Fatalities reported
199190210Routine
199045310Routine

Compare every Storm year →

Reading this record

2 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: Jul 6, 1992. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.