1993 Geo Storm

Fatalities reported

Owners filed 56 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system › ignition › module. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline9
000
Electrical System › Ignition › Module8
000
Electrical System › Ignition4
000
Air Bags › Frontal4
302
Vehicle Speed Control › Cruise Control3
000
Latches/Locks/Linkages › Hood › Latch3
000
Electrical System3
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine2
000
Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer › Motor1
000
Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Electrical System
Filed Jun 10, 2015147,300 milesWA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 GEO STORM. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT FAILED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 147,300.

Fuel System, Gasoline › Fuel Injection System
Filed Feb 18, 2006129,994 milesFL

ENGINE IDLE IS ERRATIC, SOMETIMES ENGINE RPM WILL DROP OR DIE WHEN COMING TO A STOP. FUEL CONSUMPTION IS MORE THAN ITS SUPPOSED TO BE. CONDITIONS WORSEN WHEN IN WARM WEATHER. AFTER TESTING, THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE WAS FOUND TO BE THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. *JB

Electrical System › Ignition › Module
Filed Jun 25, 200480,000 milesAR

MY 1993 GEO STORM HAS STARTED STOPPING RUNNING WHILE BEING DRIVEN AND LEAVING ME STRANDED. IT IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP AND APPEARS TO HAVE A BAD ECM. SOURCES ON THE INTERNET INDICATE THIS IS AN INHERENT PROBLEM IN THE MODEL CAR.*AK

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Filed Dec 1, 2003172,000 milesPA

THE TWO FRONT DOORS JAMMED AND WERE REPLACED. THE REPLACEMENT DOORS ALSO JAMMED, AND WOULD OPEN WITHOUT WARNING. *AK

Electrical System
Filed May 15, 2003130,000 milesPA

93 GEO STORM RANDOMLY STALLS AND WILL NOT RESTART FOR SEVERAL MINUTES TO SEVERAL HOURS. HAVE REPLACED CAP, WIRES, ROTOR, PLUGS, PICK-UP AND IGNITION MODULE AND CANNOT FIND PROBLEM. I HAVE FOUND MANY REPORTS OF THE INSULATION ON THE ECU GOING BAD AND CAUSING PROBLEMS. *JB

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed May 2, 2003CO

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE VEHICLE JERKED HEAVILY AND THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND STAYED ON THE REMAINDER OF THE TIME THE VEHICLE WAS BEING OPERATED. *NLM

Electrical System › Ignition › Module
Filed Apr 7, 2003PA

MY 1993 GEO STORM HAS BEEN STALLING LATELY. IT IS TOTALLY SPORADIC AND DOES IT WHEN I AM PULLING OUT, WHEN IT IS IDLING, AND WHEN I AM ON A FREEWAY GOING ALONG AT A CONSTANT SPEED. THIS HAS PUT ME IN A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION A NUMBER OF TIMES AND HAS SEVERELY SHAKEN ME. IT WILL STALL IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION, AND LUCKILY ALL 6 TIMES THIS HAPPENED NO ONE WAS COMING EITHER WAY. I NO LONGER DRIVE MY CAR, AND I AM AFRAID TO SELL IT DUE TO THE FACT THIS WILL HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE. I HAD CHECKED EVERYTHING I COULD THINK OF UNTIL I READ A ARTICLE ABOUT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE BEING BAD IN 89-93 GEO STORMS, ISUZU IMPULSES, AND ASUNA SUNFIRES. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A MAJOR RECALL PUT FORTH TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU.*JB

Electrical System
Filed Jan 23, 2003152,000 milesCA

ON THE MORNING OF JANUARY 15,2003, MY VEHICLE, (1993 GEO STORM, 1.6L ENG, 152K MILES), SUDDENLY LOST ENGINE POWER ON THE FREEWAY. I REPLACED THE IGNITION MODULE AND ALSO THE IGNITION COIL. THE CAR STARTED FINE AFTER THAT. FOUR DAYS LATER, AFTER A 45 MIN. DENTIST APPPOINTMENT, MY CAR WOULD NOT START. AFTER 15 MINUTES OF TROUBLESHOOTING, IT SUDDENLY STARTED. I HAVE BEEN ENCOUNTERING THESE SAME PROBLEMS EVER SINCE.

Air BagsCrash
Filed Jan 7, 2003PA

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WAS IN A HEAD ON ACCIDENT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. CONSUMER STATES DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER NOTIFIED.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Oct 17, 2002GA

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND NO WARNING THE VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF CAUSING CONSUMER TO PULL OVER AND IT WILL BE HARD TO GET THE VEHICLE BACK STARTED. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Oct 16, 2002GA

ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2002 MY HUSBAND WAS TAKING OUR 3 CHILDREN HOME AND HE HAD ONLY GOT 1/2 MILE FROM THE HOUSE AND GOING DOWN THE ROAD AT 55MPH THE CAR JUST CUT OFF. LEAVING MY HUSBAND AND 15 YEAR OLD SON JUST SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART, AND THANK GOD THERE WAS NO-ONE BEHIND HIM. NO LIGHTS OR WARNINGS CAME ON AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. THEY WERE STRANDED FOR 4 HOURS IN THE ROAD. THANK GOD THEY HAD NOT MADE IT TO THE 4 LANE HIGHWAY THAT THEY WERE HEADED FOR OR CROSSING A BUSY INTERSECTION. I JUST KNOW THAT GOD HAD TO BE WITH THEM. THEY WERE ABLE TO FINALLY PUSH THE CAR OFF THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. AFTER GETTING SOMEONE TO PICK MY HUSBAND UP AND BRING HIM HOME, HE AND A NEIGHBOR WENT BACK TO SEE IF THEY COULD FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. AFTER REPLACING EVERYTHING THAT THEY COULD, AND NOTHING HELPED, WE CALLED A WREAKER TO TAKE THE CAR IN. IT HAD TO BE PUT ON A FLAT BED TO BE TAKEN IN. IT WAS TAKEN TO A GARGAGE. WHERE AFTER PUTTING IT ON A MACHINE AND CHECKING THE ECUS/COMPUTER IT WAS FOUND IT HAD FAILED. NOW AFTER 4 DAYS WE ARE STILL NOT ABLE TO FIND A NEW COMPUTER BOARD TO BE PUT IN THE CAR, NOT EVEN THROUGH THE DEALER BECAUSE NO-ONE KNOWS HOW TO PROGRAM THE BOARDS. SO, AFTER CALLING SEVERAL PLACES THEY WERE ABLE TO FIND A USED ONE IN NORTH CAROLINA WHICH IS BEING SENT DOWN BY TRUCK. STILL NOT KNOWING IF THIS IS GOING TO WORK, HOWEVER THE WORST PART IS, IF THIS IS A USED ONE WHEN WILL IT GO OUT? AND, WHERE WILL IT HAPPEN, WITH NO

Electrical System › Ignition › Module
Filed Aug 7, 2002NY

VEHICLE WILL STALL WHILE DRIVING. CONSUMER BELIEVES THERE IS A FAULT IN ECU. CONSUMER IS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY WHILE DRIVING.*AK

Unknown or Other
Filed Jun 6, 2002OH

CAR IS STALLING AND CUTTING OUT AND LEAVING ME STRANDED, WILL NOT START UP AGAIN UNTIL CAR COOLS DOWN. THE ARE NO TROUBLE CODES FOUND BY THE DEALER OR OTHER MECHANICS BUT THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. CAR LOSES POWER AND THE RPM JUMP UP AND THEN DROPPED BACK DOWN AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHES ON AND OFF. CAR HAS STALLED WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE (AT 65 MPH) AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHES ON AND BACK OFF. THE DEALER KEEPS TELLING ME THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WHEN OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A PROBLEM.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Jun 6, 2002NJ

VEHICLE LOSE POWER ON WARM WEATHER AND SOMETIMES STALLS. *AK

Electrical System › Ignition
Filed Sep 20, 2001OH

THIS CAR HAS HAD A HABIT OF STALLING WHILE GOIN DOWN THE ROAD, AT ANY SPEED( ONCE WHILE IN A SIX LANE HIGHWAY, CROSSING THE MERRIMACK RIVER, IN ST. LOUIS, MO. I HAVE HAD IT TO LEE KINSTLE CHEVROLET/GM, VAN WERT, OH, WINKLE CHEVROLET, PAULDING, OH, AND A CHEVROLET/GEO DEALER, IN BALWIN, MO. I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME. I HAVE HAD A COMPLETE TUNE-UP, INCLUDING PLUGS, ROTOR. CAP, AND PLUG WIRES. I HAD ALL THE WIRING GONE OVER TWICE. A NEW FUEL PUMP, TWICE, AND IT STILL STOPS AT ANY MOMENT. I AM AFRAID SOMEONE WILL BE IN A CRASH, DUE TO LOSS OF POWER STEERING, AND POWER BRAKES. CAN YOU HELP? I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO TURN!!

Vehicle Speed Control › Cruise Control
Filed Jul 30, 2001CO

THE ECU SEEMS TO HAVE FAILED, IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. I WAS DRIVING THROUGH TOWN AND CAME TO A STOP LIGHT, IDLE STAYED AT 2000RPM, NORMAL IDLE IS 800-1000. KEPT DRIVING. ON WAY HOME FROM ERRANDS CAR STALLED ONCE AT A LIGHT, TRIED TO STALL SEVERAL OTHER TIMES (ALL WHILE IDLING) WITH ENGING RPM DIPPING AS LOW AS 500 (OR 0RPM WHEN IT STALLED). FOLLOWING IS A LINK TO AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE PROBLEM. HTTP://WWW.ISUZUPERFORMANCE.COM/ISUZUWEB/RECALL.HTML ---- (ALL CARS LISTED IN THAT REPORT ARE SISTER CARS, WITH DRIVETRAINS BUILT BY ISUZU) I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEMS LISTED THERE, EXCEPT FOR THE CAR GOING ON ITS OWN, AS MY CAR IS A MANUAL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME IN THIS REGARD. THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD PROBLEM HAS BEEN KNOWN TO GM AND ISUZU FOR A LONG TIME KNOW, WITH VIRTUALLY EVERY STORM AND STYLUS ON THE ROAD HAVING CRACKED THEIR ORIGINAL EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THIS PROBLEM IS OBVIOUSLY DANGEROUS, AS IT ALLOWS NOXIOUS EXHAUST FUMES TO ENTER THE ATMOSPHERE AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT, BYPASSING THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Jul 24, 2001FL

MY FAMILY AND MYSELF WERE LEFT STRANDED, WHEN MY CAR JUST STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, 40 MILES FROM OUR HOUSE. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS REPORTS ABOUT ACCIDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THIS "MYSTERIOUS" PROBLEM. LUCKILY FOR ME, THERE WERE CITIZENS WHO RUSHED TO MY AID TO HELP PUSH MY CAR OUT OF TRAFFIC. I HAVE A 5 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WHO NEEDS TO GET ENROLLED IN SCHOOL, I HAVE NO MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION AS OF THIS TIME, WHAT AM I TO DO??? I'VE BEEN A UNITED STATES MARINE FOR THE PAST 4 YEARS NOW AND I'M READY AND WILLING TO DEFEND YOU IF THE NEED PRESENTS ITSELF, YET, YOU CAN'T COMPLETE AN INVESTIGATION OF A WELL KNOWN DEFECT AND FIX MY CAR??? I HAVE REPLACED EVERYTHING I CAN THINK OF AND AFTER A $100 TOWING BILL, MY CAR IS NOW AT THE DEALERSHIP AND WHO KNOWS HOW MUCH THIS IS GONNA COST ME AND MY FAMILY. PLEASE HELP ALL OF US WHO ARE OUT THERE WITH THIS PROBLEM, I CAN'T AFFORD ANOTHER CAR....I NEED SOME HELP. *AK

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Jun 19, 2001TX

THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET; THE RPM IS ALSO ON 1000-1500 EVEN WHEN CAR IS STOPPED OR PARKED. IT GETS HARDER AND HARDER TO KEEP IT STOPPED.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System
Filed Jun 15, 2001TX

THE CAR HAS BEEN OVERHEATING EVER SINCE I HAVE OWNED IT. I HAD TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER AFTER A WEEK OF PURCHASING IT BECAUSE IT WAS OVERHEATING. ALTHOUGH HE WAS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO REAPIR IT BECAUSE IT WAS BOUGHT AS IS HE STILL REPLACED THE RADIATOR, BUT THAT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH OTHER OWNERS OF GEO STORMS AND THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS. A CONSUMER REPORT ALSO REVEALED THAT THIS WAS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. I BOUGHT THIS CAR MY SENIOR YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL AND I DEPEND ON IT NOW FOR COLLEGE. I ATTEND COLLEGE 1000 MILES AWAY FROM HOME AND I NEED A DEPENDABLE CAR, WHICH I THOUGHT I WAS GETTING. OTHER THAN THE COOLING SYSTEM THE CAR IS GREAT. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS SITUATION AND THANK YOU SO MUCH.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed May 29, 2001CO

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES ON, AND CAR DIES IMMEDIATELY. AFTER AN HOUR, CAR MAY START AGAIN. CONSUMER INSISTS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE BECAUSE DRIVER CAN BE LEFT STRANDED. *AK *SLC

20 of 56 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1991
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
19952000Routine
1993 — this page56011Fatalities reported
199277102Fatalities reported
199190210Routine
199045310Routine

Compare every Storm year →

Reading this record

1 death 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.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.