1997 Geo Tracker

Routine

Owners filed 25 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the air bags › frontal. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Air Bags › Frontal5
401
Power Train › Axle Hubs3
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Master Cylinder2
000
Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner2
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control › Gas Recirculation Valve (egr Valve)2
000
Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System1
000
Suspension › Front1
000
Suspension1
000
Structure › Body › Door › Hinge and Attachments1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip1
100

What owners reported

Newest filings
Air Bags › Frontal
Filed May 28, 200836,000 milesPA

AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON WHEN TEMPERATURE REACHES ABOVE 90 DEGREES. DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG OUTER SHELL BECOMES VERY SOFT. *TR

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Master Cylinder
Filed Feb 1, 2004119,672 milesNY

WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, IT FELT LIKE MY TRANSMISSION HAD WENT THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FURTHER AFTER GOING THROUGH A TOLL BOTH. HAD CAR TOWED TO NH CHEVY CAR DEALER, FOUND NOTHING WRONG ON 3 OCCASIONS. PERSONAL NY CHEVY DEALER FOUND MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER HAD BLOWN CAUSING BRAKES TO LOCK ON THEIR OWN, WHILE ALSO CAUSING BRAKES TO SEVERELY SMOKE. TOOK OVER 2 WEEKS TO FIND PROBLEM & CORRECT. *JB

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Master Cylinder
Filed Feb 1, 2004119,672 milesNY

WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, IT FELT LIKE MY TRANSMISSION HAD WENT THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FURTHER AFTER GOING THROUGH A TOLL BOTH. HAD CAR TOWED TO NH CHEVY CAR DEALER, FOUND NOTHING WRONG ON 3 OCCASIONS. PERSONAL NY CHEVY DEALER FOUND MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER HAD BLOWN CAUSING BRAKES TO LOCK ON THEIR OWN, WHILE ALSO CAUSING BRAKES TO SEVERELY SMOKE. TOOK OVER 2 WEEKS TO FIND PROBLEM & CORRECT. *JB

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control › Gas Recirculation Valve (egr Valve)
Filed Feb 1, 2004134,259 milesNY

HAD PREVIOUS DIAGNOSIS ON EGR VALVE. HAD REPLACED ON 1/19 AFTER SES CODE CLEARED ANOTHER CODE POPPED UP FOR PRE-CAT O2 SENSOR. UPON FIXING THAT PROBLEM ON 1/28 YET ANOTHER EGR CODE CAME UP AND WAS DIAGNOSED ON 1/30 FOR THE EGR TRANSDUCER WHICH CONTROLS THE EGR VALVE I JUST HAD REPLACED! REPLACED TRANSDUCER ON 1/31. BETWEEN LABOR, PARTS & DIAGNOSTICS I SHELLED OUT $530.00. PLUS I HAD A EGR SOLENOID REPLACED ON 7/23/02. THIS IS CRAZY, ALL THIS STUFF WENT ONE AFTER ANOTHER SOMETHING HAS TO BEEN WRONG RELATED EITHER TO THE FUEL SYSTEM OF SAID VEHICLE OR TO EGR SYSTEM OF SAID VEHICLE! *JB

Electrical System
Filed Jul 25, 200365,000 milesMI

VEHICLE STALLS DUE TO ELECTRICAL FUSE PROBLEMS. THE WIPERS, TURN SIGNALS AND INTERIOR LIGHTING MAY ALSO BE EFFECTED BY THE ELECTRICAL FUSE PROBLEM. THE AIR CONDITIONER FAILED AND THE EXHAUST FELL OFF THE CAR. *AK *CB *NLM

Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner
Filed Aug 5, 2002FL

CANNOT SEEM TO KEEP CAR OUT OF SHOP DUE TO NO AIR. I AM AN ELDERLY LADY AND CANNOT KEEP ON NOT KNOWING IF MY CAR IS GOING TO KEEP ME COOL.*AK

Electrical System › Wiring › Front UnderhoodFire
Filed Feb 28, 2002TN

MY WIFE WAS TRAVELING 5-7 MPH ON ICE, THE CAR SPUN AND HIT THE CURB (IT DID NOT GO OVER THE CURB, JUST HIT IT). NO DAMAGE WAS INITIALLY DONE TO THE VEHICLE, OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT IT STALLED. WHEN SHE TRIED TO RESTART IT, IT WOULD NOT START. AFTER 5 MINUTES, SHE GOT OUT, WALKED AWAY, AND THE VEHICLE EXPLODED AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. THIS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN! IF SHE WERE TRAVELING ANY FASTER, SHE MAY BE DEAD.

Suspension › Front
Filed Aug 22, 2001NY

WHEN DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD A FUNNY NOISE COMING FROM FRONT END OF VEHICLE, ALSO WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THERE WAS A BIG THUMPING NOISE COMING FROM FRONT END, CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETECT CAUSE.*AK CONSUMER STATES THE BRAKES, ROTORS, CATALYTIC CONVERTER WERE REPLACED, BUT THE NOISE CONTINUED, THE DEALER DETEMINED THE PROBLEM TO BE THE RIGHT HUB ASSEMBLY.*JB

Power Train › Axle Hubs
Filed Feb 1, 2001NY

THERE WAS A FUNNY NOISE LIKE WHEN PUTTING FLAPPING CARDS ON A BICYCLE, AND WHEN PUTTING ON BRAKES, THERE WAS A LOUD THUMP.*AK THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO USE 4 WHEEL DRIVE BECAUSE IT GRINDES THE GEARS( SOUNDED LIKE MARBLES WERE ROLLING IN THE HUB). *YH

Power Train › Axle Hubs
Filed Dec 26, 2000OH

4 WHEEL AUTO LOCKING HUBS FAILED, DEALER STATED THAT BOTH SIDES NEED REPAIRED EVEN THOUGH IT'S ONLY THE LEFT SIDE THAT IS DEFECTIVE. *SLC

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Oct 3, 2000TX

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WOULD SLIP WHILE CHANGING GEARS. RPMS WOULD REV UP EXCESSIVELY HIGH. WOULD JERK INTO GEAR. FILTER WAS CHANGED TWICE/OIL PAN HAD METAL CHAFINGS IN IT/ABS BRAKES MAKE NOISES & HAD ROTORS TURNED.*AK

Air Bags › FrontalCrash1 injured
Filed Feb 2, 2000PA

CONSUMER'S DAUGTHER WAS DRIVING ABOUT 20 MPH AND SHE REAR ENDED A VEHICLE THAT WAS IN FRONT OF HER, BUT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

Structure › Body › Door › Hinge and Attachments
Filed Oct 28, 1999PA

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR IS VERY LOOSE DUE TO MISSING HINGES ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR, ALSO, THERE IS ONE HINGE HOLDING THE DOOR IN PLACE,THE LOWER HINGE, THERE IS A TSB LISTED FOR THE SAME TYPE OF PROBLEM, DEALER REFUSES TO CORRECT PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited SlipCrash
Filed Sep 29, 1999TN

BRAKES ARE WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. SOMETIMES THEY AR EON, AND OTHER TIMES THEY ARE OFF. ALSO, WHILE GOIN G DOWN A GRADE APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THERE WEREN'T ANY BRAKES. CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND IT OVERTURNED. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. *AK

Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner
Filed Sep 8, 1999CA

AIR CONDITIONER--LOSS OF GAS.

Suspension
Filed Jul 23, 1999MN

WHEN DRIVING IN WINDY WEATHER CONDITIONS VEHICLE IS VERY DIFFICULT TO HANDLE. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control › Gas Recirculation Valve (egr Valve)
Filed May 3, 1999VA

PROBLEMS WITH EGR VALVES BLOWING OUT. THIS CAUSES THE ENGINE HEAD GASKETS TO ALSO BLOW. BEEN TO MECHANIC & HAD 4 EGR VALVES REPLACED & EACH TIME THEY BLEW OUT. MECHANIC INFORMED OWNER IT WAS POOR DESIGN. DEALERSHIP & ZONE REPRESENTATIVE COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. VEHICLE & PARTS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. *AK

Power Train › Axle Hubs
Filed Mar 19, 1999IL

THE FREE WHEEL LOCKING HUB WAS NOT UNLOCKING WHEN SHIFTING FROM 4 WHEEL DRIVE TO 2 WHEEL DRIVE, WHICH CAUSED A SHRILL GRINDING NOISE WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED THE HUB. THEY TOLD ME THEY HAVE HAD A RASH OF THESE COMPLAINTS LATELY.

Air Bags › FrontalCrash
Filed Oct 29, 1998OH

CONSUMER HAD A FRONT END COLLISION AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY,NO INJURIES. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Oct 19, 1998MD

VEHICLE STALLS. AT STOPS AND YIELDS OR ANY OTHER TIME WHEN DRIVER IS SLOWING DOWN. THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED RECENTLY WITH OTHER VEHICLE, HONDA CRX WHICHESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. BOTH VEHICLES WERE TOTALED TOTALED TWO AND TWO PASSENGERS SUSTAINED INJURIES

20 of 25 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1996
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20021000Routine
20012100Routine
20007000Routine
199922300Routine
199818011Fatalities reported
1997 — this page25010Routine
199671110Routine
199564071Fatalities reported
199448330Routine
199324121Fatalities reported
199219013Fatalities reported
199118110Routine
199025101Fatalities reported

Compare every Tracker 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.

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