RoadVitals

1996 Chevrolet Prizm

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1
Latest Jul 29, 2008
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 1996 Chevrolet Prizm, most frequently naming the tires & wheels category. 2 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Tires & wheels1100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Tires & wheels
Filed Jul 29, 2008

4 NEW TIRES WERE PURCHASED ON FEB. 7, 2007. THREE OF THEM WENT FLAT BETWEEN JUNE 9, 2008 AND JULY 17, 2008 AFTER ONLY 15,000 MILES WHILE RIDING ON THE INTERSTATE. THE TIRE STORE FOUND NO FOREIGN OBJECTS IN THE 3 TIRES, BUT DID REPORT THAT THE VALVE STEMS WERE CRACKED. A POLICE OFFICER CHANGED THE TIRE ON 7/16 AND A SHERIFF DEPUTY WITNESSED THE TIRE CHANGE ON 7/17 (NO REPORT FILED). THERE WERE SMOG ALERTS EACH TIME. AN OIL-LUBE PLACE FILLED TIRES ON 7/12. THE TIRE DEALER AGAIN SAID HE FILLED THE TIRES ON 7/16. THERE WAS A SLOW LEAK FROM THE VALVE STEM. A DIFFERENT MECHANIC REPLACED TIRE ON 7/17 AND RETURNED VALVE STEM: DILL AIR ACP TR413 156 OT. I WAS NOT HURT, BUT I WAS ALONE IN THE LAST TWO CASES, AND STANDING ALONE ON THE INTERSTATE WITH VERY LITTLE PLACE TO GET OFF. IT WAS 91 DEGREES, AND AAA DID NOT COME FOR OVER 45 MINUTES. I HAD BEEN ON MY WAY TO TAKE MY 90-YEAR OLD FATHER TO A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT. FORTUNATELY HE WAS NOT IN THE CAR WHEN THE TIRES BLEW OUT. IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A MEDICAL SITUATION TO HAVE HIM STANDING OUT IN THE HEAT. DILL AIR HAS ASKED ME FOR THE VALVE STEM. BEFORE I SEND IT, DO YOU WANT A PHOTO? LIVES OF 3 PEOPLE WERE RISKED CHANGING THE TIRES ON EXPRESSWAY. *TR

NHTSA ID
10236344
Incident
Jul 17, 2008
Mileage
139,144 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

17-NA-073

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.

130089009

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)

Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Chevrolet Prizm by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2002191040.1
2001451045.3
2000241047.0
1999361048.6
1998271046.3
1997000—
1996Viewing100—
1995000—
1994000—
1991200—
1990101—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.