2000 Chevrolet Prizm Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2000 CHEVROLET PRIZM. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND FAILED TO RESPOND; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PREVENT A CRASH. THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

THE PISTON SKIRTS ON THE 2000 MODEL WERE TOO SHORT (THEY WERE REPLACED WITH APPROPRIATE SKIRTS IN A LATER YEAR MODEL). THE VERY SHORT SKIRT ALLOWS THE PISTON TO TILT IN THE CYLINDER MUCH SOONER THAN WOULD HAPPEN IN NORMAL ENGINES. THIS CAUSES THE RINGS TO FAIL TO SEAT PROPERLY MUCH EARLIER THAN WOULD HAPPEN IN AN ENGINE WITH NORMAL SKIRT LENGTHS. THIS CAUSES EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION WHERE THE AMOUNT OF OIL CONSUMED RISES EXPONENTIALLY WITH THE NUMBER OF MILES DRIVEN. AT SOME POINT, THE ENGINE COULD MALFUNCTION WHILE THE DRIVER IS DRIVING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 CHEVROLET PRISM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE DRIVERS DOOR WOULD LOCK, THE DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE FROM INSIDE. IN ORDER TO EXIT THE VEHICLE, HE WOULD HAVE TO OPEN THE WINDOW TO ENGAGE THE EXTERIOR DOOR LATCH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER NOR WAS IT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 99,000.

I WAS DRIVING OF A HIGHWAY AND MY SPEED WAS ABOUT 60 MPH ALL OF A SUDDEN THE HOOD OPENED AND HIT MY WINDSHIELD. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A HUGE ACCIDENT WITH OTHER CARS AS I COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING. LUCKLY I DID NOT LOOSE CONTROL OF MY CAR AND I PULLED IT ONTO THE RIGHT SHOULDER. LATCH WAS WORKING FINE. I HAD TO REPLACE THE HOOD AND WINDSHIELD. NOW HAVE LOT OF DENTS ON THE FRONT OF THE ROOF. HAD TO TOW THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC. THE COST OF REPAIR WAS ABOUT $1500.00. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT SEAT BELT WILL NOT LATCH. THE SERVICE DEALER REFERRED THE CONTACT TO CHEVROLET CONSUMER HOTLINE; THEY INFORMED HIM THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST RAN BEFORE THE SERVICE MANAGER WOULD BE AUTHORIZED TO PERFORM THE WORK ON THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO SPECIFIC SEATING POSITION THAT KEPT THE SEAT BELT FROM LATCHING. *AK

AT 15K MILES, MY REAR PASSENGER WINDOW MOTOR QUIT WORKING. AT 35K MILES, MY DRIVER INDOOR "PLASTIC" DOOR HANDLE COMPLETELY BROKE OFF WITH NO WARNING WHATSOEVER. AT 75K MILES, MY DRIVER WINDOW MOTOR QUIT WORKING (I NOW HAVE NO WAY OF OPENING MY DOOR FROM THE INSIDE). AND AT 85K, MY PASSENGER FRONT DOOR HANDLE STARTED TO CRACK. THE DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE ALMOST $40 A PIECE FOR THE HANDLES, EACH, AND THEN 140.00 EACH TO INSTALL. THIS IS A LITTLE PIECE OF PLASTIC, AND SHOULD NOT BE SO MUCH. THE MOTORS ARE ROUGHLY $100 EACH TO REPLACE, PLUS THE LABOR. THE SEATBELT SIGN FLASHES ALL THE TIME, WHETHER I AM BUCKLED IN OR NOT, AND I AM TOLD THE WHOLE SEAT BELT NEEDS TO BE REPLACES, AT ANOTHER $235. NOW MY SPARK PLUG COILS ARE SUPPOSEDLY BAD, AND I AM LOOSING OIL. THE CAR HAS 82 MILES ON IT WHEN I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT IN NOVEMBER OF 2000, AND I HAVE ONLY HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES 1 TIME. I AM NOT HARD ON THE CAR, BUT DOUBT I WILL PURCHASE ANOTHER CHEVROLET.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2000 CHEVROLET PRIZM. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND FAILED TO RESPOND; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PREVENT A CRASH. THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

AT 50MPH, BRAKES ENGAGE AND CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO APPPLY THE BRAKES, THEY WENT TO THE FLOOR AND CONSUMERS DAUGHTER REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE, CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES AGAIN, BUT THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AND THEN RELEASED, UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT VEHICLE HAD NO FRONT BRAKES AND THE REAR BRAKES WERE CRACKED, THERE WAS A STRANGE FLUID IN THE BRAKE LINES AND ALSO THE MASTER CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, CONSUMER STATES THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED 8,000 MILES EARLIER DUE TO THE BRAKES ENGAGING ON THEIR OWN.*JB

AT 15K MILES, MY REAR PASSENGER WINDOW MOTOR QUIT WORKING. AT 35K MILES, MY DRIVER INDOOR "PLASTIC" DOOR HANDLE COMPLETELY BROKE OFF WITH NO WARNING WHATSOEVER. AT 75K MILES, MY DRIVER WINDOW MOTOR QUIT WORKING (I NOW HAVE NO WAY OF OPENING MY DOOR FROM THE INSIDE). AND AT 85K, MY PASSENGER FRONT DOOR HANDLE STARTED TO CRACK. THE DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE ALMOST $40 A PIECE FOR THE HANDLES, EACH, AND THEN 140.00 EACH TO INSTALL. THIS IS A LITTLE PIECE OF PLASTIC, AND SHOULD NOT BE SO MUCH. THE MOTORS ARE ROUGHLY $100 EACH TO REPLACE, PLUS THE LABOR. THE SEATBELT SIGN FLASHES ALL THE TIME, WHETHER I AM BUCKLED IN OR NOT, AND I AM TOLD THE WHOLE SEAT BELT NEEDS TO BE REPLACES, AT ANOTHER $235. NOW MY SPARK PLUG COILS ARE SUPPOSEDLY BAD, AND I AM LOOSING OIL. THE CAR HAS 82 MILES ON IT WHEN I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT IN NOVEMBER OF 2000, AND I HAVE ONLY HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES 1 TIME. I AM NOT HARD ON THE CAR, BUT DOUBT I WILL PURCHASE ANOTHER CHEVROLET.

THE DEFROSTER WAS INOPERATIVE, WHICH CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING.*JB

2000 PRIZM LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT. *TS THE BLOWOUT CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. *NM UPDATED 07/20/06 *JB

ONE OF THE ORIGINAL FIRESTONE TIRES BLEW WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING. THE CONSUMER REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES SINCE ALL WERE IN BAD SHAPE. *YH

SPRING 2004, OIL CHANGE MECHANIC NOTICED EXCESSIVE SLUDGE (APPX 65000 MILES ON CAR). CLEANED ENGINE OUT, CHANGED OIL (CAR HAS HAD REGULAR OIL CHANGES EVERY 3-4K MILES). AFTER THAT CAR WAS NOTED TO BE USING TOO MUCH OIL (TOPPING OFF AT EACH 1500 MILES THEY HAD TO ADD 2 AND A HALF QUARTS). TOOK TO DEALER AT ABOUT 67000 NOTING OIL PROBLEM AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. LIGHT TURNED OUT TO BE A CATALYTIC CONVERTER PROBLEM. REPLACED. NOTHING DONE ON OIL PROBLEM. AT 70000 MILES ENGINE WAS HESITATING AND CONTINUING TO BURN OIL. TOOK BACK TO DEALER. CHARGED ME FOR NEW SPARK PLUGS FIRST THEN FOUND OTHER PROBLEMS (BELIEVE IT WAS AIR FLOW SENSOR.) AT 72,000, TOOK BACK TO DEALER FOR EXCESSIVE OIL USE. CHANGED OIL AND TOLD ME TO COME BACK WHEN IT HAD BURNED A QUART. ON THE WAY HOME FROM DEALER, ENGINE BLEW UP. UNDER GM EXTENDED WARRANTY, LOWER HALF OF ENGINE REPLACED. THREE WEEKS AFTER IT WAS REPAIRED (WHICH TOOK A MONTH) TRANSMISSION DIED. REPLACED TRANNY UNDER WARRANTY. APPARENTLY I'M LUCKY IT WAS UNDER THE CHEVY NAME AND NOT TOYOTA, BUT SAME PROBLEM IS NOTED ON A NUMBER OF THOSE.

TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED, GEAR SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING. YH

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 CHEVROLET PRISM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAG AND AIR BAG SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000. UPDATED 11/14/14*CN UPDATED 7/28/2015*JS

THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY DURING AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED CONSIDERABLE FRONT END DAMAGE, THE DRIVER SUSTAINED CERVICAL (NECK) STRAIN. *YH

AT 15K MILES, MY REAR PASSENGER WINDOW MOTOR QUIT WORKING. AT 35K MILES, MY DRIVER INDOOR "PLASTIC" DOOR HANDLE COMPLETELY BROKE OFF WITH NO WARNING WHATSOEVER. AT 75K MILES, MY DRIVER WINDOW MOTOR QUIT WORKING (I NOW HAVE NO WAY OF OPENING MY DOOR FROM THE INSIDE). AND AT 85K, MY PASSENGER FRONT DOOR HANDLE STARTED TO CRACK. THE DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE ALMOST $40 A PIECE FOR THE HANDLES, EACH, AND THEN 140.00 EACH TO INSTALL. THIS IS A LITTLE PIECE OF PLASTIC, AND SHOULD NOT BE SO MUCH. THE MOTORS ARE ROUGHLY $100 EACH TO REPLACE, PLUS THE LABOR. THE SEATBELT SIGN FLASHES ALL THE TIME, WHETHER I AM BUCKLED IN OR NOT, AND I AM TOLD THE WHOLE SEAT BELT NEEDS TO BE REPLACES, AT ANOTHER $235. NOW MY SPARK PLUG COILS ARE SUPPOSEDLY BAD, AND I AM LOOSING OIL. THE CAR HAS 82 MILES ON IT WHEN I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT IN NOVEMBER OF 2000, AND I HAVE ONLY HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES 1 TIME. I AM NOT HARD ON THE CAR, BUT DOUBT I WILL PURCHASE ANOTHER CHEVROLET.

AFTER PARKING VEHICLE FOR ONLY FIVE MINUTES CONSUMER RETURNED TO VEHICLE AND NOTICED VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED. *AK

THE VEHICLE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL AND HEADED TOWARDS LEFT SIDE WHILE PERFORMING A ROUTINE LANE CHANGE. THERE WERE NO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, NO UNUSUAL TRAFFIC PATTERNS, AND I WAS NOT GOING ABOVE THE SPEED LIMIT. I WAS IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE ON A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY, WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED VEERING LEFT, I TRIED EVERYTHING IN MY CONTROL TO STEER THE CAR AWAY FROM THE MEDIAN, BUT TO NO AVAIL, MY VEHICLE SIDESWIPED THE MEDIAN, AND THE LEFT REAR WHEEL FELL OFF. SINCE I WAS TRYING TO STEER RIGHT, THE WHEEL FINALLY RESPONDED AFTER SIDESWIPING THE MEDIAN, AND I HAD TO STEER LEFT AGAIN TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE, AT WHICH POINT, IT SPUN 180 DEGREES AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP ON THE SECOND FARTHEST LEFT LANE FACING ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I WAITED FOR A BREAK IN TRAFFIC, AND QUICKLY PULLED THE VEHICLE TO THE LEFT SHOULDER WITH ONLY THREE WHEELS. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT WENT WRONG, AS I HAD NOT DONE ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY OTHER THAN PERFORMING A LANE CHANGE TO THE NEXT LANE. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS EVERYTHING LOOKS "CONNECTED" BUT I BELIEVE DEFECTIVE PART OR PARTS CAUSED THE ACCIDENT, I WOULD APPRECIATE AN INVESTIGATION TO POSSIBLE CAUSES. THE VEHICLE WAS BRAND NEW, AND I WAS VERY CAREFUL WITH IT, I DON'T BELIEVE THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF SOMETHING I DID. I HAVE FILED A REPORT WITH CHEVROLET, AND AM AWAITING THEIR RESPONSE. THANK YOU.

AT 15K MILES, MY REAR PASSENGER WINDOW MOTOR QUIT WORKING. AT 35K MILES, MY DRIVER INDOOR "PLASTIC" DOOR HANDLE COMPLETELY BROKE OFF WITH NO WARNING WHATSOEVER. AT 75K MILES, MY DRIVER WINDOW MOTOR QUIT WORKING (I NOW HAVE NO WAY OF OPENING MY DOOR FROM THE INSIDE). AND AT 85K, MY PASSENGER FRONT DOOR HANDLE STARTED TO CRACK. THE DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE ALMOST $40 A PIECE FOR THE HANDLES, EACH, AND THEN 140.00 EACH TO INSTALL. THIS IS A LITTLE PIECE OF PLASTIC, AND SHOULD NOT BE SO MUCH. THE MOTORS ARE ROUGHLY $100 EACH TO REPLACE, PLUS THE LABOR. THE SEATBELT SIGN FLASHES ALL THE TIME, WHETHER I AM BUCKLED IN OR NOT, AND I AM TOLD THE WHOLE SEAT BELT NEEDS TO BE REPLACES, AT ANOTHER $235. NOW MY SPARK PLUG COILS ARE SUPPOSEDLY BAD, AND I AM LOOSING OIL. THE CAR HAS 82 MILES ON IT WHEN I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT IN NOVEMBER OF 2000, AND I HAVE ONLY HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES 1 TIME. I AM NOT HARD ON THE CAR, BUT DOUBT I WILL PURCHASE ANOTHER CHEVROLET.