1990 Geo Metro Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1990 Geo Metro, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Interior & seats1944.2%
- Seat belts1227.9%
- Engine49.3%
- Body & structure37.0%
- Exterior lighting24.7%
- Visibility12.3%
- Steering12.3%
- Airbags12.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE DOOR LATCH HANDLES STAY UP WHEN OPENED. I HAVE 2 DOOR HANDLES DOING THIS, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE & REAR DRIVER'S SIDE. WHEN THE DOORS ARE OPENEN THE HANDLES STAY UP AND WHEN THE DOOR IS PULLED SHUT THE DOOR WILL NOT LATCH. THE WINDOW HAS TO BE ROLLED DOWN AND THE HANDLE PUSHED DOWN TO LATCH DOOR. NOTE: THIS IS NOT A POOR LUBRICATION PROBLEM. IT MAY IMPROVE SLIGHTLY, BUT ONLY TEMPRORARILY. IF THE PASSENGER THINKS THE DOOR IS LATCHED IT WILL OPEN SUDDENLY WHEN THE VEHICLE TURNS RISKING FALL OUT OF PASSENGER OR PROPERTY OR PERSONAL INJURY LIABILITY FROM THE DOOR SWINGING OPEN.
THE HEADLIGHTS AND DASH LIGHTS WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING. THE DASH LIGHTS CAME BACK ON BUT THE HEADLIGHTS DID NOT. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
INQUIRING ABOUT WHETHER RECALL # 95V103007 IS AN ACTUAL RECALL .
DEALER HAS NOT HONORED NHTSA RECALL 95V-103.007/MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 91C-52, CONCENING SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE SINCE AUGUST 10, 1997 UP TO THE PRESENT. CONSUMER HAS BEEN TOLD ON SERVERAL OCCASIONS THAT THE KIT HAS NOT BEEN RECEIVED, OR THEY WOULD CONTACT CONSUMER WHEN IT ARRIVED, NEED NHTSA'S HELP IN THIS MATTER. *AK
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
ENGINE IS BURNING OIL WHILE DRIVING, AND SMOKE COMES OUT REALLY BADLY. DRIVER CAN'T SEE TRAFFIC BEHIND HER. CONSUMER FEELS UNSAFE. *AK
EXCESSIVE CO EMMISSIONS. A TSB WAS ISSUED ON THIS PROBLEM.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN AT 75 MPH, LATCH ON THE HOOD ON DRIVER'S SIDE BROKE, CAUSING THE HOOD TO FLY UP AND BREAK WINDSHIELD. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO PULL TO SHOULDER SAFELY. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. HOOD AND WINDSHIELD HAVE NOT BEEN REPLACED. CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE HOOD LATCH YEARS AGO, BUT IS UNSURE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS DONE. *AK *ML
HATCHBACK PISTONS WILL NOT PROPERLY SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE DOOR. *SD
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE HEADLIGHTS AND DASH LIGHTS WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING. THE DASH LIGHTS CAME BACK ON BUT THE HEADLIGHTS DID NOT. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
HIGH BEAM-LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH FAILED, CAUSING HEADLIGHTS TO FAIL. *AW
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
DOME LIGHT STAYS ON. *DH
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
STEERING RACK FAILED. *DH
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED BUT DID NOT INFLATE, ALSO DRIVER'S SEAT BELT ANCHOR BOLT DETACHED FROM ANCHOR POINT. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .