1996 Geo Metro Problems

CAR WAS INVOLVED IN 2 DIFFRENT CRASHES ONE WITH A IMPACT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE THE OTHER HEAD ON INTO THE SIDE OF A PICKUP. BOTH TIMES CAR WAS TRAVELING 25-30 MPH. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE SECOND TIME AFTER IMPACT WITH THE TRUCK THE CAR ALSO STRUCK A TELEPHONE POLE WITH THE FRONT BUMPER TO THE POINT WHERE IT HAD TO BE PRYED OFF THE POLE AND IT STILL DID NOT DEPLOY.*AK

CONSUMER WAS HIT FROM BEHIND AND PUSHED INTO A CAR IN FRONT OF HER, VEHICLE WAS TOTALLY WRECKED AND THE AIR BAG NOT DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSING INJURIES TO THE DRIVER. *TT

THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY WIFE'S CAR, LIKE SO MANY OTHERS, HAVE BECOME ALMOST OPAQUE. AFTER HAVING THE LIGHTS REPAIRED AT SUBSTANTIAL COST I WAS TOLD THAT IT IS DUE TO UV EXPOSURE AND THAT IT DOES NOT AFFECT ALL MAKES. APPARENTLY SOME MANUFACTURERS PRODUCE LIGHTS THAT CONTINUE TO FUNCTION AFTER EXPOSURE TO SUNLIGHT. SOME DO NOT. I FEEL THIS IS A REAL SAFETY HAZARD. IT SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES THE LIGHT OUTPUT AND IT ONLY TAKES A FEW MINUTES LOOKING ABOUT ANY PARKING LOT TO REALIZE THAT MOST GO UNCORRECTED. WHY CAN'T ALL MANUFACTURERS USE HEADLIGHTS THAT DO NOT TURN YELLOW?

FUSE BOX/HEADLIGHT CONNECTION BURNT/MELTED. HEADLIGHTS NON OPERATIVE, ONLY DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS AVAILABLE. REPLACED FUSEBOX FOR SECOND TIME. REPLACED BUTT CONECTOR FOR FOURTH TIME.*AK

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 20MPH ON A HIGHWAY AND ROADS WERE SLIPPERY. SHE APPLIED BRAKES, AND VEHICLE SLID INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WAS A FIVE CAR PILE UP ON THE HIGHWAY, AND CONSUMER'S WAS THE FOURTH VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY AT ALL. SHE WILL CONTACT THE DEALERSHIP. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.*AK

I OWNED A 1994 AND A 1996 GEO METRO I WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON WITH THE 1994 AND MY AIR BAG DID NOT GO OFF. WHEN I REPORTED IT THE DEALER SAID I DID NOT HIT THE SENSORS RIGHT. SO I BOUGHT ANOTHER ONE A 1996 LSI. I HIT A CHEVROLET S10 GOING 15 MPH WITH NO TIME TO BRAKE AND NITHER ONE OF MY AIR BAGS WENT OFF IN THE CAR. THE FRONT BUMPER ON THIS CAR HAD BEEN REMOVWED FOR REPAIR AND WAS NOT IN PLACE AT THE TIME OF ACCIDENT. THE WHOLE FRONT END WAS DAMAGED CLEAR THROUGH THE FAN AND RADIATOR SO THE AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE GONE OFF THAT TIME. JUST THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT I OWNED TWO OF THE GEO'S AND HAD TWO ACCIDENTS AND IN NITHER CAR DID THE AIR BAGS DEPLOY.*AK

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 GEO METRO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TWO REAR DOORS WOULD NOT UNLOCK FROM NEITHER THE INTERIOR NOR EXTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED FOR THE FAILURE NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED HER THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE HER VEHICLE LISTED IN THE DATABASE AND COULD PROVIDE NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 175,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 1/4/11 *CN

WHILE DRIVING DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT GAVE AWAY, CONSUMER LOST CONTROL FOR A MINUTE, BUT WAS ABLE TO KEEP CONTROL, CONSUMER STATED IF ON HIGHWAY MAY HAVE BEEN WORSE. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT COMPLAINED ABOUT A CRANK SHAFT PROBLEM IN THE ENGINE. THE CRANK SHAFT PULLEY HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED. AFTER HEARING A NOISE IN THE ENGINE, SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BE CHECKED. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT A BELT BROKE. THE BELT WAS REPLACED, AND A WEEK LATER SHE HEARD ANOTHER NOISE IN THE ENGINE. THE MECHANIC SAID IT WAS THE CRANK SHAFT PULLEY. TWO WEEKS LATER, THE CAR WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. AFTER THE CRASH THE VEHICLE STALLED. AFTER BEING INSPECTED THE BOLT CAME LOOSE IN THE CRANK SHAFT. THE CAR WAS EXPERIENCING A LOSS OF POWER. SHE COULD HAVE FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR AND THE CAR WOULD NOT GET UP TO SPEED. ANOTHER MECHANIC TOLD HER IT WAS THE CRANK SHAFT. SHE HAS NOT MADE ANY ARRANGEMENT TO HAVE VEHICLE REPAIRED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING SMOKE AND STEAM WAS COMING IN FROM THE VENTS. CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND NOTICED THAT FLUID WAS LEAKING INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE ONTO THE FLOOR. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE THERMOSTAT AND RADIATOR CAP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

HEATER CORE SWITCH MALFUNCTIONED, WILL NOT WORK ON LOW. ALSO, COOLANT LEAKED INTO ENGINE COMPARMENT, AND ODOR COULD BE SMELLED IN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. *AK *SLC

DRIVER'S SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILED, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH THE PASSENGER FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT. THE SERVICE DEALER FOUND AIR COMING OUT BETWEEN THE VALVE STEM AND THE TIRE. AFTER TEN DAYS, THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH. THE SERVICE DEALER FOUND AIR COMING OUT IN THE SAME AREA. THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS PRIOR TO THESE INCIDENTS. THE PROPER PRESSURE RECOMMENDED BY THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNKNOWN AND PRESSURE CHECKS WERE NOT PERFORMED. THERE WAS ALSO NO VIBRATION BEFORE THE INCIDENT. HE BRAND NAME OF THE TIRE IS TURISMO TWO.

AT 22,000 MILES I NOTICED SLIGHT CUPPING ON RIGHT REAR TIRE. ALSO VEHICLE WAS NOISY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. MY WIFE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE MCPHERSON STRUTS. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THIS WEAR PATTERN IS TYPICAL OF GEO METRO AND THAT NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE STRUTS. THEY RECOMMENDED ROTATING THE TIRES AT 3,000 MILE INTERVALS. AFTER AN ADDITIONAL 5,000 MILES THE OEM TIRE ON THE RIGHT REAR IS CUPPED SO BADLY THAT THE TREAD IS ENTIRELY WORN AWAY IN SOME SPOTS. THE LEFT REAR TIRE HAS BEGUN TO CUP ALSO. I CALLED THE CHEVROLET 800 SERVICE ASSISTANCE NUMBER (1-800-222-1020) AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY KNOW OF NO PROBLEM WITH THE METRO. IF THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH THE METRO, THERE SHOULD BE AN UPDATE PUBLISHED TO THE OWNERS MANUAL RECOMMENDING EXTREMELY FREQUENT TIRE ROTATION.

GAS GETS STUCK IF PEDAL IS ALMOST TO THE FLOOR BOARD, THESE ENGINES DO NOT LAST OVER 80,000 MILES. MY NEIGHBORS HAD EARLY ENGINE FAILURE AS WELL. *AK

UPON COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, VEHICLE WAS AT A STAND STILL. ALSO, VEHICLE BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO ACCELERATE FROM 0-15. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

I PURCHASED A 1996 GEO METRO SEDAN FROM A FRIEND AND I HAD DRIVEN IT FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS. THE FRAME HAD ROTTED AWAY FROM THE CONTROL ARMS AND BROKE THE AXEL OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION. I HAVE ALSO STARTED TO SEE THIS IN OTHER METROS. I WAS WONDERING WHY THERE WASN'T A RECALL ON THIS FROM THE MANUFACTURER AND IF THERE WAS I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW BECAUSE NOW I AM WITHOUT A CAR. IF YOU COULD CONTACT ME THAT WOULD BE GREAT. *TR

VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR AN ALIGNMENT, AND THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING WAS LEAKING FLUID ONTO THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL FRAME. THERE WAS SO MUCH LIQUID THAT THE FRAME HOLDING THE WHEEL RUSTED, WHICH COULD CAUSE THE WHEEL TO FALL OFF.*AK

I PURCHASED A 1996 GEO METRO SEDAN FROM A FRIEND AND I HAD DRIVEN IT FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS. THE FRAME HAD ROTTED AWAY FROM THE CONTROL ARMS AND BROKE THE AXEL OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION. I HAVE ALSO STARTED TO SEE THIS IN OTHER METROS. I WAS WONDERING WHY THERE WASN'T A RECALL ON THIS FROM THE MANUFACTURER AND IF THERE WAS I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW BECAUSE NOW I AM WITHOUT A CAR. IF YOU COULD CONTACT ME THAT WOULD BE GREAT. *TR

MY DAUGHTER WAS TURNING INTO A PRIVATE DRIVEWAY. LOST STEERING AND CAR CAME TO IMMEDIATE STOP. THE RIGHT FRONT FRAME HAD RUSTED THROUGH AND DROPPED CAR ONTO THE ASSEMBLY FOR THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE CAUSING IT TO BREAK AND ALLOWING THE TIRE TO TURN OUTWARDS AND STOP THE CAR. THERE IS NO REPAIR TO THIS, THE CAR WILL BE JUNKED. IF SHE HAD BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY THIS PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THIS REALLY SURPRISED US AS THE CAR HAD ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF RUST ON THE SURFACES THAT WE COULD SEE. WHEN THE GARAGE HAD THE CAR UP ON THE RACK TO SHOW ME THE PROBLEM I COULD SEE QUITE A BIT OF RUSTING ON ALL THE FRONT COMPONENTS, BUT NONE ON THE REAR. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE CAR, WE HAVE TAKEN REASONABLY GOOD CARE OF IT. *TR

THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE UNLATCHED DURING A CRASH, CAUSING THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT, WHICH WAS RESTRAINED BY SEATBELT, TO FLY ACROSS THE VEHICLE. LUCKILY, THE CHILD WAS NOT IN THE VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN#. *AK

DRIVER SIDE DOOR MOUNTED SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT. *AK

VEHICLE CUTS OFF WHEN STOPPING AT A STOP LIGHT. THE WAY THE VEHICLE IS DESIGNED, THE ALTERNATOR IS NOT BIG ENOUGH TO HOLD THE A/C AND RADIO. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER. *YC

HAZARD LAMPS FAILED.

STEERING WHEEL ABLE TO SPIN IN CIRCLES WITH NO RESISTANCE, OR ANY EFFECT ON STEERING MECHANISM, CONDITION FINALLY STOPPED, NEXT FEW DAYS A NEW IGNITION LOCK WAS INSTALLED. *CJ

STEERING COLUMN LOCK DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY.

SEAT ON PASSENGER'S SIDE ROCKS AND HAS GLOBS OF LUBRICANT UNDER THE SEAT. ALSO GEARS DO NOT SHIFT PROPERLY/MUFFLER IS RUSTED/SIDE DEFROSTERS DO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY AND VEHICLE SLIDES IN RAIN WITH NO TRACTION ON TIRES. *AK

THE TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKS AND COULD BE A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

WHILE TRAVELLING ON HIGHWAT AT 50 OR MORE THE RIGHT WHEEL AXLE CAME OFF VEHICLE, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. WAS ABLE TO GET VEHICLE OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT OR INJURY. CAN NHTSA PROVIDE INFROMATION ON THIS MATTER. *AK

VEHICLE'S SPEEDOMETER & ODOMETER NOT WORKING CORRECTLY DUE TO A MALFUNCTIONING OF COMPUTER CHIP. WOULD REGISTER A DIFFERENT SPEED OR MILEAGE. ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON. DEALER REPLACED ODOMETER/SPEEDOMETER, BUT NOT COMPUTER CHIP COMPONENT. *AK

VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR AN ALIGNMENT, AND THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING WAS LEAKING FLUID ONTO THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL FRAME. THERE WAS SO MUCH LIQUID THAT THE FRAME HOLDING THE WHEEL RUSTED, WHICH COULD CAUSE THE WHEEL TO FALL OFF.*AK

2 STEREO BUTTONS DON'T WORK, THE TAPE DECK DESTROYS CASSETTES, AND THE AIR CONDITIONING WILL NOT WORK UNLESS IT IS ON ONE OF THE 2 HIGHEST SETTINGS.

HAD GOODYEAR TIRES CHANGED AT 8,000 MILES DUE TO BROKEN BELTS. HAD TO CHANGE THEM AGAIN AT 23,000 DUE TO BELTS BREAKING. ALSO WHEELS WERE CHOPPING. *AK.

SEAT ON PASSENGER'S SIDE ROCKS AND HAS GLOBS OF LUBRICANT UNDER THE SEAT. ALSO GEARS DO NOT SHIFT PROPERLY/MUFFLER IS RUSTED/SIDE DEFROSTERS DO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY AND VEHICLE SLIDES IN RAIN WITH NO TRACTION ON TIRES. *AK