1994 Geo Prizm Brakes Problems

DURING LIGHT TO MEDIUM BRAKING, THE ABS ACTIVE LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE AND THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WOULD BEGIN UN-LOCKING THE BRAKES. THIS WOULD BE DESIRABLE IN THE WINTER, ON ICE, IN A PANIC SITUATION. IT WAS HOWEVER DRY AND SUNNY ON THE NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED. NOBODY WAS INJURED DURING THESE MALFUNCTIONS, ONLY BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF OTHER TRAFFIC AT THE INTERSECTIONS INVOLVED. I TEMPORARILY FIXED THE PROBLEM BY REMOVING THE MAIN ABS RELAY. THE ABS IS DISENGAGED BUT THE VEHICLE CAN NOW STOP. *TR

NHTSA ID

10243135

Incident

Aug 15, 2008

Mileage

200 mi

FRONT LEFT BRAKE WEARS UNUSUALLY FAST. HAD BRAKES REPLACED 2 TIMES IN AS MANY YEARS. ABS NOT WORKING. HAD MY GEO FOR 9 YEARS, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH BRAKING SYSTEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

10025615

Incident

Jun 12, 2003

ABS: AT FIRST, THE LIGHT WAS ON ALL THE TIME. A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS RUN, AND A SENSOR WAS REPLACED (ALL THAT WAS OVER $400). NOW THE LIGHT COMES ON (AND STAYS ON) AT 49 MPH. ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC TEST WILL HAVE TO BE PERFORMED BY THE DEALER TO FIND OUT WHAT'S WRONG. AS FOR THE WINDOW: ONE DAY I WAS DRIVING WITH THE WINDOW HALFWAY DOWN. WHEN I TRIED TO ROLL IT BACK UP, IT WOULDN'T GO. IT JUST STAYED THERE, THEN STARTED SLIDING DOWN. A REPAIR SHOP FIXED IT.*AK

NHTSA ID

754992

Incident

Nov 22, 2001

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 50MPH ON HIGHWAY AND VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER STOPPED. CONSUMER STEPPED ON BRAKES AND HIT VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER. UPON IMPACT, DUAL AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. *AK

NHTSA ID

878743

Incident

Jan 16, 2001

BRAKES WEAR AT UNUSUAL RATE, BRAKES FIRST REPLACED AT 40,000 MILES, REPAIRS IN THE LAST THREE YEARS TOTAL OVER $1000.00, CONSUMER WOULD LIKE GENERAL MOTORS TO REIMBURSE HIM FOR OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS. *CJ

NHTSA ID

559063

Incident

Apr 21, 1997

I HAVE E-MAILED CHVROLET ON SEVREL OCCASIONS AND HAVE RECEIVED UNSATISFACTORY ANSWERS. I AM REPORTING THE INCIDENT NOW BECAUSE I AM JUST NOW BECOMING AWARE OF THIS PART OF YOUR WEBSITE. MY SISTER, MY MOTHER AND MYSELF WERE HEADED TO NEWARK AIRPORT TO DROP MY MOTHER OFF AS SHE WAS GOING TO ATLANTA TO CATCH A BOAT FOR A CRUISE. WITHIN THE VICINITY OF THE AIRPORT AS WE WERE GETTING CLOSER TO HER AIRLINE (CONTINENTAL) GATE IN A HURRY AS WE WERE RUNNING LATE. I WAS DRIVING (CHARLES) MY MOTHER'S CAR WITH HER IN THE PASSENGERS SIDE. I WAS DOING ABOUT 55-60MPH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I BEGAN SKIDDING. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THE ROADS WERE DRY AND HER 1994 GEO PRIZM EQUIPPED WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKES CAME TO A SCREECHING HALT. I WOULDN'T HAVE MINDED SO MUCH IF I WAS ACTUALLY PRESSING THE BRAKES, HOWEVER I DIDN'T TOUCH A THING. I WOULD ALSO TAKE ALL THE BLAME IF THE WARNING LIGHT HAD COME ON AT ALL, BUT NO WARNING EITHER. WE SPENT HOURS JUST TRYING TO GET THE THING INTO LONG-TERM PARKING. CHEVY IS TELLING ME TO BRING THE CAR IN AND BE CHARGED $80.00/HOUR BUT MY MOTHER AND I JUST ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THIS ANSWER. I WANT TO BE TOLD FROM A, HOPEFULLY, NUETRAL PARTY AS TO WHAT WE SHOULD DO. THE CAR HAS REMAINED PARKED SINCE THE INCIDENT. MY MOTHER INFORMS ME THAT EVEN IF THE CAR WAS REPAIRED SHE WOULD STILL BE TO AFFRAID TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE. AS I WOULD NOT WANT HER TO DRIVE THIS DEATH TRAP EITHER. IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM THAT YOU LOOK AT IT, THIS HAS DEFECT WRITTEN ALL OVER IT. I CAN UNDERSTAND IF THE CAR SOMEHOW BROKE DOWN AND GRADUALLY CAME TO A STOP. HOWEVER A SCREECHING HAULT IS JUST NOT ACCEPTABLE-FOR ANY CAR! I WAS INFORMED THAT THE "VACUUM ON THE VEHICLE MAY HAVE WENT." THIS IS STILL A SEVER DEFECT IF YOU ASK ME AND ONE I SHOULD NOT BE PAYING FOR! IT IS HECTIC AS ANYTHING SHARING A CAR AROUND HERE BUT WE'LL DO ANYTHING UNTIL WE GET ACCEPTABLE ANSWERS AND SOLUTIONS! PLEASE HELP US! THANKYOU - MY MOTHER AND IARE ANXIOUS TO HEAR FROM YOU! CHARLES C. DOYLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

721202

Incident

Nov 18, 1999

TWO TIRES NEEDED REPLACING. YH

NHTSA ID

549763

Incident

Oct 12, 1998

HELLO, LET ME START BY TELLING U WHO I AM MY NAME IS [XXX] I LIVE IN [XXX]. MY VEHICLE WAS JUST INVOLVED IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT. I WAS TRAVELING DOWN HIGHWAY 395 AND MY BRAKES LOCKED UP ON ME FOR NO REASON. THE STARTED SLOWING DOWN AND EVENTUALLY CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I HAVE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR APPROXIMATELY 4 MONTHS IT WAS BROUGHT USED FROM A DEALERSHIP IN WOODBRIDGE, VA. THE DEALERSHIP NAME IS EASTERN OF WOODBRIDGE. THIS CAR HAD A SOME MECHANICAL DEFECTS WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THAT I WAS NOT AWARE UNTIL AFTER I SIGNED THE PAPER. BUT EVEN BEFORE I SIGNED THE PAPER I DID NOTICE SOME THINGS LIKE THE TIRES WERE BALD AND THE CAR HAD BEEN IN ACCIDENT. I INFORMED THEM OF SOME OF THE DEFECTS AND THEY REFUSED TO FIX THEM. I HAVE A PAPER STATING THAT THE CAR HAD PASSED INSPECTION BUT I HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES 2 WEEKS AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR. LIKE I SAID THE CAR HAD BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE ALIGNMENT ON THE VEHICLE WAS EXTREMELY BAD AND IF I DROVE CAR OVER 45 MILES THE CAR SHOOK UNCONTROLLABLY. I STILL HAVE A CAR NOTE ON THE VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH THE HAS BEEN PRONOUNCED TOTAL. GETTING BACK TO WHAT I WRITING FOR, THE CAR WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD BECAUSE THE BRAKES JUST LOCKED AND WOULD NOT MOVE. SO I PUT MY HAZARD LIGHTS AND WAS WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK, WHEN A VEHICLE CAME BY AND WENT ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD TRYING TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE AND SLAM RIGHT INTO MY CAR. THE PERSON THAT WAS DRIVING MY CAR WAS SERIOUSLY AND PUT INTO THE HOSPITAL AND IS NOW SEEKING MEDICAL CARE. WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS THERE ANYWAY POSSIBLE THAT I CAN FIND OUT IN THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE BRAKES FOR THAT VEHICLE. IF I COULD PLEASE! PLEASE! GET SOME INFORMATION ON WHAT DO ABOUT THIS SITUATION. MY INSURANCE IS GOING TO PAY THE WHOLE CAR NOTE OFF. THE ACCIDENT WAS NOT MY FAULT THE BRAKES SHOULD NEVER HAVE DONE THAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. THERE HAS TO BE SOME LEGAL CLAUSE TO PROTECT CONSUMERS AND CITIZEN THESE THINGS HAP INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (F

NHTSA ID

710996

Incident

Aug 24, 1999

ACTUATOR CABLE ON FRONT LEFT POWER WINDOW BROKE, AND WINDOW WAS STUCK DOWN. VEHICLE THEREFORE COULD NOT BE LOCKED, AND HENCE COULD NOT BE USED FOR 2 WEEKS (THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TOOK FOR THE DEALER TO ACCEPT THE CAR FOR REPAIR). THE DEALER'S MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO TELL ME THE MODEL YEAR OF THE CAR AND THE CAUSE OF THE INOPERATIVE WINDOW BEFORE HE EVEN SAW THE CAR, BECAUSE, AS HE SAID, THERE WAS A LARGE NUMBER OF SUCH FAILURES ON THAT MODEL AND YEAR OF THE CAR. COST OF REPAIR APPROX $500.

NHTSA ID

536181

Incident

Aug 1, 1996

ABS BRAKE FAILURE. *AK

NHTSA ID

533852

Incident

Apr 4, 1998

POWER BRAKE BOOSTER ASSEMBLY FAILED, CAUSING BRAKE FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

525998

Incident

Oct 13, 1997

BRAKES FAILED, CAUSING ACCIDENT, ALSO AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT WAS VIOLENT, CAUSING INJURY TO EYES/NOSE.

NHTSA ID

516172

DRIVING ALONG APPROXIMATELY 40MPH AND THE BRAKE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING THEN THE ABS BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. APPLIED HER FOOT TO THE BRAKE AND THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN AND THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK, VEHICLE ROLLED INTO THE BACK OF A PICKUP, AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

NHTSA ID

808988

Incident

Jan 18, 1997

PURCHASED CAR NEW, THE BRAKE LINE WAS OVERHEATING AND THE ALTERNATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE POWER WINDOW BROKE . PLEASE DESCRIBE .

NHTSA ID

802474

CONSUMER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE ABS ANTI-LOCK BRAKE FAILED AND PASSENGERS AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY AND THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BELT DIDN'T RESTRAIN . TT

NHTSA ID

973546

Incident

Jul 1, 1994