1997 Geo Prizm Owner Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 GEO PRIZM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE VEERED TOWARDS THE LEFT. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE SEAT BELTS WERE NOT CONNECTING TO THEIR APPROPRIATE BUCKLES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER, HOWEVER THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURE STATED THAT THE VIN DID NOT QUALIFY FOR THE RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 10E002000 (SUSPENSION). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 167,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 169,000.

NHTSA ID

10417921

Incident

Apr 27, 2011

Mileage

167,000 mi

ON 4/19/05 I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT WITH MY 97 GEO PRISM. THE VEHICLE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELTS FAILED TO OPERATE CORRECTLY CAUSING ME TO HIT THE STEERING WHEEL AND DASH CAUSING SEVERE INJURY TO MYSELF AND MINOR PASSENGERS IN THE VEHICLE. I ORIGINALLY FILED COMPLAINT THROUGH MY ATTORNEY KENNETH MILLER, JR. BATON ROUGE, LA. I WANT TO SETTLE THIS CASE ASAP. *NM

NHTSA ID

10161797

Incident

Apr 19, 2005

Mileage

112,650 mi

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING AT 60 MPH THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. IT WAS A FRONTAL IMPACT. UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.*AK

NHTSA ID

10144524

Incident

Nov 23, 2005

Mileage

132,000 mi

DURING AN ACCIDENT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELT EQUIPMENT FAILED TO LOCK.*MR EVERYONE INSIDE THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED SOME TYPE OF INJURY (GEO PRIZM). *NM UPDATED 12/22/05 *JB

NHTSA ID

10124706

Incident

Apr 19, 2005

Mileage

130,000 mi

THE EXHAST MANIFOLD IS CRACKED. I WENT TO AN USED AUTO PARTS DEALER AND FOUND THAT THERE WHERE 4 VEHICLES FROM THE SAME PRODUCTION LINE THAT HAD CRACKED EXAUST MAINIFOLDS IN THE SAME LOCATION. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS NOT IN MOTION EXAUST FUMES ENTER THE INSIDE OF THE CAR. TOYOTA COROLLAS COME FROM THE SAME PRODUCTION LINE.

NHTSA ID

10097986

Incident

Aug 10, 2000

Mileage

54,000 mi

THE SEAT BELTS LOCK IN THE RETRACTED POSITION THEY ARE UNABLE TO BE USED. THIS USUALLY STARTS WITH THEM STICKING WHEN YOU TRY TO PULL THEM DOWN TO BUCKLE. I HAVE TWO GEO PRIZMS A 1996 AND A 1997 THEY BOTH HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM FOR A LONG TIME. *AK

NHTSA ID

10074627

Incident

Sep 1, 2003

A FEW MINUTES AFTER I STARTED MY 1997' GEO PRIZM ON THE EVENING OF 3/7/04, IT BEGAN TO MAKE A STRANGE NOISE. I DROVE THE CAR ABOUT SIX BLOCKS TO A SERVICE STATION; BY THE TIME I PULLED IN AND POPPED THE HOOD, IT STARTED TO SMELL HOT- ALTHOUGH TEMP GAUGE WAS STILL NORMAL. I POPPED THE HOOD, SAW SMOKE COMING FROM FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM, AND TRIED TO TURN VEHICLE OFF. I REMOVED THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION, BUT THE CAR KEPT RUNNING, AND TRYING TO CONTINUOUSLY RESTART ITSELF. I SEARCHED THE TRUNK FOR TOOLS TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY; AT THIS POINT THE ENGINE IGNITED, AND THERE WAS SO MUCH SMOKE THAT I COULD NOT GET CLOSE TO THE VEHICLE SAFELY ANY LONGER. I CALLED 911 ON MY CELL PHONE, AND LESS THAN TEN MINUTES LATER, A FIRE TRUCK CAME AND PUT THE FIRE OUT. I AM TOLD THAT THERE IS ABOUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE IN PARTS ALONE: MY STARTER, IGNITION SYSTEM, TWO OUT OF FOUR FUEL INJECTORS, THE ENTIRE WIRE HARNESS, COMPUTER, POSITIVE CABLE TO THE BATTERY, AND POSSIBLY THE BATTERY ITSELF WILL ALL NEED TO BE REPLACED. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR. ALL MAINTENANCE WAS CURRENT. *AK

NHTSA ID

10064098

Incident

Mar 7, 2004

Mileage

104,662 mi

REAR SEAT BELTS ARE INOPERATIVE, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR CONSUMER TO INSTALL ANY TYPE OF CHILD SEAT. *AK

NHTSA ID

10046169

Incident

Oct 23, 2003

Mileage

78,000 mi

I HAVE A 1997 GEO PRIZM. THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT FULLY EXTEND AND LOCKS UP MULTIPLE TIMES WHEN TRYING TO PULL IT OUT TO LOCK IN PLACE FOR SAFE DRIVING. THIS IS MY SECOND GEO PRIZM THAT HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM. I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A VOLUNTARY RECALL BY THE MANUFACTURER TO GET THIS FIXED ON ALL THEIR CARS. *AK

NHTSA ID

10028651

Incident

Jul 13, 2003

Mileage

96,000 mi

DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILED AT 12,611 MI (3/29/99) AND AGAIN AT 24,000 MI. (OUT OF WARRANTY TIME BY A FEW MONTHS). CENTRAL CHEVROLET IN FREMONT, CA FIXED BOTH TIMES. 2ND TIME COST $200+ AND RENTAL CAR CHARGE. CENTRAL ADVISED THEY WOULDN'T REDUCE THE COST OF 2ND FAILURE BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE MY MAINTENANCE SERVICE WORK DONE BY THEM. BACK SEAT, PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR HAS ALSO FAILED (WON'T RETRACT). CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE FIXED. ONLY HAVE 2 USEABLE SEAT BELTS IN BACK SEAT. ISN'T THIS A SAFETY ISSUE?*AK

NHTSA ID

10025486

Incident

Mar 29, 1999

Mileage

12,611 mi

DRIVER'S SEAT BELT HAS GOTTEN STUCK IN THE RETRACTOR AND HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE SINCE VEHICLE PURCHASE. FIRST FAILURE AT 27000 MILES, AND SECOND FAILURE AT 88000 MILES.*AK

NHTSA ID

10021849

THE DRIVER SEAT BELT LOCKED UP AND DID NOT RELEASE. (THE LOCK MECHANISM WAS BROKE) *TS. THE REAR SEAT BELT ALSO EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. *JB

NHTSA ID

10004433

Incident

Jan 22, 2003

Mileage

115,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING DOWN MAJOR HIGHWAY, REARENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AT ABOUT 25MPH. RESULTING IN MAJOR DAMAGE TO FRONT END, AND NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED!

NHTSA ID

10000228

Incident

Nov 14, 2002

Mileage

101,000 mi

NO SUMMARY. DT

NHTSA ID

770309

Incident

Nov 25, 2002

AT 40MPH, BRAKES ENGAGE AND CONSUMER IS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK CONSUMER ADDS BRAKE LINE, FRONT AND BACK BRAKES FAILED 8,000 MILES LATER RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. BRAKE PEDAL PUSHED TO FLOOR IN ORDER TO STOP. MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED. *TT

NHTSA ID

8011211

Incident

May 2, 2002

WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKE WOULD ENGAGED AND DISENGAGE ON THEIR OWN, THE DEALER REPLACED THE THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER WAS BUT WAS NOT SURE IF THAT WAS THE PROBLEM, AND THE BRAKES STILL DON'T WORK 100%.*YD

NHTSA ID

785991

Incident

Feb 1, 2002

DRIVER'S SEAT BELT LOCKS AND DOESN'T RETRACT AS NORMAL. CONSUMER HAS TO PULL, INCHING THE STRAP OUT SO THAT IT WON'T LOCK UP. THIS WAS SECOND TIME SEAT BELT WAS REPAIRED.*AK

NHTSA ID

895872

Incident

Jun 1, 2001

I PURCHASED FIRESTONE TIRES FROM SEARS, AFTER I HAD DRIVEN 70 MILES, ONE OF THE TIRES FAILED, I HEARD A LOUD POP, AN EXPLOSION. I WENT BACK TO THE STORE WHERE I PURCHASED THE TIRES. SEARS' SALESPERSON, AT FIRST, INSISTED THAT I PROBABLY HIT SOMETHING BEFORE FAILURE. I KNOW THAT I DID NOT HIT ANYTHING. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 35-40 MILES PER HOUR AT THE TIME FAILURE OCCURRED. I REQUESTED THAT THE NEW FIRESTONE'S TIRES THAT I PURCHASED FROM SEAR BE REPLACE WITH TIRES OF DIFFERENT MANUFACTURER AND SEAR'S SALESPERSON COMPLIED.*AK (TIRESIZE: P17565S14)

NHTSA ID

748782

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH WHEN IT WAS BROADSIDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT HAD RUN A STOP SIGN WITH FRONT END. DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED MUSCLE INJUIRES.*AK

NHTSA ID

891450

VEHICLE WAS IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPOLY . CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER DID NOT DO ANYTHING. ALSO, OWNS A 1996, GEO, PRIZM, AND SAME THING HAPPENED TO THAT VEHICLE. *AK *JB

NHTSA ID

887797

Incident

Nov 1, 1999

A FRONTAL COLLISION WITH A PONTIAC VEHICLE IN WHICH BOTH AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER / MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED, AND UNWILLING TO ASSIST IN THIS MATTER. *AK *JB

NHTSA ID

887522

Incident

Apr 6, 2001

OWNERS MANUAL STATES TOP TETHER HARDWARE IS AVAILABLE FOR FORWARD FACING CHILD RESTRAINT, HOWEVER BOTH DEALER AND MANUFACTURE DENIES KNOWLEDGE OF SUCH HARDWARE. WE ARE CONCERNED THAT WITHOUT TOP TETHER IF A CRASH OCCURS THIS MAY CAUSE NEEDLESS HEAD MOVEMENT TO OUR CHILD AND LIKELY CAUSE NEEDLESS INJURY.*AK

NHTSA ID

744812

DRIVER'S/ PASSENGER'S AND REAR SEAT BELTS HAVE ALL BECOME JAMMED IN RETRACTING MECHANISM, AND WILL NOT RELEASE, CAUSING SEAT BELTS TO BECOME INOPERABLE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

886267

UNDER HOOD FIRE DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. MANUFACTURERNOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS OUT OF ITS WARRANTY, AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK

NHTSA ID

884232

Incident

Mar 17, 2001

AN INADVERTENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT UPON STARTING VEHICLE. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER OF A REPRESENTATIVE BEING SENT TO INSPECT VEHICLE. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

872987

Incident

Oct 12, 2000