FaultScore report
Owners have filed 11 complaints about the 1998 GEO Prizm with NHTSA between 1998 and 2007. The largest single group is the airbags. Across this model's run it ranks 7 of 7 worst.
FaultScore 40/100
Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the GEO Prizm.
How this is worked out11
Complaints
1
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
1
Injuries reported
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
Click any bar to open that year's report.
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Median failure at 78,000 miles
1 crashes, 0 fires · median 69,000 mi
Median failure at 96,200 miles
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR CAUGHT THE CONSUMER ON THE HEEL TAKING PART OF HER HEEL. THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR WAS VERY SHARP.
NHTSA complaint #10096699 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM THE RIGHT REAR AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH. DEALER NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #831057 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
STRUCTURE:BODY
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 GEO PRIZM. THE ROOF HEADLINER IS DRY ROTTED, CORRODED, AND HANGING DOWN IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THE DOOR GASKETS ON EACH DOOR HAVE CRACKED, MELTED, AND HARDENED. THE ENTIRE EXTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE HAS WHITE HAZE SPOTS, WHERE THE PRIMER IS COMING THROUGH THE PAINT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURES BEGAN RIGHT AFTER THE THREE YEAR WARRANTY ENDED ON THE VEHICLE. HE ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS A SAFETY RECALL ON THE BLACK METALLIC PAINT. THE RECALL WAS GOOD FOR THREE YEARS AND THEN IT WAS EXTENDED TO FIVE YEARS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT CHEVROLET GAVE HIM THE RUN AROUND UNTIL THE SAFETY RECALL EXTENSION EXPIRED. HE WAS ABLE TO GET THE ROOF OF THE VEHICLE PAINTED UNDER THE RECALL, HOWEVER, THE PAINT JOB FAILED SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES OF THE VEHICLE, IF NEEDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND RECALL NUMBER WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52,000.
NHTSA complaint #10208183 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
ALL OF THE HANDLES INSIDE THE VEHICLE DO NOT WORK. NO ONE CAN EXIT THE VEHICLE. CURRENTLY, THE PASSENGER'S SIDE HANDLES DO NOT WORK, AND ONE CANNOT OPEN THE VEHICLE FROM THE OUTSIDE.
NHTSA complaint #10098941 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR CAUGHT THE CONSUMER ON THE HEEL TAKING PART OF HER HEEL. THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR WAS VERY SHARP.
NHTSA complaint #10096699 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE
AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT STAYS ON. DEALER STATES WIRE HARNESS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *AK
NHTSA complaint #10049885 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I WAS TOLD BY MY TRANSMISSION/MECHANIC EXPERT THAT EVEN THOUGH CHEVROLET MADE THE PRIZM IT HAD A TOYOTA ENGINE WHICH IS WHY I BOUGHT THE CAR TO BEGIN WITH. THEN WHEN THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR WENT OUT HE WAS SURPRISED BECAUSE USUSALLY THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN UNTIL YOU HAVE A LOT OF MILES LIKE 200,000 MILES ON A CAR. I EXPECTED BETTER THAN THE FACT THE THIS WENT OUT ON MY CAR AND I BASICALLY HAD 55,000 MILES.
NHTSA complaint #750806 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
THE SEAT BELT SENSOR DOES NOT ACTIVATE DASH LIGHT WHEN THE SEAT BELT IS NOT IN USE. WHEN THE SEAT BELT IS IN USE BY PEOPLE WHO DO NOT NEED TO PULL THE BELT OUT VERY FAR (I.E. SLENDER, TALL PEOPLE WHO LEAVE THE SEAT AT THE BACK OF THE TRACK), THE DASH LIGHT MISTAKENLY IS LIT.
NHTSA complaint #748910 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
CHILD SEAT
WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND THE HARDWARE NEEDED TO ATTACH THE TETHER TO THE CAR. THE ANCHOR NUTS APPEAR TO BE WELDED TO THE REAR SHELF OF THE CAR BUT NEITHER THE OWNERS MANUAL OR THE CAR DEALERSHIP HAS ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL HARDWARE NEEDED TO CREATE A TETHER ATTACHMENT POINT. WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO USE THE TETHER STRAP ON OUR CAR SEAT, BUT AT THIS POINT WE ARE UNABLE TO DO SO.
NHTSA complaint #715408 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES
BRAKE PEDAL HEIGHT IS HIGHER THAN THE GAS PEDAL WHICH CAUSES OCCUPANT'S FOOT TO GO UNDERNEATH THE BRAKE PEDAL, AND CAUSES PEDAL MISAPPLICATION. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.
NHTSA complaint #835445 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM THE RIGHT REAR AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH. DEALER NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #831057 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKES ARE DEFECTIVE. WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED, EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE OCCURS BECAUSE THE BRAKES LOCK UP. DEALER NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.
NHTSA complaint #831058 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:STABILIZER BAR
VEHICLE HAS NO STABILIZER BARS. ACCORDING TO CONSUMER REPORT, TOYOTA WILL INSTALL STABILIZER BARS ON ALL PRIZMS/COROLLAS.
NHTSA complaint #534782 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.