177 of the
795 complaints filed about the GEO Prizm
are about the airbag system —
22% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 1994.
The contact owns a 1997 Geo Prizm. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and air bag warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 324,000.
NHTSA complaint #11691084 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 GEO PRIZM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL AIR BAG AND FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG ABRUPTLY DEPLOYED WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS ENGAGED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED BURN INJURIES TO BOTH ARMS AND CHEST. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT RECEIVED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 228,194.
NHTSA complaint #11192847 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET PRIZM. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 30 MPH AND BECAME INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER'S SEAT WAS PUSHED BACKWARD, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO SUSTAIN INJURIES TO THE BACK. THE CONTACT WAS WEARING THE SEATBELT AT THE TIME OF THE SEAT FAILURE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
NHTSA complaint #10559215 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 GEO PRIZM. ON FEBRUARY 19, 2009, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WHILE THE CONTACT WAS TURNING THE VEHICLE. SHE SUFFERED SECOND DEGREE BURNS ON HER NECK, CHEST, AND FACE. IN ADDITION, HER NOSE AND FINGER WERE SWOLLEN. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND WOULD LIKE THE ISSUE INVESTIGATED. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 23,902.
NHTSA complaint #10262377 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 GEO PRIZM. WHEN THE CONTACT PLACED THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION, THE AIR BAGS IMMEDIATELY DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. SHE SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES AND CUTS TO THE LEFT SIDE OF HER FACE. HER FACE WAS SWOLLEN AND SHE COMPLAINED OF A SEVERE BURN-LIKE INJURY TO HER CHEST AREA. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 238,975.
NHTSA complaint #10259235 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #10161797 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
DT: THE CONTACT STATES THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 96V107000 CONCERNING THE AIR BAG SENSOR CONTROL MODULE. THIS VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL, BUTIT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK.
NHTSA complaint #10145613 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #10144524 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 GEO PRISM. THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT. THE SPEED WAS ABOUT 5 MPH. BECAUSE SHE WAS SLOWING DOWN FOR A RED LIGHT THE FRONT DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THERE WHERE SOME PREVIOUS ROAD CONSTRUCTION ON THE ROAD SHE WAS TRAVELING ON. BUT THE NIGHT OF THIS INCIDENT THE ROAD WAS FAIRLY LEVELED. THE CONTACT DID NOT LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE SHE WAS ALREADY STOPPING. THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS NOT THAT SHE IS AWARE OF. ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES,SUCH AS SEVERE BRUISING, HEAD INJURIES, BUSTED NOSE AND BLACK EYES. SHE WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. THE INSURANCE AGENCY TOLD HER THAT THERE WAS NHTSA RECALL 96V070000 CONCERNING THE AIR BAG SENSOR. SHE CONTACTED GM MANUFACTURER AND SHE WAS TOLD THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. THIS OCCURRED ON AUGUST 30, 2005.
NHTSA complaint #10135125 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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
NHTSA complaint #10124706 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WHILE DRIVING SRS LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A GARAGE, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE TECHNICIAN AT THE GARAGE INDICATED THE PROBLEM SHE WAS EXPERIENCING WAS THE SUBJECT OF A RECALL. THE CONSUMER CALLED THE DEALER WITH THE RECALL INFORMATION BUT THEY INFORMED HER THAT THE VEHICLE'S VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED.
NHTSA complaint #10083585 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
YOUR WEBSITE STATES THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON MY VEHICLE: 95 GEO PRIZM FOR AIRBAGS FRONTAL SENSOR CONTROL MODULE WHICH IS A PROBLEM THAT I HAVE ON MY VEHICLE. HOWEVER I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR MY VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER.
NHTSA complaint #10082469 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
PURCHASED A 1993 GEO PRIZM FROM A PRIVATE PARTY, BEFORE THE PURCHASE WE NOTED THAT THE NHTSA DESCRIBED A RECALL OF THIS VEHICLE FOR THE AIR BAG SENSOR MODULE. WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME OF OUR OWNERSHIP OF THIS CAR THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN I CONTACTED THE CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT, I WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE RECALL REPAIR BECAUSE MY VIN NUMBER IS NOT PART OF THE DEFECTIVE SERIES OF CARS. HOWEVER, IN REVIEWING THE NHTSA WEBSITE I FIND THAT MANY OTHERS EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AS I HAVE, AND IN ADDITION, THE 1993 TOYOTA COROLLA, WHICH THE GEO PRIZM IS ITS COUNTERPART, HAVE ALSO HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS. WHAT MAKES CHEVROLET SO SURE THAT MY CAR'S AIR BAG SENSOR MODULE IS NOT DEFECTIVE? I HAVE NOT HAD A REASONABLE EXPLANATION FOR THIS PROBLEM, OTHER THAN "MY CAR'S VIN NUMBER DOES NOT MATCH."
NHTSA complaint #10078311 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY. AS A RESULT, DRIVER SUSTAINED HEAD AND NECK LACERATIONS, AND TEMPORARY LOSS OF HEARING IN THE LEFT EAR.
NHTSA complaint #10075684 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
MY CONCERN ARISES FROM HAVING PROBLEM WITH MY AIR BAG SENSOR. WHEN I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE PROBLEM INSPECTED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR HAD DAMAGED DUE TO A SPILL ON THE CONSOLE BOX AREA WHERE THE SENSOR IS LOCATED. I THEN LOOKED INTO THIS FURTHER BY GOING ON LINE TO NHTSA AND WAS INFORMED OF A RECALL ON MY 1994 GEO PRISM VIN#1Y1SK5364RZ0763 FOR THE SAME SENSOR. IT ALSO LISTED HOW THE DAMAGED WOULD BE CAUSED WORD BY WORD TO WHAT I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER WAS THE PROBLEM WITH MY CAR. THE RECALL LISTED CAMPAIGN #96V107000; I THEN CONTACTED CHEVROLET IN ORDER TO GET MORE INFORMATION. I WAS TOLD BY A REPRESENTATIVE, THAT MY CAR VIN# DID NOT COME UNDER THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. I FIND IT VERY ODD THAT THIS WOULD BE THE CASE. SINCE WHAT DEALER DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM WITH MY CAR SENSOR TO MATCHING WORD TO WORD WITH THE SUMMARY LISTED IN NHTSA RECALL NOTICE SUMMARY. I HAVE 3 SMALL CHILDREN AND WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THE INVESTIGATION OF THIS SITUATION. SINCERELY, NORA
NHTSA complaint #10007743 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.