GEO Prizm engine problems

ENGINE

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.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 GEO PRIZM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, CARBON MONOXIDE WAS PRESENT BECAUSE THE MANIFOLD HAD BEEN FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED TWICE BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 190,000.

NHTSA complaint #10366545 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND HAS BEEN CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY A DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES FOR THIS CONDITION, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE ILLUMINATION. THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED NO OBVIOUS PROBLEMS.

NHTSA complaint #10149969 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

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 complaint #10097986 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

WHILE DRIVING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND REMAINED ON. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR FOR REPAIRS. EACH TIME A REPAIR WAS DONE. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REAPPEARED, AND CAME ON AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED.

NHTSA complaint #10079620 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

DANGEROUS LEVELS OF CARBON MONOXIDE LEAKING INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT DUE TO CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD. REPLACED CRACKED MANIFOLD TWO TIMES, THE SECOND ONE LASTED 16 MONTHS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO THE CARBON MONOXIDE!! EXHAUST REPAIR SHOPS TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH GEO PRIZM AND TOYOTA COROLLA MODELS. AT OVER $300 TO REPLACE EACH TIME, I CAN NOT AFFORD TO KEEP REPLACING. THE MAIN CONCERN I HAVE THOUGH IS WITH THE CARBON MONOXIDE ISSUE. IS THIS BEING INVESTIGATED?

NHTSA complaint #10047466 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

WHILE DRIVING CAR HOME FROM WORK I NOTICED ENGINE NOISE GETTING LOUDER. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION THE FOLLOWING MORNING I FOUND THAT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED COMPLETELY INTO TWO SEPERATE PIECES.ALSO NOTICED ODOR FROM EXHAUST LEAKING INTO PASENGER COMPARTMENT.APARENTLY I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM AND WOULD THINK THAT EXHAUST FUMES ARE A LARGE PROBLEM FOR MY EIGHTEEN MONTH OLD SON.I WANT TO KNOW IF ANYONE HAS OR IS INVESTIGATING THIS AND WHAT IF ANYTHING WAS OR WILL BE DONE ABOUT IT.

NHTSA complaint #10043140 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND ENGINE "ALMOST STALLS." THE LIGHT COMES ON AND A DECREASE IN RPM AND ENGINE HESTITATION OCCURS. LIGHT DID STAY ON FOR 1 HOUR, BUT WHEN DEALER CHECKED THERE WERE NO CODES RECORDED. DEALER CHECKED CAR 2 SEPARATE TIMES WITH NO EVIDENCE OF ANY DEFECTS.

NHTSA complaint #10043136 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

WE HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES AFTER THE FIRST MONTH OF PURCHASE FOR NOISES,AC NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THIS HAD GONE ON WITH NO PAPERWORK DRAWN UP TO SHOW THE NUMBER OF TIMES WE BROUGHT IT IN UNTIL 3-16-02 WHEN THEY FINALLY AGREED TO PRINT UP A FORM BUT DID NOT HEAR OR FIND THE PROBLEMS.JUNE 3,2002 WE HAD THE CAR BACK TO BILL HEARD AND ARGUED WITH THEM THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM OR SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. THEY FINALLY HEARD ONE OF THE NOISES AND REPLACED THE AC COMPRESSOR. THEN WE WERE TOLD THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS BAD AND WE NEEDED TO PAY AND HAVE IT REPLACED. WHEN WE ASKED THEM WHY IT WENT BAD THEY HAD NO ANSWER. WE THEN LEFT TO GO ON VACATION IN NEW YORK. WE MADE IT NEW YORK AND DURING OUR VACATION THE NOISES GOT WORSE. WE TOOK THE CAR TO FOX AUTO GROUP , INC. IN PAINTED POST,NY. 14870 AND THEY HAD FOUND THE EXHAUST PIPE SHIELD BAD, SERPENTINE BELT (THE 2ND ONE) BAD AGAIN, THE BELT TENSIONER HAD GONE BAD. THEY SAID THEY DONT SEE HOW WE MADE IT TO NEW YORK FROM FLORIDA WITH THESE PROBLEMS. WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN INTO A BAD ACCIDENT OR EVEN KILLED AS A RESULT OF THESE PROBLEMS. WE ARE VERY UNHAPPY WITH THE SITUATION , FOR NO ONE BELIEVING US EXCEPT FOR FOX AUTO WHO DID A WONDERFUL JOB. HOW CAN DEALERSHIPS, CAR MAKERS TAKE LIFE SO LIGHTLY WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLES LIVES?? WE EVEN HAD TO HAVE MY FATHER IN LAW DRIVE 101 MILES TO GET THE TENSIONER SO WE COULD LEAVE TO HEAD HOME. OUR VACATION WAS RUINED AS A RESULT OF OUR CAR BEING IN THE SHOP FOR A WEEK. NO WONDER BILL HEARD CHEVROLET IS ALWAYS ON THE NEWS FOR RIPPING PEOPLE OFF. THERE ARE A FEW OTHER MATTERS THAT MY HUSBAND WOULD LIKE TO DEAL WITH IF SOMEONE CAN CONTACT HIM AT 407-880-2271 .

NHTSA complaint #764362 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #760518 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE WOULD STALL OUT. ALSO, WHEN TRAVELING AROUND CURVES ENGINE WOULD STALL. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.

NHTSA complaint #8003525 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

DEAR SIR OR MADAM: I OWN A 1993 GEO PRIZM. TWICE, I HAVE HAD THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD REPAIRED BY A WELDER BECAUSE IT WAS CRACKED AND LEAKING EXHAUST FUMES INTO THE VEHICLE. DESPITE THE WELDER'S BEST EFFORTS, THE MANIFOLD KEEPS DEVELOPING MORE CRACKS. I WANTED TO REPLACE IT WITH A USED MANIFOLD. HOWEVER, A CALL TO SEVERAL SALVAGE YARDS REVEALED THAT IT'S VERY HARD TO OBTAIN A GOOD, USED MANIFOLD FOR THAT VEHICLE. THE REASON IS THAT SO MANY OF THE 1993 PRIZMS THAT ARE IN SALVAGE YARDS ALREADY HAVE CRACKED MANIFOLDS. IT SEEMS TO BE COMMON AMONG THAT MAKE AND MODEL. SHOULDN'T YOUR ORGANIZATION BE CONCERNED WITH WHAT MAY BE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE IN THESE VEHICLES? I THOUGHT SO, AND THAT'S WHY I'M WRITING, TODAY.

NHTSA complaint #755450 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

JAN/01 - DISCOVERED CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD. WAS TOLD BY SALVAGE YARD THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH GEOS AND THEY CAN'T KEEP MANIFOLDS IN STOCK BECAUSE OF THE FREQUENCY. NEW MANIFOLD INSTALLED TO REPLACE CRACKED ONE. THE NEW ONE CRACKED APPROX. 1-2 MONTHS LATER.

NHTSA complaint #745826 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

EXHUAST MANIFOLD CRACKED, CAUSING CARBON MONOXIDE FUMES TO LEAK INTO PASSENGER'S COMPARTMENT. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.

NHTSA complaint #874631 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

NO SUMMARY

NHTSA complaint #727630 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.