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1999 Chevrolet Prizm

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1999 Chevrolet Prizm do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 21.5.

About this comparison →
36Owner complaints

Model-year median: 21.5

0Recall campaigns

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0Investigations

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
1
199627
199836
199924
200045
200119
2002
Compare all Prizm years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Air Bags
11Electrical System
5Engine And Engine Cooling
5Exterior Lighting
5Seat Belts
2
All reported categories
Seats
2Steering
2Structure
2Tires
2Vehicle Speed Control
2Wheels
2Fuel System, Gasoline
1Fuel/propulsion System
1Latches/locks/linkages
1Service Brakes, Hydraulic
1Suspension
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 13 of 36 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Air Bags. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

8 crash reports2 fire reports4 injury reports

Vehicle Speed Control complaints

2 reports
Clear category filter
78,000 miles · Jul 30, 2014
Electrical SystemVehicle Speed ControlFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET PRIZM. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE ENGINE REVVED AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO 80 MPH. THE CONTACT HAD TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL SEVERAL TIMES TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE. OVER A YEAR AGO, THE IGNITION WIRING HARNESS CAUGHT FIRE WHICH SPREAD TO THE AL…

Read full complaint

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET PRIZM. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE ENGINE REVVED AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO 80 MPH. THE CONTACT HAD TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL SEVERAL TIMES TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE. OVER A YEAR AGO, THE IGNITION WIRING HARNESS CAUGHT FIRE WHICH SPREAD TO THE ALTERNATOR. THE IGNITION, WIRING HARNESS, AND ALTERNATOR WERE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.

NHTSA ODI #10617680

Mileage unknown · Feb 17, 2000
Vehicle Speed Control

VEHICLE SURGES OR SLOWS DOWN AT 45 MPH ON ITS OWN, UNABLE TO DETERMINE DEFECT. *MJS

NHTSA ODI #9000417

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.