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1994 Geo Prizm

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Prizm years

Owner complaints for the 1994 Geo Prizm are substantially higher than the model-year median of 46.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

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: 12 of 134 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 50 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Seat Belts. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

38 crash reports6 fire reports34 injury reports

What owners actually said

134 reports
Mileage unknown · Sep 6, 1999
Service Brakes, HydraulicCrashInjury

HELLO, LET ME START BY TELLING U WHO I AM MY NAME IS [XXX] I LIVE IN [XXX]. MY VEHICLE WAS JUST INVOLVED IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT. I WAS TRAVELING DOWN HIGHWAY 395 AND MY BRAKES LOCKED UP ON ME FOR NO REASON. THE STARTED SLOWING DOWN AND EVENTUALLY CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I HAVE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR APPROXIMATELY 4 MONTHS IT WAS…

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HELLO, LET ME START BY TELLING U WHO I AM MY NAME IS [XXX] I LIVE IN [XXX]. MY VEHICLE WAS JUST INVOLVED IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT. I WAS TRAVELING DOWN HIGHWAY 395 AND MY BRAKES LOCKED UP ON ME FOR NO REASON. THE STARTED SLOWING DOWN AND EVENTUALLY CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I HAVE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR APPROXIMATELY 4 MONTHS IT WAS BROUGHT USED FROM A DEALERSHIP IN WOODBRIDGE, VA. THE DEALERSHIP NAME IS EASTERN OF WOODBRIDGE. THIS CAR HAD A SOME MECHANICAL DEFECTS WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THAT I WAS NOT AWARE UNTIL AFTER I SIGNED THE PAPER. BUT EVEN BEFORE I SIGNED THE PAPER I DID NOTICE SOME THINGS LIKE THE TIRES WERE BALD AND THE CAR HAD BEEN IN ACCIDENT. I INFORMED THEM OF SOME OF THE DEFECTS AND THEY REFUSED TO FIX THEM. I HAVE A PAPER STATING THAT THE CAR HAD PASSED INSPECTION BUT I HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES 2 WEEKS AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR. LIKE I SAID THE CAR HAD BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE ALIGNMENT ON THE VEHICLE WAS EXTREMELY BAD AND IF I DROVE CAR OVER 45 MILES THE CAR SHOOK UNCONTROLLABLY. I STILL HAVE A CAR NOTE ON THE VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH THE HAS BEEN PRONOUNCED TOTAL. GETTING BACK TO WHAT I WRITING FOR, THE CAR WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD BECAUSE THE BRAKES JUST LOCKED AND WOULD NOT MOVE. SO I PUT MY HAZARD LIGHTS AND WAS WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK, WHEN A VEHICLE CAME BY AND WENT ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD TRYING TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE AND SLAM RIGHT INTO MY CAR. THE PERSON THAT WAS DRIVING MY CAR WAS SERIOUSLY AND PUT INTO THE HOSPITAL AND IS NOW SEEKING MEDICAL CARE. WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS THERE ANYWAY POSSIBLE THAT I CAN FIND OUT IN THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE BRAKES FOR THAT VEHICLE. IF I COULD PLEASE! PLEASE! GET SOME INFORMATION ON WHAT DO ABOUT THIS SITUATION. MY INSURANCE IS GOING TO PAY THE WHOLE CAR NOTE OFF. THE ACCIDENT WAS NOT MY FAULT THE BRAKES SHOULD NEVER HAVE DONE THAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. THERE HAS TO BE SOME LEGAL CLAUSE TO PROTECT CONSUMERS AND CITIZEN THESE THINGS HAP INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (F

NHTSA ODI #710996

Mileage unknown · Sep 3, 1999
Power Train

THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARING FELL OFF EVERY TIME VEHICLE WAS GOING OVER A BUMP WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED A LOSS OF CONTROL. IT WAS A DESIGN DEFECT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ODI #846791

Mileage unknown · Sep 3, 1999
Air BagsInjury

I AM VERY DISAPOINTED WITH GM. THEY HAVE COMPLETELY IGNORED ME IN THIS MATTER. I WILL BE SENDING YU A COPY OF A COMPLAINT LETTER SENT TO GM

NHTSA ODI #710893

Mileage unknown · Aug 17, 1999
StructureUnknown Or OtherVisibility

POWER LOCK ON RIGHT REAR DOOR STOPPED WORKING. MOLDING CAME OFF ON RIGHT REAR WINDOW. HEATER KNOB AND RADIO VOLUME KNOB BROKE OFF IN 10 DEGREE F. WEATHER.

NHTSA ODI #710125

Mileage unknown · Aug 17, 1999
Visibility

DRIVER'S SIDE POWER WINDOW FELL DOWN INTO DOOR WHILE OPERATING THE WINDOW WHILE DRIVING. WINDOW WOULD NOT STAY UP. DEALER REPLACED POWER WINDOW REGULATOR. ON 08/16/99 PASSANGER SIDE WINDOW MADE LOUD POPING NOISE AND WINDOW FELL INTO DOOR AND DOES NOT WORK.

NHTSA ODI #710124

Mileage unknown · Aug 12, 1999
Seats

INTERNAL COMPONENT OF SEAT FAILS TO SUPPORT DRIVER'S SEATBACK. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ODI #842887

Mileage unknown · Jun 21, 1999
WheelsCrashInjury

CONSUMERS DAUGHTER-IN-LAW WAS DRIVING AT 55 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE LEFT REAR WHEEL BROKE COMPLETLEY OFF, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL/CRASH. ALSO, VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT GMC NEVER SENT ANYONE TO INVESTIGATE WHY THE WHEEL FELL OFF, ONE PERSON WAS INJURED IN ACCIDENT. *SLC

NHTSA ODI #840586

Mileage unknown · Jun 8, 1999
Air BagsCrashInjury

FALSE AND VIOLENT DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG CAUSED INJURY TO DRIVER (DISLOCATED JAW, EYE INFECTION FROM CHEMICALS, HEARING CHANGE IN LEFT EAR, CUTS AND ABRASIONS TO LEFT SIDE OF FACE AND NECK/SHOULDER/CHEST INJURY). NLM

NHTSA ODI #546018

Mileage unknown · May 19, 1999
Air BagsCrashInjury

CONSUMER WAS GETING ON THE HIGHWAY AND DRIVER'S AIR BAG DEPLOYED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #838202

Mileage unknown · Apr 9, 1999
Air BagsCrashInjury

ON 3/25/99 AT 8:50 A.M. I WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN I SMELLED A HOT SMELL, STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT, LOOKED AROUND TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF THE HOT SMELL, AND HAD THE DRIVER SIDE BAG DEPLOY IN MY FACE. A GAS STATION ATTENDANT RAN OUT INTO THE STREET AND HELPED ME OUT OF THE CAR. AFTER I WAS OUT OF THE CAR, THE PASSENGER SIDE BAG DEP…

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ON 3/25/99 AT 8:50 A.M. I WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN I SMELLED A HOT SMELL, STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT, LOOKED AROUND TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF THE HOT SMELL, AND HAD THE DRIVER SIDE BAG DEPLOY IN MY FACE. A GAS STATION ATTENDANT RAN OUT INTO THE STREET AND HELPED ME OUT OF THE CAR. AFTER I WAS OUT OF THE CAR, THE PASSENGER SIDE BAG DEPLOYED. MULTIPLE SPRAINS AND ABRASIONS TO MYSELF. *AK

NHTSA ODI #705467

Official recalls

1

96V107000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE

Jun 20, 1996

IF LIQUID IS SPILLED IN THE CONSOLE BOX AREA, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAN ILLUMINATE AND STAY "ON" DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS LEAKAGE CONDITION COULD CAUSE THE AIR BAG TO INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PROTECTIVE COVER OVER THE AIR BAG SENSOR TO PREVENT POSSIBLE MALFUNCTION CAUSED BY THE SPILLING OF LIQUID SUBSTANCES ON THE SENSOR. AIR BAG SENSORS DAMAGED BY PREVIOUS LIQUID SPILLAGE WILL BE REPLACED.

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

1

EA97015 · Turn Signal Failures

Opened Jul 22, 1997 · Closed Sep 21, 1998

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting

There is no summary currently available