IllustrationDRIVERS SIDE RESTRAINT RETRACTING MECHANISM CONSISTENTLY FAILS TO RETRACT. PASSENGER SIDE RESTRAINT RETRACTING MECHANISM INTERMITTENTLY FAILS TO RETRACT OR LOCK, AND FREQENTLY JAMS SO IT CAN'T BE PULLED OUT. *TR
1995 Geo Prizm
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1995 Geo Prizm do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 46.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Prizm years →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: 4 of 96 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 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 20 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.
26 crash reports1 fire reports22 injury reports
Seat Belts complaints
20 reportsTHREE RETRACTORS ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY,ONE ON DRIVER'S SIDE BELT/ BELT RETRACTOR BEHIND DRIVER'S SIDE, AND THE ON ON PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR. SEAT BELTS WILL NOT RETRACT, THEY WILL JUST HANG IN PLACE. CONTACTED DEALER ,AND THE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK
WHILE BUCKLING DRIVER IN SEAT BEL SEAT BELT BOLT BECAME UNDONE, AND CONSUMER WAS NOT RESTRAINT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
CAR PURCHASED NEW IN 1995(MAY OR JUNE, TOO LAZY TO GO TO THE CAR AND LOOK!) FIRST THE RIGHT REAR SEATBELT WOULD NOT RETRACT ,SO WE PUT THE BABY IN THE MIDDLE OR LEFT REAR. THE CAR WAS TAKEN IN TO HAVE SOME MINOR FLAWS CORRECTED AS WITH MOST NEW CARS(A "PUNCH" LIST). THE SEATBELT WAS FIXED UNDER WARRANTY . SHORTLY THERE AFTER I…
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CAR PURCHASED NEW IN 1995(MAY OR JUNE, TOO LAZY TO GO TO THE CAR AND LOOK!) FIRST THE RIGHT REAR SEATBELT WOULD NOT RETRACT ,SO WE PUT THE BABY IN THE MIDDLE OR LEFT REAR. THE CAR WAS TAKEN IN TO HAVE SOME MINOR FLAWS CORRECTED AS WITH MOST NEW CARS(A "PUNCH" LIST). THE SEATBELT WAS FIXED UNDER WARRANTY . SHORTLY THERE AFTER IT DID IT AGAIN. AS WELL AS THE LEFT REAR STARTED DOING THE SAME THING. THE RIGHT REAR HAS NEVER RETRACTED SINCE. I WAS ABLE TO FREE THE LEFT ONE OCCASIONALLY(2 OR 3) TIMES THEN IT PERMANENTLY LOCKED. WE HAD TO PUT THE CHILD'S SEAT IN THE MIDDLE ; THE BEST PLACE FOR IT .THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED WHEN THE CAR WENT IN FOR SERVICE AND I WAS TOLD I WOULD HAVE TO BUY NEW SEATBELTS AND PAY THE LABOR TO FIX THEM. SCREW THAT! WE JUST TRAVELLED 3 TO THE CAR OR REAR RIDING ADULTS HAD NO SEATBELTS. HAD ANOTHER CHILD IN 1998. BOUGHT A USED VOLVO!! END OF STORY. THANKS! HOYO (PAM'S HUSBAND). *AK
DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLES STICK IN BUCKLE HOUSING. ALSO, REAR SEAT BELTS LOCKS IN RETRACTOR MECHANISM. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
BOTH SEAT BELTS IN MY CAR ARE CONSIDERED DEFECTIVE BY MY DEALER. GM AGREED TO PAY FOR THE NEW SEAT BELTS AFTER I ARGUED FOR AN HOUR WITH A REPRESENTATIVE ON THE PHONE AND THEN WENT DOWN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO ARGUE WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER. TO REPLACE TWO SEAT BELTS IN A 95 GEO PRISM THE COST IS UPWARDS OF $650. THE CUSTOMER SE…
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BOTH SEAT BELTS IN MY CAR ARE CONSIDERED DEFECTIVE BY MY DEALER. GM AGREED TO PAY FOR THE NEW SEAT BELTS AFTER I ARGUED FOR AN HOUR WITH A REPRESENTATIVE ON THE PHONE AND THEN WENT DOWN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO ARGUE WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER. TO REPLACE TWO SEAT BELTS IN A 95 GEO PRISM THE COST IS UPWARDS OF $650. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE FROM GM ACTUALY SIAD THAT I HAD BROKE THEM FROM "OVER-USAGE". I WONDER WHY IF IT IS A LAW THAT PEOPLE WEAR A SEAT BELT WHILE OPPERATING A CAR, WHY IT IS NOT A LAW THAT THE CAR MANUFACTURERS GUARANTEE THEIR SEAT BELTS FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR? MY SEAT BELTS WERE REPLACE FOR FREE IN PART BECAUSE I AM AGGRESSIVE, MOUTHY, AND I OUT-WIT BOTH THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP AND THE SERVICE MANAGER AT HALL CHEVROLET. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE ACTUALY PAID TO GET THEIR DEFECTIVE SEAT BELTS FIXED?*AK
REAR SHOULDER BELT RETRACTOR KEEPS GETTING JAMMED, AND DUE TO REPEATED UNJAMMING SEATBELT HAS PREMATURELY WORN OUT, CAUSING LOSS OF PROTECTION. DEFECT HAS BEEN A REOCCURRING PROBLEM SINCE CONSUMER HAS OWNED VEHICLE. ALSO ,HAS A FILE WITH GM #C02879749.*AK
CONCERNED FOR THE LOOSE SEATBELTS IN THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE WHICH BROKE BEFORE WARRANTY BUT WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE FULL WARRENTY. I WAS JUST CHECKING TO FIND OUT IF THERE WERE RECALLS FOR THE SEAT BELTS BECAUSE THEY BROKE AT THE SAME TIME.*AK
THE REAR RIGHT-SIDE PASSENGER SEATBELT RETRACTOR DOES NOT WORK. IT IS FULLY EXTENDED AND WILL NOT RETRACT, THUS THE SEATBELT IS UNUUSEABLE AND I CANNOT HAVE A PASSENGER RIDE IN THAT SEAT AREA. THE DEALER REFUSED TO FIX THE RETRACTOR WITHOUT COST. THE COST OF REPAIR IS ESTIMATED TO BE OVER $100. IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS SAFETY EQUIP…
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THE REAR RIGHT-SIDE PASSENGER SEATBELT RETRACTOR DOES NOT WORK. IT IS FULLY EXTENDED AND WILL NOT RETRACT, THUS THE SEATBELT IS UNUUSEABLE AND I CANNOT HAVE A PASSENGER RIDE IN THAT SEAT AREA. THE DEALER REFUSED TO FIX THE RETRACTOR WITHOUT COST. THE COST OF REPAIR IS ESTIMATED TO BE OVER $100. IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS SAFETY EQUIPMENT THAT SHOULD BE REPAIRED BY THE DEALER FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. *AK
Official recalls
296V107000 · 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.
95V195002 · Electrical SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V Battery
Oct 11, 1995
THE BATTERY CAN HAVE A DEFECTIVE WELD INSIDE THE POSITIVE AND/OR NEGATIVE TERMINAL ALLOWING THE CONNECTION INSIDE OF THE TERMINAL TO SEPARATE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN A NO-START CONDITION, OR A BATTERY EXPLOSION.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE DEFECTIVE BATTERIES.
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
1EA97015 · 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