IllustrationDRIVERS SIDE RESTRAINT RETRACTING MECHANISM CONSISTENTLY FAILS TO RETRACT. PASSENGER SIDE RESTRAINT RETRACTING MECHANISM INTERMITTENTLY FAILS TO RETRACT OR LOCK. THESE FAILURE BEGAN AFTER ONLY A LITTLE OVER 3 YEARS NORMAL CUSTOMER COMMUTING USE OF VEHICLE . *AK
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
What owners actually said
96 reportsTHE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES FAILED RESULTING IN VEHICLE COLLISION, NO DEPLOYMENT OF BOTH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER AIR BAG, RESULTING IN INJURIES. *YC
WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT FORWARD,AT 70 MPH, ON THE FREEWAY, THE VEHICLE PULLED HARD TO THE RIGHT. I COUNTER STEERED AND THE VEHICLE WENT TO THE LEFT, SO I COUNTER STEERED AGAIN. THEN, THE VEHICLE WENT INTO A SPIN AND ENDED UP ON THE CENTER DIVIDER. WHEN I CHECKED THE VEHICLE AFTERWARDS, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE, RIM, BRAKE DRUM AND …
Read full complaint
WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT FORWARD,AT 70 MPH, ON THE FREEWAY, THE VEHICLE PULLED HARD TO THE RIGHT. I COUNTER STEERED AND THE VEHICLE WENT TO THE LEFT, SO I COUNTER STEERED AGAIN. THEN, THE VEHICLE WENT INTO A SPIN AND ENDED UP ON THE CENTER DIVIDER. WHEN I CHECKED THE VEHICLE AFTERWARDS, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE, RIM, BRAKE DRUM AND BEARING WERE GONE. THEY WERE NOT NEAR THE VEHICLE AT ALL AND THE SPINDLE WAS CLEANLY BROKEN IN HALF.
I HAD A CAR ACCIDENT IN WHICH MY CAR ROLLED,AND UPON IMPACT MY SEAT BELTS,BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER POPPED,ALSO MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLY.I SLID ON ICE,WHEN TRY TO CORECT MY CAR SPUN AND HIT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND AN EMBANKMENT AND TWO TREES AND A ROCK AND MY CAR FLIPPED.I HAD DAMAGE FROM THE FRONT LIGHT ASSEMBLY TO THE TAIL LI…
Read full complaint
I HAD A CAR ACCIDENT IN WHICH MY CAR ROLLED,AND UPON IMPACT MY SEAT BELTS,BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER POPPED,ALSO MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLY.I SLID ON ICE,WHEN TRY TO CORECT MY CAR SPUN AND HIT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND AN EMBANKMENT AND TWO TREES AND A ROCK AND MY CAR FLIPPED.I HAD DAMAGE FROM THE FRONT LIGHT ASSEMBLY TO THE TAIL LIGHT ON DRIVER SIDE AND ALSO ROOF AND TRUNK DAMAGE THE TWO DOORS ON DRIVER SIDE WERE PUSHED IN AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLY AND WHEN THE CAR FINALLY STOPPED ON ITS ROOF MY SEATBELTS POPPED AND ME AND MY SON DROPPED TO THE ROOF WHICH WAS ON THE GROUND.
WHILE DRIVING 35-40MPH THE VEHICLE WENT OVER A SIDEWALK AND BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, CAUSING INJURIES TO OCCUPANT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
TURN SIGNALS CONTINUALLY EXPERIENCE FAILURE, REPAIRS MADE HOWEVER CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE FAILURE.
DOOR LOCK FREEZES UPON OPENNING. NEED TO LOCK DOOR INORDER TO CLOSE. ONCE LOCKED, CAN NOT UNLOCK UNTIL CAR WARMS UP. APPROX 15-20 MIN LATER.
WHILE DRIVING NO MORE THAN 5 MPH AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT HITTING OR STRIKING ANOTHER VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAD CONTACTED DEALER, AND THEY REPAIRED THE VEHICLE IN 8 DAYS. RECENTLY THE ABS LIGHT FLASHES ON, DEALER PROVIDING NO HELP. *AK *ML
SEAT BELTS LOCK UP RESULTING IN FAILURE.
ENGINE OVERHEATED CAUSING FAILURE OF ENGINE AND OTHER COMPONENTS.
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