IllustrationIN AN ACCIDENT VEHICLE ROLLED OVER SEVERAL TIMES AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED ON IMPACT, CAUSING SERIOUS INJURIES TO DRIVER.*AK
1996 Geo Prizm
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 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: 3 of 61 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 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. 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.
22 crash reports2 fire reports14 injury reports
What owners actually said
61 reportsWHILE DRIVING REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE CAME COMPLETELY OFF OF AXLE. DRIVER LOST CONTROL , RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. DRIVER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. *AK
I GOT A REPORT FROM CARFAX AND FOUND OUT THAT THE CAR I BOUGHT TWO YEARS AGO HAD OVER 37,000 MORE MILES ON IT .THE DEALER SOLD ME THIS CAR KNOWING THAT THE ODOMETER HAD BEEN ROLLED BACK.BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN TWO YEARS AGO,DO I STILL HAVE ANY RIGHTS?. *AK
WHILE TRAVELING AT 25 MPH ANOTHER VEHICLE PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF CONSUMER'S VEHICLE, AND IT HIT DRIVERS SIDE OF OTHER VEHICLE HEAD-ON. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
THE DRIVERS SEATBEALT COMPLETLY UNWOUND WHILE BUCKLED AND WILL NOT RETRACT. THE FRONT PASSENGER SEATBELT WILL NOT PULL OUT EASILY. IN ORDER TO GET IT BUCKLED IT MUST BE TUGGED CONTINUOSLY MOVING A QUARTER INCH AT A TIME.*AK
REAR LAP SEAT BELT IS INOPERATIVE, BELT WILL NOT LATCH. DEALER NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT AND REAR SHOULDER BELT WOULD TIGTHEN DOWN ON USERS WHILE DRIVING. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND REPLACED SEAT BELT SYSTEM. AT PRESENT MILEAGE OF 71,000 MILES PROBLEM IS REOCCURRING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A SIDE COLLISION. DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BROKE, AND CONSUMER ENDED UP IN BACK SEAT OF VEHICLE.*AK
WINSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY. THIS RESULTS IN INOPERATIVEWINDSHIELD WIPERS WHICH REDUCE DRIVER'S VISIBILITY, AND INCREASES RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND UNWILLING TO ASSIST BECAUSE PART WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL, AND VEHICLE WAS OUT OF ITS WARRANTY. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY F…
Read full complaint
WINSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY. THIS RESULTS IN INOPERATIVEWINDSHIELD WIPERS WHICH REDUCE DRIVER'S VISIBILITY, AND INCREASES RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND UNWILLING TO ASSIST BECAUSE PART WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL, AND VEHICLE WAS OUT OF ITS WARRANTY. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER.*AK
REAR BUCKLE WOULDN'T UNLOCK WHEN CONSUMER WAS TRYING TO TAKE CAR SEAT OUT. CONSUMER PURCHASED ANOTHER , AND DEALER COULDN'T COVER IT BECAUSE WARRANTY EXPIRED. *AK
Official recalls
0No 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
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