← New search

1999 Geo Prizm

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1999 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

Other model years Selected 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: 1 of 24 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 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

7 crash reports1 fire reports4 injury reports

Air Bags complaints

14 reports
Clear category filter
125,000 miles · Jan 9, 2014
Air BagsSeatsCrashInjury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET PRIZM. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 30 MPH AND BECAME INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER'S SEAT WAS PUSHED BACKWARD, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO SUSTAIN INJURIES TO THE BACK. THE CONTACT WAS WEARING THE SEATBELT AT THE TIME OF THE SEAT FAILURE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT AVAIL…

Read full complaint

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET PRIZM. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 30 MPH AND BECAME INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER'S SEAT WAS PUSHED BACKWARD, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO SUSTAIN INJURIES TO THE BACK. THE CONTACT WAS WEARING THE SEATBELT AT THE TIME OF THE SEAT FAILURE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI #10559215

Mileage unknown · Nov 27, 2002
Air BagsCrash

CONSUMER STATE WHILE TRAVELING 25-35 MPH IN RESULT OF REAR ENDING ANOTHER VEHICLE CONSUMER AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AT ANY TIME. DEALER AND MANUFACTURE HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

NHTSA ODI #8023420

Mileage unknown · Aug 23, 2001
Air BagsService Brakes, HydraulicCrashInjury

WHILE DRIVING ON A RAINY DAY THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE AND DRIVER AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY.*JB

NHTSA ODI #895098

Mileage unknown · Jul 3, 2001
Air Bags

AIRBAG LIGHT STARTED BLINKING. DEALER CHECKED FLASH CODES. FLASH CODE 44 CONFIRMED. NEW ABS HARNESS ON ORDER.*AK

NHTSA ODI #747762

Mileage unknown · Jan 8, 2001
Air Bags

WHILE TRAVELING AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT WOULD FLASH THROUGH TRAVEL. VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED FOUR TIMES, BUT PROBLEM RETURNED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ODI #877613

Mileage unknown · Jan 8, 2001
Air Bags

AIRBAG LIGHT INDICATING DEFECT/FAILURE OF AIRBAGS ILLUMINATES. INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. DEALER UNABLE TO DUPLICATE. OCCURRED 12 DIFFERENT TIMES FROM 36,600 TO 36,700. *AK

NHTSA ODI #739026

Mileage unknown · Oct 13, 2000
Air BagsElectrical SystemCrashFireInjury

I WAS REARENDED IN AN ACCIDENT ON 10-11-00 AT A STOP LIGHT, WHICH IN TURN PUSHED ME INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, I WAS HIT AT 45 MILES AN HOUR, MY TRUNK WAS COMPACTED TO 6 INCHES. THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE HAS A 2 FOOT AREA THAT IS MISSING AND THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE, AND YET MY AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. EITHER THE PASSENGER OR DRIVERS…

Read full complaint

I WAS REARENDED IN AN ACCIDENT ON 10-11-00 AT A STOP LIGHT, WHICH IN TURN PUSHED ME INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, I WAS HIT AT 45 MILES AN HOUR, MY TRUNK WAS COMPACTED TO 6 INCHES. THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE HAS A 2 FOOT AREA THAT IS MISSING AND THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE, AND YET MY AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. EITHER THE PASSENGER OR DRIVERS. THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE AIR BAGS THAT COULD BE SEEN OR CHECKED. THIS IS VERY TRUBBLING TO ME.*AK

NHTSA ODI #734225

Mileage unknown · Jul 31, 2000
Air Bags

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED, INDICATING A MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE SYSTEM. DEALER REPLACED THE AIR BAG WIRING AND THE MODULE WHICH DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ODI #866341

Mileage unknown · Jun 15, 2000
Air BagsSeat BeltsCrash

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH DRIVER'S/PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND SEAT BELTS DID NOT LOCK . PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #863619

Mileage unknown · Mar 31, 2000
Air BagsSteeringCrashInjury

THE DRIVER WAS TRAVELING AT 50MPH ALONG A STRAIGHT HIGHWAY WHEN SUDDDENLY THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED MOVING VIOLENTLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL, LEFT THE ROAD AND FLIPPED THE CAR SEVERAL TIMES LANDING UPSIDE DOWN. THE DRIVER REMOVED HER SEATBELT AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO EXIT THROUGH THE BACK BROKE…

Read full complaint

THE DRIVER WAS TRAVELING AT 50MPH ALONG A STRAIGHT HIGHWAY WHEN SUDDDENLY THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED MOVING VIOLENTLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL, LEFT THE ROAD AND FLIPPED THE CAR SEVERAL TIMES LANDING UPSIDE DOWN. THE DRIVER REMOVED HER SEATBELT AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO EXIT THROUGH THE BACK BROKEN WINDOW WHEN THE FRONT AIRBAGS VERY SLOWLY STARTED TO INFLATE. THE AIRBAGS NEVER FULLY INFLATED. THE SIDE AIRBAGS NEVER INFLATED. WE ARE ANXIOUS TO FIND OUT IF THERE IS A WAY TO DETERMINE WHETHER A STEERING DEFECT LEAD TO THE ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI #720824

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.