Total Complaints
1 filings
CHEVROLET PRIZM · model year
1996 CHEVROLET PRIZM
1 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1996CHEVROLETPRIZM carries 1 consumer safety complaint in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1996 PRIZM is tires with 1 filings. Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 1996 PRIZM, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
1
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| TIRES | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20080729TIRES
4 NEW TIRES WERE PURCHASED ON FEB. 7, 2007. THREE OF THEM WENT FLAT BETWEEN JUNE 9, 2008 AND JULY 17, 2008 AFTER ONLY 15,000 MILES WHILE RIDING ON THE INTERSTATE. THE TIRE STORE FOUND NO FOREIGN OBJECTS IN THE 3 TIRES, BUT DID REPORT THAT THE VALVE STEMS WERE CRACKED. A POLICE OFFICER CHANGED THE TIRE ON 7/16 AND A SHERIFF DEPUTY WITNESSED THE TIRE CHANGE ON 7/17 (NO REPORT FILED). THERE WERE SMOG ALERTS EACH TIME. AN OIL-LUBE PLACE FILLED TIRES ON 7/12. THE TIRE DEALER AGAIN SAID HE FILLED THE TIRES ON 7/16. THERE WAS A SLOW LEAK FROM THE VALVE STEM. A DIFFERENT MECHANIC REPLACED TIRE ON 7/17 AND RETURNED VALVE STEM: DILL AIR ACP TR413 156 OT. I WAS NOT HURT, BUT I WAS ALONE IN THE LAST TWO CASES, AND STANDING ALONE ON THE INTERSTATE WITH VERY LITTLE PLACE TO GET OFF. IT WAS 91 DEGREES, AND AAA DID NOT COME FOR OVER 45 MINUTES. I HAD BEEN ON MY WAY TO TAKE MY 90-YEAR OLD FATHER TO A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT. FORTUNATELY HE WAS NOT IN THE CAR WHEN THE TIRES BLEW OUT. IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A
Mileage: 139,144
Compare 1996CHEVROLETPRIZM to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 2 Open
EA25007Engineering AnalysisOpen
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
PE23022Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module
PE20016Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Electric Vehicle Battery Fires
EA20002Engineering AnalysisClosed
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
PE20011Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Fuel Line Leak
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1996 CHEVROLET PRIZM have?▼
The 1996 CHEVROLET PRIZM has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 CHEVROLET PRIZM?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 CHEVROLET PRIZM is TIRES with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 1996 CHEVROLET PRIZM safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1996 CHEVROLET PRIZM; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.