Total Complaints
54 filings
GEO PRIZM · model year
1990 GEO PRIZM
54 NHTSA complaints, 5 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990GEOPRIZM carries 54 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 5 crashes, 2 fires, 6 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1990 PRIZM is structure:body:door with 4 filings, followed by exterior lighting:brake lights (4) and power train:automatic transmission (3). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
No open NHTSA investigation overlaps the 1990 PRIZM in the current dataset. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
54
Complaints
5
Crashes
2
Fires
6
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
5 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 |
|---|---|
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 4 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS | 4 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 3 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| WHEELS | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20060602SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT. THIS OCCURS EVERY TIME THE SEAT BELT IS USED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY ACCIDENTS THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THIS FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE CONTACTED; THE SEAT BELT COULD NO LONGER BE REPLACED DUE TO THE AVAILABILITY OF THE PARTS. THERE ARE NO AFTER MARKET PARTS AVAILABLE. WHEN THE CONSUMER DID FIND A PART, NO ONE WAS WILLING TO INSTALL THE LAP BELT FOR FEAR OF LIABILITY. UPDATED 05/30/06. *JB
Mileage: 125,500
20020415ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
19990426TIRES
GENERAL TIRES UPC 20111G165-80R18, SIZE 165-80-13. CONSUMER PURCHASED TIRES ON 02/29/96. WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING, TIRES FELL APART. WIRES/ RUBBER CAME OUT. DAMAGE DONE TO FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. MANUFACTURER CONTACTED, AND COULD NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER REPLACED TIRES AT OWN EXPENSE. AK
19981127STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
FRAME MISALIGNED CAUSING DAMAGE TO TIRES.
19981127SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT
STRUTS FAILED CAUSING VIBRATION AND PULLING.
19981127SUSPENSION:REAR:SHOCK ABSORBER
STRUTS FAILED CAUSING VIBRATION AND PULLING.
19981127POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FELL OUT DUE TO CORROSION OF THE BOLTS.
19981127ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
EXHAUST MANIFOLD CRACKED.
19981127STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
DOORS MISALIGNED AND NOT FITTING PROPERLY CAUSING THE SENSOR TO LIGHT (NOT CLOSING PROPERLY).
19981025ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
NONE
19981025ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
NONE
19980922SEAT BELTS:FRONT
SEAT BELTS COME APART.
19980823SUSPENSION
DOOR HANDLES MALFUNCTIONED. GEAR SHIFT WILL NOT MOVE. REAR STRUTS WE WORN IN LESS THAN 1 YEAR AFTER PURCHASE. DEALER REFUSED TO STAND BY WARRANTY.
19980811POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT
CV JOINTS WERE DEFECTIVE WHEN VEHICLE STARTED TO MAKE NOISE. *AK
19980708POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE LURCHED INTO A STOP. THE WHEELS LOCKED UP. MECHANIC INFORMED OWNER THAT THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
19980205ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FAILED.
19980205SUSPENSION:REAR
AXLE FAILED.
19980114STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
ALL OF THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE IN VEHICLE HAVE BROKEN.
19971228POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
VEHICLE COMES TO AN ABRUPT STOP, LIKE SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES. AFTER THE SECOND INSTANCE, THE VEHICLE WILL STARTS BUT WILL NOT MOVE.
19970102ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
ALTERNATOR FAILED THREE TIMES. *AK
Compare 1990GEOPRIZM to Similar Vehicles
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 GEO PRIZM have?▼
The 1990 GEO PRIZM has 54 NHTSA complaints, 5 crashes, 2 fires, 6 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 GEO PRIZM?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 GEO PRIZM is STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS and POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
Is the 1990 GEO 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 as of 2025. 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.