GEO PRIZM · model year

2000 GEO PRIZM

9 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2000GEOPRIZM carries 9 consumer safety complaints 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.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2000 PRIZM is equipment:appliance:air conditioner with 2 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylinder (1) and engine and engine cooling:exhaust system (1). 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 2000 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.

9
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

9 filings

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

ComponentCount
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH1
AIR BAGS1
ENGINE1

Recent Complaints

20251002AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 1997 Geo Prizm. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and air bag warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 324,000.

Mileage: 324,000

20251002ENGINE

The contact owns a 1997 Geo Prizm. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and air bag warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 324,000.

Mileage: 324,000

20080422LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

THE HANDLE OF THE LEFT-HAND (DRIVER) DOOR HAS STOPPED OPENING THE DOOR. THE PLASTIC FIXTURE WHERE IT SHOULD ENGAGE FOR THE DOOR TO OPEN DOES NOT FUNCTION. IN ADDITION, THE WINDOW STOPPED ROLLING UP AT THE SAME TIME. THIS EXACT DEFECT HAS HAPPENED TO OUR 2002 CHEVY PRISM. THE PLASTIC PIECE AROUND THE DOOR HANDLE OF THE SAME DRIVER'S SIDE HAS CRACKED AND NO LONGER CAN ENGAGE TO WORK. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN YOU CAN NOT OPEN THE DOOR! *TR

20060210ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND HAS BEEN CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY A DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES FOR THIS CONDITION, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE ILLUMINATION. THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED NO OBVIOUS PROBLEMS.

Mileage: 13,294

20040323SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT BOLT DETACHED, CAUSING THE SEAT BELT TO SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE. *AK

Mileage: 50,000

20020719ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

WE HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES AFTER THE FIRST MONTH OF PURCHASE FOR NOISES,AC NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THIS HAD GONE ON WITH NO PAPERWORK DRAWN UP TO SHOW THE NUMBER OF TIMES WE BROUGHT IT IN UNTIL 3-16-02 WHEN THEY FINALLY AGREED TO PRINT UP A FORM BUT DID NOT HEAR OR FIND THE PROBLEMS.JUNE 3,2002 WE HAD THE CAR BACK TO BILL HEARD AND ARGUED WITH THEM THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM OR SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. THEY FINALLY HEARD ONE OF THE NOISES AND REPLACED THE AC COMPRESSOR. THEN WE WERE TOLD THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS BAD AND WE NEEDED TO PAY AND HAVE IT REPLACED. WHEN WE ASKED THEM WHY IT WENT BAD THEY HAD NO ANSWER. WE THEN LEFT TO GO ON VACATION IN NEW YORK. WE MADE IT NEW YORK AND DURING OUR VACATION THE NOISES GOT WORSE. WE TOOK THE CAR TO FOX AUTO GROUP , INC. IN PAINTED POST,NY. 14870 AND THEY HAD FOUND THE EXHAUST PIPE SHIELD BAD, SERPENTINE BELT (THE 2ND ONE) BAD AGAIN, THE BELT TENSIONER HAD GONE BAD. THEY SAID THEY DONT SEE HOW WE MADE IT TO NEW

20020719EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

WE HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES AFTER THE FIRST MONTH OF PURCHASE FOR NOISES,AC NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THIS HAD GONE ON WITH NO PAPERWORK DRAWN UP TO SHOW THE NUMBER OF TIMES WE BROUGHT IT IN UNTIL 3-16-02 WHEN THEY FINALLY AGREED TO PRINT UP A FORM BUT DID NOT HEAR OR FIND THE PROBLEMS.JUNE 3,2002 WE HAD THE CAR BACK TO BILL HEARD AND ARGUED WITH THEM THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM OR SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. THEY FINALLY HEARD ONE OF THE NOISES AND REPLACED THE AC COMPRESSOR. THEN WE WERE TOLD THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS BAD AND WE NEEDED TO PAY AND HAVE IT REPLACED. WHEN WE ASKED THEM WHY IT WENT BAD THEY HAD NO ANSWER. WE THEN LEFT TO GO ON VACATION IN NEW YORK. WE MADE IT NEW YORK AND DURING OUR VACATION THE NOISES GOT WORSE. WE TOOK THE CAR TO FOX AUTO GROUP , INC. IN PAINTED POST,NY. 14870 AND THEY HAD FOUND THE EXHAUST PIPE SHIELD BAD, SERPENTINE BELT (THE 2ND ONE) BAD AGAIN, THE BELT TENSIONER HAD GONE BAD. THEY SAID THEY DONT SEE HOW WE MADE IT TO NEW

20020607SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKE WOULD ENGAGED AND DISENGAGE ON THEIR OWN, THE DEALER REPLACED THE THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER WAS BUT WAS NOT SURE IF THAT WAS THE PROBLEM, AND THE BRAKES STILL DON'T WORK 100%.*YD

20010723EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

CHEMICAL SMELL COMING FROM THE AIR CONDITIONER VENTS. TOOK TO BOB BELL CHEVROLET THEY HAD CLAIMED THERE WAS A BULLETIN CLAIMING THERE WAS A KIT THAT THE CONSUMER COULD BUY FOR $650.00 TO REPAIR A MANUFACTURES DEFECT. CHEMICAL SMELL MAKING ME SICK.*AK

Compare 2000GEOPRIZM to Similar Vehicles

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2000 GEO PRIZM have?
The 2000 GEO PRIZM has 9 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2000 GEO PRIZM?
The most-complained component for the 2000 GEO PRIZM is EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM.
Is the 2000 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.