Model year record

1997 GEO Prizm

1 recall campaign on file for this model year. 63 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 97V043002

Air bags

Component
Air bags
Manufacturer
GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Vehicles affected
17,094
Reported to NHTSA
1997-03-20
Owners notified
1997-03-30

Defect description

IF THE AIR BAG COMPUTER IN A SUBJECT VEHICLE EXPERIENCES A MECHANICAL SHOCK (I.E., RAPIDLY MOVING THE FRONT SEAT BACK AGAINST THE STOPS OR A SUDDEN RELEASE OF THE PARKING BRAKE) WITHIN A VERY SHORT TIME AFTER THE ENGINE IS STARTED, THE AIR BAG CAN DEPLOY INADVERTENTLY.

Safety risk

UNEXPECTED AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT CAN RESULT IN OCCUPANT INJURY.

Manufacturer remedy

DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE AIR BAG COMPUTER.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Air bags: frontal13112,650 mi
Seat belts: front: retractor712,611 mi
Seat belts5130,000 mi
Air bags2130,000 mi
Electrical system: wiring: front underhood2104,662 mi
Exterior lighting: brake lights2
Seat belts: front: anchorage2
Seat belts: rear/other212,611 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip2
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder2
Steering: hydraulic power assist: pump2
Tires2
Air bags: side/window1
Child seat1
Electrical system: ignition1104,662 mi
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe154,000 mi
Equipment1112,650 mi
Equipment: other: owners/service/other manual1
Exterior lighting: brake lights: switch1
Exterior lighting: tail lights1
Parking brake: conventional: mechanical: linkage and cable1
Power train: automatic transmission1
Power train: manual transmission1
Seat belts: front1112,650 mi
Seat belts: front: buckle assembly1
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components1
Steering: linkages1
Steering: linkages: tie rod assembly1
Steering: rack and pinion1
Suspension1167,000 mi
Suspension: front: control arm: upper ball joint1
Suspension: front: stabilizer bar1

The 1996 model has roughly the same number of complaints as this one. The 1998 model has 6 times as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.