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2000 Chevrolet Prizm

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2000 Chevrolet Prizm do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 21.5.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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: 13 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.

  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Latches/locks/linkages. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Seat Belts. 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.

4 crash reports2 fire reports3 injury reports

Seats complaints

2 reports
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48,000 miles · Feb 6, 2004
SeatsCrashInjury

I WAS INVOLVED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT ON 9/1/2002 IN WHICH MY SEAT BACK FAILED. I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH IN MY 2000 CHEVROLET PRIZM LSI. I WAS REAR ENDED BY A HONDA CIVIC TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 100 MPH. THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT WAS SUCH THAT WHEN I WAS THROWN TO THE BACK OF THE SEAT IT BROKE AND CHANGED THE PO…

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I WAS INVOLVED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT ON 9/1/2002 IN WHICH MY SEAT BACK FAILED. I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH IN MY 2000 CHEVROLET PRIZM LSI. I WAS REAR ENDED BY A HONDA CIVIC TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 100 MPH. THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT WAS SUCH THAT WHEN I WAS THROWN TO THE BACK OF THE SEAT IT BROKE AND CHANGED THE POSITION OF THE ENTIRE SEAT FROM APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES TO 150 DEGREES. WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES I WAS THROWN FORWARD AND TORQUE-TWISTED AROUND THE THREE POINT HARNESS. I THEN HAD TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHILE ALSO USING THE STEERING WHEEL AS A SUPPORT TO KEEP MYSELF UPRIGHT WHEN THE SEATBELT WANTED TO PULL ME BACK INTO THE SEAT BACK WHICH WAS NOT THERE. THE SEAT WAS SUPPOSEDLY REPAIRED; I'VE BEEN TOLD THE HARDWARE HAS BEEN REPLACED. HOWEVER, A NEW PROBLEM HAS MANIFESTED ITSELF. THE METAL FRAME OF THE HEADREST (A U-SHAPED PIECE OF METAL) HAS BECOME EXPOSED (AS OF 2/1/2004) AND NOW COMES IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE FABRIC SIDE WHICH THE DRIVER'S HEAD SITS AGAINST. I REMOVED THE HEADREST AND GAVE IT TO MY MOM, THE UPHOLSTERER, FOR REPAIR AS I HAD ASSUMED THE FOAM BUN HAD BECOME LOOSE AND MISADJUSTED. INSTEAD, SHE INFORMED ME THAT THE FOAM BUN ITSELF HAD SHATTERED INTO AT LEAST TWO PIECES AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO REARRANGE THE FOAM AND STILL HAVE IT FULFILL ITS SAFETY FUNCTION; I.E. IF I GOT REAR-ENDED AGAIN, THE BASE OF MY SKULL WAS GOING TO BE SLAMMED INTO A HORIZONTAL ROD. AS A RESULT, WE INSPECTED THE OTHER THREE HEADRESTS OF THE CAR AND FOUND THEM TO BE ABSENT OF THIS PROBLEM: I WAS THE ONLY PERSON IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THEREFORE, I'M MAKING THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE FOAM BUN HAD BEEN SHATTERED, NOT REPAIRED (IT'S NOT VISIBLE) AND THE SUPPORT FRAME EVENTUALLY WORKED ITS WAY TO THE SURFACE. BECAUSE I CANNOT SEE THE INTERIOR OF MY SEAT, MY CONCERN IS THAT THE FOAM UNDER THE FABRIC HAS ALSO BEEN COMPROMISED IN A MANNER WHICH RENDERS THE SEAT LESS CAPABLE OF PROTECTING ME IN ANY FUTURE COLLISIONS.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10056644

Mileage unknown · Sep 17, 2002
SeatsCrashInjury

THE DRIVER (MYSELF) WAS REAR ENDED BY A HONDA CIVIC TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 100 MPH. UPON IMPACT THE BACK OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT FAILED AND PROCEEDED TO CHANGE FROM 90 DEGREES IN SHAPE TO 150 DEGREES IN SHAPE. I THEREBY LOST SIGHT OF THE ROAD AND ONLY HAD THE STEERING WHEEL TO HOLD ON TO. WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES I WAS THRO…

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THE DRIVER (MYSELF) WAS REAR ENDED BY A HONDA CIVIC TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 100 MPH. UPON IMPACT THE BACK OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT FAILED AND PROCEEDED TO CHANGE FROM 90 DEGREES IN SHAPE TO 150 DEGREES IN SHAPE. I THEREBY LOST SIGHT OF THE ROAD AND ONLY HAD THE STEERING WHEEL TO HOLD ON TO. WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES I WAS THROWN FORWARD AND EITHER SMACKED THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW, A-POST OR WINDSHIELD WITH MY HEAD.*AK

NHTSA ODI #767274

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.