2000 Chevrolet Prizm

I WAS DRIVING OF A HIGHWAY AND MY SPEED WAS ABOUT 60 MPH ALL OF A SUDDEN THE HOOD OPENED AND HIT MY WINDSHIELD. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A HUGE ACCIDENT WITH OTHER CARS AS I COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING. LUCKLY I DID NOT LOOSE CONTROL OF MY CAR AND I PULLED IT ONTO THE RIGHT SHOULDER. LATCH WAS WORKING FINE. I HAD TO REPLACE THE HOOD AND WINDSHIELD. NOW HAVE LOT OF DENTS ON THE FRONT OF THE ROOF. HAD TO TOW THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC. THE COST OF REPAIR WAS ABOUT $1500.00. *AK

AFTER OWNING THE CAR FOR JUST A FEW MONTHS, BOUGHT NEW, I NOTICED THAT THE SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT WOULD COME ON/OFF AS IT PLEASED. SOMETIMES WITH BEING BELTED IN, IT WOULD SHOW UP, AND OTHERTIMES IT WOULD BE OFF. THE REPAIR ESTIMATE FOR THIS JOB AT THE DEALERSHIP WAS OVER $300.00, SAYING THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE SEATBELT. A BIT OFF TO ME.*AK

HAVE DAMAGED LIFTERS IN 2000 CHEVY PRIZM ENGINE MADE BY TOYOTA, DUE TO A MFG. DEFECT, ACCORDING TO MY CHEVY DEALERSHIP REPAIMAN. HE SAYS UPPER ENGINE DRAIN HOLES FOR OIL WERE DRILLED SMALLER THAN AMERICAN MADE MOTORS WHICH WILL GUM UP AND RESTRICT FLOW OF OIL, CAUSING DAMAGE TO HYDRAULIC LIFTERS. EXTENT OF DAMAGE UNTIL ENGINE IS TORN DOWN IS UNDETERMINABLE. AT THE LEAST, TRADE IN VALUE IS MUCH DIMISHED DUE TO EXCESSIVE ENGINE NOISE. MILEAGE-39,000. *LA

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

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

AT 50MPH, BRAKES ENGAGE AND CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO APPPLY THE BRAKES, THEY WENT TO THE FLOOR AND CONSUMERS DAUGHTER REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE, CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES AGAIN, BUT THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AND THEN RELEASED, UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT VEHICLE HAD NO FRONT BRAKES AND THE REAR BRAKES WERE CRACKED, THERE WAS A STRANGE FLUID IN THE BRAKE LINES AND ALSO THE MASTER CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, CONSUMER STATES THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED 8,000 MILES EARLIER DUE TO THE BRAKES ENGAGING ON THEIR OWN.*JB