IllustrationTHE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY DURING AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED CONSIDERABLE FRONT END DAMAGE, THE DRIVER SUSTAINED CERVICAL (NECK) STRAIN. *YH
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Prizm years →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
What owners actually said
24 reportsCONSUMER REPORTS BRAKE PROBLEMS. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER 5 TIMES, BRAKES STILL NOT WORKING PROPERLY. WHEN APPLYING BRAKES IT SOUNDS LIKE A SPRING IS BEING RELEASED, AND BRAKING DISTANCE IS TOO LONG. *AK ABS ENGAGES WHEN IT SHOULD NOT. THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *YH
THE VEHICLE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL AND HEADED TOWARDS LEFT SIDE WHILE PERFORMING A ROUTINE LANE CHANGE. THERE WERE NO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, NO UNUSUAL TRAFFIC PATTERNS, AND I WAS NOT GOING ABOVE THE SPEED LIMIT. I WAS IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE ON A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY, WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED VEERING LEFT, I TRIED EVERYTHING IN …
Read full complaint
THE VEHICLE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL AND HEADED TOWARDS LEFT SIDE WHILE PERFORMING A ROUTINE LANE CHANGE. THERE WERE NO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, NO UNUSUAL TRAFFIC PATTERNS, AND I WAS NOT GOING ABOVE THE SPEED LIMIT. I WAS IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE ON A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY, WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED VEERING LEFT, I TRIED EVERYTHING IN MY CONTROL TO STEER THE CAR AWAY FROM THE MEDIAN, BUT TO NO AVAIL, MY VEHICLE SIDESWIPED THE MEDIAN, AND THE LEFT REAR WHEEL FELL OFF. SINCE I WAS TRYING TO STEER RIGHT, THE WHEEL FINALLY RESPONDED AFTER SIDESWIPING THE MEDIAN, AND I HAD TO STEER LEFT AGAIN TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE, AT WHICH POINT, IT SPUN 180 DEGREES AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP ON THE SECOND FARTHEST LEFT LANE FACING ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I WAITED FOR A BREAK IN TRAFFIC, AND QUICKLY PULLED THE VEHICLE TO THE LEFT SHOULDER WITH ONLY THREE WHEELS. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT WENT WRONG, AS I HAD NOT DONE ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY OTHER THAN PERFORMING A LANE CHANGE TO THE NEXT LANE. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS EVERYTHING LOOKS "CONNECTED" BUT I BELIEVE DEFECTIVE PART OR PARTS CAUSED THE ACCIDENT, I WOULD APPRECIATE AN INVESTIGATION TO POSSIBLE CAUSES. THE VEHICLE WAS BRAND NEW, AND I WAS VERY CAREFUL WITH IT, I DON'T BELIEVE THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF SOMETHING I DID. I HAVE FILED A REPORT WITH CHEVROLET, AND AM AWAITING THEIR RESPONSE. THANK YOU.
TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED, GEAR SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING. YH
Official recalls
0No 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.