2001 Chevrolet Prizm

EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION (ONE QUART LOW EVERY 300-400 MILES), WORSENING, APPEARS TO BE KNOWN DEFECT FOR TOYOTA SUPPLIED ENGINES IN 2001 CHEVROLET PRIZM AND POSSIBLY OTHER YEARS OF THIS MOTOR TYPE (POSSIBLE FACTORY RING, VALVE EARLY FAILURE ISSUES), NO LEAKS OR HEAVY SMOKE APPARENT, AIR FILTER NORMAL WITH NO APPARENT BLOW-BY FROM RINGS AT THAT POINT. REGULAR OIL AND FILTER CHANGES, CAR DRIVEN DAILY FOR LOCAL USE, NO OTHER KNOWN DEFECTS OR RECURRING PROBLEMS, CAR OPERATES NORMALLY OTHER THAN HIGH OIL AMOUNTS USED. *TR

I OWN A 2001 AND A 2002 CHEVY PRIZM. BOTH CARS ARE USING EXCESSIVE OIL (SEVERAL QUARTS EVERY 100 MILES EACH). DEALER STATES THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM DUE TO CARBON BUILDUP IN THE CYLINDERS. EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION STARTED AROUND 50,000 MILES. THE CHEVY PRIZM IS REALLY A TOYOTA COROLLA. TOYOTA HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM AND HAS WARRANTED THE REPAIR. GENERAL MOTORS IS NOT ASSISTING ITS CUSTOMERS WITH THE REPAIR. I GUESS THAT IS WHY TOYOTA IS NUMBER ONE CAR MAKER AND GM IS NUMBER 2. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER GM PRODUCT AGAIN. *JB

FAILED EMISSION TEST. RAN AUTO THROUGH A CODE SCANNER, AND TALKED IT OVER WITH A FRIEND ABOUT CODE THAT CAME UP. FINALLY, CAME UP WITH PURGE CANISTER AS THE PROBLEM. DID A SEARCH ON THE NET ABOUT THAT CODE, CAME UPON QUITE A FEW FORUMS WITH IT MENTIONED. NOW THE CARS INVOLVED WERE 1999-2002 CHEVY PRISMS AND TOYOTA COROLLAS. WHICH ARE THE SAME VEHICLE SOLD UNDER THE COMPANIES NAMES. MY WIFE'S CAR IS A 2001 PRISM. ALMOST ALL THE CARS HAD LESS THEN 100,000 MILES. TO REPLACE THIS CANISTER COSTS ABOUT $300.00, PLUS WHATEVER THE PRICE TO INSTALL IT. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A DEFECT. *TR

THIRD TAIL LIGHT IN BACK WINDOW PROBLEM ,I NOTICED A SMELL OF PLASTIC , THOUGHT IT WAS TURNING BECAUSE I TURNED ON THE HEAT ( DUE TO WEATHER CHANGING). I WENT INTO THE VEHICLE TO GET SOMETHING AND THE SMELL WAS VERY STRONG . I CHECKED THE BACK LIGHT ( WINDOW TAILLIGHT) ,IT WAS COMPLETELY MELTING THE PLASTIC LIGHT TAIL , REMOVED THE LIGHT. *JB

MY 2001 CHEVROLET PRIZM, WHICH HAS A TOYOTA ENGINE, STALLS WHEN ACCELERATED JUST AFTER STARTING. PUMPING THE PEDAL A FEW TIMES GETS THE CAR MOVING AGAIN NORMALLY. THIS TYPICALLY HAPPENS AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING IDLE FOR A WHILE. THE LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER LOOKED AT IT AND SAID THERE WERE NO ISSUES. THE SPARK PLUGS WERE CHECKED AND FOUND TO BE IN GOOD WORKING CONDITION. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. *NM

DT: THE CONSUMER STATE HIS 2001 CHEVROLET PRISM WAS HESITATING AND STALLING ON A COLD START. THE VEHICLE WAS STALLING IN THE MORNINGS WHEN THE ENGINE WAS COLD AND SET OVERNIGHT. THE WEATHER WAS NOT AN ISSUE WITH THE CAR. THE OWNER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THE OWNER DID HAVE A COPY OF TSB 1538049 WHICH INDICATED PROCEDURES THAT COULD BE DONE TO HELP WITH VEHICLE PERFORMANCE. THE OWNERS VEHICLE HAS ONLY 31,000 MILES, AND WAS ABOUT 4 YEARS OLD. THE OWNER TALKED TO GM, AND THEY SAID THAT WHAT EVER IT COST TO HAVE THE VEHICLE FIXED THEY WOULD USE AS A CREDIT ON THE PURCHASE OF A NEW VEHICLE. THE OWNER HAD THE AIR FILTERS CHANGED, CHECKED COMPUTER FOR CODES, THIS SHOWED MISFIRES PRESENT, REPLACED SPARK PLUGS, CLEANED AIR INDUCTION SYSTEM LAST YEAR. RECENTLY, IN JULY, THE CODES WERE CHECKED AGAIN AND THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANYTHING WRONG. THE REPAIR SHOP SUGGESTED THAT THE OWNER REPLACE THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. THAT DID NOT HELP THE VEHICLE. THE OWNER WENT BACK TO THE DEALER, AND HAD A DIAGNOSTIC TEST DONE. THE OWNER WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE EXPERIMENTAL SUGGESTION TO BE DONE ON THE CAR BECAUSE THIS WILL HAVE NO GUARANTEE THAT THIS WILL FIX THE CAR. THE OWNER WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE OF THE HESITATION AND STALLING. THE COST OF THE TSB SUGGESTION WILL COST SEVERAL THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. THERE WAS NO WARRANTY LEFT ON THE CAR. *AK *JB