IllustrationGAS GETS STUCK IF PEDAL IS ALMOST TO THE FLOOR BOARD, THESE ENGINES DO NOT LAST OVER 80,000 MILES. MY NEIGHBORS HAD EARLY ENGINE FAILURE AS WELL. *AK
1996 Geo Metro
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Geo Metro do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 36.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Metro 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: 5 of 88 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.
- Air Bags. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
27 crash reports5 fire reports18 injury reports
What owners actually said
88 reportsWHILE DRIVING DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT GAVE AWAY, CONSUMER LOST CONTROL FOR A MINUTE, BUT WAS ABLE TO KEEP CONTROL, CONSUMER STATED IF ON HIGHWAY MAY HAVE BEEN WORSE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING, AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AT TIMES, DEALER STATED AIRBAG SYSTEM NEEDED REPLACED, HOWEVER AFTER REPLACEMENT THE AIRBAG LIGHT BECAME ILLUMINATED AGAIN, DEALER FINALLY AGREED TO GIVE A REFUND AS A GOODWILL POLICY. *SLC
STEERING WHEEL ABLE TO SPIN IN CIRCLES WITH NO RESISTANCE, OR ANY EFFECT ON STEERING MECHANISM, CONDITION FINALLY STOPPED, NEXT FEW DAYS A NEW IGNITION LOCK WAS INSTALLED. *CJ
DIMMER SWITCH CONNECTION BURNT CAUSING HEADLIGHTS NOT TO WORK ,AFTER REPLACEING DIMMER SWITCH FUSE BOX THAT IT CONNECTS TO BURNT OUT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED HAD SAME PROBLEM WITH 1991 METRO. *AK
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 20MPH ON A HIGHWAY AND ROADS WERE SLIPPERY. SHE APPLIED BRAKES, AND VEHICLE SLID INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WAS A FIVE CAR PILE UP ON THE HIGHWAY, AND CONSUMER'S WAS THE FOURTH VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY AT ALL. SHE WILL CONTACT THE DEALERSHIP. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.*AK
I OWNED A 1994 AND A 1996 GEO METRO I WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON WITH THE 1994 AND MY AIR BAG DID NOT GO OFF. WHEN I REPORTED IT THE DEALER SAID I DID NOT HIT THE SENSORS RIGHT. SO I BOUGHT ANOTHER ONE A 1996 LSI. I HIT A CHEVROLET S10 GOING 15 MPH WITH NO TIME TO BRAKE AND NITHER ONE OF MY AIR BAGS WENT OFF IN THE CAR. THE F…
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I OWNED A 1994 AND A 1996 GEO METRO I WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON WITH THE 1994 AND MY AIR BAG DID NOT GO OFF. WHEN I REPORTED IT THE DEALER SAID I DID NOT HIT THE SENSORS RIGHT. SO I BOUGHT ANOTHER ONE A 1996 LSI. I HIT A CHEVROLET S10 GOING 15 MPH WITH NO TIME TO BRAKE AND NITHER ONE OF MY AIR BAGS WENT OFF IN THE CAR. THE FRONT BUMPER ON THIS CAR HAD BEEN REMOVWED FOR REPAIR AND WAS NOT IN PLACE AT THE TIME OF ACCIDENT. THE WHOLE FRONT END WAS DAMAGED CLEAR THROUGH THE FAN AND RADIATOR SO THE AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE GONE OFF THAT TIME. JUST THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT I OWNED TWO OF THE GEO'S AND HAD TWO ACCIDENTS AND IN NITHER CAR DID THE AIR BAGS DEPLOY.*AK
CANT CHECK BREAK LIGHTS.
PASSENGER AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION,DRIVER POSSIBLY HIT A PIECE OF BRICK IN THE ROAD ONLY, NO PASSENGERS WERE IN CAR, DRIVER AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY, REPORTED TO GM, NO ACTION TAKEN, BROUGHT TO TRIANGLE CHEV, PORT ARTHER TX, STAYED IN SHOP 3 WKS, THEY SAID HAD NO MACHINERY AVAILABLE TO TEST IT BUT SAID THIS WAS …
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PASSENGER AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION,DRIVER POSSIBLY HIT A PIECE OF BRICK IN THE ROAD ONLY, NO PASSENGERS WERE IN CAR, DRIVER AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY, REPORTED TO GM, NO ACTION TAKEN, BROUGHT TO TRIANGLE CHEV, PORT ARTHER TX, STAYED IN SHOP 3 WKS, THEY SAID HAD NO MACHINERY AVAILABLE TO TEST IT BUT SAID THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE.
THE DRIVERS SIDE BRAKE CYLINDER LOCKED UP AND CAUGHT ON FIRE TWICE. *AK
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.