IllustrationDRIVER'S RESTRAINT DOES NOT RETRACT OUT. DEALER HAS REPLACED RETRACTOR PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT,AND PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED WITHIN 12 MONTHS.*AK
1993 Geo Prizm
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1993 Geo Prizm do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 46.
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: 3 of 77 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 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. 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.
21 crash reports2 fire reports15 injury reports
Seat Belts complaints
9 reportsINTERMITTENTLY THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT RESTRAINT BECOMES INOPERATIVE. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED THE RESTRAINT PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. *AK
FRONT SEAT PASSENGER'S HARNESS CLIP IS FACING THE WINDOW INSTEAD OF FACING THE BUCKET MECHANISM. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK
FRONT SEAT PASSENGER SHOULDER HARNESS CLIP IS FACING THE WINDOW INSTEAD OF FACING THE BUCKET MECHANISM.CONTACTED DEALER. *AK
DRIVER SIDE SEAL BELT WILL NOT RELEASE. IT WILL NOT ALLOW DRIVER TO BUCKLE IN OR WILL LOCK DRIVER AGAINST SEAT. THE HAPPENS QUITE FREQUENTLY, WHILE STATIONARY AND DRIVING.
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WOULDN'T RELEASE EVEN WHEN TRYING TO BUCKLE IN.
DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT SEAT BELT LOCKS UP, PREVENTING DRIVER FROM BUCKLING UP AND MOVING. *AK
DRIVERS SIDE SHOULDER BELT EITHER WILL LOCK WHILE PULLING AROUND TO LATCH OR WILL PIN DRIVER IN SEAT. TT CONSUMER STATES SIDE SEAT BELT WILL LOCK WHILE TRYING TO FASTENED IT SO YOU CAN NOT PUT IT ON, ALSO WHE =N TRAVELING IT WILL PIN DRIVER TO THE SEAT.*JB
SEAT BELT BUCKLE CAME LOOSE AFTER HOLDING PASSENGER FROM GOING FORWARD. TT
Official recalls
196V107000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE
Jun 20, 1996
IF LIQUID IS SPILLED IN THE CONSOLE BOX AREA, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAN ILLUMINATE AND STAY "ON" DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS LEAKAGE CONDITION COULD CAUSE THE AIR BAG TO INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PROTECTIVE COVER OVER THE AIR BAG SENSOR TO PREVENT POSSIBLE MALFUNCTION CAUSED BY THE SPILLING OF LIQUID SUBSTANCES ON THE SENSOR. AIR BAG SENSORS DAMAGED BY PREVIOUS LIQUID SPILLAGE WILL BE REPLACED.
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
1EA97015 · Turn Signal Failures
Opened Jul 22, 1997 · Closed Sep 21, 1998
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting
There is no summary currently available