1994 Geo Prizm

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 GEO PRIZM. ON FEBRUARY 19, 2009, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WHILE THE CONTACT WAS TURNING THE VEHICLE. SHE SUFFERED SECOND DEGREE BURNS ON HER NECK, CHEST, AND FACE. IN ADDITION, HER NOSE AND FINGER WERE SWOLLEN. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND WOULD LIKE THE ISSUE INVESTIGATED. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 23,902.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 GEO PRIZM. WHEN THE CONTACT PLACED THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION, THE AIR BAGS IMMEDIATELY DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. SHE SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES AND CUTS TO THE LEFT SIDE OF HER FACE. HER FACE WAS SWOLLEN AND SHE COMPLAINED OF A SEVERE BURN-LIKE INJURY TO HER CHEST AREA. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 238,975.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT ABOUT 65 MPH, I BEGAN TO NOTICE A VIBRATION THAT WAS GETTING WORSE AS I DROVE ALONG. THE ROAD APPEARED TO BE IN VERY GOOD (SMOOTH) CONDITION SO, AFTER ABOUT 2 MINUTES, I PULLED ONTO THE SHOULDER AND EXAMINED THE TIRES BY FEEL TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING NOTICEABLE. THE LEFT REAR (DRIVERS SIDE) TIRE HAD A LARGE BULGE IN THE TREAD AREA. THE FAILURE OCCURRED UNDER THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS: * CAR IS A 1994 GEO PRISM LSI WITH 2 PASSENGERS AND A LIGHT LUGGAGE LOAD * TIRE WAS A WYNSTAR PHASER R23 SIZE 185/65R14 86T M&S * HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR ABOUT 8 HOURS AT 65 MPH * TIRE PRESSURE HAD BEEN PRESET AT 32 PSI * WEATHER CONDITIONS CLEAR AND DRY - TEMPERATURE APPROX. 85 DEG. *TR

DURING LIGHT TO MEDIUM BRAKING, THE ABS ACTIVE LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE AND THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WOULD BEGIN UN-LOCKING THE BRAKES. THIS WOULD BE DESIRABLE IN THE WINTER, ON ICE, IN A PANIC SITUATION. IT WAS HOWEVER DRY AND SUNNY ON THE NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED. NOBODY WAS INJURED DURING THESE MALFUNCTIONS, ONLY BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF OTHER TRAFFIC AT THE INTERSECTIONS INVOLVED. I TEMPORARILY FIXED THE PROBLEM BY REMOVING THE MAIN ABS RELAY. THE ABS IS DISENGAGED BUT THE VEHICLE CAN NOW STOP. *TR

DT: THE CONTACT TRIED TO ORDER A NEW DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT FROM A DEALER FOR 1994 GEO PRIZM. THE GM DEALER DID NOT HAVE IT AND COULD NOT GET ONE. THE CONSUMER ORDERED IT FROM TOYOTA. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS COMPATIBLE WITH A TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT WANTED TO COMPLAIN THAT HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET A SEAT BELT FOR HIS CAR FROM GENERAL MOTORS. ALSO, HE WAS CONCERNED THAT OTHER PEOPLE WILL NOT KNOW THERE WAS AN ALTERNATIVE FOR THIS.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROX. 30 MPH AROUND A SLIGHT RIGHT HAND CURVE, THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE BECAME SQUIRRELLY AND WHILE ATTEMPTING TO APPLY THE BRAKES THE LEFT REAR WHEEL ASSEMBLY BROKE FREE OF THE CAR WHICH CAUSED AN IMMEDIATE VEER TO THE RIGHT DIRECTLY INTO A UTILITY POLE. VISUAL EVALUATION OF THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY AND REMAINING SPINDLE SHAFT COMPONENTS REVEALED THAT THE OUTER WHEEL BEARING LOOSENED/FAILED AND WHEN WHEEL ASSEMBLY WOBBLED THE SPINDLE SHAFT SHEARED AT THE OUTER BEARING'S INNER RACE SHOULDER (I HAVE DIGITAL PICTURES).*AK MY DAUGHTER (OWNER & OPERATOR OF THE VEHICLE) WAS INJURED AS A DIRECT RESULT OF CONTACT WITH THE UTILITY POLE. HER INJURIES INCLUDED A FRACTURED RIGHT FOREARM, LACERATIONS, FACIAL BURNS FROM CONTACT WITH THE AIR BAG AND BRUISING FROM THE SEATBELT. THE CAR WAS TOTALED AND HAS SINCE BEEN JUNKED. IT HAD APPROX. 120,000 MILES ON IT

ON 5/1/03 I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AT LOW SPEEDS AND IT FELT LIKE IT WAS LOSING POWER AND WAS GOING TO CUT OFF. I APPLIED THE GAS AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO RUN. I DROVE TO MY HOME AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. WHEN I TRIED TO START THE CAR AGAIN, IT WOULD NOT START. ON 05/02/03, THE CAR STARTED BUT NOT AS QUICKLY AS NORMAL. I TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL AUTO REPAIR SHOP AND DESCRIBED THE ABOVE SITUATION. THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A DEFECTIVE BATTERY. THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY. ON 5/6/03, I HAD THE SAME INTERMITTENT STARTING PROBLEM. I TOOK THE CAR TO ANOTHER SHOP. THEY TOLD ME THE PROBLEM WAS A BAD ALTERNATOR. THE CAR HAS ABOUT 65,170 MILES ON IT. PRIOR TO THAT ON 07/31/00, THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED AT 47,662 MILES. PRIOR TO THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY ON 08/06/98 AT 28,515. THIS SEEMS EXCESSIVE. *NLM THE CONSUMER IS HAVING ALTERNATOR PROBLEMS WITH HER VEHICLE. *TC