IllustrationHAD A FRONTAL COLLISION, NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. TT
1994 Geo Prizm
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Prizm years
Owner complaints for the 1994 Geo Prizm are substantially higher than 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: 12 of 134 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 50 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
38 crash reports6 fire reports34 injury reports
What owners actually said
134 reportsWITHOUT RELEASING THE LATCHES THE HOOD POPS UP WHEN VEHICLE HIT GUARD RAIL IN ACCIDENT. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
SEATBELT RETRACTOR FAILED, SEATBELT WILL NOT GO IN OR BE PULLED OUT. TT
INTERMITTENT STALLING. *SD
UPON IMPACT, DURING FRONTAL CRASH AT APPROX. 20MPH, 12:00 ON FRONT BUMPER, DRIVERS AND PASSENGER AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY, CAUSE DRIVER'S HEAD TO HIT WINDSHEILD. TT
UPON IMPACT, DURING FRONTAL CRASH AT APPROX. 20MPH, 12:00 ON FRONT BUMPER, DRIVERS AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY, CAUSE DRIVER'S HEAD TO HIT WINDSHEILD. TT
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROX. 20MPH, SUDDEN LOSS STEERING CAPABILITY, VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND, INSTEAD HIT A POLE. TT
STEERING WHEEL JAMS WHILE IN OPERATION. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
CONSUMER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE ABS ANTI-LOCK BRAKE FAILED AND PASSENGERS AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY AND THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BELT DIDN'T RESTRAIN . TT
THE DRIVER SEAT BELT RETRACTOR WILL NOT COME OUT . 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