IllustrationWHILE DRIVING 50 MPH THE VEHICLE HIT A DEER AT A FRONTAL IMPACT WHICH CAUSED SERIOUS DAMAGE TO FRONT END. DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, WHICH DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
1997 Geo Prizm
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 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: 11 of 50 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.
- Seat Belts. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
13 crash reports2 fire reports4 injury reports
What owners actually said
50 reportsCONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH DRIVER'S SIDE SAFETY BELT. SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILED TO RELEASE, THEY TEND TO JAM UP IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK *ML
SEAT BELT FAILED SEVERAL TIMES RESULTING IN LOCKING UP.
SEAT BELT HAS LOCKED UP AT THE RETRACTOR. THE BELT WILL NOT RELEASE ITSELF OUTWARD. *AK
NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG DURING COLLISION.
TRANSMISSION FAILED.
VEHICLE DOES NOT CONTAIN A FRONT STABILIZER BAR, RESULTING IS LOSS OF CONTROL OF STEERING.
HAD APPLIED EMERGENCY BRAKES ON SLIGHT GRADE; VEHICLE STARTED TO ROLL; EMERGENCY GEAR WOULD POP LOOSE. HAPPENS WHEN CONSUMER IS IN/OUT OF VEHICLE. *AK
VEHICLE WAS TOTALED FROM RUNNING INTO A WALL AND GUARDRAIL AT 60MPH, AND DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
RECALL REPAIR NOT PERFORMED ON AIR BAGS DUE TO UNAVAILABILITY OF PART.
Official recalls
197V043002 · Air Bags
Mar 20, 1997
IF THE AIR BAG COMPUTER IN A SUBJECT VEHICLE EXPERIENCES A MECHANICAL SHOCK (I.E., RAPIDLY MOVING THE FRONT SEAT BACK AGAINST THE STOPS OR A SUDDEN RELEASE OF THE PARKING BRAKE) WITHIN A VERY SHORT TIME AFTER THE ENGINE IS STARTED, THE AIR BAG CAN DEPLOY INADVERTENTLY.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: UNEXPECTED AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT CAN RESULT IN OCCUPANT INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE AIR BAG COMPUTER.
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.