1997 Geo Metro LSi review from North America

A/C did not work when I bought it.

Windshield washer did not work when I bought it.

A/C Blower switch was broken when I bought it.

Battery needed replacement at 60,000 miles.

This is an excellent little commuter car. I like the body styling and it has plenty of interior and luggage room. I have the hatchback style. The car performs well and it is very maneuverable.

I bought the Geo used, with 40K miles on the odometer and some known minor mechanical problems. I also purchased a GM service manual for it as I planned to fix the problems and maintain it myself.

When I bought it the A/C had failed for two reasons. The blower switch did not work in some positions, and the system was low on refrigerant. According to the Chevrolet parts department, the blower switch is a common failure point on these cars and they sell a lot of switches. After getting the old switch out I found that the problem was that the back of the plastic switch housing likes to pop off because the snap-together catches are not designed very well. This prevents proper electrical contact. Also, the 1/8" ball bearing in the switch detent likes to fall out. I replaced the ball bearing and superglued the switch housing together and that fixed the switch problems. I also purchased a recharging kit for about $36 and recharged the A/C. This was easy to do and the A/C has worked perfectly for two years now (knock on wood). I use the A/C most of the year.

When I purchased the car (at 40K miles) it seemed sluggish, so the first thing I did was to install Bosch platinum spark plugs. That restored the performance and the car has continued to run great.

Since it rains a lot here I decided to fix the windshield washer. The pump is located inside the left front fenderwell and it was a little difficult to find, but the $13 replacement pump fixed the problem.

I drive it a minimum of 50 miles a day and this car has never failed me. It burns no oil (I change it every 3-4K miles) and it performs well. With 72000 miles on the odometer it is time to replace the two front tires. I will probably replace all four since they are only about $100 for a complete set.

Although it has power brakes, they seem weak. I'm not sure if this is a mechanical problem or a design problem, as I have read others with the same complaint. I may replace the master cylinder to see if it improves things.