Faults:

Replaced two batteries.

Front axle joints went out at 190000 miles.

Headliner came down at about 180000 miles.

Door handle broke on the interior.

Trunk leaks.

Shift lock override button must be pushed to shift out of park.

General Comments:

Overall, the car is remarkably reliable.

It's never left me stranded.

It handles great.

Take off is a little sluggish, but very quick after initial take off.

Great on gas mileage.

I find the interior to be very comfortable, especially the front seats.

The interior of the car is a little small, but overall, no complaints.

Faults:

Starter, in 1993, replaced.

Excessive clutch free play in cold weather... low fluid level to blame.

Pressure crack low on the windshield, where the defrost blew... mechanic and another owner had seen similar problems because the flow was directed right at the base???

We had it "armor coated", but the front of hood, grille has been chipped... taking care of the car, it hasn't rusted anywhere.

Manual extension antenna snapped off (other owners have experienced also).

Wiper arm bolt worn away, so occasionally the wiper fails until tightened.

After we bought it, we read a review (Car & Driver?) telling of window problems... we occasionally find the windows hard to roll up and down.

General Comments:

When we test drove it, it was the smallest of those we tested, but rode like a larger car. With the manual transmission, it has always had good pep in traffic.

It has been very reliable for us, replacing a larger car a couple of times for family vacations out of mechanical necessity. The trunk is large and useful.

It is somewhat slow to heat up and defrost. The tiny 1.6 L engine is sensitive to loads in cargo, hills or wind, in terms of gas mileage, but gearing allows it to continue performance in most cases. Got it pegged out on the speedometer once when a 'sleeping' slow driver 'woke up' as we were passing on a crowded two-lane.

Faults:

The alternator has given out twice, both times in highway driving situations with absolutely no warning - putting me in a very dangerous position. The inside door handles have broken on both passenger side doors. The little plastic piece that surrounds the gearshift came unglued, so that the mechanism is exposed.

General Comments:

I've been fairly happy with my Prizm and I love the way it drives. I had no problems with it at all for the first 3 or 4 years. But I think the '91 Prizms were made with too many cheap plastic interior parts. And I don't think I should have had to replace the alternator twice in less than 3 years! (The service station that replaced my second alternator told me this is a common problem with Prizms.) The seats are not very comfortable for long-distance driving either.

Faults:

The alternator has went out. The door handle broke and the knob on the window handle broke off, oh and the rear defrost quit working. I think the bearings are going in the front tires cause there is a loud clicking that started about 2000 miles ago.

General Comments:

This car will not DIE. Best of all it will fly even with all these miles it will still keep up with the new cars. I like the way it looks and drives, the controls are just in the right place. I'm about to have the car looked over totally and have everything fixed cause it still runs fine. The engine uses no oil at all.