1994 Geo Metro 1.3 from North America

Summary:

Outstanding bargain for how it keeps going

Faults:

Air conditioner quit at 35,000, and had to replace compressor.

Problem keeping alternator belt tight to prevent squealing.

Normal wear and replacement of brake pads, city driving causes faster wear-out of pads.

Driver window roller problem.

General Comments:

Car has no serious mechanical problems.

Excellent car for running around town.

Daughter now drives and it is a great first car. I plan on keeping until it falls apart.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th January, 2003

1994 Geo Metro 3 cylinder 1.0 litre from North America

Summary:

Cheaply made, but very economical and reliable transportation

Faults:

Exhaust leak at the manifold.

Broken interior door handle. Bought one on eBay for $30.

Hatch supports shot.

Cylinder #2 bad when I got it. Cylinders #1 and #3 have 150 pounds compression, but #2 only has 118 pounds. I'm told a dirty or clogged EGR valve is the cause. A lot of Metros have uneven compression.

Heater core shot.

Have to slightly depress the gas pedal or it won't start. Once it starts I have to keep the pedal slightly depressed or it will stall. If the car sits for a couple of months it's very hard to start.

Squealing belt when cold. Broke an alterntor belt a few months ago.

General Comments:

Despite the above problems I love the mileage. I see other people posting mileage as high as 54 miles per gallon. In straight city driving conditions I get 35 miles per gallon. On the open road going 45 miles per hour I've never got anything less than 60 miles per gallon.

I own a second '94 Metro 3 cylinder manual with 64,000 miles on it and I got 70.5 miles per gallon on one leg of the trip I made out west. That car averages 66 miles per gallon at 45 miles per hour. The trick is to try to stay at 45 miles per hour which is hard to do if you want to make time.

There is a lot of road noise and the integrity of the parts, like door handles, knobs, plastic parts etc., is poor.

At 6'2" and 220 lbs I have no problem with head height or leg room.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th November, 2002

22nd Feb 2004, 14:20

It is kinda silly to purchase a car used with over 100,000 miles on it, then complain of any of its mechanical troubles. Given the cars age and mileage when purchased I find it great that it still gets so good economy! What a great car the Geo Metro must be! It's a pity Chevy killed it. I will be looking for a Metro, now for my second car.

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1994 Geo Metro 1.0 from North America

Summary:

A commuters dream car!

Faults:

The car is so small that it gets pushed around by the wind and standing water.

I had to replace the clutch at 210,000 miles.

The fuel pump went bad at 240,000 miles and was costly to fix.

General Comments:

This car just keeps going, I will just drive it until the wheels fall off.

At 6'8" 240 lbs. I fill the car up inside, but I do fit in it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st September, 2002

22nd Sep 2002, 19:51

How many times you had the engine rebuilt? I've never seen one of these things to even get to 200k on two engines and I work at Chevrolet-

1st Dec 2002, 17:32

I have a 96 Metro 3 cyl manual that went 174K until it lost compression on one cylinder. I am trying to decide what to do at this point. I have never even changed the timing belt.

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1994 Geo Metro from North America

Summary:

Great gas mileage in exchange for no acceleration.

Faults:

Alternator belt snapped.

Car burns oil.

Replaced entire brake system (front calipers, front and rear shoes, rotors, brake pads)

Front wheel bearings need to be replaced.

Timing belt needs to be replaced.

Entire hydraulic system needs to be replaced.

Speakers are blown, and there are no back speakers at all.

General Comments:

This car gets incredible gas mileage.

The guy I bought the car from ripped me off and said that he had just replaced the brake pads, and that the car shook when you braked because the front calipers were out of alignment. I found out a couple of weeks later that the car had no brake pads and because of that the entire system was nearly destroyed and had to be replaced.

I don't like the design having the seat belts on the door rather than the body of the car--it makes the car less safe.

No one I know can figure out how to read the oil dipstick.

The factory speakers are not good, so I am putting in my own.

I would recommend this car. It performs well and I love the gas mileage. Just be careful and don't get ripped off.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 27th August, 2002

21st Nov 2004, 18:15

I bought a 1994 Geo Metro from a dealer. I won't mention the dealer, but I got ripped off at 2000 dollars. The head or whole engine needs to be replaced, but I love everything about the car. Some people are telling me just to trade the thing back in, but I won't do that. The people who tell me that just don't like small cars. I will get the new engine and have a good car for a long time! My uncle has one with 300,000 miles on it, and he still loves his!

21st Nov 2004, 21:07

The head is easy to change on the Geo, they can be done a day and you can get a used one for like 50 bucks or so, or a whole engine for a few hundred.

13th Jan 2006, 13:52

I bought a 94 metro 6 years ago, drove it for 4 years and then gave it to my wife. This is a fantastic little car! It currently has 220000kms and is still going strong. 2 years ago I replaced the timing belt and water pump which cost me under $200 including labour. I also had to replace the window gears on the drivers side, but that was no big deal. It gets great gas mileage, 46mpg in town 62mpg on the highway. My only complaint is the lack of leg room, but that's a small price to pay for such a cheap dependable car. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one for my wife or myself. It's too bad they don't make them anymore.