1991 Geo Prizm 1.6 EFI 4 cylinder from North America

Summary:

Great car for the college student on a budget

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.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th July, 2001

5th Sep 2002, 21:04

My parents purchased a new 1991 Geo Prizm and I subsequently noticed that the lights of on-coming cars were diffuse during night travel. I also noticed that street light were diffuse. I have a Ford Ranger and this phenomenon is not observed on my truck. I believe there is a delamination problem with the windshield on my folk's Prizm. I went to Martin's Cheverolet in Reedley, California a few years back and they gave me the brush-off. Recently Martin's has called my mom seeking to drum up some business. I advised her to avoid using this dealer until the offending windshield is replaced with a non-diffusing one. I suspect a manufacturer defect is the cause of the problem windshield and it should have been replaced at no cost to my folks.

1991 Geo Prizm from North America

Summary:

I'd consider buying another... perhaps a light truck built as reliably

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.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th January, 2001

1991 Geo Prizm from North America

Summary:

A good little car if Geo has made some improvements in later models

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.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 29th June, 2000

1st Sep 2001, 03:18

I had a problem with the alternator on my GEO Prizm 1994 when the mileage reached 87,000.

James.

19th Aug 2002, 22:23

My 1991 geo prizm is an excellent car number one in my book.

12th Sep 2002, 21:47

My Prizm needs the alternator replaced about every two years or so It didn't start doing that though until the car reached about 100,000 miles.

1991 Geo Prizm 1.6 from North America

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.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th May, 2000