Chevrolet Prizm Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 151 consumer complaints across the 5 model years of the Chevrolet Prizm (1998–2002) that have at least 5 complaints. 2001 has the most, with 45. Across all years, the part named most often is engine cooling (29 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Prizm model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 19 | 67,000 | 0 | 276 | — | Stable |
| 2001 | 45 | 62,000 | 0 | 247 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2000 | 24 | 56,000 | 0 | 226 | — | Stable |
| 1999 | 36 | 78,000 | 0 | 25 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1998 | 27 | 128,950 | 0 | 18 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Engine cooling29 24%
- Air bags27 22%
- Electrical system15 12%
- Tires12 9.9%
- Latches, locks and linkages11 9.1%
- Body and structure9 7.4%
- Seat belts9 7.4%
- Exterior lighting9 7.4%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2001: “I have had a 2000 Chevrolet Prizm and now someone threatened my life to force me to buy a 2001 Chevrolet Prizm. The windows of these cars fog up too severe to drive in minor or major rain and freezing rain. When it rains we have to pull over to the side of the road on highways and in cities and towns and wait for it to stop raining for the car to be safe to drive. Most all other cars have windows that are safe to dive with but these cars are not safe for driving in the rain.”
NHTSA complaint #11338779, filed 2020-07, 100,000 miles1999: “At 70 miles/hour my general motors power steering assist was on full assist and caused an accident. General motors secretly removed the power assist, replaced it and then jimmied the entire car to present false evidence that the accident was caused by bad driver car maintenance. They then denied the claim based on photographs they had taken of my car after they had changed everything. The accident on 7/20/2018, occurred on a highway during a sunny late morning. The car was totaled. …”
NHTSA complaint #11155706, filed 2018-12, 240,000 miles2000: “After owning the car for just a few months, bought new, I noticed that the seat belt warning light would come on/off as it pleased. Sometimes with being belted in, it would show up, and othertimes it would be off. The repair estimate for this job at the dealership was over $300.00, saying they would have to replace the entire seatbelt. A bit off to me.”
NHTSA complaint #10086233, filed 2004-08, 2,000 milesOther Chevrolet models
19,366 complaintsChevrolet Silverado 1500
18,111 complaintsChevrolet Impala
10,408 complaintsChevrolet Tahoe
10,060 complaintsChevrolet Equinox
9,208 complaintsChevrolet Silverado
8,790 complaintsChevrolet Blazer
8,199 complaintsChevrolet Suburban
8,170 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology