1993 GEO Metro Problems

What owners report

For this model year the sample is small and varied, but the most common owner report is the hood lifting or flying open while driving, often at highway speeds. Owners also describe electrical faults such as lights going out and battery problems. Some reports say the hood latch recall work did not fully stop the problem.

1. 1
   Latches, locks and linkages

   Hood flying up or opening while driving

   • 9 complaints (18%)
   • median 113,042 mi at 12.8 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • filed 1997–2005

   Owners describe the hood lifting or flying open while driving, in some cases coming off and hitting the windshield or roof. Complaints describe cracked hood latch or striker parts, and some say the latch stayed faulty after recall work was done. Some say the dealer treated the repair as out of warranty, and others say the manufacturer declined recall work, citing rust on the safety catch. Most reports do not give mileage, and the hood opened at speeds of about 35 to 70 mph, including a report at about 113,000 miles.

   Recall 93V189001

   What to check: Check whether the VIN is covered by recall 93V189001 and whether the recall work was completed, and inspect the hood latch and striker for cracks or rust. A test drive should confirm that the hood stays latched and does not lift at speed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Dt: consumer states he found a recall on the NHTSA website, #93v189001. The hood flew up and off, hitting the roof and damaged the hood. He was going approximately 40 MPH. There was no warning; it had been about a week since the hood was opened. The dealership said it was out of warranty and he would have to pay for it himself and the VIN was not part of the recall. There is a case file number,1-348-257471. There was almost a accident and there was not a police report.”

   NHTSA complaint #10128334, filed 2005-07, 113,042 miles

   “Recall #93v189, structure hood assembly: driving approximately 35mph and hood flew up on vehicle. Vehicle has not been repaired. Gm will not honor the recall,saying the safety catch had rusted on it and that's why it did not catch.”

   NHTSA complaint #810247, filed 1997-03
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Electrical faults such as dead battery or lights out

   Mentioned in 4 of 22 sampled complaints

   Owners describe electrical faults linked to a corroded fuse box circuit board, headlights that stop working, and tail and dash lights going out while driving. Other complaints describe a battery found dead at startup, and an engine sensor failure tied to sluggish running and warning lights that stay on. Mileage is mostly not stated, and these reports were filed between 1995 and 1999.

   What to check: Ask whether the battery, fuse box, and wiring have been checked for corrosion, and test all exterior lights and dash warning lights during the test drive. Ask for the repair history of any electrical or sensor work.

   An excerpt from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Consumer states the circuit board within the fuse box corroded, causing various electrical malfunctions. Head light become inoperative, vehicle will continue to run with key out the ignition. Consumer states the fuse box is hot all the time and it destoyed the ignition box.”

   NHTSA complaint #818336, filed 1997-11

Buying note. For a model of this age, confirm whether the hood latch and striker recall was completed and inspect the latch area before buying. Ask for records of electrical repairs and test every light, since the sample also includes lighting and battery faults.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 22 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.