Chevrolet Prizm 1998
Model Prizm made in 1998 by Chevrolet got 34 consumer complains there is 1 recall as well as 4 service bulletins. Consumer complaints with reference, among others things, to air bags, communications and electrical system. Technical service bulletines regarding engine and engine cooling, fuel system, other and power train. There was one recall concerning suspension . The car has one 1.8 engine.
Model 1998
| Engine [L] | Cylinders | Transmission | Drive | Estimate MPG (city/highway/combined) | Unadjusted MPG (city/highway/combined) | Fuel | Fuel cost | Class | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8 | 4 | Lockup/automatic, 3 gears | F | 28/33/30 | 30.957/41.9033/35.0808 | Regular | 624 | COMPACT CARS | |
| 1.8 | 4 | Lockup/automatic, 4 gears | F | 28/36/31 | 31.6209/45.6812/36.7048 | Regular | 606 | COMPACT CARS | |
| 1.8 | 4 | Manual, 5 gears | F | 31/37/33 | 34.2666/47.9643/39.3196 | Regular | 568 | COMPACT CARS |
Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | ||||||||||||||||
| 10E002000 | RIDE CONTROL, LLC | E (Equipment) | 12657 | 03/15/2010 | MFR | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 02/11/2010 | 02/11/2010 | ||||||||
| Defect Summary | Ride control is recalling certain front strut mounts branded as gabriel ride control or arvinmeritor, p/nos. 142435, 142193, 142305, 142303, sold as replacement equipment for the vehicles listed above. the affected front strut mounts did not contain a weld joint between the bearing housing and the rate plate. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | The absence of the weld can allow the strut to come out of its mounting position under certain extreme driving conditions which could cause damage to surrounding vehicle components increasing the risk of a crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Ride control will notify owners of record and replace the affected parts free of charge. the safety recall began on march 15, 2010. owners may contact ride control at 1-248-458-1396. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | This recall only pertains to aftermarket gabriel ride control or arvinmeritor front strut mounts and has no relation to any original equipment installed on vehicles manufactured by general motors, nissan, or toyota.owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov . | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 3174 | 10010596 | Service engine soon light due to dtcs p0440 p0441 and or p0446. *eh | 12/01/2004 | ||
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER - STORAGE - TANK ASSEMBLY - PRESSURE RELIEF DEVICES | |||||
| 3046 | 01/01/2004 | 10009581 | Fuel tank pressure parameter information. *tt | 10/07/2004 | |
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||||
| 98839009 | 05/01/1998 | 601055 | Comments of a delayed upshift when the cruise control is engaged. *yc | 06/24/1998 | |
| VISIBILITY - REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES - EXTERIOR | |||||
| 000851001 | 09/01/2000 | 6092333 | Some customers may comment that the black plastic housing around the outside rear view mirror turns chalky or is dull in color. *tt | 12/05/2000 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | |||
| 12/05/2012 | 125000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet prizm. the contact stated that while driving 45 mph over loose gravel, the contact temporarily lost control over the vehicle. the contact then attempted to regain control but ended up over steering, causing the vehicle to roll over several times before coming to rest in a ditch. the vehicle was destroyed. none of the air bags deployed. the driver suffered a mild concussion and whiplash. the manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. the vin was unavailable. the failure and current mileage was 125,000. kmj | |||
| 12/05/2012 | 125000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet prizm. the contact stated while driving 45 mph her tires came into contact with loose gravel causing temporary loss of control. the driver then attempted to regain control and over corrected the steering causing the vehicle to roll over several times before coming to rest in a ditch. the vehicle was destroyed. none of the air bags deployed. the driver suffered a mild concussion and whiplash. the manufacturer had not been notified. the vin was unavailable. the failure and current mileage was 125,000. dt | |||
| 02/20/2000 | 3 | ||
| Airbag light would come on and flash. dealer would then replace airbag module. light had come on 3 different occasions. on second incident airbag was reset. on third incident dealer replaced airbag computer relay.*ak *slc | |||
| Air bag sensor light would flashes on and off, indictating a defect. vehicle taken to dealer shop, and informed that air bag module has shorted out, and needed to be replaced. provide any further information on this matter.*ak | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | |||
| 04/30/1999 | 5 | 11/24/1998 | |
| Consumer has frontal & side airbags. they don't deploy, but the sensors go out which means they will not work & the airbag light stayed on. vehicle has been repaired through the dealer 5 times. gmc said there was no problem. however, if it happened again they would order another part. vehicle has also had problems with engine surges, ac trouble, and trunk leaking, for all of which vehicle has been serviced for. *ak *ml | |||
| 10/24/1999 | 12/03/1998 | ||
| Airbag light comes on indicating a problem with the front or side driver's & passenger's airbags, which may deploy unexpectedly or wont deploy at all in event of a crash, failing to protect the occupants. been to dealer since oct. 24, 1999, and dealer cannot determine the cause of the problem. manufacturer said they may rewire the vehicle,s system. *ak | |||
| While traveling 65 mph, and as a result of an accicent by hiting a wall, air bags did not deploy at any time. driver sustained injuries. *ak | |||
| AIR BAGS - SIDE/WINDOW | |||
| 04/30/1999 | 5 | 11/24/1998 | |
| Consumer has frontal & side airbags. they don't deploy, but the sensors go out which means they will not work & the airbag light stayed on. vehicle has been repaired through the dealer 5 times. gmc said there was no problem. however, if it happened again they would order another part. vehicle has also had problems with engine surges, ac trouble, and trunk leaking, for all of which vehicle has been serviced for. *ak *ml | |||
| COMMUNICATIONS - HORN ASSEMBLY | |||
| 04/05/2000 | 34000 | 1 | |
| Horn is inoperative. dealer notified. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - STARTER ASSEMBLY | |||
| 12/27/2001 | |||
| A malfunction occurred within starter which caused a electrical short circuit to occur ,causing entire electrical system to become inoperable. please give any further details.*ak | |||
| 12/21/2001 | |||
| Consumer was traveling about 30mph on highway and heard a grinding noise. then, vehicle froze up/ nothing would work. starter burned up everything in the dash. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 04/30/1999 | 5 | 11/24/1998 | |
| Consumer has frontal & side airbags. they don't deploy, but the sensors go out which means they will not work & the airbag light stayed on. vehicle has been repaired through the dealer 5 times. gmc said there was no problem. however, if it happened again they would order another part. vehicle has also had problems with engine surges, ac trouble, and trunk leaking, for all of which vehicle has been serviced for. *ak *ml | |||
| EQUIPMENT - ELECTRICAL - AIR CONDITIONER | |||
| 04/30/1999 | 5 | 11/24/1998 | |
| Consumer has frontal & side airbags. they don't deploy, but the sensors go out which means they will not work & the airbag light stayed on. vehicle has been repaired through the dealer 5 times. gmc said there was no problem. however, if it happened again they would order another part. vehicle has also had problems with engine surges, ac trouble, and trunk leaking, for all of which vehicle has been serviced for. *ak *ml | |||
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES - DOORS - LATCH | |||
| 01/08/2001 | |||
| I bought my 98 chevy prizm in oct. 1999. within a couple years the door handles started to break, one after another. i tried to get chevrolet to repair them when 2 handles were broke, and when 5 were broke, said i need diagnosis, costs money, i dont have, now 8 are broken. my car is a death trap!! | |||
| 1 | |||
| Door lock is difficult to reach due to design. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 11/18/2003 | 132900 | 2 | 07/27/1998 |
| 1st time: automatic transmission failure, total internal, at around 63000 miles, early summer 2000. called chevrolet for request assistance for repair, request denied. maintenance done per schedule. replaced with used transmission with 6000 miles on it. 2nd time: automatic transmission failure, internal. reverse and neutral go forward. about 132900 miles on car. november 2003. car set in neutral nearly hit closed garage door. maintenance done per schedule. overhauled/rebuilt at transmission repair shop. *la | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - ANCHORAGE | |||
| 1 | |||
| Seat belt buckle damages door when released due to design. | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - RETRACTOR | |||
| 01/05/1999 | 2 | 03/01/1998 | |
| Seat belt will not retract when unfastened and driver side door is opened. when driver exits vehicle, seat belt flies out of car, hitting the outside of the car. the unretracted belt also prevents car door from shutting until manually retracted. | |||
| SEATS | |||
| 09/14/2002 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states that in a rear end collison both front bucket seat backs collapsed backwards on impact. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK | |||
| 06/01/2099 | |||
| Abs light went on while i was driving. computer check at qua buick-pontiac in shaker heights, oh 216 561-1177 in october 2001 revealed that the pmv valve had failed. mileage at time was 52,836. part listed was $1,046. isn't this early to have an abs failure? are there other similar problems? please advise. thanks.*ak | |||
| 04/01/1998 | |||
| Abs light is coming on and staying on.consumer contacted dealer. *ak | |||
| STEERING | |||
| 100 | 08/01/1998 | ||
| The car accelerates and deaccelerates on its own and cause the steering to malfunction. | |||
| 04/15/1998 | 04/04/1998 | ||
| While driving 70 mph or more the steering system malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to sway from side to side which almost resulted in an accident. cause unknown, dealer cannot determine problem. *ak | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE | |||
| 07/01/1998 | 06/01/1998 | ||
| Security system failed, purchased from separate source. yh | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR | |||
| 10/01/1998 | 1 | 07/06/1998 | |
| Power lock botton became loose. yh | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - TRUNK LID | |||
| 04/30/1999 | 5 | 11/24/1998 | |
| Consumer has frontal & side airbags. they don't deploy, but the sensors go out which means they will not work & the airbag light stayed on. vehicle has been repaired through the dealer 5 times. gmc said there was no problem. however, if it happened again they would order another part. vehicle has also had problems with engine surges, ac trouble, and trunk leaking, for all of which vehicle has been serviced for. *ak *ml | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - STABILIZER BAR | |||
| 09/14/1998 | |||
| Vehicle is not equpped with the front stabilizer bar, which could cause vehicle to roll over when making a turn. *ak *ml | |||
| 12/01/1997 | |||
| Vehicle does not have a front stabilizer bar. | |||
| TIRES | |||
| 02/25/2001 | 1 | 07/01/1998 | |
| Tire blew & bursted. causing loss of control. car pulled to extreme right. *ak (dot number: w17j fl6 tiresize: p185/65r14) | |||
| 10/13/1998 | 1 | 05/21/1998 | |
| Tire experienced blowout. firestone - dot w18jf6l497, size - p175/65r14. | |||
| Driving on highway, the tires grooved in the road, making it unstable to control steering. on five occasions driver lost control, attempting to veer from hitting another vehicle. ritchey fipps chevrolet is aware of another vehicle having same problem in which they can't determine cause. *ak | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | |||
| 100 | 08/01/1998 | ||
| The car accelerates and deaccelerates on its own and cause the steering to malfunction. | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - LINKAGES | |||
| 11/10/1998 | |||
| Consumer has experienced a problem with accelerator. accelerator made the vehicle move by itself, causing the consumer to be involved in a frontal collision. the manufacturer has not been contacted. *ak | |||