Chevrolet (Geo) Prizm

regfootball · January 2000

that would have been a nice bonus!!

pigshouse · January 2000

According the the owner's manual, the '98 Prizm LSi w/tachometer instrumentation should have a low-fuel warning light. Mine has never come on, even with a near empty gas tank. Dealer couldn't fix it. Has anyone else experienced this?

hsthsthst · January 2000

Mark,

Don't feel bad. GM hardly gives a $2000 rebate.
Unless they are going to have a redesigned Prizm this year.(which is not the case here)

Steve

twk2 · January 2000

In 1990 I bought a new Prizm and Corolla. I still have both with about $500 in repairs to each. Prizm needed headliner, radiator, thermo., door latch. Corolla needed A/C work, starter. Routine maintence for each also. 90k on both cars and Im happy. Just put cv joints on the Toyota. Prizm boots have been blown for 3 yrs. Prizm is better ride but interior parts broken and washer jet never worked. Toyota is perfection and faster.
Remember these are '90's. Is $15,500 fair price for '00 Corolla LE w/auto and mats?? Any other '90 owners still out there?

twk2 · January 2000

In 1990 I bought a new Prizm and Corolla. I still have both with about $500 in repairs to each. Prizm needed headliner, radiator, thermo., door latch. Corolla needed A/C work, starter. Routine maintence for each also. 90k on both cars and Im happy. Just put cv joints on the Toyota. Prizm boots have been blown for 3 yrs. Prizm is better ride but interior parts broken and washer jet never worked. Toyota is perfection and faster.
Remember these are '90's. Is $15,500 fair price for '00 Corolla LE w/auto and mats?? Any other '90 owners still out there?

spkorn · January 2000

We ordered a '00 LSi first week of January. Dealer told us 8 weeks, but no confirmation yet. $1,500 rebate in Northeast exists until Jan 31 and extra $500 GM discount for current owners and their relatives expires then too. We're kind of expecting basic $1,000 rebate will remain in effect, but dealer couldn't promise of course. We're gambling by ordering what we want vs. taking what we don't want from a limited lot selection.

Steve

wenyue · January 2000

$15,500 for Corolla LE automatic with mats? That's more than enough, it's more like you are sending the car salesmen on a vacation.

Here is what I paid for my 99 Corolla LE automatic with mats and factory security/keyless entry system -- $14,317. And I am very happy with my car. Just wish my 99 model had the VVt-i engine that the 2000 models have. DOH!

Of course that was January 1999. So the 2000 Price will be up a little. So you can probably expect to pay $14,500 for a Corolla LE automatic with mats (but no security system). Check out www.carsdirect.com for a ball park figure on what you can expect to get the car for on the market. Another place to look is www.carorder.com.

Oh, another thing, there is a $500 incentive on Corolla VE and CE until the end of this month (I think, or you can take 2.9% financing?). Worth it to check it out. Toyota only does incentives couple of times a year, and only for a short while. Good luck.

twk2 · January 2000

My local dealer (by e-mail) claims $15,500 for CE or VE only...yea, yea... I'm in no hurry. However, both my '90 Corolla and Prizm have a winter problem with door locks in recent cold weather. There not frozen (temps 35-40) but hard to open (like stiff). Glad I'm in the South--anyone have similar problem and does it get worse?
Also, to ammend earlier post--clock in Prizm never kept time worth a d... Well, yearly property taxes here on new cars are more than all repairs in 10 yrs.!!

wenyue · January 2000

$15,500 for CE or VE?! What a rip off!

But you live in the south? Uh Oh! Do you live in Toyota's South Easter distributor network? If you do, then I can see where the inflated cost comes from. Unlike other states, SE states toyota dealer go through a middle man -- "distributors", and the middle man tack on some 50 cents junk and put pass some extra charges to you. hmmmm...

As for the door lock. yes, my old 87 Chevy Nova (toyota clone before it was renamed Prizm), used to have that problem. It's the locking mechanism. I think the oil/greese in there has something to do with it. You just got to use a little extra force, or you can try one of those ice melting drop bottles from stores, just stick it into the key hole and see if it will loosen things up. Good luck.

P.S I live in Michigan, it gets alot colder than 35-40 degrees over here. So my case might actually be a frozen mechanism while yours may not be. Good luck.

meshuga139 · February 2000

Hi Folks,

I got my 2000 Prizm LSi a couple of weeks ago. On the evening I took delivery I noticed that my new car smelled bad. I just chaulked it up to off-gassing from the plastics and rubber used in Manufacturing...

Now, it's 13 days later and I noticed the smell again today. I noticed it in the afternoon when I got into the car for the commute home...It was sitting in the parking lot all day and it was about 35 degrees F most of the day. The smell reminded me of ammonia. Has anybody else noticed this smell???

As it's winter here in NH, I don't think it would be mold on the air conditioner....

Is there anything I can do to get rid of this smell or will it simply go away as the car gets more miles on it?

Thanks in advance...

bugged99 · February 2000

Response to Pigshouse #103. I have a '98 LSI with tach. The low fuel light does work but only comes on when there is VERY little gas left (about 1 gallon). When the fuel gauge reads BELOW empty, the light comes on dimly at first and gets progressively brighter as the fuel is used up. When the light is bright, get gas!!!! I found this out after my wife borrowed the car and didn't notice the light...

use1time · February 2000

I have a '94 Prizm with the 1.6L engine and a 5 speed. I am trying to change the timing belt. All the manuals say to stabilize the crankshaft by removing the flywheel inspection plate and securing the flywheel. They even have pictures of the procedure. Only problem is that all illustrations are of the 1.8L engine. From what I can tell the 1.6L engine does not have an inspection plate.
I emailed Toyota (their engine) and they referred me to GM. I emailed GM and - you guessed it, they referred me to GM. Can anyone out there tell me how to secure the crankshaft on this engine. This is obviously something well beyond the ability of anyone at GM or Toyota.
Thanks to all.

Kevin

use1time · February 2000

ZI meant to say that GM referred me to Toyota. I could still use a way to stabilize the crankshaft.

Thanks again

Kevin

gchernya1 · February 2000

You can put the car into gear and apply a parking brake - it is 5 speed!

regfootball · February 2000

we got our new prizm. 4800 miles on it. It's just like new.

Still has a little new car smell. I don't think it will ever go away.

My gripe......

nothing to gripe about. Aside from wishing it had stiffer suspension and wider tires (and 25 more hp) all I can say is

-trouble free
-good looking small car (especially with my new hubcaps!!!!, yeah baby yeah, 5 spoke, got at Target for 15 bucks a set- passed on the faux chrome)
-cheap on gas now with gas up over 1.50, I really love the SUV owners whining about high gas prices except I'll be whining when an Excursion broadsides my Prizm
-All I see is that this will be a trouble free cars for many years with proper maintainance.

Even after that though, I wish I would've waited and got a Focus ZX3.

moniquie · February 2000

I looked at cars today and am torn between 2, a 95 Prizm and a 96 Prizm. The difference is that the 95 has about 66k miles and the 96 has 53k. The price difference is going to be at least $1000, and that is a huge amount of money for me. Has anyone owned one of these cars long enough to know how much of a difference a year really makes? I am getting rid of a car that has caused endless repair problems for me and I don't want to start visting mechanics anytime soon.

Also, when I test drove the engine seem so teeny to me. I currently have a Taurus with a 3 liter V6 engine, which I love, (but hate the car). Will I get used to the car's size?

stanhope · February 2000

I'm considering buying a 94 GEO Prism with 88,000 miles on it for my daughter. Is this a reliable vehicle?? Any particular types of mechanical problems with these cars, and is this dangerous mileage, from a repair perspective?

twk2 · February 2000

I have a '90 Prizm and can tell you the car has been fine. With 98k miles it's needed a radiator,
headliner, thermo, wheel cylinders, door latch,
just basics that total less than 1 yr. of property taxes on a new one! Never left me stranded and the newer ones are probably better.
Stanhope- with 88k check repairs made (mine needs cv joints & valve cover gasket-- $500 soon)
Ensure routine maintenance, watch and listen for anything abnormal and you've got a dependable ride.

plapinta · February 2000

I have a '94 Prism, 5 speed. It has 112,000 miles. Only problem was a leak in the radiator at 32,000, covered under warranty, nothing since then. I think it's a great comuter car.

chrisinohio1 · March 2000

I just bought a 97 prizm with a 3 speed auto. Looked hard for a stick but could not find one and was in a jam for a car. The car I bought has low miles, looks and runs great. My problem is, when I pull out from a stop, the car gives a noticeable thump, like hitting a bump, when I get up to 10 mph, then no other problems. It does not do it all of the time, but gradual accelerations are worse than fast ones.
The dealer told me it was a dirty modulating valve in the trans and ran a cleaner through it. That did not seem to help much. I do not know if it is a problem to deal with or live with. Has anyone seen this problem before?

chrisinohio1 · March 2000

I just bought a 97 prizm with a 3 speed auto. Looked hard for a stick but could not find one and was in a jam for a car. The car I bought has low miles, looks and runs great. My problem is, when I pull out from a stop, the car gives a noticeable thump, like hitting a bump, when I get up to 10 mph, then no other problems. It does not do it all of the time, but gradual accelerations are worse than fast ones.
The dealer told me it was a dirty modulating valve in the trans and ran a cleaner through it. That did not seem to help much. I do not know if it is a problem to deal with or live with. Has anyone seen this problem before?

iabuoy · March 2000

I recently purchased a 1996 Prizm, and really enjoy the car. However, the defroster only seems to clear the side windows for the front seats, not the rear. This makes changing lanes on the Maine Turnpike on February mornings a real adventure. Anyone experience a similar problem? How did you solve it? Many thanks.

mazda323 · March 2000

Try to keep the car as dry as possible. Use rubber floor mats and get rid of any sluch that accumulates on them. Also, don't send any heat to the floor. This will melt any snow/sluch into water and make it evaporate. The suspended water vapour will then condensate on the first cold surface it encounters. In your case, it's the rear side windows, since they don't receive any heat from the defroster.
HTH

prizman · March 2000

Have a 1 week old base model that pulls left at freeway speeds. Dealer alignment did not fix.
Any suggestions?

regfootball · March 2000

mine pulls too, but not all the time.

check tire inflation, sometimes that can be a culprit.

dottino · March 2000

The majority of reports are regarding 1994 Geo Prizm manual transmissions. I wonder why? Cuurrently, I have a 1994 Geo Prizm with automatic transmission, which has been replaced twice with a new one each time.

I wouldn't recommend this car to my worst enemy.

sidrc · March 2000

I recently had a good-quality after-market stereo installed on my new 1999 Prizm. The cassette player - probably the tape head - is since picking up what sounds very much like electromagnetic noise from the spark plugs. No noise when the engine is turned off. I have heard that some people have come across this problem with their Toyota Corollas and Geo/Chevy Prizms. Any of you have any suggestions? The stereo installer has already replaced three brands and models of stereo and has tried various types of electromagnetic shielding, but with no perceptible effect. It looks very much like the car has a rather high level of EM radiation. Any ideas or thoughts? Thanks so much.

sidrc · March 2000

I recently had a good-quality after-market stereo installed on my new 1999 Prizm. The cassette player - probably the tape head - is since picking up what sounds very much like electromagnetic noise from the spark plugs. No noise when the engine is turned off. I have heard that some people have come across this problem with their Toyota Corollas and Geo/Chevy Prizms. Any of you have any suggestions? The stereo installer has already replaced three brands and models of stereo and has tried various types of electromagnetic shielding, but with no perceptible effect. It looks very much like the car has a rather high level of EM radiation. Any ideas or thoughts? Thanks so much.

shi · March 2000

I have a one week old Prizm, also felt a slight pull to the left. Didn't do anything to it yet though.

eeql · March 2000

I want to buy a 93 Geo Prizm, did anybody know something about it? and how much is it for 89k?

thanks,

lally · March 2000

My Prizm is 3 weeks old and is pulling to the left too! This must be a "Feature".

ldisler · March 2000

I own a 94 prizm lsi with a 5 spd and 1.8 engine,love this car 73k miles and only problem was a bad starter at 70k.with the 5 spd and 1.8 the car it quick.
Just found a 97 LSI with 1.8 and auto and door locks with 53k on it,bought it as a second car for my parents.car has all the service records and is in great shape.paid $4700 I think it is a bargain, any other thoughts on this price. thanks

snitsela · March 2000

I recently purchased a 1998 Prizm with 26K miles. Upon test driving the car it pulled hard to the right, if you were to let go of the steering wheel, you would be in the ditch for sure. The dealer performed an alignment and was unable to cure the pulling. He moved the tires around and found the pulling to move with a specific tire. ANSWER: Bad belt in the tire, and wholla it goes straight down the road now. The first thing I will do and would do when buying this car: Replace the tires, the factory tires are pieces of crap and will drive and wear like it! No snow traction to speak of. They also make a whole lotta noise going down the road.

Bill

twk2 · March 2000

I have a '90 Prizm and the new car tires were the only ones to skid on me. They lost 10 lbs air/mo. and lasted only 28k mi. I use Pep Boys 4 for $100 and they are great (no plug for Pep Boys--make sure they install long stems so you can add air).
Maybe the manufactures buy seconds-- we see a name brand and are impressed.

meandmyman1 · March 2000

I am just about to purchase a 1996 Geo Prizm. It has 48,000 mi,auto,ac and a sunroof. The asking price is $8995. Is that a good price? How much should I try to talk them down? I know this car has great reviews. Also, anyone who has owned one...what kind of repairs should I expect in the near future?
Thanks!

snitsela · March 2000

I purchased a 1998 Prizm with 26,000 miles, auto, ac, cd player, rear defrost for $9850. The dealer was asking the usual $12995. I have seen plenty of 98 and 99 Prizms advertised with pricing in that range. Most of the newer used cars are rental car sales. I looked quite awhile to find this car, as it is a one owner, bought, serviced, and traded back in at the same dealer I purchased from. I would look in the Edmunds listing for pricing on the 96 Prizm, but if you can afford $8995 look for a newer lower mileage Prizm. If not, you can probably get the 96 for thousands less.

Provided the Prizm you buy was taken care of, you can expect the regular maintenance stuff with no major expenses.

Bill

ssautter · March 2000

I am looking for anyone who has had a good Prizm ownership experience--leased or bought. I am working on an ad campaign for Chevy Prizm and would like to incorporate owner testimonials. If you have anything good to say about Prizm's value, safety, dependability, quality, or overall vehicle, please e-mail me at ssautter@cecom.com. I appreciate any feedback.

kpdaugherty · March 2000

I bought a New 99 Prism in July 99. It now has 20,000 mile on it and is just great. No problems, no concerns, great gas mileage (38 highway, 33 city), 5 speed is wonderful. Had no troubles in the PA snow this winter with stock tires. Motor has the "normal" whine. All I do is drive it, change the oil, and rotate the tires. I praise this car daily to all who will listen. My next purchase will be trading in my 95 RAM on a Tundra.

regfootball · March 2000

I knew I wasn't the only one who thought the stock tires were complete garbage.

meshuga139 · March 2000

Hi,

I bought a 2000 Prizm LSi in January. While I was researching my vehicle purchase, I read plenty of disparaging comments and reviews of the tires which came standard with the Prizm (Firestone FR680).

When I bought my car, I drove across the street to NTB and had 4 new Blizzack winter tires installed on steel wheels. The winter tires were great during the days when the weather was nasty.

I commute 100 miles round trip from Portsmouth, NH to Scarborough, ME so good tires are important to me. Plus, the alloy wheels on my older car were ruined by winter road salt and I didn't want my new wheels to suffer the same fate.

I just had 4 brand new Michelin X-One tires installed on my LSi alloy rims. The car handles quite nicely with these tires. Traction, wet or dry, is excellent. Michelin X-Ones are rated very highly by owners on Tirerack.com and they have a 6yr. unlimited mileage warranty (Treadwear rating of 620!).

The Prizm has an excellent suspension so with decent tires the ride / traction / handling is really quite good...

As the Firestones were unused I was able to sell them to an appreciative corolla owner for $100. They were less picky about tires and unable to afford Michelins so the arrangement worked out great for both of us!

To anybody complaining about the stock tires, I suggest getting a good set of aftermarket tires. If you've got the base Prizm with P175/65R14 tires I suggest going with the P185/65R15 size which is standard on the LSi.

L8tr...

meshuga139 · March 2000

Oops! I meant P185/65R14 14-inch not P185/65R15 15-inch...

bcscobra · April 2000

What did Chevy do to the prizm? Someone I know had a '91 prizm. It was driven in stop and go traffic for 60k miles. Then their son bought it and put 70k miles on it without any problems. Solid, reliable, dependable. So, I thought a '94 would be great buy. The tires keep cupping despite routine maintenance. Hit a bump and it rattles and feels like it will fall apart. Two alternators were put in it already and the mechanic, who does work on all my cars and is reliable, says Chevy put rebuilt parts on the cares when it was on the assembly line. The starter went out at 55k miles. And the car shakes like a paint shaker when cold. The windows fog up and the ac has to be run the entire winter. Others I've talked with have had some of these same problems. After a Cavalier and the Prizm, no more small car chevy's. Maybe I just have bad luck with Chevy's. I'll stick with Mazda or maybe I'll try a new Neon or Civic.

hollydrumm · April 2000

I have owned my 1994 Geo Prizm for 2 years now and I absolutely love it! The only problem that I have had is that the windows fog up constantly. Either the heater or the air conditioner have to be running all the time or else you just can't see. I have a rear defogger and that's always going as well. Has anyone else experienced this problem? What have you done to fix it??

tr0ss · April 2000

The a/c vents on my 96 Prizm do not hold position.
They when trying to adjust the vertical position
of them (either up or down), they just move back
to the furthest up position. Apparently whatever
grip it used to use to sustain its position is
gone. This happened at about 35K miles. I was
wondering if anyone else has had a similar problem
and, if so, how to fix it. I live in TX and would
like the a/c to flow directly on me, so this problem is aggravating at times.

Thanks!

regfootball · April 2000

new 99 bought April 1, 1999

-ZERO defects / problems. NOT ONE THING. NOT ONE ASSEMBLY flaw. NOT ONE. nada

-33 mpg in town (5 sp.)

-a blast to drive

-stock tires suck

-100 percent satisfied but wouldn't mind stiffer suspension and better tires.

-the engine still seems to be breaking in and seems to be even more rev happy and zippy (580 miles)

Admittedly, if I was buying today I would buy a Focus or Protege, but I have no remorse about getting the Prizm.

My only remorse is not having a VVTi engine available or a having a wagon available.

fence-sitters....DO IT. You will be satisfied if you buy this car.

Oh year, still a little whining noise, but nothing that can't be covered up by the stereo at high volume.

I'm usually only this happy when I buy stereo equipment.

regfootball · April 2000

I was driving with a friend today in the Prizm. I was accelerating onto the interstate and was full-throttling it in third. ZOOM.

Later, we were talking cars and my friend said he was impressed with the acceleration on the Prizm. He said it surprised him and it seemed like the car had b*lls.

Nice complement coming from a guy who owns a small block Camaro and a Regal T-type turbo.

regfootball · April 2000

I am sure I would still lose big to Ruski's Grand Prix.

prismowner · April 2000

Hi, I just bought a new black 2000 Prism about 1.2 months ago. I love the car! Wonderful color but watch out for scratches! They're a pain to polish out on a black car, if at all! Nice suspension, nice ride, nice A/C (blows like wind tunnel when put on "hi" but cools really nicely : ). I wonder about the tires, though. I've only had the car a month so I can't gripe about them. I like the fact that the lights come on automatically at night and at low light (and they shut selves off so that takes care of another problem). I keep forgetting so it's a nifty feature : ) Nice turning radius on the car. I don't have much experience with compacts (had a 1980 caddy before) but it turns pretty tight. I am pleased with the CD player although it vibrates when put on high (though I have no intentention of damaging my ears anyway). My biggest problem with the car is this ... I keep mistaking it for somebody else's new corrola! If I didn't know any better, I'd swear it's a Corrola clone.

meshuga139 · April 2000

Hello,

Surprise! The Toyota Corolla and Chevy Prizm are manufactured by a joint venture between Toyota and GM. They call it NUMMI - New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. with a factory in Fremont, CA.

Check under your hood...you should see some parts labeled Toyota...The Prizm is essentially a Toyota Corolla with slightly different styling...

You didn't think that GM was producing that sophisticated 1.8L VVTi engine, did you??

L8tr...

regfootball · April 2000

hehehehe

GM seldom even produces overhead cams, much less variable valve timing.

The lesson is...

If you don't want to p*ss off your "buy American" friends by driving a foreign car, just buy the 'Chevy' Prizm and know you are driving a well built 'Toyota' and nobody can accuse you of being UN-AH-MEHR-KIHN

Chevrolet (Geo) Prizm

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