1993 Geo Prizm LSi 1.8 from North America

Summary:

An insignificant piece of junk that loves money and repairs

Faults:

The fuse box went into melt down mode.

The transmission revs up the engine, resulting in three engines that have thrown rods.

Must change the oil every 1500 miles.

Alignment drifts resulting is my having to align the car every 2 months or so.

Radiator leaks anti-freeze from an unknown location.

General Comments:

If you take it down to the basics, the car will get you where you need to go, but no where else and not fast.

It's a good car for kids that drive too fast cause the car will physically limit their ability to do harm.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 31st July, 2001

31st Jul 2001, 15:40

Give me a break Its got a 160,000 miles time to get a clue and a new car, you apparently have done something to the car cause I had one forever and NOTHING to this day has went wrong with the car.. and it has 248,000 miles on it!

14th Jul 2002, 23:31

I cannot personally believe your accusations about the Prizm, manufactured by Toyota. The 1.6 litre and 1.8 litre engines that Toyota supplied the Prizm with are exceptionally well built and seem to be designed for people that conveniently forget about maintenance. I should know- I have worked for a Toyota-Chevrolet dealer for over 2 years. If you purchased this car used, shame on you for not getting the vehicle maintenance records from the previous owner, that is probably where the problem began. If you purchased this car new, shame on you for either not maintaining it correctly, or not selling it to some other fool before you put in three motors.

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1993 Geo Prizm LSi 1.8 from North America

Summary:

A great buy if you can find one in good shape

Faults:

The door handles are cheaply made; I've broken two of them.

The body doesn't seem to be very dent-resistant.

General Comments:

Aside from the problem with the door handles, I'm very happy with this car.

It's never let me down, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for dependable transportation.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th June, 2001

1993 Geo Prizm LSi from North America

Faults:

The speedometer broke at 183,754 miles. It cost me $294 to fix.

Also, the front passenger window will not roll down, as it needs to be fixed.

General Comments:

This car is amazing. I have had very few problem with it, just as its previous owner.

The seats are comfortable and it handles perfectly.

Lastly, I would definitely buy another one as it is very reliable.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 23rd May, 2001

7th Sep 2010, 17:40

Great to see there's another satisfied Prizm owner out there. I would certainly buy another Chevrolet based on my own experience with my 1998 Prizm, which I still own as of this posting.

Alan.

1993 Geo Prizm LSi 1.8 from North America

Faults:

When I press the gas pedal, there is a hard, hard knocking that sounds like it comes from the front under carriage. It stops when I am maintaining a steady speed. Almost like a spring is out of alignment. It is not constant but when I push the gas pedal. I took it to the mechanic and they were unable to find any problems. Any suggestions?

Has anyone had this problem?

Please email:

darcyb_2000@yahoo.com.

General Comments:

Overall this has been a great and reliable car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th March, 2001

23rd Jun 2001, 13:51

It sounds like the timing chain. When placed under load like accelerating or going uphill the chain could be slipping on worn or broken teeth on the gear, or the chain is stretched. Then, when at idle or on a level road it catches and works.

If a mechanic checks the timing it will be done with the car just sitting there on idle with no load on the timing chain or gears, and they will misdiagnose the problem.

23rd Jul 2003, 07:54

You may want to ask your mechanic to check the car's motor mounts. The same symptoms existed on my '93 Camry and this was the problem.

Good luck.

1st Aug 2004, 18:19

I own a 1992 Geo Prizm LSI. Best car I have ever owned. I have just one question. When I set the timing after replacing the head gasket it says to set the timing to 10 degrees bTDC. When I do this and accelerate the engine it continues to retard the timing. Is it supposed to do this or is it supposed to advance the timing on acceleration. Please let me know.

Thanks.

Scott Harper

scottharper@verizon.net.