Research · complaint index
Chevrolet Prizm years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say
We compared 5 model years of the Chevrolet Prizm by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. No single year stands far above the rest.
Complaints per year on the road
1.0 = typical year for this model
| Year | Complaints | Per year on road | Index | Recalls | Crashes | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 32 | 1 | 0.8 | 1 | 4 | Typical |
| 2001 | 50 | 2 | 1.3 | 1 | 8 | Typical |
| 2000 | 35 | 1 | 0.8 | 1 | 5 | Typical |
| 1999 | 43 | 2 | 1.0 | 1 | 8 | Typical |
| 1998 | 45 | 2 | 1.0 | 1 | 9 | Typical |
- 200232 complaints · 1 recallTypical
- 200150 complaints · 1 recallTypical
- 200035 complaints · 1 recallTypical
- 199943 complaints · 1 recallTypical
- 199845 complaints · 1 recallTypical
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Nov 8, 2026
About this comparison
What Chevrolet Prizm years have the most complaints?
No Chevrolet Prizm model year drew more than twice the typical complaint rate among the 5 model years compared. The highest was 2001.
Is this a reliability rating?
No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.