"How reliable is the 1996 Geo Metro?"

"Based on 116 NHTSA complaints, the 1996 Geo Metro has a median complaint mileage of 128842 miles. The most common issue is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL."

"What are common problems with the 1996 Geo Metro?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1996 Geo Metro is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL, accounting for a significant portion of the 116 total complaints filed."

1996 Geo Metro: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 116 complaints

116

Total Complaints

128,842mi

Median Mileage

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

115,250 25th Percentile

128,842 Median Mileage

141,685 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

AIR BAGS

SEATS

TIRES

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

SUSPENSION:FRONT

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"PASSENGER EJECTED OUT LEFT BACK WINDOW, RESULTING IN DEATH."

"VEHICLE WENT OFF ROAD INTO GRAVEL/CAUSING ACCIDENT/ROLLOVER. *DSH"

"CONSUMER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. TT"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28