1990 Geo Metro problems & reliability
39 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1990 Geo Metro. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Latches/locks/linkages → | 16 | 41% |
| Seat Belts → | 11 | 28% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 10% |
| Structure | 3 | 8% |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 5% |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 5% |
| Seats | 2 | 5% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 3% |
| Steering | 1 | 3% |
| Visibility | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The door latch handles stay up when opened. I have 2 door handles doing this, the front passenger side & rear driver's side. When the doors are openen the handles stay up and when the door is pulled shut the door will not latch. The window has to be rolled down and the handle pushed down to latch door. Note: this is…”
Latches/locks/linkages · filed Oct 5, 2001
“Engine is burning oil while driving, and smoke comes out really badly. Driver can't see traffic behind her. Consumer feels unsafe. *ak”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed May 1, 2000
“While vehicle was being driven at 75 mph, latch on the hood on driver's side broke, causing the hood to fly up and break windshield. Driver was able to pull to shoulder safely. Manufacturer was notified about the problem. Hood and windshield have not been replaced. Consumer believes that there was a recall on the hood…”
Structure · filed Mar 1, 2000
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SEAT BELT BUCKLES FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA95014 · opened Apr 25, 1995 · closed Jul 28, 1995 · led to recall 95V103007
- TAKATA SEAT BLT BCKLS FAIL
Preliminary Evaluation PE94092 · opened Dec 21, 1994 · closed Apr 25, 1995
- HOOD FLY-UPS
Engineering Analysis EA93006 · opened Feb 26, 1993 · closed Nov 26, 1993 · led to recall 93V189001
- REAR SUSPENSION FAILS
Preliminary Evaluation PE90084 · opened May 30, 1990 · closed Aug 14, 1990
Technical service bulletins
5 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1990 Geo Metro.
UNKNOWN
MSG01145 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 1995
The administrator of the us environmental protection agency (epa) and general motors have determined that certain 1990 geo metro vehicles with 1.0l engines may exceed high altitude carbon monoxide federal emission…
CAMP/90C51 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 1994
Message to dealers correcting incorrect information contained in manufacturer recall 90c51. *tw
MSG01396 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 1994
Message announcing manufacturer recall 90c51. *tw
MSG01383 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 1994
Message announcing manufacturer recall 90c51. *tw
MSG01398 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 1994
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1990 Geo Metro in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1990 Geo Metro?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.