Engine
2.2L 4-cyl
How to read this file. Complaint records are unverified owner submissions to the federal safety agency. Counts are raw, not adjusted for sales volume or vehicle age. Recall campaigns apply to the model; only a VIN check shows whether this car is affected or repaired. Parts shown are named by an editorial note or listed as a search directory; none is a diagnosis. Full methodology.
Fault profile
Complaint-component records on this vehicle, grouped by family. A complaint naming two systems counts once in each.
Complaints are owner-reported and not verified by the agency.
When it fails
The timing of this vehicle's reported failures, from the complaint file itself. A cluster tells you what to expect and when; it is shaped by reporting behavior as well as by the vehicle.
Vehicle age when the failure occurred
Years between the model year and the owner's reported failure date. Based on 78 of 108 complaints with a usable failure date.
Known issues
The component families with the most complaint records against this vehicle. Counts, crash and fire figures belong to the whole family, not to any single named issue. Parts listed are related system parts, not a diagnosis.
Lighting
26 complaint records
"WHEN HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH WAS EMPLOYED THE VEHICLE LIGHTS WOULD GO OFF. SWITCH BECAME HARDER TO OPERATE THEN IT FINALLY FELL OFF...."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse lighting parts in the directory →
Electrical system
23 complaint records4 fire reports1 crash report
"1) HITTING TREE HEAD ON @ 35 MPH DIDN'T TRIGGER AIR BAGS. 2) STEERING SMOKED SO BAD AFTERWARDS DUE TO BURNT WIRES. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse electrical system parts in the directory →
Air bags
21 complaint records1 fire report15 crash reports
"WHILE DRIVING NOTICED THAT SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. AFTERWARDS NOTICED THAT THE AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT WAS ON. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse air bags parts in the directory →
Federal defect investigations
Formal investigations opened by the federal safety agency into this vehicle. An investigation is the step between a complaint pattern and a recall; not every one results in one.
| Investigation | Status | Component | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|
| DP96014 opened Nov 1996 | OPEN | Air Bags | DEFECTIVE AIR BAG CRASH SENSOR CFAS SENT A FOLLOW-UP LETTER ON DECEMBER 12, 1996, TO CHANGE THE INTENT OF THE PETITION TO AIRBAG AGGRESSIVITY AND DEPLOYMENT VARIABILITY.NHTSA RECEIVED THE LETTER ON 12/12/96; ACCORDINGLY, THE PETITION DUE DAY WAS CHANGED TO APRIL 12, 1997.CFAS PETITIONED... |
| PE94062 opened Aug 1994 | closed Dec 1994 | Steering | STEERING COLUMN SMK/FLAMES There is no summary currently available |
| PE93009 opened Feb 1993 | closed Jun 1993 | Vehicle Speed Control | FUEL FILTER FIRES There is no summary currently available |
| EA92024 opened Jun 1992 | closed Jan 1994 | Vehicle Speed Control | STICKING THROTTLE There is no summary currently available |
| PE92021 opened Feb 1992 | closed Jun 1992 | Vehicle Speed Control | STICKING THROTTLE There is no summary currently available |
Show 2 more closed investigations
| Investigation | Status | Component | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|
| EA91023 opened Apr 1991 | closed Jun 1991 | Steering | STEERING WHEEL SEPARATION - led to recall 91V083000 There is no summary currently available |
| PE91048 opened Feb 1991 | closed Apr 1991 | Steering | STEERING WHEEL SEPARATION There is no summary currently available |
Recall campaigns
Safety-recall remedies are normally provided at no charge. Under US federal law the mandatory free remedy applies when the vehicle was no more than 15 years old at the time the defect was determined; manufacturers often cover older vehicles voluntarily. Canadian rules differ. Confirm eligibility with the manufacturer using the VIN. Each campaign number links to the federal record.
| Campaign | Component | Summary | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 91V083000 | Steering | NUT ATTACHING STEERING WHEEL MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY TIGHTENED DURING INSTALLATION. | Normally free |
Transport Canada recalls
Recalls issued under Canadian law for this model year, from Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database. Matched by model name, so a Canadian-market variant may appear here that was sold under another name in the US. Units are Canadian vehicles affected.
| Recall | System | Units (CA) | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991086 1991-06-05 | Steering | 5,858 | THE NUT ATTACHING THE STEERING WHEEL MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY TIGHTENED DURING INSTALLATION. THIS COULD ALLOW THE STEERING WHEEL TO SEPARATE FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. |
Service bulletins and warranty extensions
Manufacturer communications to dealers on file with the federal agency: repair instructions, service campaigns, and warranty extensions. A warranty extension means the manufacturer may pay for a repair the recall table does not cover.
| Bulletin | Type | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 876002A Jul 1998 | Engine And Engine Cooling | SOME V6 ENGINES MAY, ON A VERY INFREQUENT BASIS, HAVE AN OIL ODOR CONDITION THAT IS GENERALLY ENCOUNTERED AFTER THE ENGINE'S OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED.TYPICALLY THE ODOR LASTS APPROXIMATELY 1000 MILES AFTER THE CHANGE OF OIL AND THEN DOES NOT REAPPEAR UNTIL THE NEXT CHANGE OF OIL. *TT | |
| 9709015015A Sep 1997 | Service Brakes | COMPLAINTS THAT THE ABS INDICATOR LAMP IS "ON". *YC | |
| 433211 Nov 1994 | Steering | CRUNCH NOISE FROM RIGHT SIDE DASH AREA WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL. *TW |
Before you buy this vehicle
A test-drive checklist generated from this vehicle's own complaint and recall record.
- Do a full walk-around with every light on.Condensation inside a lens, a dim side, or a flickering tail light match this vehicle's lighting cluster.
- Sit in it with the engine off and test everything that has a switch.Windows, locks, lights, the cluster, the radio. Electrical faults are this vehicle's story and the hardest to see on a drive: an intermittent no-start waits for the second week of ownership. Ask for the battery's age and whether any control module has been replaced.
- Watch the airbag warning light through a full key cycle.It should light on start and go out within seconds. A light that stays on, or never lights at all, means the system needs attention. Run the VIN for inflator recalls specifically.
- Run the VIN against open recalls before you negotiate.This vehicle has 1 recall campaign on file. An open recall needs VIN-specific confirmation. Many are quick, no-charge fixes and worth negotiating over; an unresolved do-not-drive advisory, or a remedy the manufacturer has not yet made available, should stop the purchase until it is resolved.
- Ask for the service history in writing, then read it against this page.The complaint families above are where owners of this vehicle report trouble. Repairs in exactly those systems are evidence the car had the problem; no such repairs could mean it never developed it, or that it was never fixed. The test-drive items above are how you tell those apart.
Parts search directory
The generic parts list for this vehicle has its own page: a search launcher for every system, filtered by fuel type and era but not by engine, trim, or brake type. It is not a diagnosis and not a fitment guarantee.
Open the parts directory for this Chevrolet Corsica →