7.6
pretty bad- Typical Repair Cost:
- $1,830
- Average Mileage:
- 98,850 miles
- Total Complaints:
- 29 complaints
Most common solutions:
- not sure (12 reports)
- keep adding oil (8 reports)
- purchase oil weekly! (4 reports)
- rebuild engine ($2300) or replace engine with used ($2000) (2 reports)
- rebuild head and new rings (2 reports)
- replace oil ring (1 reports)
Car is using a quart of oil every 50 miles. It hasn't even broke 100k miles. It is getting so bad that I burn everyone in my family's old oil. I have to go to the car wash once a week because the oil burned off creates a soot on the back. I might have to invade a small oil rich middle eastern country to satisfy the thirst of this beast!
If anyone files suit against this company, please notify me @ mike_lozinski@yahoo.com
- Mike L., West Lafayette, IN, US
Have to add oil nearly as much as gasoline. Still looking for a fix.
- Tim R., Iron River, MI, US
totally shocked that chevy and especially toyota would put this engine on the market.what where they thinking?they are going to lose so many customers including me.i just bought the car thinking how lucky i was to buy a car so inexpensive that will practically rust away before the engine went bad boy was i wrong.i have driven about 100 miles only and the oil level dropped from the full mark to the add oil mark.so i did a little research and found out that toyota undersized the pistons and put oversized piston rings in the engine to save money if that is correct then all that needs to be done is put in correct pistons in the engine.i think that is not asking to much unless they want to leave the customer screwed over and lose more money in the long run.shame on you toyota you went from being number 1 on my list because of prior toyotas i have owned to being last.fix the damn problem. whats wrong with you - most of your customers are blue collar workers and can't afford to be throwing cars away and buying new ones.
- gpete, Lincoln Park, NJ, US
My 2000 Chevy prizm is eating oil like a large man eating cake! Not sure why check eng. light is on but it has nothing to do with the eng, not real sure why it dose it. Can anyone help?! its a sound car no real problems. I would just really like to fix the problem with out doing a eng. R&R.
- tcoffey, Fowler, IN, US
1998 TO 2002 TOYOTA COROLLAS AND CHEVY. PRIZMS. 1.8L MOTOR ARE HAVING A BAD MOTOR. MY 00 CHEVY. PRIZM USES 1 QT. EVERY 100 MILES. IT DOESN'T SMOKE THROUGH THE TAILPIPE, NOT LEAKING, JUST DISAPPEARED.
I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THESE VEHICLES. WHY AUTOMAKERS MAKE SUCH BAD MOTOR LIKE THIS? HOW CAN I GET RID OFF THIS CAR? I CAN'T JUNK IT, IT'S STILL CLEAN AND HAVE DECENT BODY SHAPE WITH ONLY 60K MILES ON MOTOR. I JUST HATE TO POP THE HOOD EVERY TIME I AM STARTING TO GO SOMEWHERE. CARRY A CASE OF 12 QTS OIL IN THE TRUNK ALL THE TIME. WHEN I FOR SALE THIS CAR, DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN EVERY ISSUES WHAT WRONG WITH THIS CAR TO THE BUYER? IF NO, I FEEL BAD ABOUT LAYING, IF YES, DO YOU THINK THE BUYER GOING TO BUY IT? WHAT CAN I DO??????
- turboxiong, Fond Du Lac, WI, US
I bought my car from buy here pay here place casue it was my only choic. ive spent 3500 total on this pof and it still has check engine light on and is going through quart of oil at least a week
- desertsreign, florence, KY, US
the car was great on gas, it had ice cold a/c, the damn thing must of been part chainsaw or weed whacker!
- derikok, Pauls Valley, OK, US
I have been waiting patiently and all these dang shops I have taken it to aint done a dang thing to it or aint good enough to fix it. So if you want something done you have to do it yourself.But I know how I need to do it I just hadn't got round to it.
- jarhead gbtusmc, Centreville,al, AL, US
After reviewing carcomplaints.com, on 11/22/2000 on my chev 2000 prism and finding out that other people have the same complaint, I will use this site to choose another car.
- jamesmford2003, Green Bay, WI, US
Screw American made cars! I am tired of people saying we have to buy american just to buy american, I have been burned one to many times buy American cars and I have had enough. My next car will be a Honda.
Anyways, I bought my Prizm two years ago when it only had 40,000 miles. I immediatly started noticing that it burned about a quart of oil every 400-500 miles. The real problem came when I took a cross country trip. My car started devouring a quart of oil every 150 miles!!!! OUTRAGEOUS!!!! I literally added about 30 quarts of oils into my car during that trip. I notice that the car goes through oil MUCH faster if you drive 55mph or over, so it seems to have something to do with high speed.
Anyways, I feel burned. All I needed was a good car and this is the third time I trusted american cars and got screwed. I am glad that they went bankrupt and I am glad that enough people don't take their crap and buy reliable cars.
- Joseph L., Waterford, MI, US
Has anyone found a solution to this problem yet? (Excessive oil use)
Thanks
- Jed B., Provo, UT, US
THE MAIN problem is definitely EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION!!! It is almost to the point that the ONLY way to maintain the proper oil levels is to attach a modified intravenous system to constantly supply oil to the thirsty engine! This car was purchased used for our daughter to get to and from school. Like so many others in the 2000-2001 vintage of this poor substitute for a Corolla, the oil is most noticeable at the dipstick as mechanics have not found oil leaks and until recently no oil appeared to be burning. I'm sure a compression test would show one or more cylinders are contributing to the problem. Defective valve guides and/or seals have plagued Dodge Caravans in the 1988 -1990. You could see oil burning then as it looked like you were fogging for mosquitoes when at idle, while the vacuum pressure was highest. RECALLs aren't happening in this country UNLESS they are deemed safety issues. Otherwise dealers/service departments get "service bulletins" that generally John & Jane Q. Public won't see. Yes, this is one reason that GM have been associated with poor reliability ratings. The customer pays and pays and its is hard to tell if even bankruptcy will teach these folks. All automakers have struggled with really making the customer's satisfaction their #1 goal. Ford just got a grip on themselves a bit earlier and stopped making things they were no good at, i.e. their mini-vans, and concentrated on fewer models with a greater concern for the customer. Ralph Nader has been too busy running for President the last few decades so no one really comes to bat for those of us who tried to buy and then afford owning American models. Sad really! Mourning unfortunately won't pay for the cars and the repairs and the oil and the rough running vehicles that lead to destroyed engines. Disappointing to see that even a poorly conceived "Cash for Clunkers" program won't take cars like this, because the EPA determined they get combined mileage of 26-28 mpg or are too new!!!
- Jeffrey A., Risingsun, OH, US
I randomly came across this site and I could not help but laugh. As I write this, my car is awaiting tomorrow's diagnostics at a nearby shop that I have been going to. It is increasingly clear that I am pretty much screwed. Mentioning the amount of oil my car consumes is embarrasing. And yes...it disappears and the only remaining evidence is the rear bumper's dark coat of exhaust.
- Nate S., Minneapolis, MN, US
I had my fuel sensor cleaned as the engine was running lean and using a quart about every 400 miles. Now it is using less. About a quart every thousand. I've had the best luck with Castrol and Valvoline oils ( 10w 40). I bought may car new and now it has 132,000 miles on it. It started using oil at about 90,000 miles. I took good care of it and didn't run it hard. I have done just regular maintenance over the years and had no major problems.
Barry
- swartzlander, Butler, PA, US
I know this has been posted a million times already...I just bought a 2000 Prizm and a 2001 prizm. The 2000 had a blown engine due to running it out of oil and the 2001 was was rear ended and totalled. Anyway, I swapped engines so I am nopw driving the 2000. I got her fired up this past weekend and drove it probably 150 miles (give or take a few) and this morning on the way to work it was making a nice little knocking sound and shaking pretty bad. I got her to work and checked the oil....nothing. That would mean this engine burned 4 quarts in less than 200 miles. No leaks and no smoke out of the exhaust...just dissapearing. Anyone come up with a solution yet....or should I drive it into the lake?
- shawnohio, Latty, OH, US
Bought my 2000 prizm in Dec 2008 with 97000 miles on it and it has been an oil drinker from the time i bought it. Uses about 2 quarts a week. From what i read and have heard this is a common problem and GM said its not there problem but Toyotas. Hmmmm seems to me it has Chevy on it even tho it is a Toyota.
Guess this is why GM is going bankrupt. They do not stand behind there products just keep selling junk. Myself i will not buy another GM product and if i ever buy a new one it will be a Honda. Goodbye GM.
- Charles E., Wooster, OH, US
Just drove 500 miles on the freeway...and added 8 qts of oil!! Been reading other posts - I think I've decided to just drive this one to work, and take my wife's car when I/we go out of town. Too bad WalMart doesn't sell a 50qt bottle!
- Mark D., Fishers, IN, US
chevy and toyota should be ashamed of the problem
and consumer reports love this car WHY ??????
I HAD 2 PRISMS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM DEFINITELY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT
- taszdevil, akron, oh, US
Car was purchased new, taken care of w/ regular oil changes etc etc etc;
a few years ago, it began using a quart of oil each week. This increased until it was very nearly empty after a week of commuting.
Several parts were replaced, like the Mass Air Flow sensor, the oxygen sensors, and finally the CAT converter (due to oil fouling and failure to pass inspection). A few times early on the oil loss appeared to stop dead, for a period of a couple of weeks, then suddenly start to drop again.
We tried a stop-leak product, which proved to be a very bad idea. It slowed the loss temporarily, but then a gasket at the front of the engine weakened and oil blew out onto the radiator fan, spraying up onto the engine as if from nowhere. That leak was fixed professionally, after which the oil loss continued at an only slightly lower rate.
Oil is evident on the tailpipe, though no smoking is visible. There is no visible dripping of oil under the vehicle. The import shop we had taken it to to replace the converter is completely at a loss for a fix, and they work on Corollas frequently.
- Mitch A., Rolesville, NC, US
Starting in 2011 my car would ate a quart of oil every 1500 miles. In 2020 it eats a quart every 650 miles. So it has increased. It is annoying, but manageable.
- Tim S., Skokie, IL, US