METRO

Chevrolet Metro Problems

What actually breaks on the Chevrolet Metro — 8 owner complaints filed with NHTSA across 1998–2000, sorted by model year and by system, with what owners wrote in their own words.

NHTSA owner complaints · 8 reports · 8 builds · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Quick answer

Owners have filed 8 complaints on the Chevrolet Metro, covering 1998–2000. The system named most often is Structure (3 reports). Worst years by volume: 2000, 1998, 1999; cleanest: 1999, 1998, 2000. 1 reports describe a crash, 1 a fire. On average the car was 13.3 years old when the problem happened.

What breaks on Chevrolet Metro

Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 8 Metro complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.

Structure 38% 3 Read
2000 Chevrolet Metro

The contact owns a 2000 chevrolet metro. The contact observed when the vehicle was parked on a slight incline, the rocker panels underneath the front driver and passenger doors exhibited rust. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The failure and current mileages were 72,000

2000 Chevrolet Metro

The contact owns a 2000 chevrolet metro. The contact stated that there was corrosion under the rear driver and passenger side doors. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that the rear sway bar assembly would have to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate…

1998 Chevrolet Metro

The contact owns a 1998 chevrolet metro lsi. The contact stated that the vehicle had an excessive amount of rust on the frame. The contact also stated that the tires have fallen apart including the tire wheel frame. The dealer stated that they did not care about this problem and would not offer any assistance. The…

Vehicle Speed Control 13% 1 Read
2000 Chevrolet Metro

The contact owns a 2000 chevrolet metro. While pulling in the driveway at approximately 3 mph, the vehicle accelerated spontaneously. As a result, the vehicle crashed into the garage door and wall. There were no injuries. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not…

Engine 13% 1 Read
1999 Chevrolet Metro

As I was driving on highway I-15 southbound, in san diego, ca, on sunday, february 8, 2015 at 4.40 pm, I heard a puttering / clinking sound from the engine. I sensed something was wrong. I could not increase the speed. I decreased the speed, came on the last (4th lane), toward the shoulder, put my hazard lights on. I…

Fuel System 13% 1 Read
1999 Chevrolet Metro

Corrosion of fuel inlet pipe on 1999 chevy metro isl 2 door,must be a very common problem, as it is impossible to find them in junk yards. This is a safety hazard as fuel leaks out of fuel tank and also causes the computer to not function properly

Engine And Engine Cooling 13% 1 Read
1998 Chevrolet Metro

The contact owns a 1998 chevrolet metro. While driving 40 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning and then immediately restarted automatically. The contact noticed that the vehicle stalled intermittently when the brakes were applied or when switching gears. The dealer was notified on numerous occasions and they…

Air Bags 13% 1 Read
1998 Chevrolet Metro

On march 3rd 2018 I started my vehicle in stationary position parked and my airbags deployed when I receive no warning or lights on about it I was not hit by another vehicle nor was I driving. I was parked in a parking structure in los angeles. I received injury to my face and wrist. My glasses were broken due to the…

Metro years to avoid — and the clean ones

Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.

FIG.02·Chevrolet Metro complaints by model year
Model yearComplaintsTop systemCrashesFires
20003Structure1
19992Engine1
19983Air Bags
ROWS 3·SOURCE NHTSA owner complaints

The same model year, different builds

Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.

FIG.03·Chevrolet Metro complaints by production series
MeasureValue
Distinct production series8
Average complaints per series1
Worst single series1 complaints
Average age at failure13.3 years
ROWS 4·SOURCE NHTSA owner complaints + ForCar

A model average of 1 hides a worst series at 1. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.

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How we count

Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.

A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.

Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.

Frequently asked questions

What are the worst years for the Metro?

By complaint volume, 2000, 1998, 1999 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.

Which Metro years are the cleanest?

1999, 1998, 2000 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.

How many complaints does the Chevrolet Metro have?

8 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 1998–2000. Of those, 1 describe a crash and 1 a fire.

Are these complaints verified?

No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.

Can I check complaints for one specific car?

Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.

Owner complaints from NHTSA, published as filed and unverified. Age at failure computed by ForCar from incident date and model year; production series grouped by the first 11 VIN characters. Last updated Aug 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.