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1997 Geo Metro

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1997 Metro.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 1997 Geo Metro was a compact passenger car built on GM's Saturn-derived platform and powered by a modest three-cylinder engine—a configuration that prioritized fuel efficiency over performance. With 72 owner complaints recorded for this model year, the 1997 Metro fell between the model's peak complaint year of 1995 (121 complaints) and its later low point in 2001 (6 complaints), placing it in a transitional period in the model's reliability trajectory; the primary concern among owners centered on engine and engine cooling systems, and a single recall was issued. This positioning suggests that while the 1997 Metro was not the most problem-free Metro produced, it represented an improvement over earlier iterations and laid groundwork for the model's eventual reliability gains in subsequent years.

Model year1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Lug nut torque45 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 26R · 390 CCA battery, OE oil filter 19468075. Note the factory engine air filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 26R · 390 CCAOEM · verified

Tail / brake / turnFUSEOEM · verified

Tire sizeP155-80R13OEM · verified

Wheel / rim4.5-B inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	19468075 alt 25325406
Engine air filter	25099249 discontinued
Fuel filter	12366545
Spark plug	19302733
Front wiper blades	15757007 alt 91171295
Serpentine belt	30016435 alt 30014091
Thermostat	96069300

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 45 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid

DOT 3

Engine torques

Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor Bolt(s)	7.5 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor Bolt(s)	7.4 ft-lbs
Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Bolt(s)	7.4 ft-lbs
Camshaft Sprocket and/or Gear Bolt(s)	44 ft-lbs
Camshaft Sprocket and/or Gear Bolt(s)	43 ft-lbs
Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Bolt(s)	8-14 ft-lbs
Oxygen (O2S) Sensor Bolt(s)	29-36 ft-lbs
Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Bolt(s)	11 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts

45 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-2
Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-4-2
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	850 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	50 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	850 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	50 rpm
Ignition Coil Primary Resistance	1.35-1.65 ohms
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance	22,100-29,900 ohms

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.33 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	GM part number 12345923 or equivalent.
Oil Capacity	3.30 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	26R
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	390 cca
Standard BCI Group Number	26R

Service checks

Pressure Test	13 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	12.8 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	190-197 °F
Pressure Test	15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	188-206 °F
RPM	13-20 @ Idle rpm
Injector Primary Resistance	0.5-1.5 @ 68 degreesF ohms

Brakes

Brake Application	WITH SOLID ROTOR / WITH VENTED ROTOR
Torque Caliper to Bracket	29-43 ft-lbs / 18-26 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	45 ft-lbs / 29-43 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.039; Rear: 0.039 specification
Brake Application	WITH SOLID ROTOR / WITH VENTED ROTOR
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.0005 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.004 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	0.394 in / 0.67 in

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 30,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 mi	Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate) · Weatherstrip Seal (inspect)
Every 15,000 mi	Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel Tank (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap (inspect)
Every 30,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Timing Belt (inspect) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
Every 60,000 mi	Brake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Spark Plug Wires (replace) · Vehicle Wiring Harnesses (inspect)
Every 100,000 mi	Fuel Filter (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 1997 Geo Metro sits in a clear improvement phase for owner complaints: its 72 complaints are down sharply from the generation's 1995 peak of 121 and lower than the immediately preceding 1996 (98) and 1994 (87), though still above the quieter 1998-2001 period. The broader arc shows complaints rising from 1990 through 1995 and then steadily falling, while manufacturer technical service bulletins trended upward—1997's 17 TSBs are the highest of the 1990-1999 stretch and signal ongoing service guidance, yet the data does not specify root causes. The single 1997 recall comes after a recall-free 1996 and is one of only two recalls from 1995 onward, while investigations remained at zero, consistent with every year since 1993. Reported top complaint areas were Engine & Engine Cooling (12), Power Train (9), Air Bags (7), and Service Brakes, Hydraulic (5), with 13 crash-related and 2 fire complaints. For a used-car buyer, 1997 is a relatively moderate-risk year within this generation: complaints are meaningfully off the peak, but the recall and elevated TSB count still warrant a pre-purchase inspection focused on engine, transmission, and brake condition.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

13 involved a crash · 2 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’94 ’95 ’96’97’98 ’99 ’00 ’01

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 72 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine & Engine Cooling12

Power Train9

Air Bags7

Service Brakes, Hydraulic5

Visibility4

Seats4

Fuel System, Gasoline3

Seat Belts3

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

98V225001Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Park/Neutral Start Interlock SwitchReported 21/09/1998

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE. THE SHIFT LEVER APPEARS TO BE IN "PARK," BUT CAN EASILY BE MOVED FROM THE "PARK" POSITION WITHOUT THE USE OF THE KEY, TRANSAXLE LEVER DETENT… Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SHIFTER ASSEMBLY. UNTIL THE VEHICLE IS SERVICED, OWNERS ARE ADVISED WHEN SHIFTING TO "PARK," ALWAYS APPLY THE PARK BRAKE BEFORE RELEASING THE SERVICE…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 17 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIP4723D	2020-01-31	Electrical System	This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
PIC4696E	2019-11-22	Equipment	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how…
17NA073	2019-09-18	Equipment	This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action…
PIC4696D	2019-09-05	Equipment	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how…
17NA073	2019-02-15	Equipment	This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Metro. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 26R battery Engine oil filter 19468075 Engine air filter 25099249 Fuel filter 12366545 Spark plug 19302733

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

Does the 1997 Metro have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.