GeoTracker 4WD1996Overview/geo/tracker-4wd/1996/base/

1996 Geo Tracker 4WD

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1996 Tracker 4WD.

Transmission Automatic 3-spd

The 1996 Geo Tracker 4WD Overview is a four‑wheel‑drive model equipped with a three‑speed automatic transmission and posting EPA fuel‑economy figures of 21 mpg city, 22 mpg highway and 21 mpg combined. Reliability records indicate that this year produced the highest owner‑complaint total for the 1990‑2002 period—88 reports—with the leading issue area being engine and engine cooling, and it carries a single recall. In comparison, the 2002 model logged the lowest complaint count (just one), showing that the 1996 Tracker marks a reliability low point in the nameplate’s history.

Model year199619921991

Quick specs

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

Lug nut torque60 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy21/22/21 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 26R · 500 CCA battery, OE oil filter 19468075. Note the factory front wiper blades and thermostat are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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 · 500 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnDOMEOEM · verified
Tire sizeP195-75R15OEM · verified
Wheel / rim5.5-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter19468075
Engine air filter96068629
Fuel filter25121587
Spark plug19354429
Front wiper blades12344994 discontinued
Serpentine belt30016435 alt 96058052
Thermostat91177653 discontinued

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 3-spd

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined21 / 22 / 21 mpg
Drivetrain4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

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 60 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 33.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts17.0 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts30.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug33.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts60 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug17.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug17.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Ignition Coil Primary Resistance0.7-1.1 ohms
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance13,000-18,000 ohms
Spark Plug ManufacturerNGK
Spark Plug TypeBKR6E-11
Spark Plug Gap0.039-0.0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque18.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.33 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil TypeGM part number 12345923 or equivalent.
Oil Capacity3.30 oz
Standard BCI Group Number26R
Standard BCI Cranking Performance500 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test13 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief13 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature176-203 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)36.0-43.0
Injector Primary Resistance11.8-12.6 na MFI ohms
Engine Compression170 Minimum psi

Brakes

Other4 Door / 2 Door
Torque Caliper to Bracket20 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle65 ft-lbs
Other4 Door / 2 Door
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0005 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.006 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From0.67 in / 0.394 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To0.67 in / 0.394 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 60,000 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 miBody Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Clutch Master Cylinder (inspect fluid level) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect)
Every 15,000 miCV Joint Boot (inspect) · Driveshaft (inspect) · Driveshaft U-Joint (inspect) · Engine Valves (inspect valve lash) · Universal Vehicle Operation (inspect idle speed)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Breather Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Filter (replace) · Fuel Line (inspect)
Every 50,000 miPCV Valve (replace) · Transmission Oil Cooler Line (inspect)
Every 60,000 miBrake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Distributor Cap (inspect) · Emission Control System (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap O-Ring (inspect) · Ignition Timing (inspect) · Spark Plug Wires (replace)
At 90,000 miTiming Belt (inspect)
Every 100,000 miEGR System (inspect) · Fuel Evaporative Canister (replace) · Fuel Injector (clean) · Powertrain Control System Sensors (inspect)

Reliability & federal safety record

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

Owner complaints about the 1996 Geo Tracker 4WD lead in one area — the engine & engine cooling, 17 of 88 reports (19%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 1 recall campaigns target the engine & engine cooling, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 15 of the reports describe a crash and 1 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the engine & engine cooling pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
0
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
88
Owner complaints
15 involved a crash · 1 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 88 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine & Engine Cooling17
Power Train7
Service Brakes, Hydraulic7
Equipment7
Air Bags6
Seats5
Structure5
Suspension5

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

96V121001Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank AssemblyReported 01/07/1996

THE FUEL TANK ON THESE VEHICLES CAN BECOME PUNCTURED BY A FUEL TANK FLANGE ATTACHMENT REINFORCEMENT DURING REAR-END COLLISIONS. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 301, "FUEL TANK INTEGRITY." Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL TWO NEW SHIELD GUSSETS BETWEEN THE FUEL TANK AND ATTACHMENT BRACKETS TO PREVENT THE REINFORCEMENT FROM PUNCTURING THE FUEL TANK WALL.

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 Tracker 4WD. 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.

Reference guides

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

Frequently asked

Does the 1996 Tracker 4WD have open recalls?

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

What gas mileage does the Tracker 4WD get?

EPA figures are 21 city / 22 highway / 21 combined mpg.