ChevroletPrizm2001Overview/chevrolet/prizm/2001/base/

2001 Chevrolet Prizm

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2001 Prizm.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 3-spd

The 2001 Chevrolet Prizm is a passenger car that, with its 3-speed automatic transmission, returns EPA fuel economy estimates of 25 mpg city, 30 highway, and 27 combined. Within the model’s 1990–2002 run, this year stands out with the highest number of owner complaints—50 in total—dominated by engine and engine cooling issues, along with a single recall. That positions the 2001 Prizm as a clear reliability outlier in the nameplate’s history.

Model year20022001200019991998

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity3.9 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque76 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy25/30/27 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 35 · 310 CCA battery, OE oil filter 25161880. Note the factory spark plug and thermostat are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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 35 · 310 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnFUSEOEM · verified
Tire sizeP175/65R14OEM · verified
Wheel / rim5.5-J inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter25161880 alt 25329391
Engine air filter94856888
Spark plug94859448 discontinued
Front wiper blades94857770 alt 94857769
Thermostat94856782 discontinued · alt 94856781

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 3-spd

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined25 / 30 / 27 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume88 cu ft
Cargo volume12 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Prizm of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

8.3 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 8.30 sec — 2000 LSi Sedan
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2000LSi Sedan 1.8L I-48.30 sec16.60 sec125 hpFWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 3.9 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil. Torque lug nuts to 76 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 26.0 ft-lbs.

Lubricants & capacities

Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity3.9 qt
Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity3.9 qt

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts13 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts37 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug26.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts7.4 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts76 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub166 ft-lbs

Ignition

Curb Idle Speed (No Load)700 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)50 rpm
Ignition Coil Primary Resistance.45-.65 ohms
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance11,400-18,400 ohms
Spark Plug ManufacturerDenso
Spark Plug TypeSR16R-11
Spark Plug Gap0.039-0.0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque13.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.65 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type150
Oil Capacity8.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number35
Standard BCI Cranking Performance310 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test13 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief13 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature176-183 °F
RPM44-50 @ Idle rpm
Injector Primary Resistance11-14 na ohms
Engine Compression100
Engine Compression100 Minimum psi
Engine Compression215 Nominal psi

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket65 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle76 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0005 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From0.866 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To0.866 in
Rotor Discard at or Under0.787 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages
118 ft. lbs.18 ft. lbs
236 ft. lbs.36 ft. lbs
390

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 at 120,000 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 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate) · Underbody (inspect)
Every 15,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Transmission Assembly (inspect fluid level)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel Tank (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap O-Ring (inspect)
At 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 60,000 miEngine Valves (inspect valve lash)
At 120,000 miSpark Plugs (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 2001 Chevrolet Prizm sits at the apex of a four-year period of elevated federal activity that began in 1998 (47 complaints) and shows no signs of abating through 2002 (32 complaints). Complaint volume in 2001 reached 50—the highest in this generation arc—though it represents only a marginal increase over the 35 logged in 2000 and marks the second consecutive year-over-year rise after a brief dip in 1999–2000. Technical Service Bulletins climbed steeply from 39 in 1998 to 270 in 2001, indicating expanding dealer-level service guidance, while recalls held steady at one per year throughout this span. The top complaint categories—Engine & Engine Cooling (10), Air Bags (5), Engine (4), and Tires (4)—suggest powertrain reliability concerns, though no investigations were opened and only one fire-related complaint was filed. The 2001 model is not an isolated anomaly but rather the culmination of sustained, broad-based issues across the generation. A prospective buyer should weigh the high complaint and TSB volumes against the stable single-recall record and budget accordingly for potential engine cooling system work; this is not a generation that presents as problem-free relative to the 1996 baseline.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
270
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
50
Owner complaints
8 involved a crash · 1 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 50 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine & Engine Cooling10
Air Bags5
Engine4
Tires4
Service Brakes, Hydraulic3
Suspension2
Power Train2
Exterior Lighting2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

10E002000SuspensionReported 11/02/2010

RIDE CONTROL IS RECALLING CERTAIN FRONT STRUT MOUNTS BRANDED AS GABRIEL RIDE CONTROL OR ARVINMERITOR, P/NOS. 142435, 142193, 142305, 142303, SOLD AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE AFFECTED… Remedy: RIDE CONTROL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF RECORD AND REPLACE THE AFFECTED PARTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 15, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT RIDE CONTROL AT…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 270 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIP5601C2025-07-18Unknown Or OtherThis PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIP5358D2025-02-19Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIP4723J2024-10-25Electrical SystemThis Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
PIT5099H2024-09-12Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5099H2024-09-12Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

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 Prizm. 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

How much oil does the 2001 Prizm take?

3.9 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2001 Prizm have open recalls?

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

What gas mileage does the Prizm get?

EPA figures are 25 city / 30 highway / 27 combined mpg.