ChevroletPrizm2002Overview/chevrolet/prizm/2002/base/

2002 Chevrolet Prizm

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2002 Prizm.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 3-spd

The 2002 Chevrolet Prizm is a passenger car equipped with an Automatic 3-spd transmission and an engine requiring 3.9 qt of 5W-30 API oil to deliver EPA fuel economy ratings of 25/30/27 mpg. Reliability records for this model year show 32 total owner complaints centered largely on Engine & Engine Cooling issues, accompanied by a single recall. Positioned within the model's complaint history from 1990 to 2002, the 2002 Prizm falls between the lowest count of 1 complaint in 1990 and the highest of 50 in 2001, marking it as a moderate year for dependability within the model'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 Note the factory spark plug and thermostat are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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 25329386
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 2002 Chevrolet Prizm represents a mid-cycle refinement within its generation, showing a modest decline in complaints (32) compared to the 2001 peak (50) but remaining elevated relative to earlier model years like 1999 (43) and 2000 (35). The recall count holds steady at one, consistent with the pattern since 1998, while technical service bulletins (TSBs) continue their upward trend, reaching 296—suggesting persistent but addressable issues rather than systemic defects. Complaint categories for 2002 are dispersed across engine cooling, electrical systems, and airbags, with no single failure mode dominating, unlike the concentrated concerns seen in some predecessor years. Crash-related complaints (4) are present but not disproportionately high, and fire-related incidents are absent from the record. This year sits in a relatively stable phase of the generation’s reliability arc, with no red flags in the federal data but no standout improvements either. **Takeaway: The 2002 Prizm is a neutral-value proposition—acceptable for budget-conscious buyers, provided service records confirm TSB-related repairs have been addressed.**

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
296
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
32
Owner complaints
4 involved a crash · 0 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 32 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine & Engine Cooling5
Electrical System4
Air Bags3
Steering3
Latches/Locks/Linkages3
Power Train2
Exterior Lighting2
Engine1

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 296 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 2002 Prizm take?

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

Does the 2002 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.