Defect Involved

General Motors has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1997 Chevrolet Geo Prizm model vehicles. These vehicles may exhibit a condition in which the air bag control module can be affected by a severe mechanical shock. Such mechanical shock can be caused, for example, by rapid sliding of the front seat or a sudden release of the parking brake. To affect the air bag control module, this shock must occur within a very short time period just after the engine is started (ignition key in ON or ACC). If all these conditions are present, the airbags may deploy inadvertently. In the worst case, a front seat occupant who is close to an airbag could be seriously injured. After the initial SRS ("AIR BAG") warning light goes off, this condition will not occur.

To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring, dealers are to replace the air bag control module.