Selling a Chevrolet Sprint as it sits
The Sprint is a 1980s Chevrolet that Suzuki built, with a 1.0-liter three-cylinder under the hood. If yours no longer runs, sell the whole car as it sits. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
- What it is
- First-generation Suzuki Cultus
- US sales began
- 1985, western states; nationwide 1986
- Engine
- 1.0-liter three-cylinder
- Turbo Sprint
- From the 1987 model year
- Complaints to NHTSA
- 9
- Recall campaigns
- None on file
A Suzuki with a bowtie
GM started the design as its M-car, then sold the unfinished project to Suzuki for a five percent stake. Suzuki completed it as the Cultus and put it on sale in Japan in October 1983. Chevrolet began selling it as the Sprint in 1985, in the western states only, and nationwide in 1986.
- Engine: a 1.0-liter three, carbureted with a hemispherical head through 1988. Front-wheel drive on every car.
- Trims: fueleconomy.gov lists a Sprint, Sprint ER and Sprint Plus for 1986. The ER came only with the five-speed manual.
- Turbo Sprint: from 1987, with fuel injection and an IHI RHB32 turbocharger.
- Sprint Metro: the 1988 name for the car without the turbo, again manual only.
- Gearbox: Wikipedia says the three-speed automatic arrived in 1986, but fueleconomy.gov lists one for 1985 as well.
For the second-generation Cultus, the US name became Geo Metro, while Canada and Chile kept Sprint. Even so, fueleconomy.gov goes on listing a Chevrolet Sprint, 1.0-liter, as late as 1994, and no source we found explains why.
Nine complaints and no recalls
NHTSA's files hold only nine complaints on the Sprint, with one crash, one injury and no fires. They list no recall campaign under the name; recalls for the Geo Metro and Suzuki versions sit under those makes.
| Model year | Complaints | What owners reported |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1 | A plastic fuel pump that dissolved and leaked gas onto the hot exhaust manifold |
| 1986 | 3 | Two seat belt reports (a broken latch plate cover; belts that failed in a 35 mph side crash) and one power train report |
| 1987 | 0 | None |
| 1988 | 4 | An accelerator cable that rerouted and caused unwanted acceleration, no passenger-side mirror, and two others |
| 1989-1990 | 0 | None |
| 1991 | 1 | An engine that quits on hills and is slow from a stop |
Nine reports are owner accounts, not proven defects, and they don't add up to a pattern.
Is a dead Sprint worth reviving?
With so little on file, the decision comes down to the car in front of you: rust, the months or years it has been parked, and whether the engine cranks. One rule from the record is worth keeping. That 1985 complaint was a fuel leak onto a hot manifold, so if you smell gas, don't try to start it.
Selling yours
- Collect the VIN, the mileage, and what you know about why it stopped.
- Get an offer online or by calling (877) 421-6008.
- Say where the Sprint waits: in a shed, beside the house, under a cover in the drive. Mention whether it rolls.
- Leave it as complete as it is. If parts are already off, our missing parts page explains what to mention.
- Pickup needs the title and your photo ID. No title? See the no-title guide.
Other small Chevys: the Metro, Spectrum and Chevette, or every Chevrolet model.
Questions people ask
- Is the Chevrolet Sprint really a Suzuki?
- Yes. It's the first-generation Suzuki Cultus. GM began the design as its M-car project, then handed it to Suzuki in exchange for a five percent stake. Suzuki finished the work and began selling it in Japan in October 1983.
- Are there any recalls on the Chevrolet Sprint?
- NHTSA's files list no recall campaign under Chevrolet Sprint. Recalls for the related Geo Metro and Suzuki models are filed under those makes.
- Will you take a Sprint that has been parked for years?
- Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and pickup is free anywhere in the US. Let us know how many years the Sprint has been parked, where, and if its wheels turn.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 10, 2026.
- NHTSA complaints data, Chevrolet Sprint (flat file downloaded October 10, 2026; 1988 shown) api.nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA complaints data, Chevrolet Sprint, 1985 api.nhtsa.gov
- fueleconomy.gov: 1985 Chevrolet Sprint drivetrains fueleconomy.gov
- fueleconomy.gov: 1986 Chevrolet model list (Sprint, Sprint ER, Sprint Plus) fueleconomy.gov
- fueleconomy.gov: 1994 Chevrolet Sprint drivetrains fueleconomy.gov
- NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
- Wikipedia: Chevrolet Sprint (origin, trims, engine, Geo Metro) en.wikipedia.org