Chevrolet Cavalier Complaints

4,662 consumer complaints on file.

#8005804March 18, 2002
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STARTED TO OVERHEAT. CONSUMER HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT VEHICLE. MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WAS A LEAK IN FRONT END OF ENGINE. *AK *YH
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#8005735March 15, 2002
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM), INTERIOR LIGHTING
WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS GO OUT, ALSO WHEN PUTTING VEHICLE IN REVERSE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS GO OUT, CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND DEALER INDICATED THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, HAD THIS PROBLEM REPAIRED 4 TIMES, BUT IT HAS REOCCURRED.*AK.CONSUMER ALSO STATES THE TRACTION OFF LIGHT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME AND BELLS TING AT 65 MPH.*JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#8005558March 13, 2002
STRUCTURE:BODY, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
WHILE DRIVING ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL OUT AND DIE . AFTER INSPECTION OF VEHICLE, DEALER DETERMINED THAT SPACES BEHIND FIREWALL WERE OMITTED DURING MANFACTURING. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#8005477March 12, 2002
STEERING
WHEN TRAVELING AT LOW SPEEDS THERE IS A CLING NOISE IN THE STEERING. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. *AK *YD
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#759078March 8, 2002
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
06/99 BLOWN HEAD GASKET, TIMING CHAIN, MINOR VALVE DAMAGE, REPLACE WHOLE TOP PART OF ENGINE. 10/01 MOTOR MOUNTS REPLACED DUE TO MINOR OIL LEAK, ADVISED TO KEEP EYE ON LEAK, WILL FIX IF GETS WORSE. 01/02 OIL LEAK WORSE , REPLACED HEAD GASKET AND STARTER. 02/02 IGNITION WIRES SMOKING, REPLACED IGNITION WIRES, FRIED STARTER AND CYLINOD. 03/02 (55243 MILES,) ENGINE PULLING IN AIR FROM BAD HEAD GASKET OR CRACKED ENGINE AND IS SPITTING OUT ANTIFREEZE FROM ENGINE. DEALERSHIP IS STILLING DETERMINING EXACT PROBLEM. CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS. NEED A MAJOR RECALL. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#759088March 8, 2002
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
MY WIFE DRIVE THIS CAR. IT WAS TAKEN INTO THE DEALER 4-5 TIMES TO GET A STALLING PROBLEM FIXED. DURING ONE TRIP THE REPLACED A HEAD GASKET AT 77,764 MILES ON A BULLETIN FROM GM. THE DIDNT CHECK THE HEAD FOR DEFECTS. THE DEALER TOLD US GM ONLY LET THEM REPLACE THE HEAD GASKET. IT IS NOW 15 MONTHS LATER AND 14,000 MILES ON IT, THE HEAD GASKET HAS FAILED AGAIN. GM SAID IT IS NOT COVERED AND THE DEALERSHIP WANT 1, 100 TO FIX IT. SEEMS TO ME GM HAS A PROBLEM WITH BAD HEAD GASKETS AND INSTEAD OF FIXING THE HEAD AND GASKET RIGHT THE FIRST TIME, THE JUST CHANGE THE GASKET AND WHEN IT IS OUT OF WARRENTY STICK IT TO THE CUSTOMER.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#8005144March 7, 2002
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN AND VENTS AREA. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#8005160March 7, 2002
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
AUTOMOBILE RATTLES LIKE CRAZY WHILE DRIVING. MECHANIC STATED THAT NOISE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH DRIVESHAFT. AUTOMOBILE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN IN REPAIR SHOP 3 TIMES; IT IS THE 4TH TIME SINCE SHE BOUGHT IT. *AK CONSUMER STATES THE VEHICLE IS GOING BACK FOR THE 5TH TIME FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. *YH
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#8005107March 6, 2002
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
WHILE DEPRESSING BRAKES CONSUMER NOTICED A THUMBING NOISE COMING FROM BRAKES. TECHNICIAN STATED INTER LOCK BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#8004972March 5, 2002
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
WHEN DEPRESSING BRAKES NOTICED BRAKES WEREJERKING/ RUBBING, AND PULLING TO EITHER SIDE, PULSATING AND LOCKING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, AND CANT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#758935March 5, 2002
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH, POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
FIRST FAILURE WAS AT 24,197 MILES. THE CAR BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AND WOULD STALL DURING DRIVING. DEALER HAD THE CAR FOR 21 DAYS, AND REPLACED THE SWITCH CLUSTERS, IGNITION SWITCH, REPROGRAMMED BODY CONTROL MODULE, REPLACED PCM AND FOUND BURNT 3-4 CLUTCH. AT 40,613 MILES THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND STALLED AGAIN (WHILE ON THE FREEWAY). THIS TIME THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT DID NOT ACTIVATE, AND WE HAD NO IDEA THERE WAS ANOTHER ENGINE PROBLEM. THE DEALER AGAIN REPLACED DEFECTIVE COIL AND IGINITION WIRES. THE CAR IS ONCE AGAIN BEGINNIG TO IDLE DIFFERENTLY, WHICH IS A PRECURSOR TO IT STALLING. AT EACH FAILURE, WE ALSO SMELLED A BURNING ODOR JUST BEFORE THE VEHICLE STALLING.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#758959March 5, 2002
SEATS
THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT STARTING MOVING WHEN SITTING ON IT 5 MONTHS AFTER CAR WITH PURCHASED BRAND NEW-- THE DEALER FIXED THE PROBLEM-- ENTIRE COMPONENT UNDERNEATH SEAT WAS REPLACED. 11 MONTHS LATER SAME PROBLEM-- DEALER FIXED AGAIN AT NO CHARGE-- THEN 2 YEARS LATER AFTER WARRANTY RAN OUT IT HAPPENED AGAIN-- ITS SLIDES SLIGHTLY WHEN BRAKING. I HAVE NOT HAD THE MONEY TO TRY TO FIX THE PROBLEM AGAIN-- I KNOW THE DEALER WILL CHARGE ME NOW SINCE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY A LONG TIME AGO.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#8004893March 4, 2002
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH
HEADLIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE, TOOK VEHICLE TO MECHANIC, AND HAD TO REPLACED TURN SIGNAL SWITCH.*AK . *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#758889March 3, 2002
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE, SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, STRUCTURE:BODY:TRUNK LID
THE FIRST INCIDENT WITH MY 1995 BASE MODEL CHEVROLET CAVALIER WAS WHEN THE HORN STOPPED WORKING, WHEN I NEEDED IT MOST ON A FREEWAY WHEN SOMEONE WAS ABOUT TO HIT ME WHILE CHANGING LANES. THE HORN FAILED, AND IT HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF ABOUT $100, WHICH I COVERED, SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS RECENTLY OFF OF WARRANTY. MONTHS LATER, THE TRUNK LATCH REFUSED TO WORK. I COULD NOT OPEN THE TRUNK FROM THE REAR OR FROM THE INSIDE OF THE CAR. IN LATE 2000, MY BRAKES WERE MAKING GRINDING NOISES. TURNS OUT THE ROTORS WERE BADLY WARPED AT 50,000 MILES. NOW, 15,000 MILES LATER, THE BRAKES ARE GRINDING AGAIN, WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE ROTORS MAY ONCE AGAIN BE WARPED. AT THE BEGINNING OF 2002, I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR A ROUTINE INSPECTION, ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS CRACKED AND LEAKING COOLANT ALL OVER MY ENGINE. THE HEAD GASKET HAD TO BE REPLACED, WHICH WAS A VERY COSTLY REPAIR. ONLY RECENTLY HAVE I HEARD THAT THIS MAY OR MAY NOT BE COVERED BY A "SECRET" WARRANTY UP TO 7 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES, SOMETHING I WISH I HAD BEEN NOTIFIED OF BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. FINALLY, WITHIN WEEKS OF THE HEAD GASKET REPAIR, THE PLASTIC ON THE DRIVER'S SEATBELT SNAPPED OFF, SO NOW I MUST HAVE THE ENTIRE SEATBELT REPLACED. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH ALL OF THE PROBLEMS I HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH THIS CAR, AND I HAVE HEARD THAT OTHER CAVALIER OWNERS HAVE HAD EVEN WORSE EXPERIENCES THAN ME! I WOULD LIKE TO SEE GENERAL MOTORS STAND BY THEIR PRODUCTS AND AT LEAST REIMBURSE ME FOR SOME OF THE HEAD GASKET REPAIR COST, WHICH WAS NEARLY SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS, BUT THIS MAY ONLY BE A PIPE DREAM. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE CAVALIER ENGINE HEAD GASKETS FOR THE 2.2 L ENGINES. THIS SEEMS TO BE A LONG-RUNNING PROBLEM ON CAVALIERS THROUGHOUT THE 1990S THAT GM HAS YET TO PUBLICLY ADMIT OR ADDRESS. WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR THEM TO RECALL IT, SOMEONE DYING ON THE ROAD WHEN HIS OR HER CAR EITHER STALLS IN BUSY TRAFFIC OR CATCHES ON FIRE?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#8004816March 1, 2002
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP, STRUCTURE:BODY
WHILE DRIVING ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STOP. AFTER INSPECTIING VEHICLE, DEAELR DETERMINED THAT SPACE BEHIND THE FIREWALL WAS OMITTED DURING MANUFACTURING. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#564521February 28, 2002
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER
WHEN STOPPING WITH ABS FROM HIGHER SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE BUCKS, MISSES, AND STALLS OUT, VEHICLE WOULD IMMEDIATELY START UP, BUT WHEN PUT IN DRIVE IT WOULD STALL OUT FOR ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES, CONSUMER STATES THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE TORQUE CONVERTER SENSOR. *SLC
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#8004649February 27, 2002
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
WHEN NOT PUTTING VEHICLE INTO PARK,VEHICLE IS STILL IN GEAR. CONSUMER IS ABLE TO REMOVE KEY AND VEHICLE IS ABLE TO ROLL.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#8004598February 26, 2002
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING 50-60 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE WILL STALL, THEN SHUTDOWN ON MAJOR HIGHWAY.*AIK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#758642February 26, 2002
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE, SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
"LOW ANTIFREEZE" LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF. ADDING ANTIFREEZE FIXES TEMPORARILY, AND WE STILL SMELL FUMES FROM HOOD. INFORMED BY MANUFACTURER OF FAULTY CYLINDER HEAD GASKET MONTHS BEFORE PROBLEM MANIFESTED. DESPITE COUNTLESS REPAIRS, LIGHT COMES ON AND CAR CUTS OFF SPORADICALLY. NO REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS. MIDDLE BACK SEAT BELT ALSO RELEASES, CAUSING OUR TODDLER'S CHILD SEAT TO TIP OVER WHEN VEHICLE TURNS CORNERS.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#758626February 25, 2002
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
2001 CAVALIER STRUCK A 1997 DODGE VAN BROADSIDE TRAVELING THROUGH A HIGHWAY INTERSECTION I SLAMMED ON BRAKES TO NO AVAIL WHEN VAN TURNED LEFT IN FRONT OF ME.*AK
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0

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