1992 CHEVROLET Cavalier

In NOvember of 1998, i had a head gasket that was leaking antifreeze out of the corner due to a cracked head gasket, i checked to see if there was anything covered but got nowhere, so it was an out of pocket expense. After 20000 more miles, the car quit running, and the shop i took it to replaced the motor. With the car being 8 years old i didnt try to see if there was coverage on it, that was a 2200 dollar expense. Also the cars alternator seems to go out every 30000 miles, i have put four on the car already.

Seat belt broke during rear end collision resulting in neck and back injury.

Tie rod failed resulting in loss of control.

Windshield wipers fail to function when mist setting is used. *dsh

Power door locks fail to lock. *dsh

Starter/horn/computer/transmission failed. *ak

Buildup on windshield from suns u.v. rays causes glare, making it difficult to see when hit directly by sun or other vehicles head lights. *dh

Abs light come on, now it works fine, but the pedal fades to the floor.

Cylinder head cracked.

Brakes failed, causing accident. *sd

Windshield wiper blade smalfunctioned.

Replaced cracked belt.

Replaced brakes. *ak

Replaced alternator.

Replaced starter.

Replaced battery.

Oil pump failed preventing lubricant from reaching pistons, causing pistons to crack.

Headgasket failed, causing anti-freeze to leak.

Windshield wiper motor failed.

Clutch failed. *skd

Fuel injector failed 5 times. *sd

Engine misses, surges, or stalls intermittently due to catalytic converter. *dsh

Engine won't start due to failed alternator/tensioner.

Door mounted automatic shoulder belts cause driver to be pulled through doors when opened. *aw

Right/left brake hoses wore out, causing brakes to fail. *skd

Wheel bearing failed, causing grinding noise/vehicle to pull to the right. *skd

Replaced brakes twice. *ak

Shoulder harness failed to hold driver in place during sudden stopping, causing driver to hit steering wheel/injury.

Brake calipers replaced due to continuous brake failures.

Radiator/radiator hose both replaced due to leaks.

Front seats move forward when stopping quickly.

Windshield wiper switch failed. *skd

Exhaust manifold valve replaced.

Ignition system replaced.

Upon impact, during frontal crash at approx. 25mph on slippery road conditions, driver's shoulder/lap belt pulled out of door, driver hit steering column. tt

Power door lock actuators fail continually, causing doors to jam. *skd

New tires and valve stems were installed on my car in november of 2007. after about 8,000 miles two valve stems have failed in the course of two weeks, one about may 7 th 2009 and another on may 19 2009. first failed stem was replaced may 8th. am no waiting for information from the seller of the stems if they will cover the replacement of the other three under warranty. *tr

The body seam putty on and around the windshield and firewall dries out, then cracks, and allows water to enter the interior of the car. as a result, my front floor pans on the passenger and driver side are rusting as is my firewall. my front carpet is most always wet and musty smelling unless i pull the carpets back after every rain to allow the interior moisture to dry (this happens whether the car is driven in the rain or parked in the rain). *tr

1992 chevrolet cavalier. the piece at the center of the driving wheel can come loose, interfere with steering, and cause an accident. the center of the driving wheel has a piece which is over the horn. his came off as i was making a sharp u-turn on a two way street. it jammed in between the steering wheel and my turn signal lever. i temporarily was unable to turn the steering wheel. it almost caused an accident. the piece at the center of the driving wheel can come loose, interfere with steering, and cause an accident. *ak

Brake pedal will periodically go all the way to the floor without brakes engaging. my daughter had an accident because of this, thankfully no one was injured and there was little damage. mechanic can find no problems. he said it could be the master cylinder or anti-lock brakes but without him being able to get the problem to re-occur, he can't pinpoint the problem. *nm

The consumer took vehicle to the dealer to repair the abs light which cost $700.00. the vehicle was taken to dealer a second time because the light would remain on. the dealer informed the consumer that it would again cost him $ because warranty expired. *ak *sc *jb

While driving 35 mph, the consumer lost steering control. the dealership was aware of the problem. plase provide more information. *jb

While making a right turn a loud knocking noise was heard from steering wheel column. then, vehicle stalled. consumer restarted vehicle, and pulled over. consumer had vehicle towed to the dealer for repairs. *ak

I own a 1992 chev cavalier z-24 and have been reading horror stories aboot the exact woes i have been suffering since buying it used in 1998 with only 15k mi on it; it only has 30000 on it now. the first to go was the heater core and belt tensioner and then the coolant leaks that has required several days of shop time. i have had the intake removed twice, the heads once - they accused me of overheating and warping them - the water pump replaced, 2 window motors installed and the altenator replaced. i haven't even gotten to the brakes - the abs system on this bucket of junk seem to work fine most of the time but love to chatter internal to the electronic/hydraulic system as if it can't make up its mind. i have disabled the system in diagnosing it myself and found that the brakes work better without the system controlling your braking. the system is intact as i don't want to fool around too much but this should have been a switch on the dash - abs on - abs off. i am in poor health and haven't been able to take the jalopy to ourisman chevrolet again - i bought it at ourisman's rockville store - to show them the coolant in the oil that i found recently. i have used synthetic oil in it since i bought it but i can't vouch for the service dept at ourisman. they probably use goodwrench 5-30 as it came from the factory. if there are this many reports of this piece of junk, wouldn't chevy be more concerned aboot it? i am lucky to have gotten a 4 year extended warranty as i would never have been able to afford it; i would have just left the car with ourisman and let them deal with it. ak

Moisture collects inside my vehicle, whenever it rains there is water standing in my floor boards. *jb

I own a 1992 chevy cavalier. i have had to replace the heater core 3 times. once a year every year since 2001. i am requesting a recall on this issue due to the number of complaints i have read about this problem. i don't think that i or anyone else should have to replace a heater core/ blown head gasket once a year. i would like to hear from you or chevy about this problem. this is ridiculous and very very costly. i believe that the manufacturer should be responsible for the costs incurred and to fix this problem. i love my car and take very good care of it. i have incurred costs of over $2000 and am sick and tired of hearing that i have blown a head gasket due to heater core\cooling failure. please contact me about this matter asap. thank you. sheri madrid *jb

Vehicle rear shock mounts rusted out and the shocks broke free of what remained of the wheel well. *mr *scc *jb

While driving at any speed and applying brakes rear brakes will lock up. anti-lock braking system will engage, which affects vehicle stopping. dealer contacted.please add vin. *ak

When applying brakes, driver's back rest came forward with shoulder/lap belt; driver's chest hit steering wheel. *ak

Abs system failure, excessive brake pedal effort, driver experiences total loss of braking. *ak

Due to a defect in the computer, when driving over 40 mph the vehicle will lose braking ability. *ak

Stopped in traffic, construction was occurring, street was dry, another car rearended cavalier, driver's seat track snap, seat went forward/turned sideways. *ak three injuries occurred in the accident. *slc

Moments after parking, noticed smoke coming from dash and front doors, due to short in electrical sys. fuse and recepticle. *ak

Driver's side seatback recliner mechanism failed, seat back is in the recline position and will adjust back to original position. *ak

Tilt steering wheel will not lock into position. tt

Abs; brakes lock up at low speed on dry pavement. please describe details. tt

Vehicle skid on ice losing control hitting enbankment of creek. rear occupants (3) were not able to release front seat belts of parents which died on scene. tt

After stopping at a stop sign, vehicle would not move, due to the abs system would not release. *ak

Doors do not shut unless they are slammed very hard. driver's side door came open while driving causing driver to injure his leg. please describe. tt

Cruise control will not disengage during brake application. explain in more detail. tt

Front left seat driver side bolts came loose from the foundation. tt

Abs system went completely out when she went through some water. please describe. tt

Lap/shoulder, driver side will not lock, and after locked will release. tt

While driving noticed gauge lights came on, when looked up saw smoke coming from under hood, due to electrical sys. wiring harness fire, without prior warning.

Tie rod bolts were under sized coming from the factory. tt

The abs system has failed. when the brake is applied it goes to the floor and will not stop . please describe. tt

Applied brakes with no response, resulting in accident. tt

Three time car has been in the shop for the when driving car cut off engine lost power was in an accident for the four time car cut off . tt

The uv rays causes a residue build up and causes the windsheild to have a real bad glare. please describe. *ak

When abs brakes are applied light comes on and they make a loud griding noise. tt

When accelerating it dies out and blows the fuse to the electronic fuse system. please describe. tt

Abs brake system failure at 15k miles, vehicle would vibrate when stopping. *ak

Front brake pads wornout due to misaligned rear brakes. *ak

Transmission failure. *ak

Rear hatch door lift gate hinges welding separated, holding on by support beams. *ak

Rear brakes set too low front brakes heated up causing rotors to warp. tt

Bubble developed on outside sidewall of the tire. tt

Third brake light pedestal mount poor engineered light socket melted. owner has defective part. tt

When turning car on the abs anti-lock brake light come on some time it stay on dealer say it nothing they could do. tt

In any kind of weather anti lock brake system fails. tt

Vehicle was driven and park for a period of 9 hrs and caught fire, under the dash fire, electrical short, will provide more information. tt

Driver's back rest won't lock, can push up with finger tips, no locking mechanism to prevent from collapsing forward. tt

Drivers side shoulder harness failed retract, preventing usage. tt

Abs brake lock up in dry weather. tt

Dealer changed the freeze plug and the next day the engine blew up. tt

Intake manifold is defective and vehicle will stall at any speed. vehicle will start back up once it shuts off. contacted dealer and dealer was not willing to do anything, consumer had another dealership install new intake manifold gasket. *ak *tt

Applied brakes, no response from the anti locking system, vehicle fishtailed from left to right. tt

While driving low to high speeds engine shuts down, just prior to shutting down vehicle starts hesitating. tt

While driving driver's seatback collapsed. dealer has been notified.*ak driver was left in a prong position and had to find the brake pedal, consumer was advised by delaer that this is not a default.*jb

While driving abs braking system failed, causing a crash. please provide further information.*ak

While approaching a stop sign on a bumpy road abs engaged and caused extended stopping distance. this resulted in an accident with a large amount of damage done to both vehicles. *ak *jb

Consumer was sitting in the parking lot and buckling seatbelt. driver's side seat hinge gave way and seat broke. consumer contacted dealership. mechanic told him that the vehicle was too old.*ak

Abs will not engage or disengage when stepping on brakes. sometimes has to step harder to make brakes work.*ak

Reinforcement plate behind the rear bumper has completely rusted out. dealer says this plate needs to be replaced. *ak

Had a front brake realignment job done. heard noises with the brakes anytime when driving. contacted local mechanic who determined that the complete unit needed to be replaced. *ak

Heard a loud noise with the brakes. had the front brakes realigned. contacted dealer, and they checked out fine. local mechanic determined that the unit needed to be replaced. *ak

When applying the brake pedal the vehicle accelerated forward. problem first occured approximately six months after vehicle purchased. dealer still not find the cause. however, brakes have been replaced. *ak

Abs light is working intermittently. when driving at any speed and applying the brakes, there is some vibration within the brake pedal. *ak

When appyling the brakes pedal nearly goes to the floor. instead of the vehicle stopping, vehicle accelerates forward, cause unknown. please give any further details. *ak

Intermittently whenever brake are applyed the vehicle would make loud noise before stopping; dealer notifed on two occasion and nothing could be founed.

Engine head gasket blew out, causing fluids to spray all over the engine and transmission. coolant leaked out of raditor. *ak

While traveling 35-40mph & applying brakes to slow down. could feel abs kicking in, but vehicle failed to stop. finally vehicle stopped after going some distance. had taken vehicle to dealer & was informed by mechanic the abs system was defective & needed correcting. *ak

In rainy or hot conditions abs braking light comes on and off. also while driiving , brakes will activate unexpectedly. dlr cannot determine the cause of the problem. please provide further information. *ak

Engine stalls out about every 8 months because the belt tightner needs to be replaced. belt tightner has been replaced 3 times. *ak

Abs braking system malfunctioned, causing the abs light to stay on while driving. also, upon braking vehicle jolts, causing extended stopping distance which may result in a crash. dealer replaced parts, but problem still exists. please provide further information. *ak

While driving down the highway at approximately 55mph abs lights came and stayed on. contacted the dealer, and they turned off the abs lights. they couldn't determine what the problem was. *ak

Consumer was at a stop sign wnen vehicle would not change gears, about 2minutes afterward, vehicle was filled with smoke. the fire department put fire out. *ak

Steering column will not lock in place. moves when vehicle is in motion. took to dealer & had it repaired. problem reappeared. also, the anti-freeze leaks out. has been to dealer 5-6 times for both problems.

While driving the locking pin fell out of the steering wheel tilt adjuster. *ak

The abs braking system malfunctioned, causing a grinding noise/pedal going to the floor, and extended stopping distance which almost caused an accident. cause unknown. dealer cannot determine problem. please provide details. *ak

Consumer is experiencing problems with anti-lock brakes. whe brakes are applied they car fails to stop. the car slows down but continues to glide. the consumer is unaware of the problem. *ak

While driving, driver's side seat broke from the frame for no reason. cause unknown. *ak consumer states that the drivers seat came completely loose and fell in the back seat area, luckily the vehicle was not on the highway, the failure was caused by poor welding to the body of the seat, the seat was weled back to original position. *slc

Abs brakes are subject to intermittent failure, causing extended stopping distance. on other occasions, brakes make grinding sound while making a turn and applying brakes. the pedal sticks when applying the brakes, which means that the pedal goes to the floor, and not allowing the vehicle to stop. this has happened several times. *ak

Vehicle caught fire and fire melted numerous parts, including dash, etc. cause of fire unknown. *ak

When in snow or ice the abs does not function . owner has been to dealer several times, they see no problem. *ak

The driver's side seat belt broke. the upper retractor broke, and it no longer retracts and will not restrain occupant in vehicle crash.*ak

Electrical: driving approximately 55mph and vehicle started to make a beeping sound and then it stopped. entering next town and it started making the sound again, pulled vehicle over and put vehicle in neutral took keys out, vehicle made an even louder noise, smoke came from dash, got out ,fire engine happened to be passing by, came at time vehicle seemed like it was trying to start on it's own. also, windshield wipers were going/horn beeping and lights flashing on and off. vehicle was covered with smoke. fireman said it was electrical. *ak

Driver said that she tried to stop the car and the abs brakes didn't work. *ak

The abs brakes locked up, causing the tires to lockup, causing the vehicle to skid. *ak

After putting vehicle into reverse, the accelerator stuck, causing the vehicle to suddenly accelerate out of control, resulting in an accident. *ak

When applying the brakes there can hear air has to press hard on the brakes, took to mechanic who said that the brake booster needed to be replaced . *ak

Push rods bent, mechanic told consumer that this was very unusual. nlm

Auto-trans: turned on ignition, shifted from park to reverse, engine suddenly accelerated, vehicle lurched backwards with foot on brakes, no warning, intermittent problem, happens in any gear, nearly caused accident, dealership cannot duplicate problem*a.

Slave cylinder of clutch assembly is made of plastic failed with clutch engaged, resulting in vehicle continuously going, almost hitting a child in parking lot. owner had no warning that plastic cylinder was going to fail. please describe details.*ak

During vehicle operation abs light comes on, and experienced a grinding noise when the brakes are applied. the vehicle has not stopped completely twice.*ak

Set cruise control at 65 mph, will hold set speed at 10 to 20 minutes, then will suddenly accelerate very rapidly, within 20 seconds, goes from 65 to 85 mph, turning off cruise control does not control speed, only disengages by braking.*ak

Rear window gets a cloudy yellow film on it that makes it impossible to see out of that window.*ak

Abs, brakes intermittently failed, replacement of the disc pads and rotors when brakes are applied, experienced extended stopping distance. *ak

Transmission lock-up torque converter will not release when vehicle warm. vehicle starts, but will abruptly stall when placed in gear. when vehicle cools, transmission operational until vehicle warms back up. this is the 5th gm vehicle that i have owned that exhibits this problem. it usually occurs at or near 100,000 miles. this could potentially become a safety hazard if vehicle stalls in middle of intersection as there is no way to move the vehicle. i have had 1 vehicle stall on the interstate when i had to stop for traffic. after 5 vehicles it seems to be a common problem and not just related to 1 vehicle. acquaintances with different manufacturer vehicles have reported no similar problems. dt

Vehicle was sitting in attached garage for three hours when noise was heard in garage. when looked in garage was filled with smoke and fire was coming out of both sides of windshield on passenger side. put out fire with fire extinguisher and pushed out of garage. large hole in dash on passenger side where fire came out, strong ordor of burnt plastic and electrical fire smell.*ak

Vehicle was sitting in attached garage for three hours when noise was heard in garage. when looked in garage was filled with smoke and fire was coming out of both sides of windshield on passenger side. put out fire with fire extinguisher and pushed out of garage. large hole in dash on passenger side where fire came out, strong ordor of burnt plastic and electrical fire smell.*ak

This is a problem in the fuel management system,causing the engine to surge then miss.i had the car in the shop 6 weeks earlier,it ran fine till today,this time it resulted in a fire .the car is a total loss.*ak

Driver's seat back broke in rear end collision, sending driver into back seat, pictures available

Sir: i purchased 2 firestone tires, style "fr410" and 2 days later on a busy i-95 florida highway, at 65 mph i got a two whole blowout on a brand new tire. i was very lucky i did not get killed by the speeding cars. i just want to report that the "fr410" tire is also defective and it should be taken off the road. to tell you the truth, i am still shaking from the ordeal. what do you suggest? they replaced the defective tires with another 2 firestone tires. i hope i dont have any trouble with these. new tires is ft70c. *ak( dot number: )

The fuse marked "acc" has been changed out 3 times and it keeps blowing. about the same time the a/c quit working as well as the power locks. (same size fuse used each time) when i go to put the fuse in it sparks, i also am able to hear the chime for the key (if in the ignition), *ak

None

Windshield gets foggy residue makes poor vision; seat latches don't latch first adjustment; they latch while driving;

Radiator hose leak made car run hot; replaced catylic converter so would not run hot; fuse shortage almost caught car on fire; the body sounds squeeky and rusty when goes over bumps

With so many complaints- why won't they recall and fix these cars? no safety defec tmentioned in summary. *ak

When applying the brakes they will act like they are slipping, then pedal will go to the floor, then all of a sudden they will catch and the car jerks to a stop. have to change brake pads very frequently. also have had the calipers completly break off car! *ak

Seatbelt/shoulder harness retract or deploy for drivers seat

Headlights keep going out on my car. it doesn't matter what speed, or how long i have been driving. i called the chevrolet service department in morris, illinois and was told not to bring it in until the lights won't stay on at all. the service manager said this was a common problem with cavaliers. i took it to a chevrolet dealer in carbondale, illinois, and they said the lights worked fine for them. i am afraid that someone is going to have an accident, possibly fatal, if i can't get my car fixed. who do i go to? *ak

No summary

A technical service bulletin has been released for the fuel odor and failure of the fuel injection system. chevrolet says they won't cover it, though it is a frequent problem with this vehicle year. it is a fire hazard as fuel is spraying out onto a hot engine. the cost to repair is estimated at $300

Summary not provided by consumer

The driver's side seat rear (support part) moves, causing discomfort and possible injury if an accident occured. *yc

Brake failure.

Unspecified.

Front hydraulic hose broke cause vehicle to have not braking (abs) ability.

Wheel housing rusted out at the shock connection.

Front brake hose failed, also abs brakes malfunctioned. *ak

Front seat belt failed at latch.

Antilock brakes failed and caused an accident.

While driving at a low speed the vehicle accelerated twice by itself.

Vehicle vibrates when abs brakes applied. *aw

Brake wiring repaired due to brake/abs light coming on.

Intermittent stalling. *aw