Chevrolet Cavalier
Owners filed 4,549 complaints across 16 model years of the Chevrolet Cavalier. The 2003 drew the most (678); the 1991 the fewest (55).
Model years16
Complaints4,549
Recalls86
Fires125
Deaths25
Every Chevrolet Cavalier model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 287 | 1 | — | 7 | Electrical System | Fatalities reported | |
| 2004 | 330 | 2 | 6 | 17 | Electrical System | Fatalities reported | |
| 2003 | 678 | 2 | 6 | 31 | Fuel System, Gasoline | Fatalities reported | |
| 2002 | 196 | 5 | 4 | 24 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2001 | 243 | 6 | 8 | 23 | Electrical System | Fatalities reported | |
| 2000 | 315 | 7 | 8 | 25 | Electrical System | Fatalities reported | |
| 1999 | 240 | 8 | 2 | 27 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Above average | |
| 1998 | 345 | 11 | 10 | 36 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Above average | |
| 1997 | 540 | 13 | 25 | 70 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline | Fatalities reported | |
| 1996 | 503 | 13 | 10 | 58 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | Fatalities reported | |
| 1995 | 270 | 9 | 10 | 32 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | Above average | |
| 1994 | 212 | 2 | 3 | 28 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Fatalities reported | |
| 1993 | 146 | 2 | 7 | 12 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Fatalities reported | |
| 1992 | 134 | 1 | 8 | 15 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Fatalities reported | |
| 1991 | 55 | 3 | 6 | 7 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | Fatalities reported | |
| 1990 | 55 | 1 | 12 | 2 | Electrical System › Wiring › Front Underhood | Routine |
Which Chevrolet Cavalier years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 2003 is the weakest year on record, with 678 complaints concentrated in the fuel system, gasoline. It carries 2 recalls.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.