Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1992 record →
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
SUMMARY NOT PROVIDED BY CONSUMER
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
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
VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE AND FIRE MELTED NUMEROUS PARTS, INCLUDING DASH, ETC. CAUSE OF FIRE UNKNOWN. *AK
FRONT BRAKE HOSE FAILED, ALSO ABS BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED. *AK
BRAKE FAILURE.
UNSPECIFIED.
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
WHEEL HOUSING RUSTED OUT AT THE SHOCK CONNECTION.
THE ABS BRAKES LOCKED UP, CAUSING THE TIRES TO LOCKUP, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SKID. *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
FRONT SEAT BELT FAILED AT LATCH.
WHEN IN SNOW OR ICE THE ABS DOES NOT FUNCTION . OWNER HAS BEEN TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, THEY SEE NO PROBLEM. *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
ANTILOCK BRAKES FAILED AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT.
DRIVER SAID THAT SHE TRIED TO STOP THE CAR AND THE ABS BRAKES DIDN'T WORK. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TWICE BY ITSELF.
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
FRONT HYDRAULIC HOSE BROKE CAUSE VEHICLE TO HAVE NOT BRAKING (ABS) ABILITY.
SEAT BELT BROKE DURING REAR END COLLISION RESULTING IN NECK AND BACK INJURY.
TIE ROD FAILED RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL.
AFTER PUTTING VEHICLE INTO REVERSE, THE ACCELERATOR STUCK, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SUDDENLY ACCELERATE OUT OF CONTROL, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK
CYLINDER HEAD CRACKED.
ABS LIGHT COME ON, NOW IT WORKS FINE, BUT THE PEDAL FADES TO THE FLOOR.
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
ABS, BRAKES INTERMITTENTLY FAILED, REPLACEMENT OF THE DISC PADS AND ROTORS WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED, EXPERIENCED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK
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
REAR WINDOW GETS A CLOUDY YELLOW FILM ON IT THAT MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE OUT OF THAT WINDOW.*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
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.
STARTER/HORN/COMPUTER/TRANSMISSION FAILED. *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
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
WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, DRIVER'S BACK REST CAME FORWARD WITH SHOULDER/LAP BELT; DRIVER'S CHEST HIT STEERING WHEEL. *AK
MOMENTS AFTER PARKING, NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM DASH AND FRONT DOORS, DUE TO SHORT IN ELECTRICAL SYS. FUSE AND RECEPTICLE. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAIL TO FUNCTION WHEN MIST SETTING IS USED. *DSH
DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBACK RECLINER MECHANISM FAILED, SEAT BACK IS IN THE RECLINE POSITION AND WILL ADJUST BACK TO ORIGINAL POSITION. *AK
ABS SYSTEM FAILURE, EXCESSIVE BRAKE PEDAL EFFORT, DRIVER EXPERIENCES TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING. *AK
AFTER STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN, VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE, DUE TO THE ABS SYSTEM WOULD NOT RELEASE. *AK
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
TILT STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT LOCK INTO POSITION. TT
ENGINE MISSES, SURGES, OR STALLS INTERMITTENTLY DUE TO CATALYTIC CONVERTER. *DSH
ABS; BRAKES LOCK UP AT LOW SPEED ON DRY PAVEMENT. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
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
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
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1992 Chevrolet Cavalier → · Every Cavalier year → · How the figures are calculated →