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 1994 record →
ABS: WHILE DRIVING DOWNHILL, 15 MPH; APPLIED BRAKES, HELD BRAKES; BRAKES TOTALLY FAILED; DRIVER SWERVED, HIT CURB TO AVOID ACCIDENT; NO WARNING. *AK
WHILE IN A ACCIDENT, THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK CAUSING THE DRIVER TO HAVE HEAD INJURIES. PLEASE DESCRIBE.
WHILE DRIVING, BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED CAUSING THE CAR NOT TO STOP. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
ABS: EXCESSIVE BRAKE WEAR; ONLY GETS APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MILES EACH SET; MAKES LOUD NOISE. *AK
OTHER: SRS LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. *DSH
CONSUMER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT THE SEAT BELT DIDN'T RESTAIN DRIVER HIT HEAD ON THE WINDSHIELD PASSENGER HIT HEAD ON DASH BOARD . TT
FAILURE OF THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT, SEAT DOES NOT LOCK WHEN YOU STOP THE VEHICLE THE SEAT COME FORWARD. TT
BRAKES FAIL REPEATEDLY. *DSH
THE FRONT WINDSHIELD KEEPS ON LEAKING . TT
WHEN GOING DOWN HILL TAP ON BRAKE AND LOST CONTROL OF CAR BECAUSE REAR BRAKES LOCKED UP GOING ONLY 25 MPH. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
WHEN REAR ENDED IN ACCIDENT DRIVER'S SIDE SIT BELT DID NOT HOLD DRIVER. DRIVER HIT HER CHEST ON STEERING WHEEL AND HIT HER HEAD ON WINDSHIELD. TT
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE, WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE,ELECTRICAL SHORT. TT
ABS BRAKING PROBLEMS. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
DURING HARD BRAKING EFFORT BRAKES SLIDE. NO RESPONSE FROM ANTI LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM. TT
POOR PERFORMANCE OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER, WINDSHIELD WIPER DOES NOT WORK CAN NOT SEE IN BAD WEATHER. TT
BOTH DOOR WINDOWS FELL DOWN/BROKE.
AIR COMPRESSOR FAILURE IN VEHICLE. TT
HIT BRAKE PEDAL TO KNOCK OUT OF CRUISE CONTROL VEHICLE ACCELERATED AT HIGH SPEED ABS DID NOT WORK AND ACCIDENT OCCURRED. TT
WINDOWS FOG ON THE OUTSIDE WHEN AIR CONDITIONER IS ON, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. *SD
TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO VIBRATE/SHAKE. *SKD
REAR WINDOWS KEEP BLOWING OUT. TT
VEHICLES FRONT BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES WITHIN 9 MONTH PERIOD. TT
WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME TO A SUDDEN STOP THE VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE. TT
REAR SEAT BACKS TOO LOOSE. *AW
THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND IT CAUGHT ON FIRE FOR NO REASON. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
ABS SYSTEM FAILURE, LOUD NOISE HAPPENS WHEN APPLYING BRAKE. *AK
WHEN CAR IS IN DRIVE POSTION THE GEAR SHIFT TO NEUTRAL WHEN IN THE CAR LOCK DOOR THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WILL NOT LOCK . *AK
VEHICLE SURGES FORWARD WHEN STOPPING AND WAITING FOR A LIGHT. *AK
HORN MOUNT POPPED OFF STEERING WHEEL WITH WIRE STILL CONNECTED TO WHEEL, PREVENTING DRIVER FROM STEERING/ACCIDENT. *SD
PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCK JAMS. RESULTING IN ENTRAPMENT. TT
FOUR WAY STOP SIGN SLOWLY APPLIED PRESSURE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. NO RESPONSE FROM THE ANTI LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM. TT
BRAKE NOISE. *SD
FAULTY EMISSION COMPUTER CHIP MAKES CAR SHAKE AND HESITATE. TT
DESIGN OF UPPER PORTION OF FRONT SEAT BELTS ATTACHED TO DOOR IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION; IF DOOR WOULD OPEN, OCCUPANTS COULD FALL OUT OF VEHICLE. TT
WHILE TURNING, HORN PAD FALLS BEHIND STEERING COLUMN, RESULT COULDN'T TURN STEERING WHEEL. TT
VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN GEAR IN DRIVE DUE POWER TRAIN FAILURE, KEY CAME OUT IGNITION IN ALL GEARS IMPACT 6:00 POSITION. TT
WHEN GOING DOWN HILL VEHICLE STALL AND STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP, DEALER CAN NOT LOCATE THE PROBLEM. TT
ABS: ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WENT OUT WITHIN 5 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE; ABS LIGHT KEPT FLASHING; NO ACTUAL BRAKING PROBLEMS. TT
HORN COVER CONTINUES TO FALL OFF, HAS WIRE ATTACHED, GETST STUCK IN THE STEERING WHEEL, EA94-033 ACTIVE. TT
THE ENGINE LIFTER MAKE A NOISE. TT
CABLE TO IGNITION SWITCH THAT CONNECTS TO THE FLOOR MOUNT SHIFT BROKE. TT
SMELL SOMETHING BURNING WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE. TT
THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW EXPLODED 4 TIMES IN ONE MONTH WITHOUT VEHICLE BEING STARTED. TT *JB
ABS: ANTI-LOCK BRAKES LOCKED UP WHILE DRIVING 10 TIMES, ONCE RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK
LUGGAGE RACK ENDS ARE RUSTED AND NOT SEATED PROPERLY, CAUSING RACK CORNERS TO LOOSEN.
FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM FIRE. *AW
HORN BUTTON FALLS OFF STEERING WHEEL. *TW
ALL SEATBELTS AND SHOULDER HARNESS FAILS TO RETAIN OCCUPANTS OR CARSEATS WHEN IN USE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
PROBLEM W/ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CAUSES DOOR LOCKS TO CLICK/DOME AND ABS LIGHT TO COME ON/HEATER TO FAIL, ALSO CAUSES STARTING PROBLEMS. *AW
ANTI-LOCK BRAKES FAILED, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT. *SKD
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 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier → · Every Cavalier year → · How the figures are calculated →