1996 Chevrolet Cavalier complaints

THERE ARE 2 KNOWN SERVICE BULLITINS OUT ON THESE PROBLEMS AND CHEVROLET NOR THE DEALER WANTS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR THESE DEFECTS. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION FAILED, CONSUMER STATES NOW STARTING TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE CURRENT TRANSMISSION.*JB

SHOCKS COMPRESS ALL THE WAY AND MAKE A LOUD SLAMMING NOISE, HAPPENS AT VERY SLOW RATE OF TRAVEL ON VERY SMALL BUMPS, AND GETS WORSE AT HIGHER SPEEDS OR LARGER BUMPS.*JB

VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE AND THEN JUMP AS IF STALLING OUT WHEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS PRESSED. VEHICLE TAKES TIME BEFORE ENGAGING TO MOVE. TOOK TO MECHANIC, AND INFORMED FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM WAS LEAKING. MECHANIC INDICATED SERVICE BULLETIN ON VEHICLE, BUT MANUFACTURER DENIED CLAIM OF SERVICE BULLETIN.*AK

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING WAS UNABLE TO STOP, THERE WERE NO BRAKES, ALSO VEHICLE WOULD MAKE LOUD SOUNDS AND THEN STALL, CONSUMER WAS ALWAYS BEING TOLD BY DELAERSHIP THAT IT WAS A SENSOR AND THE FUEL FILTER WHICH WAS ALWAYS BEING REPLACED, BUT NEVER RESOLVED THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER IT WAS FINALLY DETERMINED BY A MANAGER AT THE CHEVROLET SHOP THAT THE MANUFACTURER PROGRAMMED THE AIR CONDITIONER TO BE ON AT ALL TIMES, WHICH CAUSED THESE MALFUNCTIONS AS WELL AS BURNING OUT THE CARBURETOR, THE MANAGER FIXED THE DIAL SO THE A/C WOULD NOT BE ON, BUT STILL INFORMED CONSUMER THAT IT NEEDED TO BE PROPERLY REPROGRAMMED, CONSUMER HAS NOT EXPERIENCED THE FAILURES SINCE THE DIAL WAS READJUSTED, CONSUMER HAS OBTAINED LEGAL REPRESENATION AND FEELS SHE SHOULD NOT BE HELD FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR SOMETHING THAT THE MANUFACUTER CREATED.*JB

THE THIRD BRAKE LIGHT (HIGH MOUNT) KEEPS BLOWING BULBS,WHEN PULLING THE BULBS OUT THE TOP OF THE BULB IS MELTED TO THE INSIDE OF THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY.

VEHICLE WAS SITTING ALL DAY UNTIL THE EVENING WHEN CONSUEMR WENT OUT AND INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE. CONSUMER FOUND OUT THAT WIRIING HARNESS UNDER DASH CAUGHT ON FIRE. MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONCERNED WITH INCIDENT, BUT INTERESTED TO KNOW WHAT CONSUMER WAS SEEKING.*AK

THE MANUFACTURER PROGRAMMED THE AIR CONDITION TO BE ON ALL THE TIME, WHICH CAUSED THE COMPRESSOR TO MALFUNCTION, ABS BRAKE TO FAIL, AND VEHICLE TO STALL AND LOOSE ALL POWER.*YD

CYLINDER HEAD GASKET BLEW WHILE DRIVING. DEALER SAID THIS WAS COVERED UNDER A RECALL, BUT WATER PUMP FAILED BECAUSE OF GASKET, BUT WOULDN'T COVER THE PUMP. *AK

MY CAR WAS PROGRAMMED BY THE MANUFACTURER TO HAVE THE A/C ON AT ALL TIMES. SO, DURING THE LAST FIVE YEARS, MY A/C WAS ALWAYS ON, UNBEKNOWNST TO ME. THIS CAUSED THE COMPRESSOR TO MALFUNCTION THIS FALL. THAT'S WHEN THE PROBLEM WITH THE CAR FINALLY REVEALED ITSELF, AND A MECHANIC AT DON RINGLER'S CHEVROLET FINALLY FIGURED OUT THAT THE A/C NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED SO THAT IT WAS NOT ON AT ALL TIMES. MEANWHILE, ALL DURING THE FIVE YEARS, THE BRAKES KEPT FAILING AT VARIOUS TIMES, CAUSING ME TO NEARLY CRASH OR RUN OUT INTO TRAFFIC. MANY TIMES I WAS BRUISED FROM THE INCIDENTS. MY CAR ALSO STOPPED RUNNING ALTOGETHER SEVERAL TIMES WHILE OPERATING AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS, AND JUST AS THE POWER WOULD SHUT OFF, THE BRAKES WOULD STOP WORKING. I HAVE GONE OUT INTO THE MIDDLE OF HIGHWAYS, ALMOST BEING KILLED. EACH TIME I TOOK THE CAR IN, I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DETECTED OR THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN RESOLVED. BEING ONLY THE SECOND CAR IN MY LIFE (THE FIRST ONE, A GEO METRO, CAUSED NO PROBLEMS AT ALL), I TRUSTED THE VERDICT EACH TIME, AND DID NOT KNOW THAT THERE WAS A DEEPER, UNDERLYING PROBLEM TO REPORT. IT TOOK ME FIVE YEARS TO UNCOVER THIS. BELIEVING THE MECHANICS AT CHEVROLET DEALERSHIPS EACH TIME THAT THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN RESOLVED, I CONTINUED TO KEEP CAREFUL MAINTENANCE ON IT WITH THE VERY BEST QUALITY CARE. THIS FALL, I WAS TOLD THE SAME THING, THAT IT WAS SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE REAL SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM, AND AFTER ANOTHER $500 AND A TEST DRIVE WITH THE HEAD MECHANIC WHERE T

THE STEERING STARTED VERY GRADUALLY AND WE DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG. IT GOT SO BAD BEFORE WE HAD TO REPAIR IT THAT YOU COULD NOT STEER AT ALL TO THE LEFT. WHEN I APPROACHED THE DEALERSHIP AND ASKED THEM TO HELP WITH THE COST OF THE REPAIR THEY SAID KNOW. AFTER THE REPAIR WA COMPLETED I TALKED OT THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT PERFORMED THE REPAIR AND HE INDICATED THAT HE REPLACES THIS ON A LOT OF GM VEHICLES INCLUDING CAVALIERS. I AM REQUESTING THAT GM BE MADE AWARE OF THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM AND PUT A CAMPAIGN TOGETHER TO REPAIR ANY VEHICLE INCLUDING MY OWN WITH PARTS AND LABOR COSTS.*AK

WHEN DRIVING RAILS BROKE ON FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT DURING A CRASH ALSO, WHEN THE RAILS BROKE SEAT WAS LOOSE, AND SEAT BELT DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. CRASH WAS LEFT FRONTAL IMPACT. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK *JB

WHEN STATING VEHICLE SAW SMOKE COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN. WITH NO PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. CONTACTED DEALER ,AND DEALER STATED NOTHING COULD BE DONE.*AK

HEAD GASKET BLEWOUT. ALSO, ENGINE IS OVERHEATING AND THE COOLANT IS LEAKING FLUID. CONSUMER NOTED THERE WAS A TSB LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE FOR SAME TYPE OF PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

FRONT SEAT SEATBACK FAILED TO PROPERLY LOCK INTO PLACE. DEALERSHIP HAS REFUSED TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE FOR FAILURE OF THE SEATS TO LOCK INTO PLACE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME FOUR-SPEED OVERDRIVE TRANSMISSION WILL AUTOMATICALLY SHIFT DOWN TO A LOWER GEAR, AND "ETS OFF" AND "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHTS COME ON SIMULTANEOUSLY. VEHICLE REMAINS IN LOW GEARS UNTIL LIGHTS GO OFF OR UNTIL VEHICLE COOLS DOWN. ALSO , THAT WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS VEHICLE JERKS AND VIBRATES AS IF THE ABS IS KICKING IN AT SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS. *AK

TWO TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ON OUR 1996 CHEVROLET CAVALIER HAVE MALFUNCTIONED AND CAUSED US TO REAREND OTHER VEHICLES. BOTH TIMES AFTER SLAMMING DOWN ON THE BRAKES, THE CAR WOULD ALMOST COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND THEN WOULD JUT FORWARD 2-3 TIMES AND HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF US. AFTER THE FIRST ACCIDENT, WE TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC, AND HE TOLD US HE COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. WE THOUGHT THAT POSSIBLY IT WAS JUST A ONE TIME OCCURRENCE AND MAYBE THERE WOULD NOT BE CONTINUING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES, BUT THEN IN THE LATEST ACCIDENT, OUR CAR BEHAVED IN THE SAME MANNER. THIS TIME WE SUSTAINED SEVERE DAMAGE AND THE CAR WAS TOTALED. LUCKILY, NO ONE WAS INJURED IN EITHER ACCIDENT, PROBABLY BECAUSE BOTH TIMES THE ACCIDENTS OCCURED AT VERY LOW SPEEDS. WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF OTHER OWNERS OF 1996 CHEVROLET CAVALIERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. THANK YOU. *AK

WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT GEARS. CONSUMER PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK

IT ALL BEGAN THE SUMMER OF 1999, THE STARTER BROKE AND KEPT BEING REPLACED BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD CHEW IT UP AND SPIT IT OUT LIKE A BAD ORGAN. MY ATTEMPTS TO FIX IT WERE WITH FIRESTONE AND SHELL. THEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY DISCOVERED THERE WAS A CHIPPED FLYWHEEL. THE CAR WAS FINE UP UNTIL RECENTLY IT WOULDN'T START ON 3/10/01 SO THE DEALER REPLACED THE IGNITION. ON 3/15/2001 IT HAD POOR ACCELERATION SO THE DEALER REPLACED THE IGNITION WIRES. ON 4/25/01 CAR WOULDN'T START AGAIN SO THE DEALER REPLACED THE IGNITION MODULE. I'VE PAID OVER $4000.00 IN REPAIRS SINCE 1999 FOR THE ISSUE OF THE CAR NOT STARTING.I HAVE BEEN USING JERRYS CHEVROLET AND HERITAGE CHEVROLET.

ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON/ OFF. CONSUMER REPLACED GAS CAP. TOOK VEHICLE TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC THAT DIAGNOSED VEHICLE WITH COMPUTER. MECHANIC RESET COMPUTER TO REMOVE ENGINE LIGHT, HOWEVER, ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON 2 DAYS AFTERWARDS. *AK THE DEALER POINTED OUT THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ON PROBLEM OF THE ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON, BUT THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT NOTIFIED THE CONSUMER. *YH

WHILE DRIVING OR WHEN TURNING AT A LIGHT ENGINE WILL STALL WITHOUT A PRIOR WARNING. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TAKEN TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS, BUT DEFECT HAD NOT BEEN FOUND TO BE REPAIRED.*AK PCM WAS REPLACED TWICE, FUEL PUMP REPLACED, DEALER CLEANED THROTTLE BOARD, EGR VALVE, AND FUEL INJECTORS, VEHICLE STILL CONTINUES TO STALL. *SLC

INTERIOR DOME LIGHT COMES ON WITHOUT REASON WHILE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION. DEALERSHIP INFORMED CONUSMER VEHICLE WAS NOT A PART OF RECALL 98V027000. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

VEHICLE IS EXPIRIENCING SAME PROBLEMS AS MENTIONED IN RECALL 96V250000; HAZARD LIGHTS DO NOT FLASH WHEN HAZARD SWITCH IS ACTIVATED. MANUFACTURER HAS ADVISED CONSUMER THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL DUE TO VIN. REPAIRS WOULD BE AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE.*AK

THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED, THE PLASTIC PART WHICH IS ATTACHED TO THE METAL TONGUE OF THE BELT SNAPPED OFF MAKING THE SEAT BELT UNABLE TO HOLD POSITION AFTER FASTENING. NLM

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT IS STAYING ON AND WON'T GO OFF. *AK

THE HEAD GASKET BLEW WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED FOR 2 YEARS. NLM

THE WATER KEEPS LEAKING FROM THE WEEP HOLE AND THERE WAS NO FAULT OF MINE OR PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE THAT I COULD OF DONE. DUE TO THE LOCATION OF THE WATER PUMP (UNDER THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD) THE REPAIR IS VERY EXPENSIVE (APPROXIMATELY $800.00). *AK

REAR STRUTS & MOUNTS & EXHAUST HANGERS REPLACED AT 47,000 MILES. PROBLEM NOT RESOLVED.

NO TRANSMISSION WHICH HAS BEEN CARED FOR, WHICH THIS ONE HAS, SHOULD FAIL AT 78000 MILES. *AK

WAS DRIVING AND STARTED TO SMELL BURNING PLASTIC. PARKED VEHICLE AND CHECKED IT OUT. NOTICED, AFTER REMOVING DOME LIGHT, A HOLE IN ROOF DUE TO LIGHT BULB. CEILING WAS BURNED. CONTACTED INSURANCE COMPANY AND WAS REFERRED TO DEALERSHIP FOR ESTIMATE OF COST. *AK

THE TRANSMISSIONS IN GM CARS SEEM TO BE HAVING MULTIPLE FAILURES AT WHAT I SEEM TO THINK ARE UNUSUALY LOW MILAGES. THIS TRANS THAT WENT OUT IN MY CAR IS A GM REBUILT TRANSMISSION WOULD SOMEBODY PLEASE LOOK INTO THE GM TRANSMISSION SITUATION. *AK

TRANSMISSION WENT OUT CAR WILL NOT MOVE AND IT ALREADY HAS A GMC REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION IN THE CAR. *AK

IN COLD WEATHER STEERING BECOMES HARD AND UNMANAGEABLE. CHEVROLET WAS CONTACTED NUMEROUS TIMES AND 4 ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, ALL WITH NO AVAIL. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE GARAGE FOR 4 MONTHS NOT IN USE DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT A PART WILL FAIL AND COST ME AN ACCIDENT OR EVEN MY LIFE. THANKS STEVE LEHST. *AK

WITH REGULAR SCHEDULED OIL CHANGES, NO OIL LEAK PRESENT, ENGINE MADE CLACKING NOISES WHILE DRIVING. TAKEN TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND WAS TOLD TO REPLACE ENTIRE ENGINE. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER AND HAD TO AUTHORIZE COMPLETE ENGINE TEAR DOWN ($1900) BEFORE THEY WOULD COME LOOK AT ENGINE (NO LONGER UNDER WARRENTY). I'M WAITING FOR FURTHER DETAILS, BUT HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE MANUFACTURER WILL PROBABLY NOT HELP IN FIXING THIS PROBLEM.*AK

4 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FORWARD GEARS FAILED, REVERSE STILL WORKS. *AK

MY ETS OFF LIGHT AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ILLUMINATED FOR THE PAST 10 MONTHS. THE CODE 1810, WHICH IS THE TCC SWITCH, HAS SHOWN WHEN MY CAR HAS BEEN SCANNED. MY CAR HAS BEEN SEEN BY SEVERAL MECHANICS . THE SWITCH HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND IT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE MECHANICS TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. I HAD A NEW TRANSMISSION PUT IN. THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON WHICH CAUSED MY CAR NOT TO SHIFT PROPERLY. ALL THE MECHANICS THAT HAVE LOOKED AT MY CAR SAID THAT GETTING A NEW TRANSMISSION WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. WHICH IT HAS NOT. WHAT CAN YOU RECOMMEND I DO. DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS TRANSMISSION EVEN THOUGH IT HASN'T FIXED ANYTHING? ALSO THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED SHORTLY AFTER MY WARRANTY EXPIRED.

DOME LIGHT BURNED A HOLE ON ROOF BECAUSE IT DID NOT HAVE A TOP OR PROTECTIVE COVER WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED FIRE.*AK

WHEN DRIVER WENT TO ACCELERATE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THIS IS SECOND TRANSMISSION IN VEHICLE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG INADVERTENT DEPLOYED WHILE TRAVELING AT 70 MPH,.VEHICLE DID NOT ROLL OVER. DEALER / MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK

WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR TWO HOURS A FIRE IGNITED IN STEERING COLUMN CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

ALSO LOSE OF OIL

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DASHBOARD IS NOT SECURED BY ANYTHING, THAT IT CAN BE LIFTED OUT BY HAND, THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE WIRING AND POSSIBLY THIS COULD BE ONE OF THE REASONS WITH, THE ALTERNATOR HAS BEEN REPLACED AND IS STILL NOT WORKING CORRECTLY. *SLC

STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND DEALER SAID IT WAS RACK AND PINION STEERING THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR FIVE DAYS, CONSUMER WENT OUTSIDE AND THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, CONSUMER WENT TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND NOTICED SMOKE FROM THE STEERING WHEEL AREA, VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. *MJS

THE CAR SHUTS OFF AND/OR WILL NOT CRANK . *AK

MY RIGHT HEADLIGHT IS OUT DUE TO MELTED WIRING, WHICH IN TALKING WITH MY LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER HAS BEEN A PRETTY COMMON PROBLEM IN THESE CARS. AS FAR AS I CAN SEE CHEVROLET HASN'T ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM YET ALTHOUGH IT IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE. ANY INPUT YOU HAVE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANKS.*AK

ENGINE STALLED INTERMITTENTLY WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. ALSO, ON TEN OCCASIONS, ACCELERATOR PEDAL HAD OPERATED BY ITSELF. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

SPONTANEOUS FIRE, TOTALLY DESTROYED INSIDE OF CAR.*AK