1996 Chevrolet Cavalier complaints

STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP FOR NO REASON. *AK

REAR BRAKE SYSTEM SHAKES AND LURCHES...WHEELS LOCK UP AND RELEASE...CAR SKIDS FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME CAUSING CAR TO ATTEMPT TO RUN OFF ROADWAY...THIS HAPPENS MOST OFTEN IN WET CONDITIONS. CAR WAS RETURNED TO DEALER WHO "CLEANED REAR BRAKE DRUMS" AND TOLD US THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. LAST NIGHT THE CAR WAS ALMOST INVOLVED IN TWO ACCIDENTS WHEN DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING IN WET CONDITIONS AT SPEEDS IN 35 TO 45 MPH RANGE WHEN BRAKING SYSTEM LOCKED UP TWICE CAUSING CAR TO SKID. FATHER CAN CAUSE BRAKES TO LOCK UP IN DRY CONDITIONS DUPLICATING BRAKE LOCK UP IN WET CONDITIONS. *AK

S WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD VEHICLE DIED OUT, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO ALMOST BECOME INVOLVED IN AN AUTO COLLISION. *AK

CAR REFUSED TO MOVE WHILE ENTERING TRAFFIC, ALL REG MAINT. PERFORMED, NO WARNING, BARELY AVOIDED BEING REAR ENDED. COMPANY NOT INTERESTED IN DANGER OR IN RESPONSIBILITY FOR DEFECTIVE PARTS. ENGINE WORKS, CAR WILL NOT GO INTO GEAR. *AK

I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT THAT HAPPENED ON THE 26 OF THIS MONTH WHEN I HIT THE REAREND OF THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME I WAS TRAVELING APPROX.25MPH AND MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IT WAS A STRAIGHT ON COLLISION TO THE FRONT END OF MY CAR.

WHEN TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE WILL STALL AND CUT WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, ALSO, DASH LIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED . CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER HAS REPLACED THE COMPUTER CHIP. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 50 MPH CONSUMER HAD TO SLAM ON BRAKES AND THE SEATBELT DID NOT PROPERLY RESTRAIN. THE LITTLE PIECES OF THE BELT BUCKLE FELL OFF IN THE ACCIDENT. *AK

MUFFLER DEFECTIVE. NLM

ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILURE. SOUGHT ASSISTANCE FROM 3 DIFFERENT SERVICE CENTERS. WAS TOLD NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT UNTIL PART WAS COMPLETELY FAILED. FIRST CONTACT WAS WHEN CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY. *AK

NO SUMMARY

THE COMPUTER IS ENCASED IN A SPLIT ALUMINUM HOUSING AND IS NOT HERMETICALLY SEALED. THIS SUB ASSEMBLY IS LOCATED IN THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE VEHICLE SURROUNDED BY LOOSE FITTING PLASTIC PARTS. IT IS SUBJECTED TO MOISTURE, DIRT AND IN NORTHERN CLIMATES SALT CORROSION

I HAVE HAD CONTINUAL PROBLEMS WITH MY CD-PLAYER NOT EJECTING CDS.

CAR STALLS UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE DRIVING. DRIVER LOSES CONTROL. DEALER CAN'T SEEM TO FIX IT CORRECTLY. FAILED AGAIN 10/30/99

VEHICLE WAS SOLD WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OF RECALL #98V-146. MJS

THE FIRST PROBLEM WITH MY CAVALIER WAS ABOUT 3 MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR. I WAS IDLING IN A DRIVE-THRU WHEN ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE CONCOLE FLASHED AND THE CAR WENT DEAD. THE CAR WOULDN'T RESTART. I PUSHED IT TO THE SIDE AND WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND TRIED AGAIN. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND SEVERAL HOURS LATER, THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED AND AT THAT TIME, THE CAR STARTED. I CALLED TAYLOR JEEP (WHERE I HAVE A SERVICE CONTRACT) AND THEY SAID IT MIGHT HAVE JUST BEEN BAD GAS OR THE CAR OVERHEATING AND TO NOT WORRY ABOUT IT SINCE THE CAR IS RUNNING. FOUR DAYS LATER, I WAS DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY WHEN THE LIGHTS ON THE CONSOLE FLASHED AND THE CAR LOST ALL POWER INCLUDING ANIT-LOCK BRAKES AND POWERSTEERING. I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE CAR WOULDN'T RESTART. I THEN CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO TAYLOR JEEP. AFTER CHECKING OUT THE CAR, THE SERVICES DEPARTMENT COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THE CAR STARTED FINE. I EXPLAINED THAT THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING WRONG IF THE CAR SHUT DOWN, AND TO PLEASE CONTINUE LOOKING. TAYLOR JEEP ENDED UP REPLACING THE STARTER?! ON MARCH 23, 1999, I WAS DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY, AND AGAIN, THE LIGHTS FLASHED ON THE CONSOLE AND THE CAR LOST ALL POWER. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE CAR WOULDN'T RESTART. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO TAYLOR JEEP. THIS TIME THEY REPAIRED THE IGNITION SWITCH IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THEN ON MARCH 31, 1999 WHILE DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY, THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM OCCURED. I AGAIN HAD THE CAR TO

CAR WAS INTO MOBILE HOME TO WINDSHIELD AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE STALLS. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE 3 TIMES IN LAST MONTH AND CANNOT FIND A SOLUTION. *AK

ENGINE SHUTS DOWN WITHOUT WARNING. HAS OCCURED ON FOUR OCCASIONS. SHUT DOWNS OCCUR AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. DEALERS HAS ATTEMPTED TO FIND PROBLEM WITH NO SUCESS.

HAD TO REPLACE DRUMS IN APRIL OF 1998 AND I AM CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM I.E. NEEDING TO REPLACE THE DRUMS AGAIN.

"ETS OFF" LIGHT AND "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" REMAIN ON WHILE CAR IS IN DRIVE. SUGGESTED CORRECTIONS DO NOT TURN LIGHTS OFF. IN SEPTEMBER 1997 WHEN PROBELM FIRST OCCURRED, THE PCM (ON-BOARD DIAGNOSTICS) WAS EVENTUALLY REPLACED. DEALER ALLEGED THEY COULD NOT TELL IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM UNTIL PART WAS REPLACED. WHEN PART WAS REPLACED, DIAGNOTICS REVEALED NO PROBLEM. THE COST TO THE DEALER WAS APPROXIMATELY $250.00. NOW (TWO YEARS LATER) SAME PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING. DEALER SAYS NO RECOURSE EXCEPT TO REPLACE MODULE AGAIN, AT OWNER COST. LOCATION OF MODULE (UNDER WHEEL WELL) IS SUCH THAT IT IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO WATER. THANK YOU. JOAN MOORE

THE HORN IS CONNECTED TO THE AIR BAG MODULE. IT CANNOT BLOW UNLESS PUSHED HARD. AFRAID AIR BAG WOULD DEPLOY IF POUNDED TOO HARD FOR HORN TO BLOW. POOR DESIGN. *AK AFTER POUNDING SEVERAL TIMES HORN WILL BLOW WITH ONLY SLIGHT PRESSURE. AFTER GOING THROUGH PUDDLES BELT SLIPS AND POWER STEERING QUITS, BATTERY DISCHARGES, POOR DESIGN WHICH ALLOWS FOR WATER TO SPLASH ON DRIVE BELTS. *MJS

ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKS IN AN UP POSITION, FORCING DRIVER TO APPLY MORE PRESSURE TO GAS PEDAL, AND CAUSING VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE FORWARD AT HIGH SPEED. DEALER SAYS THROTTLE ASSEMBLY HAS TO BE REPLACED. *AK

VEHICLE'STRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON THE STREET AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH WITHOUT WARNING. HAD TO PUSH VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD TO AVOID A COLLISION, BELIEVED THIS CONDITION WAS DUE TO MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT SINCE VEHICLE HAD ONLY 54,000 MILES OF WEAR. CAN NHTSA HELP IN THIS MATTER. *AK

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN COLLISION IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK UP UPON IMPACT. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

DRIVER'S AND FRONT PASSENGER'S DOOR LATCHES BECAME INOPERABLE. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED THE LATCHES. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK *ML

I FOUND OUT THAT THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED ON JULY 31 1996, BUT NOT BY ME I CAN'T FOUND WHO OR WHOM PURCHASED THE CAR . I WOULD LIKE TO FIND IF THIS CAR WAS OWNED BY SOMEONE BEFORE ME BECAUSE THIS CREATE A PROBLEM WHERE IF SOMEONE ENTER THE DATE OF OWNSHIP AS 7/31 /96 WHO WAS THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS CAR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. SHIRLEY HURT

ABS LIGHT ALWAYS ON, COMPLIED WITH OWNERS MANUAL TO TURN OFF, BACK TO DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES UNDER BUMPER-TO-BUMPER COVERAGE. NOT FIXED. NOW,GRINDS & BUMPS AT ENGINE START, SKIDS AFTER BRAKES APPLIED.DEALERSHIP VERY UNCOOPERATED!!

THE SUN GEAR AND CARRIER CRACKED AND BEARING EXPLODED CAUSING TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *YC

THIS IS A SECOND REPORT OF THE POWER STEERIG FAILURE. THE FIRST WAS LOSS OF POWER ASSIST ONLY. THE SECOND FAILURE WAS TOTAL LOCK UP OF THE STEERING SYSTEM. THE RACK AND PINNION ASSEMBLY HAS BEEN REPLACED, IT WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR YOUR INSPECTION UNTIL 8/25/99. THE FAILURE OCCURED AFTER BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE WHICH REQUIRED A COMPLETE TURN T

STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, WIFE WAS IN ANOTHER CAR IN FRONT, AND CONSUMER WAS HIT FROM REAR. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. *AK

TOLD COMMON PROB W/MY CAR BY DEALER - GM NOT AWARE OF THIS

BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AND EVENTUALLY SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING GRADUALLY ON WET PAVEMENT ABS BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE WHEELS TO LOCK UP AND SKID WHICH MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE REASON,AND WON'T LOOK AT THE VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN#.

ENGINE HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING ANTI-FREEZE. CONTACTED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER. *AK

THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT BF GOODRICH TIRE BLEW ITS ENTIRE SIDE WALL, CONSUMER NOTICED NO STRANGE HANDLING UNTIL THE "BANG" THAT INDICATED THE FAILURE (BF GOODRICH TOURING T/A SR4 P195/65R15). *ET

WHILE DRIVING 50-60 MPH THE DOOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OPENED. THIS HAPPENED WHEN DRIVER'S DAUGHTER LEANED AGAINST THE DOOR LIGHTLY. DEALER/MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. LOCK ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

LOSS OF POWER ASSIST THREE TIMES, HAVE NOT DRIVEN SINCE 7/1/99. WE ARE TAKING IN FOR SERVICE 7/7/99.

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE INTERIOR LIGHTS COME UNEXPECTEDLY. SOMETIMES THEY FLASH ON AND OFF AND SOMETIMES THE LIGHTS REMAIN ON. THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THE SITUATION. VEHICLE NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL # 98V027000 GM/FMVSS 101. THE PROBLEM HSA NOT BEEN CORRECTED.

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED PROBLEM WITH ENGINE HEAD GASKETS AND VALVES COVERS GASKET FAILURE WITHIN 40,000 MILES OF WEAR; CONSUMER BELIEVED THIS CONDITION IS DUE TO MFR. DEFECTS. AND CONSUMER WOULD LIKE NHTSA TO PROVIDE ADDTIONAL INFORMATION OR HELP IN THIS MATTER.

WHILE DRIVING 35MPH, UNDER WET CONDITIONS, STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. DEALER AND MANJUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

SOMETIMES DURING THE INITIAL START-UP THE CAR WILL CRANK . YOU HAVE TO REMOVE THE FUSE FOR THE THEFT-SYSTEM AND DISCONNECT THE BATTERY CABLES AND WAIT AT LEAST 30 MINUTES TO LET THE COMPUTER REBOOT ITSELF. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWO TIMES DURING DRIVING WHERE THE CAR ACCELERATES BY ITSELF AND THEN DIES. AND AFTER YOU GET IT STARTED THE THEFT-SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON. UNTIL YOU TURN THE CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 MPH, I ENCOUNTERED MERGING TRAFFIC, SO I SLOWED DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, I THEN HEARD A POP BUT DID NOT THINK MUCH OF IT BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRUCTION CREWS WORKING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, I WAS ALSO LISTENING TO THE RADIO. I NOTICED THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WHEN THE CAR KEPT ON SLOWING DOWN AT A STEADY PACE,I HEARD THE ENGINE IDLING LOUDLY AND PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I FOUND IT KIND OF ODD THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD GIVE OUT ON ME SINCE THE CAR WAS A 1996.

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH, IMPACT FRONT SIDE BY PICKUP TRUCK. NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT. DEALER CONTACTED AND IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK

HEAD GASKET BLOWN.

RADIATOR HOSE RUBS AGAINST THE BATTERY METAL WHICH CAUSES A HOLE IN THE HOSE AND A RADIATOR LEAKAGE. THIS MAY POTENTIALLY CAUSE A FIRE. DEALER REPLACED RADIATOR HOSE, AND PUT A HARD PLASTIC OVER THE HOSE SO IT WON'T CAUSE A HOLE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

AFTERING TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE TWICE, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE IGNITION SWITCH AREA AND BURNED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. *AK

VEHICLE BOUGHT W/BAD WATER PUMP WHICH WAS LEAKING BADLY. BRAKES IN REAR WERE MAKING METAL TO METAL NOISE & WERE SLUSHY. WHEN VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ANY GREAT DISTANCE & THEN STOPPPED, IT WOULD OVERHEAT & THEN STALL OUT. HARD TO RESTART. ODOMETER NUMBERS NOT EVEN & OUT OF SYNC. WATER HOSE IS LEAKING. *AK

TRANSMISSION (MAIN DRIVE) FAILED. NLM