FaultScore report
Owners have filed 14 complaints about the 1988 Chevrolet Cavalier with NHTSA between 1995 and 2005. The largest single group is the electrical system.
14
Complaints
1
Crashes reported
1
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
Click any bar to open that year's report.
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
0 crashes, 1 fires
Median failure at 82,435 miles
1 crashes, 0 fires
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
STICKING THROTTLE
BRAKE PERFORMANCE
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STOP LAMPS
SUMMARY:A CHEVROLET SERVICE BULLETIN DATED JULY 1988 INDICATES THAT BOTHSOCKETS MUST BE REPLACED USING PART NUMBER 5972532.THIS SERVICE STOCKUSES A NEW HEAT RESISTANT MATERIAL.PRODUCTION STOCK WAS ALSO CORRECTEDBEGINNING WITH VINS J7163799 AND JJ187909.===
BRAKE INEFFECTIVENESS
POOR BRAKING
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.
Visual System
THESE VEHICLES MAY NOT COMPLY WITH C.M.V.S.S. 212 - WINDSHIELD MOUNTING. POOR BOND ADHESION BETWEEN THE WINDSHIELD GLASS AND MOUNTING COULD ALLOW THE WINDSHIELD TO SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE DURING A 30 MPH FRONTAL BARRIER TEST. CORRECTION: DEALERS WILL REMOVE AND INSTALL THE WINDSHIELDS ON AFFECTED VEHICLES.
Lights And Instruments
THESE VEHICLES DO NOT COMPLY WITH C.M.V.S.S. 108 - LIGHTING EQUIPMENT. REAR LAMP WIRING HARNESSES MAY CONTAIN OPEN OR INTERMITTENT CIRCUITS AFFECTING BACKUP LAMP OR LICENSE PLATE LAMP OPERATION. THIS CONDITION MAY CAUSE THESE LAMPS TO FLASH OR BE INOPERATIVE. CORRECTION: REAR LAMP WIRING HARNESSES WILL BE REPLACED.
Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT
DURING A FRONTAL IMPACT COLLISION, THE DRIVER'S SIDE LAP SEAT BELT BROKE APART. PLEASE DESCRIBE.
NHTSA complaint #985979 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE IN FRONT DASH, ELECTRICAL. TT
NHTSA complaint #965196 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
DT: THE CONTACT STATED THERE IS WIND BLOWING AROUND THE FRONT WINDSHIELD SEALANTS, ALLOWING COLD DRAFTS TO ENTER INTO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED NHTSA RECALL 88V121000, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE HAD THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL. NO REPAIRS OR CORRECTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE AT THIS TIME.
NHTSA complaint #10141367 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
WINDSHIELD BONDING DOES NOT MEET FMVSS 212, 1988, CHEVROLET CAVALIER, NHTSA CAMPAIGN NO: 88V121000.
NHTSA complaint #10065819 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
PURCHASED A 1988 CHEVROLET CAVALIER FROM E[ILOTOS AUTO SALES 2230 FRANKFORT AVE. PHILA. PA. THE CAR WAS SOLD WITHOUT THE DEALER INFORMING THE BUYER OF THE DEFECTS. THERE WERE MANY....TWO MAIN CRUNCHERS WERE THE BRAKES AND HUDDLED SYSTEMS. THE EMISSION STICKERS WERE DUE. THE DEALER SAID,"HE WOULD PUT STICKERS ON AFTER THE SALE," WHICH WHEN THE TIME ARRIVED FOR THE TRANSACTION,HE SAID,"WE COULD BUT THEY'RE HOT." NOW WE ARER HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME FINDING A GARAGE TO PUT STICKERS ON IT BECAUSE OF THE MECHANICAL DEFECTS.
NHTSA complaint #10064146 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #760989 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #760989 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BACK UP LIGHTS
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #760989 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WHEELS
WATER LEAKS INTO THE SPARE TIRE WELL IN THE TRUNK.
NHTSA complaint #537080 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:RACK AND PINION:RACK
DUE TO THE ALUMINUM CONSTRUCTION OF THE STEERING RACK AND ITS INTERNAL COMPONENTS, THE STEERING FAILS ON LEFT TURNS IN COLD WEATHER.
NHTSA complaint #516875 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:FRONT
SUSPENSION/BODY PROBLEMS. VEHICLE WAS IN A WRECKED BEFORE DRIVER PURCHASED IT.
NHTSA complaint #507486 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
THE ELCTRONIC INSTRUMENT PANEL GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING. *AK CONSUMER STATES THE CLUSTER GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HAS TO PUKK OVER TO WAIT FOR THE CLUSTER TO COME BACK ON, CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALERSHIP AND THEY REFUSE TO FIX PROBLEM, CONSUMER STATES HE HAS ANOTHR VEHICLE THAT HAS THIS SAME PROBLEM AND THE CLUSTER HAS BEEN FIXED ONCE ALREADY ON THAT VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #987087 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING
'COLD POWER STEERING'.
NHTSA complaint #488167 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT
DURING A FRONTAL IMPACT COLLISION, THE DRIVER'S SIDE LAP SEAT BELT BROKE APART. PLEASE DESCRIBE.
NHTSA complaint #985979 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE IN FRONT DASH, ELECTRICAL. TT
NHTSA complaint #965196 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
WAS DRIVING THE CAR CAME TO A STOP LIGHT PUT ON BRAKE IT FEEL LIKE CAR IS ALREADY TO GO. TT
NHTSA complaint #961934 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.