FaultScore

1995 Chevrolet Cavalier body problems

12 of the 392 complaints about the 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier are about the body and structure — 3% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 66,406 miles.

B

12

Complaints

1

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Door 4 33.3%
Body 3 25.0%
Frame AND Members 2 16.7%
Trunk LID 2 16.7%
Underbody Shields 1 8.3%

Body & Structure across every Chevrolet Cavalier year

1994 13 7.2%
1995 12 6.6%
1996 14 7.7%
1997 22 12.2%
1998 31 17.1%
1999 10 5.5%
2000 27 14.9%
2001 14 7.7%
2003 11 6.1%
2004 13 7.2%
2005 14 7.7%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 60,800 miles Peakin, IL

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTING SEVERELY. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,800 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 10/18/11*LJ UPDATED 3/29/12

NHTSA complaint #10424056 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 72,012 miles State College, PA

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS

I BOUGHT A 1995 CHEVROLET CAVALIER NEW, IN JULY 1995. I HAD THE FOLLOWING MAJOR REPAIRS DONE ON THE CAR. ON 8/97 -ENTIRE EXHAUST FROM CONVERTER BACK BAD BAFFLED UNDER WARRANTY. ON 10/97-SERPENTINE BELT/ROTORS/ALTERNATOR & RECALL ON HAZARD LIGHTS UNDER WARRANTY. 4/00-HEAD GASKET,SEAL,OIL,FILTER,COOLANT;RECALL ON COVER,SHIELD,RETAINER,SEALANT (DEALER COVERED COSTS UNDER A SPECIAL POLICY ADJUSTMENT. 4/00-EGR VALVE 10/00-ADJUST SERPENTINE BELT;REPLACE SERPENTINE BELT 10/01-REPLACE BACK BRAKE PADS,CLEAN FRONT PADS 05/02-REPLACE FAN BELT & TENSIONER;RECALL ON IGNITION SWITCH 06/02-BROKEN FORWARD CLUTCH HOUSING,CLUTCH,GASKETS,FLUID,LEFT FRONT AXLE ASSEMBLY 07/02-REPLACE BATTERY,BAD CELL DUE TO CAR SITTING FOR SO LONG DURING PREVIOUS REPAIR 12/03-WATER PUMP, HEAD GASKET, THERMOSTAT,OIL,FILTER,COOLANT $461.79-50% OF BILL REIMBURSED BY CHEVROLET UPON WRITTEN REQUEST 07/03-REAR BRAKES; 08/04-RESISTOR (BLOWER MOTOR, 09/04-ALTERNATOR 07/05-FRONT ROTORS & PADS; 06/06-REAR BRAKE LINE 06/07-WON'T PASS STATE INSPECTION-FRAME RUSTING OUT. REAR BUMPER SUPPORT FRAME MUST BE REPLACED TO PASS INSPECTION, MORE FRAME REPAIR WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED FOR NEXT INSPECTION;HEAD GASKET IS STARTING TO SEEP AGAIN THIRD HEAD GASKET. I CONTACTED CHEVROLET TWICE BY THEIR E-MAIL SITE IN THE PAST 2 WEEKS AND HAVE HAD NO RESPONSE. SITE CLAIMS RESPONSE WILL BE WITHIN 48 HOURS. I ASKED FOR REPAIR COSTS FOR REAR FRAME SUPPORT, HEAD GASKET OR A VOUCHER FOR CREDIT TOWARD A NEW/NEWER VEHICLE. POINTED OUT THE PROBLEM OF THE THIRD HEAD GASKET, THAT FRAME RUSTED ON A CAR ONLY 12 YEARS OLD THAT JUST LAST MONTH TURNED 72,000 MILES. ALSO, POINTED OUT THAT WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR THE DEALER RECOMMENDED A PROTECTIVE UNDERCOUNTS WHICH I AGREED TO. WHEN I READ THE OWNER'S MANUAL IT STATED NOT APPLY

NHTSA complaint #10196202 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Milwaukee, WI

STRUCTURE:BODY:TRUNK LID

THE FIRST INCIDENT WITH MY 1995 BASE MODEL CHEVROLET CAVALIER WAS WHEN THE HORN STOPPED WORKING, WHEN I NEEDED IT MOST ON A FREEWAY WHEN SOMEONE WAS ABOUT TO HIT ME WHILE CHANGING LANES. THE HORN FAILED, AND IT HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF ABOUT $100, WHICH I COVERED, SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS RECENTLY OFF OF WARRANTY. MONTHS LATER, THE TRUNK LATCH REFUSED TO WORK. I COULD NOT OPEN THE TRUNK FROM THE REAR OR FROM THE INSIDE OF THE CAR. IN LATE 2000, MY BRAKES WERE MAKING GRINDING NOISES. TURNS OUT THE ROTORS WERE BADLY WARPED AT 50,000 MILES. NOW, 15,000 MILES LATER, THE BRAKES ARE GRINDING AGAIN, WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE ROTORS MAY ONCE AGAIN BE WARPED. AT THE BEGINNING OF 2002, I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR A ROUTINE INSPECTION, ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS CRACKED AND LEAKING COOLANT ALL OVER MY ENGINE. THE HEAD GASKET HAD TO BE REPLACED, WHICH WAS A VERY COSTLY REPAIR. ONLY RECENTLY HAVE I HEARD THAT THIS MAY OR MAY NOT BE COVERED BY A "SECRET" WARRANTY UP TO 7 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES, SOMETHING I WISH I HAD BEEN NOTIFIED OF BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. FINALLY, WITHIN WEEKS OF THE HEAD GASKET REPAIR, THE PLASTIC ON THE DRIVER'S SEATBELT SNAPPED OFF, SO NOW I MUST HAVE THE ENTIRE SEATBELT REPLACED. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH ALL OF THE PROBLEMS I HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH THIS CAR, AND I HAVE HEARD THAT OTHER CAVALIER OWNERS HAVE HAD EVEN WORSE EXPERIENCES THAN ME! I WOULD LIKE TO SEE GENERAL MOTORS STAND BY THEIR PRODUCTS AND AT LEAST REIMBURSE ME FOR SOME OF THE HEAD GASKET REPAIR COST, WHICH WAS NEARLY SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS, BUT THIS MAY ONLY BE A PIPE DREAM. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE CAVALIER ENGINE HEAD GASKETS FOR THE 2.2 L ENGINES. THIS SEEMS TO BE A LONG-RUNNING PROBLEM ON CAVALIERS THROUGHOUT THE 1990S THAT GM HAS YET TO PUBLICLY ADMIT OR ADDRESS. WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR THEM TO RECALL IT, SOMEONE DYING ON THE ROAD WHEN HIS OR HER CAR EITHER STALLS IN BUSY TRAFFIC OR CATCHES ON FIRE?

NHTSA complaint #758889 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Caldwell, ID

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

SUBFRAME HAS DEVELOPED CRACKS, CAUSING VEHICLE TO FEEL HARD WHEN BRAKING, FRAME IS MOVING.

NHTSA complaint #879132 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ANN Arbor, MI

STRUCTURE:BODY

LATCH RELEASE FOR CONSOLE FAILED.

NHTSA complaint #782504 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ANN Arbor, MI

STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

DOOR JAMS.

NHTSA complaint #782504 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ANN Arbor, MI

STRUCTURE:BODY

LATCH RELEASE FOR CONSOLE FAILED.

NHTSA complaint #782504 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ANN Arbor, MI

STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

DOOR JAMS.

NHTSA complaint #782504 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Torrance, CA

STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

DOOR PANELS LOOSE.

NHTSA complaint #542528 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNK, 00 Crash

STRUCTURE:BODY

VEHICLE HAS FIVE BLIND SPOTS, RESULTING IN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA complaint #485003 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Niles, OH

STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

POWER DOOR LOCKS INOPERATIVE.

NHTSA complaint #502868 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Irvington, AL

STRUCTURE:BODY:TRUNK LID

LEAK INSIDE OF TRUNK DUE TO A DEFECTIVE SEAL AROUND GASKET.

NHTSA complaint #490609 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier problems

← Full 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier report