This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Water pump leaking and needs to be replaced for the third time. One water pump was replaced under warranty. A second water pump failed just after the 36,000 warranty was up and cost me extra to replace because of the poor design of the engine which requires that it be removed to replace the water pump. The third has just failed for unknown reasons. The vehicle only has 75,000 miles on it.
The temperature gauge in car rises to very hot. There is no steam or anything coming from car, but you must still stop on the highway and wait for the gauge to read cool before you can continue on. This also happens if you are on a line for any amount of time. Because of this problem I own a car that I drive only around the neighborhood.
My 97 Chevy Cavalier has blown through 3 head gaskets, 3 water pumps, 3 heater cores and 3 thermostats within the 3 years I've owned the car due to coolant leakage out of a place that no mechanic can seem to figure out. Also, the engine stalls when the car is in idle at random times. I've been stuck late at night on the highway and in the cold with my infant daughter several times and no one seems to be able to fix this problem.
There is a clunking noise in the steering wheel and front left wheel when maneuvering a turn. Also my water pump has had to be replaced twice in the past year. My final complaint is that when I try and start my vehicle it doesn't always start when holding it in the start position.
1997 Cavalier=head gasket became warped and had to be replaced=$900. Thermostat replaced 3 times since purchase, water pump replaced twice. Car returned to dealer every three to six months for the last 3 years for the same problem involving overheating and coolant leaks. Problem continually reoccurs, even after it has been deemed finally repaired.
- Frankfort, IL, USA
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I have a 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier that right after purchase (1998) the engine needed replacement. The dealer as per the service contract did this. Skip ahead to now (2003), the car developed a coolant leak. It was looked at and tested by my local mechanic and was diagnosed as a bad head gasket. I called the dealer that replaced the engine and was told that the entire engine was replaced. I asked about them fixing the head gasket, as it should not be leaking (the engine has 38,000 miles on it) they said no. I called GM customer service, they said I would have to have it diagnosed by a GM dealer at the cost of $79.95. This was done, the dealer said it was a bad gasket and/or cracked head. GM customer service said that since the car was out of warranty and that only a short block was installed they would do nothing about it. My complaint is this; I've been lied to by my local dealer. The Cavalier has this known defect. GM has done nothing to tell me about it, but they have issued a technical service bulletin about it to the dealers. And now they won't repair the vehicle, not will they offer to pay any portion of it's repair. I would like any and all help in forcing GM to fix this.
Consumer noticed coolant leaking from vehicle. Vehicle has not been examined by dealer yet. Dealer found cylinder head gasket and water pump leaking. Replaced pump and head gaskets. Manufacturer notified. Consumer is aware of same problem with the 1996 models.
My car had started overheating really bad, and was going through coolant like crazy. So I called the dealership where I bought it and they charged way to much. So I took it to a radiator shop and had it looked at. They replaced the water pump and some hoses, and it still acted up. So I finally bought a whole new coolant tank, and yet still it continued to do the same thing. So I took it to Firestone to have a coolant pressure test done. They told me that the head gasket had a leak in the front corner. They estimated it at costing about $800 to fix the head gasket. But then I took it upon myself to go buy a new cap for the coolant tank and I haven't had a problem with it overheating on me. That cap only cost me like $10. What concerns me is that the pressure cap that was originally on the car was a 15 psi cap and the new one I bought from the dealer was an 18 psi. They told me they changed the part for my car. I would like to know why I wasn't notified of this. That could have been the whole problem behind my car overheating.
Since I bought the car, it has had numerous trips to the dealer for repair, including head gaskets, water pump and other things were replaced. Each time I received the car back, it still makes a "ticking noise" that makes my car sound like a diesel engine. My car is not a diesel!!! I am unsure what to do now that I have had the car for this length of time. All the times it was in for repair, I was told that all small engine cars will make that noise.
We have had problems with this car from the date that it was purchased. The brake rotor problems have been worked on several times, and it will stop for a while, but will continue to worsen with time. The ABS light and low coolant light have been on and off for over and year and we were told that we would have to pay to have them fixed, the sound from the exhaust, possibly the catalytic converter, has been going on for over a year and again, we were told we needed to replace it, that it was not covered under warranty. Then engine is sounding more awful as time goes on...lots of noise under the hood especially at crusing speed, and then again when slowing to a stop, and more recently even when idling. Not only was this car not serviced properly when I would bring it in with a complaint, but I feel as if the dealers were purposely putting me off just so the warranty would run out and I would have to fix these problems myself. Obviously I am not the only on that has had similiar problems. And also, the car has been leaking antifreeze for a number of months, but cant seem to find the leak. Definitely can smell the burning antifreeze, especially after an extended trip.
In December 1999, I experienced a loss of engine coolant level and the low engine coolant indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. I assumed the thermostat was failing and had a local service station replace it and flush the radiator. Several days later the low engine coolant light illuminated on the instrument panel. Upon inspection, I had lost some coolant and experienced the smell of hot coolant which I attributed to the recent radiator flush. I took it back to the service station and the coolant system was pressure tested to check for leaks and passed. After being idle for over 1 week, on January 3, 2000, I checked the engine coolant level and it was low. I filled the engine coolant reservior to full and after short trips the level had held at full. On January 4, 2000, while driving to work, I experienced a rough idle and in addition to the low engine coolant level illuminating on the instrument panel, the check engine light and the traction control lights also lit up on the dash. I took it to the dealer, hawthorne Chevrolet, expecting to have them finally resolve my problem and they informed me they suspected my engine block was cracked and estimated the job at over $3400. I noteiced service bulletin #'s 67-62-04, 970501776109 & 970501738309 posted on your website refers to similar defects as those I have experienced. If the engine has a defect, what recourse do I have? I have followed the recommended maintainance schedule and feel frustrated that GM and hawthorne Chevrolet knew of the potential problems but failed to take the preventative measures to avoid perminant damage to the engine. I have taken the car to the service station where I had the thermostat replaced and their conclusion is the head gasget has failed or the head has cracked, based on the fact that there isn't any coolant in the oil pan. I received an estimate of $950 for the repairs. I'm not a happy Cavalier owner. I thank you.
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- Liverpool, NY, USA