IllustrationENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.
1990 Chevrolet Cavalier
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1990 Chevrolet Cavalier do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 140.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Cavalier years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 2 of 55 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
2 crash reports12 fire reports3 injury reports
What owners actually said
55 reportsSTEERING FAILURE CAUSED ACCIDENT/INJURY. *DH
STEERING COLUMN SMOKED. *SD
WHILE DRIVING, AT APPROX. 40MPH, SUDDENLY ENGINE SHUT DOWN, NO WARNING, DUE TO COMPUTER WITHIN IGNITION SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED. *AK
ELECTRICAL SHORT IN MAIN WIRING HARNESS UNDER HOOD CAUSED FIRE. *DSH
WHEN GOING UP A HILL, VEHICLE SHUTS OFF AND HAS TO RESTART AGAIN. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
WHILE PARKED, VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE UNDERHOOD, RIGHT IN FRONT OF DRIVER'S; CAUSE UNKOWN; VEHICLE TOTALED; VEHICLE WITH STATE FARM INSURANCE CO. *AK
THE PANEL THAT CONTROLS THE POWER WINDOWS STARTED SMOKING AND THEN CAUGHT FIRE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
THE FUEL TANK LEAKS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. TT
SHORTAGE IN WIRE LEADING TO MOTOR CAUSES MOTOR TO BURN UP. *DSH
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2PE93090 · Engine Compartment Fires
Opened Oct 8, 1993 · Closed Feb 28, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
There is no summary currently available
EA92024 · Sticking Throttle
Opened Jun 26, 1992 · Closed Jan 31, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
There is no summary currently available