IllustrationVEHICLE REAR SHOCK MOUNTS RUSTED OUT AND THE SHOCKS BROKE FREE OF WHAT REMAINED OF THE WHEEL WELL. *MR *SCC *JB
1992 Chevrolet Cavalier
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1992 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: 5 of 134 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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 48 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
15 crash reports8 fire reports9 injury reports
What owners actually said
134 reportsTRANSMISSION LOCK-UP TORQUE CONVERTER WILL NOT RELEASE WHEN VEHICLE WARM. VEHICLE STARTS, BUT WILL ABRUPTLY STALL WHEN PLACED IN GEAR. WHEN VEHICLE COOLS, TRANSMISSION OPERATIONAL UNTIL VEHICLE WARMS BACK UP. THIS IS THE 5TH GM VEHICLE THAT I HAVE OWNED THAT EXHIBITS THIS PROBLEM. IT USUALLY OCCURS AT OR NEAR 100,000 MILES. …
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TRANSMISSION LOCK-UP TORQUE CONVERTER WILL NOT RELEASE WHEN VEHICLE WARM. VEHICLE STARTS, BUT WILL ABRUPTLY STALL WHEN PLACED IN GEAR. WHEN VEHICLE COOLS, TRANSMISSION OPERATIONAL UNTIL VEHICLE WARMS BACK UP. THIS IS THE 5TH GM VEHICLE THAT I HAVE OWNED THAT EXHIBITS THIS PROBLEM. IT USUALLY OCCURS AT OR NEAR 100,000 MILES. THIS COULD POTENTIALLY BECOME A SAFETY HAZARD IF VEHICLE STALLS IN MIDDLE OF INTERSECTION AS THERE IS NO WAY TO MOVE THE VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD 1 VEHICLE STALL ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN I HAD TO STOP FOR TRAFFIC. AFTER 5 VEHICLES IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AND NOT JUST RELATED TO 1 VEHICLE. ACQUAINTANCES WITH DIFFERENT MANUFACTURER VEHICLES HAVE REPORTED NO SIMILAR PROBLEMS. DT
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND APPLYING BRAKES REAR BRAKES WILL LOCK UP. ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM WILL ENGAGE, WHICH AFFECTS VEHICLE STOPPING. DEALER CONTACTED.PLEASE ADD VIN. *AK
VEHICLE WAS SITTING IN ATTACHED GARAGE FOR THREE HOURS WHEN NOISE WAS HEARD IN GARAGE. WHEN LOOKED IN GARAGE WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE AND FIRE WAS COMING OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF WINDSHIELD ON PASSENGER SIDE. PUT OUT FIRE WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND PUSHED OUT OF GARAGE. LARGE HOLE IN DASH ON PASSENGER SIDE WHERE FIRE CAME OUT, STR…
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VEHICLE WAS SITTING IN ATTACHED GARAGE FOR THREE HOURS WHEN NOISE WAS HEARD IN GARAGE. WHEN LOOKED IN GARAGE WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE AND FIRE WAS COMING OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF WINDSHIELD ON PASSENGER SIDE. PUT OUT FIRE WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND PUSHED OUT OF GARAGE. LARGE HOLE IN DASH ON PASSENGER SIDE WHERE FIRE CAME OUT, STRONG ORDOR OF BURNT PLASTIC AND ELECTRICAL FIRE SMELL.*AK
VEHICLE WAS SITTING IN ATTACHED GARAGE FOR THREE HOURS WHEN NOISE WAS HEARD IN GARAGE. WHEN LOOKED IN GARAGE WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE AND FIRE WAS COMING OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF WINDSHIELD ON PASSENGER SIDE. PUT OUT FIRE WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND PUSHED OUT OF GARAGE. LARGE HOLE IN DASH ON PASSENGER SIDE WHERE FIRE CAME OUT, STR…
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VEHICLE WAS SITTING IN ATTACHED GARAGE FOR THREE HOURS WHEN NOISE WAS HEARD IN GARAGE. WHEN LOOKED IN GARAGE WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE AND FIRE WAS COMING OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF WINDSHIELD ON PASSENGER SIDE. PUT OUT FIRE WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND PUSHED OUT OF GARAGE. LARGE HOLE IN DASH ON PASSENGER SIDE WHERE FIRE CAME OUT, STRONG ORDOR OF BURNT PLASTIC AND ELECTRICAL FIRE SMELL.*AK
INTAKE MANIFOLD IS DEFECTIVE AND VEHICLE WILL STALL AT ANY SPEED. VEHICLE WILL START BACK UP ONCE IT SHUTS OFF. CONTACTED DEALER AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING, CONSUMER HAD ANOTHER DEALERSHIP INSTALL NEW INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. *AK *TT
WHILE DRIVING DRIVER'S SEATBACK COLLAPSED. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK DRIVER WAS LEFT IN A PRONG POSITION AND HAD TO FIND THE BRAKE PEDAL, CONSUMER WAS ADVISED BY DELAER THAT THIS IS NOT A DEFAULT.*JB
THIS IS A PROBLEM IN THE FUEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM,CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SURGE THEN MISS.I HAD THE CAR IN THE SHOP 6 WEEKS EARLIER,IT RAN FINE TILL TODAY,THIS TIME IT RESULTED IN A FIRE .THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS.*AK
WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN ON A BUMPY ROAD ABS ENGAGED AND CAUSED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THIS RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT WITH A LARGE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE DONE TO BOTH VEHICLES. *AK *JB
WHILE DRIVING ABS BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED, CAUSING A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
Official recalls
191V166000 · Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch
Sep 23, 1991
THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH SPRING IS IMPROPERLY INSTALLED OR MISSING, LEADING TO A CONDITION WHERE THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH DOES NOT ENGAGE THE SECONDARY STRIKER.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH IS NOT ENGAGED, AND THEPRIMARY HOOD LATCH WAS ALSO NOT ENGAGED, THE HOOD COULD OPEN UNEXPECTEDLY. IFTHIS OCCURS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, THE HOOD MAY CONTACT THE WINDSHIELD,REDUCING THE FORWARD VISION AREA OF THE DRIVER AND A VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR.
Remedy: INSPECT HOOD LATCH ASSEMBLIES AND, WHERE NECESSARY, INSTALL A NEW SECONDARY HOOD LATCH SPRING.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.