IllustrationMY WIFE WAS INJURED AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT. IT HAD JUST BEEN REPAIRED 5 DAYS BEFORE THIS INCIDENT ON 07/10/1998 WE WROTE 2 CERTIFIED LETTERS TO THE OWNER OF DEALERSHIP WITH NO ANSWER TO EITHER.*AK
1993 Chevrolet Cavalier
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1993 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: 3 of 146 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 53 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
12 crash reports7 fire reports8 injury reports
What owners actually said
146 reportsABS LIGHT CAME ON, INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH ABS BRAKING SYSTEM. REAR BRAKES HAD TO BE FIXED ALSO. AFTERWARDS, BRAKE LIGHT STAYED ON, AND WONT TURN OFF. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
CAR WILL START BACK UP AND THEN DIE WHEN PUT IN REVERSE OR DRIVE. *AK
PLEASE CALL FOR ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. MY CAR HAS CONSIDERABLY LOW MILEAGE, I HAVE HAD A FEW OCCASIONS THAT REQUIRED ME TO APPLY THE BRAKE QUICKLY. THE BRAKES SEEM TO LOCK AND CAUSES THE CAR TO JUMP OR LUNGE. I THOUGHT THIS WAS A NORMAL PROCESS, SINCE I AM NOT ALL THAT MECHANICALLY INCLINED. NOW MY GEAR SHIFTER BUTTON STICKS AND…
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PLEASE CALL FOR ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. MY CAR HAS CONSIDERABLY LOW MILEAGE, I HAVE HAD A FEW OCCASIONS THAT REQUIRED ME TO APPLY THE BRAKE QUICKLY. THE BRAKES SEEM TO LOCK AND CAUSES THE CAR TO JUMP OR LUNGE. I THOUGHT THIS WAS A NORMAL PROCESS, SINCE I AM NOT ALL THAT MECHANICALLY INCLINED. NOW MY GEAR SHIFTER BUTTON STICKS AND DOES NOT ALLOW ME TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE. I AM SOMEWHAT KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE PROBLEM IS BEING CAUSED BY A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM. WITH ONLY 33,000 MILES ON THE CAR I SHOULD NOT BE HAVING A PROBLEM LIKE THIS. I AM HANDICAPPED AND MY CAR IS A LIFE SAVER FOR ME. I HAVE IT SERVICED AS OFTEN AS RECOMMENDED AND KEEP UP THE APPEARANCE OF IT AS WELL. IN FACT IT STILL LOOKS LIKE NEW. I WAS LOOKING AT YOUR RECALL DATA BASE AND SEE THAT THIS PROBLEM IS KNOWN AND THERE WAS A RECALL IN 1993 AND WONDER WHY I WAS NEVER TOLD OR GOT NOTIFIED. YOU CAN REACH ME ALMOST ANYTIME AT HOME, MY DISABILITY PREVENTS ME FROM WORKING. PLEASE HELP ME TO GET THIS RESOLVED? THANK YOU, CYNTHIA GRAHAM. *AK
COOLENT LEAKAGE AT TOP ENGINE CYLINDER. *AK
CAR MAY NOT START AT TIMES. ALSO, FAN BELT DOES NOT WORK IN DAMP CONDITIONS. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING. *AK
PROBLEMS INITIALLY OCCURRED IN 1996. DIAGNOSED AS BEING FAILED LIFTERS. LIFTERS WERE REPLACED. PROBLEMS STILL CONTINUED. BEGAN TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR STALLING AND WOULD NOT START . PROBLEMS AGAIN DIAGNOSED AS BEING DUE TO THE LIFTERS BUT NOW THERE WAS DAMAGED TO THE ENGINE WITH THE OIL FLOW. INTERNAL DAMAGE HAD OCCUR…
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PROBLEMS INITIALLY OCCURRED IN 1996. DIAGNOSED AS BEING FAILED LIFTERS. LIFTERS WERE REPLACED. PROBLEMS STILL CONTINUED. BEGAN TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR STALLING AND WOULD NOT START . PROBLEMS AGAIN DIAGNOSED AS BEING DUE TO THE LIFTERS BUT NOW THERE WAS DAMAGED TO THE ENGINE WITH THE OIL FLOW. INTERNAL DAMAGE HAD OCCURRED. WOULD REQUIRE REPLACING THE ENGINE. THIS WAS DONE IN OCTOBER, 1999 AT A COST OF $2,200.00. THE CAR AT THIS TIME HAD ONLY 39,000 MILES. CAR WAS BASICALLY USED INFREQUENTLY BY SOMEONE IN A RURAL TOWN. REGULAR OR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE HAS ALWAYS BEEN DONE TIMELY.
WHILE SITTING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT / STOP SIGN, THE VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE. DEALER DETERMINE THE MOTOR MOUNTS TO BE WORN OUT WHICH WAS THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. *YC
VEHICLE IS LEAKING FLUID INTO HIS HEAD GASKET, AND IS OVERHEATING. *AK
WHILE IN VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TURNED ON, SECOND PARTY WAS SPRAYING HOSE ON VEHICLE TO SEE WHERE A LEAK WAS COMING FROM INSIDE OF VEHICLE. 20 MINUTES LATER AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS CAME ON. THIRD PARTY COULD NOT GET OUT OF CAR. TRIED MANUALLY, THEN AFTER BANGING ON THE DOOR LOCK AREA, THE DOOR UNLOCKED. DOOR LOCK BUZZING WAS …
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WHILE IN VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TURNED ON, SECOND PARTY WAS SPRAYING HOSE ON VEHICLE TO SEE WHERE A LEAK WAS COMING FROM INSIDE OF VEHICLE. 20 MINUTES LATER AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS CAME ON. THIRD PARTY COULD NOT GET OUT OF CAR. TRIED MANUALLY, THEN AFTER BANGING ON THE DOOR LOCK AREA, THE DOOR UNLOCKED. DOOR LOCK BUZZING WAS STILL ON. CONSUMER HAD TO GET A WRENCH TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. AT THIS TIME HEAVY SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF DASHBOARD, AND A FIRE BROKE OUT. CALLED FIRE DEPARTMENT. *AK
Official recalls
193V121000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
Jul 21, 1993
THE BRAKE HOSES WERE MANUFACTURED INCORRECTLY, AND DO NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS 106, "BRAKE HOSES."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED BRAKE HOSES CAN CAUSEREDUCED BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS AND/OR UNEVEN BRAKING, WHICH COULD RESULT IN ANACCIDENT.
Remedy: REPLACE THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE HOSE ASSEMBLY ON CIERA AND CENTURY MODELS, AND BOTH REAR BRAKE HOSES ON CAVALIER AND SUNBIRD MODELS.
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
1EA94033 · Horn Pad Falls Off
Opened Sep 29, 1994 · Closed Mar 29, 1996
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:horn
THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.GM WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS RAISED BY THE DETACHMENT OF THE HORN PAD FROM THE STEERING WHEEL IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.FOR A TECHNICAL ANALYSIS OF THE PROBLEM SEE EA94-033 ENGINEERING TECHNICAL REPORT.