IllustrationREPLACE HEAD GASKET 10/96, WATER PUMP AND HOSES 07/99 AND STILL LOOSES COOLANT
1994 Chevrolet Cavalier
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1994 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: 13 of 212 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 60 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 56 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
27 crash reports3 fire reports13 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
56 reportsA BLOWN ENGINE HEAD GASKET.SEEKING HELP FROM NHTSA IN THIS MATTER. DEALER/MANUFACTURER NOTIFED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE UNLESS CONSUMER PICKS UP FULL COST FOR REPAIRS. *AK
SCREWS WERE MISSING FROM THE MOLDING RUNNING FROM THE DASHBOARD TO THE HEADLINER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. NLM
ABS FAILS EVERY TIME ACTIVATED, SYSTEM CYCLES SLOWLY, WITH UNCONTROLLABLE LOCK AND RELEASE OF WHEELS. THIS HAS OCCURED ON A FEW OCCASIONS. 1 OCCASION RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. ENGINE/VEHICLE VIBRATES HEAVILY WHEN IDLING IN GEAR. HAS DONE SO SINCE PURCHASE, BUT HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. HORN PAD HAS DISLOGED AND FALLEN …
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ABS FAILS EVERY TIME ACTIVATED, SYSTEM CYCLES SLOWLY, WITH UNCONTROLLABLE LOCK AND RELEASE OF WHEELS. THIS HAS OCCURED ON A FEW OCCASIONS. 1 OCCASION RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. ENGINE/VEHICLE VIBRATES HEAVILY WHEN IDLING IN GEAR. HAS DONE SO SINCE PURCHASE, BUT HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. HORN PAD HAS DISLOGED AND FALLEN BETWEEN STEERING WHEEL SPOKES ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, NEARLY RESULTING IN ACCIDENTS. DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT LATCH DOES NOT RETAIN SEATBACK FROM TRAVELLING FORWARD. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THIS WAY. SAFETY ISSUE. AIR CONDITIONER FAILED AFTER ABOUT 9 MONTHS, WITH NO PRIOR USE. AFTER REPAIR, IT FAILED AGAIN WITHIN 3 MONTHS.
RISK PINS LOCATED IN THE ENGINE ARE CAUSING A LOUD NOISE AND A HESITATION IN THE ENGINE.HALF OF THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED ON 10-14-96, BUT DEFECT HAS REOCCURRED.
HEAD GASKET RECALLED, AFTER REPAIR IT FAILED 2 MORE TIMES.
IN 1995 GM MADE SPECIAL POLICY FOR 1995 CAVALIER'S, FOR HEADGASKETS LEAKING. I OWN A 94 CAVALIER. MY CAVALIER HAS THE SAME ENGINE AS THE 95 CAVALIER. I CONTACTED GM AND THEY REFUSED TO SAY THAT THERE ARE ANY PROBLEMS WITH HEADGASKETS LEAKING. I THEN CALLED 22 DIFFERENT CHEVY DEALERS ACROSS THE USA. TWO DEALERS SAID THAT THEY SEE…
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IN 1995 GM MADE SPECIAL POLICY FOR 1995 CAVALIER'S, FOR HEADGASKETS LEAKING. I OWN A 94 CAVALIER. MY CAVALIER HAS THE SAME ENGINE AS THE 95 CAVALIER. I CONTACTED GM AND THEY REFUSED TO SAY THAT THERE ARE ANY PROBLEMS WITH HEADGASKETS LEAKING. I THEN CALLED 22 DIFFERENT CHEVY DEALERS ACROSS THE USA. TWO DEALERS SAID THAT THEY SEEN VERY LITTLE PROBLEMS WITH HEADGASKETS LEAKING. THE OTHER DEALERS SAID THAT THERE WERE MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH HEADGASKETS LEAKING. THE INVOICE FROM MY REPAIR SAID THAT A NEW STYLE GASKET WAS INSTALLED. IT SEEMS THAT GM KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE GASKETS. I AM SURE THAT IF RECORDS FROM OTHER DEALERS WERE ASKED FOR, THAT IT WOULD SHOW MORE PROBLEMS WITH THE GASKETS FAILLING. THIS IS TO ALL CAVALIER'S FROM THE FIRST YEAR TO PRESENT. THANK YOU. *AK
ORIGINAL HEAD GASKET REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY AT APPROX 29,000 MILES, REPLACEMENT HEAD GASKET REPLACED AGAIN AT APPROX 51,000 MILES, DEALER WOULD NOT COVER FULL COST OF REPAIR DUE TO EXPIRED WARRANTY. OFFERED 1/2 PRICE ON JOB. I ACCEPTED DUE TO FACT I HAD NOTHING ELSE TO DRIVE AND WOULD HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE ELSEWHERE. FEEL D…
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ORIGINAL HEAD GASKET REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY AT APPROX 29,000 MILES, REPLACEMENT HEAD GASKET REPLACED AGAIN AT APPROX 51,000 MILES, DEALER WOULD NOT COVER FULL COST OF REPAIR DUE TO EXPIRED WARRANTY. OFFERED 1/2 PRICE ON JOB. I ACCEPTED DUE TO FACT I HAD NOTHING ELSE TO DRIVE AND WOULD HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE ELSEWHERE. FEEL DEALER SHOULD HAVE COVERED ENTIRE COST. THEY TOLD ME PROBLEM WAS NOT UNCOMMON IN THESE "TYPES OF CARS".
WHEN CONSUMER GETS INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND TRIES TO START ENGINE, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE BATTERY IS DEAD. CONSUMER SAID HAD HAPPENED A FEW TIMES. PARKED VEHICLE ANY PLACE, AND STILL SAME PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE THAT WON'T CRANK. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. *AK
ENGINE HAS A ROUGH IDLE. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED THE ENGINE MOUNTS EIGHT TIMES PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. *AK
Official recalls
194V115000 · Steering:linkages:knuckle:spindle:arm
Jun 24, 1994
THESE VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH OVERTORQUED DRIVE AXLE SPINDLE NUTS. THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE EXCESSIVE LOADS ON THE SPINDLE NUT AND DRIVE AXLE RESULTING IN FAILURE OF THE DRIVE AXLE OR THE SPINDLE NUT. FAILURE OF EITHER OF THESE COMPONENTS CAN RESULT IN SEPARATION OF THE STEERING KNUCKLE TIRE-WHEEL ASSEMBLY FROM THE DRIVE AXLE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CAN RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LEFT-HAND AND RIGHT-HAND DRIVE AXLES, BEARING-HUB ASSEMBLIES, SPINDLE NUTS, AND WASHERS ON ALL INVOLVED VEHICLES. CORRECTIVE ACTION: DEALERS WILL REPLACE LEFT-HAND AND RIGHT-HAND DRIVE AXLES, BEARING-HUB ASSEMBLIES, SPINDLE NUTS, AND WASHERS ON ALL INVOLVED VEHICLES.
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
2EA94033 · 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.
PE94042 · Horn Button Falling Off
Opened May 23, 1994 · Closed Sep 29, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting
There is no summary currently available