1995 Chevrolet Cavalier

THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED. THE BYPASS SWITCH WAS DISCONNECTED AND THE IGNITION REPLACED AT CONSUMERS EXPENSE. THE CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REFUND FOR THE REPAIR COST OF DEFECTIVE PARTS. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AT TIMES ONLY A CLICKING SOUND IS HEARD. THE STARTER WAS REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. ALSO, THE ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ILLUMINATED AND IT INTERMITTENTLY RUNS ROUGH AT IDLE. *J'S *YH

THE HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED ON 5/1/97, 11/13/98, AND 3/23/00, AS DIRECTED BY NHTSA, HOWEVER THE WORK HAS NOT YET SOLVED THE PROBLEM. I AM TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE NO LONGER QUALIFIES FOR REPAIR UNDER CHEVROLET SPECIAL POLICY # 98054A, COVERING THE ADMITTEDLY FAULTY CYLINDER HEAD/GASKET. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THAT I MUST NOW PAY FOR THE REPAIR, WHICH MUST INCLUDE REPLACEMENT OR REPAIR OF THE CYLINDER HEAD. THIS WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PREVIOUS WORK BUT APPARENTLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN.*AK

MY WIFE DRIVE THIS CAR. IT WAS TAKEN INTO THE DEALER 4-5 TIMES TO GET A STALLING PROBLEM FIXED. DURING ONE TRIP THE REPLACED A HEAD GASKET AT 77,764 MILES ON A BULLETIN FROM GM. THE DIDNT CHECK THE HEAD FOR DEFECTS. THE DEALER TOLD US GM ONLY LET THEM REPLACE THE HEAD GASKET. IT IS NOW 15 MONTHS LATER AND 14,000 MILES ON IT, THE HEAD GASKET HAS FAILED AGAIN. GM SAID IT IS NOT COVERED AND THE DEALERSHIP WANT 1, 100 TO FIX IT. SEEMS TO ME GM HAS A PROBLEM WITH BAD HEAD GASKETS AND INSTEAD OF FIXING THE HEAD AND GASKET RIGHT THE FIRST TIME, THE JUST CHANGE THE GASKET AND WHEN IT IS OUT OF WARRENTY STICK IT TO THE CUSTOMER.*AK

THE FIRST INCIDENT WITH MY 1995 BASE MODEL CHEVROLET CAVALIER WAS WHEN THE HORN STOPPED WORKING, WHEN I NEEDED IT MOST ON A FREEWAY WHEN SOMEONE WAS ABOUT TO HIT ME WHILE CHANGING LANES. THE HORN FAILED, AND IT HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF ABOUT $100, WHICH I COVERED, SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS RECENTLY OFF OF WARRANTY. MONTHS LATER, THE TRUNK LATCH REFUSED TO WORK. I COULD NOT OPEN THE TRUNK FROM THE REAR OR FROM THE INSIDE OF THE CAR. IN LATE 2000, MY BRAKES WERE MAKING GRINDING NOISES. TURNS OUT THE ROTORS WERE BADLY WARPED AT 50,000 MILES. NOW, 15,000 MILES LATER, THE BRAKES ARE GRINDING AGAIN, WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE ROTORS MAY ONCE AGAIN BE WARPED. AT THE BEGINNING OF 2002, I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR A ROUTINE INSPECTION, ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS CRACKED AND LEAKING COOLANT ALL OVER MY ENGINE. THE HEAD GASKET HAD TO BE REPLACED, WHICH WAS A VERY COSTLY REPAIR. ONLY RECENTLY HAVE I HEARD THAT THIS MAY OR MAY NOT BE COVERED BY A "SECRET" WARRANTY UP TO 7 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES, SOMETHING I WISH I HAD BEEN NOTIFIED OF BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. FINALLY, WITHIN WEEKS OF THE HEAD GASKET REPAIR, THE PLASTIC ON THE DRIVER'S SEATBELT SNAPPED OFF, SO NOW I MUST HAVE THE ENTIRE SEATBELT REPLACED. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH ALL OF THE PROBLEMS I HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH THIS CAR, AND I HAVE HEARD THAT OTHER CAVALIER OWNERS HAVE HAD EVEN WORSE EXPERIENCES THAN ME! I WOULD LIKE TO SEE GENERAL MOTORS STAND BY THEIR PRODUCTS AND AT LEAST REIMBURSE ME FOR SOME OF THE HEAD GASKET REPAIR COST, WHICH WAS NEARLY SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS, BUT THIS MAY ONLY BE A PIPE DREAM. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE CAVALIER ENGINE HEAD GASKETS FOR THE 2.2 L ENGINES. THIS SEEMS TO BE A LONG-RUNNING PROBLEM ON CAVALIERS THROUGHOUT THE 1990S THAT GM HAS YET TO PUBLICLY ADMIT OR ADDRESS. WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR THEM TO RECALL IT, SOMEONE DYING ON THE ROAD WHEN HIS OR HER CAR EITHER STALLS IN BUSY TRAFFIC OR CATCHES ON FIRE?