1995 Chevrolet Cavalier

ON 10/2/00 I HAD MY 95 CHEVY CAVALIER TOWED TO 2 DEALERS, BRYNER CHEVROLET (THEY WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE WARRANTY) AND THEN TO THE DEALER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, NE AUTO OUTLET BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD NOT START. ON 09/25/00 MY CAR BEGAN TO START WITH A HESITATION. EACH DAY THEREAFTER IT GOT WORSE. ON 09/25/00 I REPLACED THE BATTERY THINKING THAT THE BATTERY MAY HAVE BEEN THE PROBLEM. THAT DID NOT HELP. BY THURSDAY THE PROBLEM WORSENED SO I CALLED BRYNER CHEVROLET AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT. I COULD NOT GET AN APPOINTMENT UNTIL 10/3/00. ON 9/30/00 THE CAR WOULD NO LONGER START AT ALL. ON 10/2/00 I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO BRYNER AND THEN TO NE AUTO OUTLET AS I STATED BEFORE. I WAS TOLD THAT NE AUTO OUTLET COULD NOT LOOK AT THE CAR UNTIL 10/3/00. I RECEIVED A CALL AT 11:30AM FROM JOE DIDONATO AT NE THAT I NEEDED AN IGNITION SWITCH AND AN ALTERNATOR. I WAS TOLD THAT THE BAD COMPONENTS WERE DRAINING THE BATTERY. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT I NEEDED A NEW SERPENTINE BELT. I HAD THE SERPENTINE BELT REPLACED TWICE BEFORE AT BRYNER CHEVROLET ON 5SEP97 AND 6FEB98. IT SEEMS TO BE HIGHLY UNUSUAL THAT I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE BELT ALMOST EVERY YEAR ON A 1995 VEHICLE WITH ONLY 27961 MILES ON IT. I DON'T EVEN DRIVE 5,000 MILES A YEAR. I FEEL THE SAME ABOUT HAVING TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR. I HAVE HAD 3 RECALLS SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. HAZARD LAMP, LEAKING CYLINDER (HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED), AND PCM ASSY. THE PROBLEM WITH THE BELT HAS BEEN ONGOING WITH NOISE IN THE PULLEY AREA OF THE BELT. THE NOISE BEGAN AGAIN A FEW DAYS AFTER THE RECALLS ON THE HEAD GASKET AND PCM ASSY.

IN FEB 2000 THE FRONT AXLE OF MY CAR BROKE WHILE IT WAS BING BACKED OUT OF A PARKING SPACE. PRIOR TO THAT IT HAD MADE A LARGE CLUNKING NOISE ON A FEW OCCASIONS. AFTER I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND HAD SEVERAL VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIRS MADE IT CONTINUED TO MAKE THE CLUNKING NOISE, AND THE FRONT END WAS SHAKING . I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO BE LOOKED AT AND WAS TOL IT WAS THE TIMING BELT, AND THAT THE WHEELS AND BEARINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WE REPLACED THE WHEELS AND BEARINGS RECOMMENDED, BUT NOT THE TIMING BELT AS WE DID NOT AGREE THAT IT WOULD CAUSE SUCH A LOUD CLINK AND SHAKING OF THE CAR. AFTER REPLACING THE WHEEL AND BEARING THE CAR CONTINUED TO SHAKE AND PULL ON THE FRONT END A ND CLUNK. WE FINALLY BROUGHT IT TO A NEW MECHANIC WHO FOUND THAT THE ENGINE MOUNTS WERE SEVERLY WORN, AND THEY FELT THAT THE ENGINE MOVING AROUND IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS CAUSING THE CLUNKING SOUND. THEY ALSO FELT THE BROKEN MOUNTS ALLOWED THE ENGINE TO STRIKE THE AXLE LEADING TO IT BREAKING IN FEB. THE MOUNTS WERE REPLACED. THE NEW MECHANIC SAID THAT THEY HAD REPLACED THIS PART ON QUITE A FEW 95 CAVALIERS. THIS WAS POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING. *AK

THIS 95 CAVALIER WAS TAKEN IN TO THE DEALER FOR RECALL #99088 CONCERNING THE PCM. THEY PERFORMED A VEHICLE INSPECTION AT THAT TIME AND NOTED UNDER "MAJOR SERVICE" THAT IT HAS A "BAD HEAD GASKET LEAK." WE HAVE KEPT IT UNDER CONTROL USING AFTERMARKET STOP-LEAK TYPE PRODUCTS, BUT IT IS ONLY A TEMPORARY FIX. IF THIS IS SUCH A COMMON FAILURE, DOES A RECALL EXIST TO COVER THE REPLACEMENT? I HAVE READ ABOUT THIS BEING A COMMON DEFECT IN THIS VEHICLE. *AK