1999 Chevrolet Cavalier

I WAS ON MY WAY TO MY DENTIST APPOINTMENT, SUDDENLY A HISSING NOISE CAME FROM THE CAR.ALL OF THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS CAME ON AND I KNEW I WAS IN TROUBLE.I WAS ON A BUSY INTERSECTION IN THE CITY.I HAD TO ACT IN A SPLIT SECOND AND STEER QUICKLY OFF OF THE NEAREST SIDE RIDE.THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKING UP.I HAD JUST ENOUGH POWER TO GET SAFELY OFF OF THE STREET IN TIME AND TO KEEP FROM GETTING HIT FROM BEHIND.I WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET.THE CAR WAS TROUBLE FROM DAY ONE.I BELIEVE IT WAS A FLOODED OUT CAR SOLD TO THE UNSUSPECTITHAT UNSUSPECTING PERSON WAS ME.I GOT SUCKERED OUT OF OVER $2400. I HAVE PAID FOR AT LEAST 2 NEW CARS WITH THE MONEY I HAVE SPENT ON THIS LEMON.BY THE WAY THE SHADY OWNER DON'T FEEL RESPONSIBLE AT ALL FOR SCAMMING MY MONEY OUT OF ME.

TAKATA RECALL: FUEL GAGE NAS NEVER WORKED SINCE BEING BOUGHT, TURN SIGNALS ( BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT) BARELY WORKED WHEN BOUGHT AND WENT OUT COMPLETLY THE NEXT DAY, POWER STEERING LOCKS UP OCCASIONALLY AND AND CANT TURN WHEEL,SHIFT GEAR LINKAGES WILL ONLY SHIFT MANUALLY UNDER THE HOOD, CAR WILL DIE OR STRUGGLE TO CONTINUE RUNNING UNLESS FOOT IS ALWAYS PUSHING ON GAS, ENGINE OCCASSIONALLY BACKFIRES, AND NOT QUITE SURE IF THE FUEL PUMP IS WORKING PROPERLY OR GONE OUT

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN 2005 WHEN SHE MADE A RIGHT TURN AT 15 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL MADE A CLICKING NOISE AND BEGAN TO VIBRATE. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS THAT WOULD ALLUDE TO THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD UNLOCK AND TURN INVOLUNTARILY WHEN IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LOCKED. THE FUEL GAUGE WAS ALSO DEFECTIVE. SHE ALSO NOTICED THAT THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, AND HEADLIGHTS, WERE ALSO FAULTY. THE BULBS IN THE LEFT REAR TURN SIGNAL AND BRAKE LIGHT BURNED OUT AND MELTED AFTER THEY WERE USED THREE TO FOUR TIMES. THE CONTACT CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER TO ASK ABOUT RELATED RECALLS AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE NO OPEN RECALLS FOR HER VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT FOUND EIGHT RECALLS FOR HER YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 77,000.

TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, MY CAR STARTED SMOKING THROUGH THE AC VENTS ONE DAY AND I DESCRIBED THIS TO A CHEVY 800 # REP AND HE SAID THAT IT WAS COVERED UNDER RECALL # 04002 IGNITION CIRCUIT THERMAL EVENTS. I TAKE IT TO THE DEALER, THEY SAID THEY FIXED IT. I GO TO PICK IT UP AND THE BURNED WIRES UNDER THE DASH WERE NOT REPLACED, THE THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT WAS STILL ON AND THE CAR STILL WOULD NOT SHUT OFF EVEN WITH THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. I CALLED THE 800# BACK AND TOLD HIM I WAS GIVEN THE RUN AROUND AND NOW THIS GUY CLAIMS THAT HE NEVER TOLD ME THAT THE DAMAGE TO MY CAR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL AND THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO COME OUT OF POCKET. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE RECALL FITS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED WITH MY CAR AND NOW THEY ARE TRYING TO GET AWAY WITH NOT FIXING MY CAR. I WANT IT FIXED! I JUST WANTED TO SEND THIS QUICK EMAIL AND WILL GO IN DEPTH ABOUT IT ONCE I RECEIVE YOUR REPLY. THANKS. *TR UPDATED 09/09/08

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD NOT START; HOWEVER, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNING INDICATORS BEFORE THE ELECTRIC SYSTEM FAILED. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V036000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH) WAS REFERENCED. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH FIRST AND THEN THE DEALER WOULD COMPLETE THE REST OF THE SAFETY RECALL REPAIR. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 112,319 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,019.

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN DEC. 1998, AND A LITTLE OVER A YEAR LATER, THE ODOMETER STOPPED WORKING. HALF OF THE NUMBERS SHOW, AND IT IS DIFFERENT EVERY TIME I START THE ENGINE. I CANNOT TELL HOW MANY MILES ARE ON MY VEHICLE, AND MY GAS GAUGE MOVES BACK AND FORTH FROM FULL TO EMPTY... I HAVE A RELATIVE WHO IS A MECHANIC AND HE SAID IT IS A COMPUTER CHIP THAT IS FAULTY. I CONTACTED A LOCAL CHEVY DEALER AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT! *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS FOR 3 YEARS. THE CAR HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER ONCE AND TO A REPAIR SHOP 4 OR 5 TIMES FOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. THE DEALERSHIP INSTALLED A WIRING HARNESS KIT, AND THAT DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY WOULD NOT REFUND HER ANY MONEY. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL 04V036000 CONCERNING ELECTRICAL SWITCH. THE CONSUMER HAS HAD THE RECALL WORK DONE. THE VEHICLE IS A 1999, CHEVROLET CAVALIER. SPEED WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THE VEHICLE. *AK UPDATED 01/04/06. *JB UPDATED

TWO ISSUES LEFT CONSUMER STRANDED IN 1999 2.2L CHEVROLET CAVALIER CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF INPUT SHAFT/INPUT DRUM ASSEMBLY ON 3T40 TRANSMISSION, LEFT OPERATOR WITHOUT ANY FORWARD OR REVERSE DRIVE GEARS WHILE DRIVE WAS ENGAGED AND ROLLING. MANAGED TO AVOID CRASH. REMEDY WAS REPLACEMENT OF TRANSMISSION WITH REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION. INCIPIENT WORSENING OF STARTING TIMES. POOR FACTORY ECM CALIBRATION IN ALL OR MOST 1999 2.2L CAVALIERS CAN LEAVE OPERATOR STRANDED IN WARM STARTING CONDITION. RESULTS IN POOR INITIAL RUNNING AND LARGE AMOUNT OF UNBURNED HYDROARBONS RELEASED TO ATMOSPHERE. A TECHNICAL BROCHURE EXISTS TO REMEDY THE SITUATION, BUT NO RECALL. DEALER WANTS $90 TO REPROGRAM ECM. *JB

WHEN EXITING THE FREEWAY AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES, THE CAVALIER QUIT RUNNING AT THE TOP OF THE RAMP. THIS WAS AT EVENING RUSH HOUR AND SEVERAL CARS WERE BEHIND, TRYING TO EXIT. I COULD NOT RESTART THE VEHICLE. CARS WERE HONKING AS I WAS IN THE LANE AND COULD NOT GET OUT OF THE WAY. WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. WE HAD THE ENTIRE FUEL PUMP/SENDER UNIT REPLACED. VEHICLE THEN SEEMED TO OPERATE OKAY, BUT TWO DAYS LATER AFTER DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AGAIN, THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. THIS WAS MORNING RUSH HOUR AND THE EXIT LANE ON THE OFF-RAMP HAD NO SHOULDER... CARS WERE COMING QUICKLY UP THE RAMP AND I WAS NEARLY HIT MORE THAN ONCE, EVEN WITH MY HAZARD LIGHTS ON. TOWED VEHICLE AGAIN. TOLD THAT IT WAS A FUSE. REPLACED FUSE AND TOOK VEHICLE AGAIN. SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED A THIRD TIME. I REPLACED FUSE. TOOK TO DEALER WHO SAID THAT WIRE WAS LOOSE FROM FUEL PUMP REPLACEMENT. THEY SECURED WIRE. HAS NOW HAPPENED FIVE MORE TIMES. I HAVE FUSES IN CAR IN CASE OF PROBLEM. CAR IS NOW AT ELECTRICAL SHOP FOR REVIEW. LAST TIME IT HAPPENED ON JULY 1, I WAS ENTERING THE HOV LANE ON THE FREEWAY! LUCKILY THERE WAS A SMALL AREA IN WHICH TO STOP. REPLACED FUSE AND GET ON... THIS IS VERY SCARY AS IT JUST QUITS WITHOUT NOTICE (NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OR ANYTHING!)