IllustrationENGINE HAS 2 CRACKED PISTONS AND 3 CRACKED VALVES THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED, AS WELL AS OTHER PARTS OF THE ENGINE. CONSUMER STATED THAT VEHICLE WAS UNDRIVEABLE. *AK ALUMINUM HEAD WILL HAVE TO BE MACHINED BEFORE REUSE. *TT
1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1999 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
30–25K
1625–50K
1650–75K
1375–100K
7100–150K
10150K+
65 reports with mileage · 175 unknown
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.
- Electrical System. Review the 47 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 45 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 44 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 reports2 fire reports15 injury reports
What owners actually said
240 reportsPREMATURE WEAR OF BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS SINCE DATE OF PURCHASE. *AK CONSUMER STATED BRAKE PADS HAD TO BE REPLACED AND ROTORS WERE TURNED, CONSUMER HAS HAD 3 SETS OF BRAKE PADS ON VEHICLE.*SLC
WHILE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY AND VEHICLE BEING IN IDLE PASSENGER'S SIDE WINDOW SHATTERED. CONSUMER CONTACTED MANUFACTURER, AND THE MANUFACTURER TOLD HER THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN DO. *AK
VEHICLE STALLS IN MIDDLE OF ROAD WITH OUT WARNING. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS UNSAFE BECAUSE ANOTHER VEHICLE COULD REAR END CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
VEHICLE DOES NOT CHANGE INTO GEARS PROPERLY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURHTER INFORMATION.*AK
FIRST, THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT AT DEALERS, THE SENSOR FAN NOW DOES NOT WORK, THE BATTERY AND RADIATOR ARE NOT FUNCTIONING, THE STEERING IS MALFUNCTIONING, AND THE BRAKES ARE SLIPPING, AND NOW THE TRANSMISSION IS ALSO SLIPPING AGAIN, I REPORTED ALL THIS TO CHEVY AS I WAS NOT GETTING SATIFACTION FROM THE DEALERS IN FLOR…
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FIRST, THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT AT DEALERS, THE SENSOR FAN NOW DOES NOT WORK, THE BATTERY AND RADIATOR ARE NOT FUNCTIONING, THE STEERING IS MALFUNCTIONING, AND THE BRAKES ARE SLIPPING, AND NOW THE TRANSMISSION IS ALSO SLIPPING AGAIN, I REPORTED ALL THIS TO CHEVY AS I WAS NOT GETTING SATIFACTION FROM THE DEALERS IN FLORIDA AND NOW THE MY VEHICLE IS BROKE DOWN AND WILL NOT RUN IN BRADENTON FLORIDA AT COX CHEVELOT ON CORTEZ ROAD IN FLORIDA, I CALLED AND TALKED TO SEVERAL WOMEN IN THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AT CHEVY AND THEIR NAMES ARE BRANDY MAYS AND LILLANIA LOPEZ, I STILL HAVE NO VEHICLE AND NOW I AM NOT RECEIVING ANY COURTEOUS SERVICE AS I WAS TOLD CHEVY WOULD BUY BACK THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS A LEASE. I HAVE PURCHASED A NEW CHEVY TRUCK AND DUE TO THE RED TAPE AND CHEVY NOW REFUSING TO HELP ASSIST ME WITH THE BUY BACK I AM UNABLE TO KEEP MY NEW TRUCK DUE TO THIS RED TAPE AND ALL THE FORMS AND INFORMATION THAT THE SERVICE DEPT. NOW SAYS I NEED TO HAVE HAD DONE, BUT I WAS NOT INFORMED WHEN I FIRST MADE THE COMPLAINT ON SEPT 7. I CALLED BACK ON SEPT, 28, WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT CHEVY WENT BACK ON THEIR WORD. I AM NOT A CAR DEALER, I DO NOT WORK AT CHEVY AS A SERVICE REPRESENTITIVE, AND I SURE DO NOT KNOW WHAT PAPERS OR FORMS ARE REQUIRED FOR THE MANUFACTURE IN DETROIT MICHIGAN NEEDS TO FILL OUT PAPERWORK. I AM AN UNSATIFIED CONSUMER, AND I FEEL THE RUN AROUND I AM RECEIVING IS A GREAT INJUSTICE. I LOVED MY CAR AND IT IS IMMACULATE INSIDE AND OUT. I ONLY WANT TO KEEP MY NEW CHEVY TRUCK WHICH IS NOT LOOKING AS A POSSIBLE OPTION AS CHEVY IS NOT COOPERATING, THE DEALER MOVED ITS LOT, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENTS IN FLORIDA WILL NOT SERVICE THE VEHICLE, AND IT IS AN ENGINE CENSOR CHIP, THE TRANSMISSION, THE RADIATOR SENSOR FAN AND NOW THE STEERING, I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE ON HOW TO REPAIR A SENSOR CHIP OR ANY OF THESE THINGS AND SINCE THE CAR IS IN FLORIDA I CANNOT GET IT TO KENTUCKY. NOW GMAC, MY FINANCER ON MY NEW TRUCK WILL NOT FINANCE ME. *AK
WIFE AND KIDS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE CAR TURNED OFF WITHOUT WARNING. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP. COST ME $850 TO REPLACE. TRIED TO WORK WITH CHEVROLET TO GET COMPENSATION AND THEY WERE UNWILLING TO ASSIST IN ANY WAY EVEN THOUGH MY WIFE AND KIDS COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJUR…
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WIFE AND KIDS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE CAR TURNED OFF WITHOUT WARNING. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP. COST ME $850 TO REPLACE. TRIED TO WORK WITH CHEVROLET TO GET COMPENSATION AND THEY WERE UNWILLING TO ASSIST IN ANY WAY EVEN THOUGH MY WIFE AND KIDS COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC. *AK
THE BRAKING SYSTEM CONTINUALLY FAILS, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ARE FAULTLY, THEY DO NOT WORK AS THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO, THEY HAVE A TENDACY TO HOLD AND STICK AT BOTH INSTANT AND IMMEDIATE PRESSURE WITH OUT RELEASE, AS WELL AS DURING NORMAL DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT CALL FOR INSTANT BRAKING.*YD
HAD TO HAVE ROTORS TURNED AT 14,000 MILES; THEN FOUND THEY WERE RUSTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT 33,200 MILES. FOUND THERE WAS NO BACKING PLATE TO KEEP ROTORS FROM RUSTING; DEALER ADMITS NOTHING ABOUT DESIGN FLAW AND SAYS THE REPAIR IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. HAD ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS REPLACED AT A SURPRISINGLY HONEST MIDAS, WHER…
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HAD TO HAVE ROTORS TURNED AT 14,000 MILES; THEN FOUND THEY WERE RUSTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT 33,200 MILES. FOUND THERE WAS NO BACKING PLATE TO KEEP ROTORS FROM RUSTING; DEALER ADMITS NOTHING ABOUT DESIGN FLAW AND SAYS THE REPAIR IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. HAD ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS REPLACED AT A SURPRISINGLY HONEST MIDAS, WHERE THEY SAID IT'S LIKELY I WILL NEED TO DO THIS ALL AGAIN IN TWO YEARS BECAUSE OF THE POOR DESIGN OF THE DISC BRAKE SYSTEM.*AK
IGNITION WIRING OVERHEATED. *AK
Official recalls
204V036000 · Electrical System:ignition:switch
Jan 27, 2004
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE ENGINE FAILS TO START AND THE DRIVER HOLDS THE KEY IN THE "START" POSITION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, HIGH CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, AND SOMETIMES PRODUCES ENOUGH HEAT TO MELT INTERNAL SWITCH PARTS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE SWITCH IS DAMAGED, A FIRE COULD OCCUR IN THE STEERING COLUMN, EVEN WITH THE ENGINE OFF AND THE KEY REMOVED. THE FIRE COULD SPREAD TO THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR, WHICH COULD INJURE OCCUPANTS OR CAUSE DAMAGE TO ADJOINING STRUCTURES.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RELAY KIT IN THESE VEHICLES TO PREVENT HIGH CURRENT FROM FLOWING THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, AND CHECK THAT YOUR CAR WILL START WITH A PROPERLY CHARGED BATTERY AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION WILL BEGIN ON MARCH 1, 2004. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668, BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-630-6537. CUSTOMERS CAN ALSO CHECK THEIR VEHICLE ONLINE BY GOING TO WWW.MYGMLINK.COM AND ENTERING THE VEHICLE'S IDENTIFICATION NUMBER.
99V218000 · Interior Lighting
Aug 11, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES DO NOT COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 101, "CONTROL LOCATION, IDENTIFICATION, AND ILLUMINATION." THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BACKLIGHTING MAY NOT FUNCTION AFTER ADJUSTING THE INTERIOR LIGHT INTENSITY.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL IS NOT LIT AT NIGHT, THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SEE THE CONTROLS AND DISPLAYS.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL TEST THE BODY CONTROL MODULE, AND IF NECESSARY, REPLACE IT.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.