IllustrationWHEN THE CD PLAYER HAVE BEEN ON FOR A FEW MINUTES IT WILL STOP PLAYING BECAUSE IT HAVE GOT OVER HEATED. AN I CANNOT USED IT FOR A LONG TIME. *TR
2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2002 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
280–25K
1625–50K
3150–75K
1275–100K
9100–150K
6150K+
102 reports with mileage · 94 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 35 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
24 crash reports4 fire reports19 injury reports
Equipment complaints
5 reportsCD PLAYER STOPS WORKING WHEN IT GETS HOT. REPLACED CD PLAYER/RADIO-SAME PROBLEM. *AK
2002 CHEVY CAVALIER LS THE TAG ON THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR FRAME WITH THE RECOMMENDED TIRE SIZE AND PSI INFORMATION HAS WORN OFF .... MY CALLS TO GM HAVE RESULTED WITH THEM SAYING 5 PSI BELOW MAX PRESSURE ON THE TIRE THAT WOULD PUT THE TIRE PRESSURE AT 45 PSI WHICH SEEMS INSANE... AS A PERSON WHO HAS HAD A TIRE BLOW OUT ON THE …
Read full complaint
2002 CHEVY CAVALIER LS THE TAG ON THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR FRAME WITH THE RECOMMENDED TIRE SIZE AND PSI INFORMATION HAS WORN OFF .... MY CALLS TO GM HAVE RESULTED WITH THEM SAYING 5 PSI BELOW MAX PRESSURE ON THE TIRE THAT WOULD PUT THE TIRE PRESSURE AT 45 PSI WHICH SEEMS INSANE... AS A PERSON WHO HAS HAD A TIRE BLOW OUT ON THE INTERSTATE I AM CONCERNED WITH THIS ANSWER. IT SEEMS TO ME THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR EVERY ONE WHO OWNS THESE CARS AND THE TAG HAS WORN OFF ... INSIDE THE OWNERS MANUAL IT SAYS TO FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDED PSI ON THE TAG TO AVOID EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR AND POSSIBLE ROAD HAZARDS. SHOULDN'T THE TAG STILL BE INTACT AFTER 3 YEARS. *NM
THE WIRE THAT CONNECTS TO THE AIR CONDITIONER IS TOO SHORT AND WILL INTERMITTENTLY CAUSE THE AC TO KICK IN. WHEN THE AC KICKS IN THIS WILL CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO SURGE FORWARD. THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, BUT THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT DO ANY THING ABOUT IT. *PH
WHEN ENTERING CAR, THERE WAS A VERY STRONG MOLD SMELL, CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY RESEALED THE SEALS, REPLACED PADDING, AND CLEANED CARPETING. ODOR WAS PRESENT, AND CONSUMER WAS ALERGIC TO MOLD.*AK. *YH
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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.