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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 →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

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

What owners actually said

196 reports
71,430 miles · Apr 16, 2009
Tires

PURCHASED FOUR GOODYEAR TIRES 11/06. WHILE DRIVING 55-60 MPH, VALVE STEM ON LEFT REAR TIRE FAILED (4/16/09) CAUSING TIRE TO COME APART (TREAD SEPARATED FROM SIDEWALL). AFTER SPARE TIRE INSTALLED BY AAA, PROCEEDED TO STORE WHERE ORIGINALLY PURCHASED. GOODYEAR SERVICE CENTER STATED VALVE STEM HAD FAILED; I PURCHASED NEW TIRE …

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PURCHASED FOUR GOODYEAR TIRES 11/06. WHILE DRIVING 55-60 MPH, VALVE STEM ON LEFT REAR TIRE FAILED (4/16/09) CAUSING TIRE TO COME APART (TREAD SEPARATED FROM SIDEWALL). AFTER SPARE TIRE INSTALLED BY AAA, PROCEEDED TO STORE WHERE ORIGINALLY PURCHASED. GOODYEAR SERVICE CENTER STATED VALVE STEM HAD FAILED; I PURCHASED NEW TIRE AT PRO-RATED COST. SERVICE CENTER ALSO REPLACED VALVE STEMS ON THE OTHER TIRES BECAUSE THEY LOOKED BAD. IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION FROM ANOTHER CUSTOMER ABOUT VALVE STEMS FROM CHINA, THE CLERK MENTIONED THOSE VALVE STEMS HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE CENTER'S INVENTORY. OLD PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10265642

65,000 miles · Feb 10, 2009
Seat Belts

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT UNLATCH AND PULL OVER HIS SHOULDER. THE FAILURE OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER HAS NOT YET BEEN NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 65,000.UPDATED 03/10/09.*LJ UPDATED 03/11/09. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10258232

65,000 miles · Jan 21, 2009
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS FRONT BRAKES WERE IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT AFTER 10,000 MILES. IN ADDITION, THE HYDRAULIC BRAKES CONTINUED TO LOCK ON THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING IN FORWARD OR REVERSE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS THAT INDICATED THAT THE BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED. IT WAS…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS FRONT BRAKES WERE IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT AFTER 10,000 MILES. IN ADDITION, THE HYDRAULIC BRAKES CONTINUED TO LOCK ON THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING IN FORWARD OR REVERSE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS THAT INDICATED THAT THE BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED. IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED THAT THE WARNING INDICATOR SYSTEM ALSO FAILED. THE DEALER INSTALLED AN ATS LIGHTING SYSTEM TO ENSURE THE WARNING PANEL WOULD ILLUMINATE IF THERE WERE ANY FURTHER FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS LESS THAN 65,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 76,500. UPDATED 02/10/09. *LJ THE DEALER REPLACED THE ABS SENSOR LIGHT. UPDATED 02/11/09. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10255848

Mileage unknown · Jan 14, 2009
Unknown Or Other

HEADLIGHTS FLICKERING WHEN THEY FLICKER THE HEATER LOSES PRESSURE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10254998

76,000 miles · Jan 12, 2009
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE BRAKES LOCK WHEN THE CONTACT DRIVES OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD. HE WOULD HAVE TO PUMP THE BRAKES IN ORDER FOR THEM TO UNLOCK. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A SPRING IN THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE THAT …

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE BRAKES LOCK WHEN THE CONTACT DRIVES OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD. HE WOULD HAVE TO PUMP THE BRAKES IN ORDER FOR THEM TO UNLOCK. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A SPRING IN THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE THAT CAUSED THE BRAKES TO LOCK. THE SPRING WOULD TRIP A SENSOR ON THE DASH AND THE VEHICLE WOULD STOP. THE DEALER IS REPAIRING THE FAILURE AND IS ALSO INSTALLING AN ABS SENSOR LIGHT FOR THE BRAKES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,000. UPDATED 02/05/09 *BF UPDATED 02/0909. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10254715

100,545 miles · Apr 7, 2008
Unknown Or Other

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AS IS WITHOUT A WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN EMITTING STRONG FUMES REGARDLESS IF THE ENGINE IS RUNNING OR NOT. SHE STATED THAT THE FUMES MAKE HER ILL. SHE NOTIFIED THE DEALER ABOUT THE FUMES AND THEY STATED THAT THE SMELL WOULD GO AWAY, BUT IT…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AS IS WITHOUT A WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN EMITTING STRONG FUMES REGARDLESS IF THE ENGINE IS RUNNING OR NOT. SHE STATED THAT THE FUMES MAKE HER ILL. SHE NOTIFIED THE DEALER ABOUT THE FUMES AND THEY STATED THAT THE SMELL WOULD GO AWAY, BUT IT STILL PERSISTS. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,788 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,545.

NHTSA ODI #10223577

58,000 miles · Mar 19, 2008
Visibility

THE WINDOW MOTORS HAVE BURNED OUT ON BOTH OF MY AUTOMATIC WINDOWS AT A LOW MILEAGE. THE PASSENGER SIDE MOTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 35,000 MILES AND NOW THE DRIVER'S SIDE MUST BE REPLACED AT 60,000. I RARELY USE THE AUTOMATIC WINDOWS, SO I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY HAVE BOTH FAILED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10221746

70,428 miles · Jan 22, 2008
Fuel System, Gasoline

2002 CHEVROLET CAVALIER STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE RESTARTED AND WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP HAD GONE OUT. *KB

NHTSA ODI #10216109

130,000 miles · Dec 29, 2007
Electrical SystemPower Train

BOUGHT A 2002 CHEVY CAVALIER OCT.2007, HAVE HAD THE CAR IN FOR REPAIRS TO THE TRANSMISSION A TOTAL OF 7 WEEKS. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE ELECTRICAL AND CANNOT BE FIXED. EACH TIME I GET IT BACK IT WORKS FOR SOME TIME THEN FAILS AND IS TAKEN BACK. IT IS CURRENTLY AT THE HENNA CHEVY OLDS DEALERSHIP IN AIKEN, SC. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10213156

54,000 miles · Dec 10, 2007
Engine And Engine Cooling

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER WAS INFORMED THAT THE OXYGEN SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS CHARGED $600 FOR THE REPAIR. SHE TOOK A LONG TRIP AND THE LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. ON A SHORTER TRIP, THE ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN ILLUMINATING INTERMIT…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER WAS INFORMED THAT THE OXYGEN SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS CHARGED $600 FOR THE REPAIR. SHE TOOK A LONG TRIP AND THE LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. ON A SHORTER TRIP, THE ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN ILLUMINATING INTERMITTENTLY AGAIN AND THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED, IT OPERATED NORMALLY. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH TO THE DEALER, THE ENGINE FAILED AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE REPAIR WOULD COST $5,000 AND COULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD ACTUALLY BE REPAIRED. THE CONTACT LEARNED THAT THE HEAD FAILED BEFORE AT 28,000 MILES. SHE BELIEVES THAT HER VEHICLE WAS MIS-DIAGNOSED THE FIRST TIME. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 54,000. UPDATED 01-10-08. *KB 12/31/07. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10211317

Official recalls

0

No 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.