IllustrationDT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EXTRACT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT, THE RETRACTOR WOULD NOT RETRACT THE SEAT BELT STRAP BACK INTO PLACE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT ALERTED.
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
What owners actually said
196 reportsCRUISE CONTROL STAYED ON AFTER HITTING BREAKS EVEN TRIED SWTICHING IT OFF AND THAT DID NOT WORK ONLY WHEN I PRESSED IN ON THE CLUTCH DID IT DISENGAGE. BUT NOT BEFOR THE ENGINE REVED UP TO OVER 5000 RPM. THIS COULD DAMAGE THE ENGINE
I HAVE A 2002 CHEVROLET CAVALIER AND I ALMOST HAD A BAD ACCIDENT WITH THIS CAR. THE IGNITION SWITCH AND WHEELS LOCKED UP ON ME AND I WAS STILL IN ONE PLACE AND A EIGHTEEN WHEELER RAN INTO ME. I HAVE BEEN HAVING TROUBLE WITH THIS CAR EVERYTIME I LOOK UP. *JB
HAVE HAD TO REPLACE POWER WINDOW MOTORS A TOTAL OF 5 TIMES. LESS THAN 80,000 MILES. ONE DRIVER. NO ABUSE. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE MOTORIZED WINDOWS DID NOT MOVE UP OR DOWN ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED A NEW MOTOR WAS NEEDED TO REPAIR THE POWER WINDOWS. *NM UPDATED 8/29/2006 - *NM
ACCORDING TO THE OVERLAND PARK POLICE DEPARTMENT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE STARTED NEAR THE PASSENGER FLOOR BOARD ON MY SONS 2002 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Z MODEL. THE CAR WAS TOTALLY ENGULFED BEFORE FIRE/RESCUE COULD ARRIVE. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE THAT CAN INJURE OTHERS. *JB
TWO YEARS AGO MY 2002 CHEVROLET CAVALIER(THEN TWO YEARS OLD) HAD THE BARREL THAT THE KEY GOES INTO ON THE STEERING COLUMN BREAK. NOW, TWO YEARS LATER IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN. *NM
WE WERE TOLD THE CAR WAS INSPECTED BEFORE WE BOUGHT IT! HEAD LIGHT OUT OF ADJUSTMENT BRAKE AND TAIL LIGHTS NOT WORKING ENGINE STARED RUNNING ROUGH FEW HOURS AFTER WE DROVE OFF A CD WAS FOUND STUCK IN THE PLAYER DOOR NEEDED ALIGNMENT PARKING BRAKES NOT WORKING RIGHT. *NM
AT APPROXIMATELY 30000 MILES MY CAR WOULD SHAKE OR BOUNCE, SOMETIMES VIOLENTLY, WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE CHECKED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ROTORS WERE WARPED, THOUGH THE PADS WERE OK. THE ROTORS WERE TURNED AND EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS UNTIL THE PROBLEM RETURNED. A…
Read full complaint
AT APPROXIMATELY 30000 MILES MY CAR WOULD SHAKE OR BOUNCE, SOMETIMES VIOLENTLY, WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE CHECKED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ROTORS WERE WARPED, THOUGH THE PADS WERE OK. THE ROTORS WERE TURNED AND EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS UNTIL THE PROBLEM RETURNED. AGAIN THE ROTORS WERE TURNED, AND THIS TIME THE PADS REPLACED. BUT A FEW MONTHS LATER THE PROBLEM RETURNED YET AGAIN. NOW THE ROTORS HAVE TO BE REPLACED, AS WELL AS THE PADS. A CO-WORKER SAID HE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM ON HIS 2002 CAVALIER. HE WAS TOLD AT A CHEVY DEALERSHIP THAT THE ROTORS WERE TOO SMALL ON THE CAR AND WARPED EASILY DUE TO THIS DEFECT. THIS SEEMS TO ME TO BE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE SINCE ROTORS THAT ARE TOO SMALL MAY CAUSE A BRAKE FAILURE. *JB
FRONT END BOUNCES AND MAKES NOISE. TOOK TO SERVICE CENTER WITH APPROX 8000 MILES AND HAD STRUTS REPLACED. HAPPENED 3000 MILES LATER, HAD STRUTS REPLACED AGAIN! THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES WHICH I HAVE PAID FOR OUT OF MY POCKET. THIS IS A DEFECTIVE CAR!!! *NM
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.