1998 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Complaints

NHTSA 04V036000\ IGNITION \SWITCH. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON THE DRIVEWAY IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR RAN AND REMOVE THE BATTERY FROM THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE WAS COMING FROM THE DRIVER SIDE DASHBOARD. THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TOT HE DEALER TO GET THE REMEDY DONE. THE PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH STILL OCCURS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.

I WAS ATTEMPTING TO TURN LEFT TO PULL OUT OF A PARALLEL PARKING SPACE WHEN I HEARD SOMETHING POP AND IT SUDDENLY FELT AS IF MY CAR HAD LOST ALL POWER STEERING. ONE MONTH LATER I HEARD OF RACK AND PINION STEERING RECALL ON 1998 CAVALIERS WHICH IS WHAT I DRIVE AND MY CAR HAD ALL OF THE EFFECTS OF WHAT WERE LISTED. AFTER TAKING MY CAR INTO A CHEVY DEALER, I WAS TOLD MY CAR DID NOT FIT THE RECALL AND THAT I NEEDED A WHOLE NEW TRANSMISSION. I ASKED IF THEY HAD CHECKED MY TRANSMISSION FLUID, AND THEY SAID YES THAT THERE WAS PLENTY AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY 1200 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. I DECLINED THEIR SERVICES TO FIX MY VEHICLE AND LATER HAD MY UNCLE WHO IS AN AIRPLACE MECHANIC TAKE A LOOK AT IT. HE TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY TRANSMISSION I WAS JUST VERY VERY LOW ON FLUID. MY TRANSMISSION IS PERFECT NOW AND HE AGREES THAT MY CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL SEEING AS THE RACK AND PINION STEERING HAS BROKEN. REPEATEDLY I HAVE CALLED GM TO NO AVAIL ON WHY MY CAR IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL, AND I FEEL VERY TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY THE CHEVY DEALER OUTZ CHEVROLET FOR NOT BEING HONEST WITH ME ABOUT MY CAR.*AK

THE RACK AND PINION ON MY CAR FAILED AS I WAS DRIVING IT. I HAD TO HAVE IT REPLACED. ALTHOUGH THERE IS A RECALL ON THE LOWER PINION SEPERATION AS OF JAN. 2003, IT ONLY SEEMS TO COVER A CERTAIN RANGE OF VIN #'S FOR THIS MAKE. MY MECHANIC CALLED IN JAN. OF '03, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO OBTAIN ANY INFORMATION ON IT. I GUESS UNTIL A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMPLAIN, AND THERE ARE NO INJURIES, THE MANUFACTURERE DOES NOT TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. I HAVE 3 YOUNG KIDS, AND I CAN NOT WAIT FOR A FATALITY FOR THE MANUFACTURER TO ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS A PROBLEM.

INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER SAW BLUE SMOKE COMING THROUGH THE UNDER HOOD. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE.*AK

WHEN KEY IS INSERTED INTO IGNITION STEERING IS LOCKED AND KEY WILL NOT TURN. TRYING TO TURN STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT BUDGE IT. CAR IS IMOBILE AND CANNOT BE DRIVEN. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. NO SURE WAY TO TELL WHEN IT WILL OCCUR.*AK

ACCELERATOR STUCK TO THE FLOOR WHILE MERGING ON TO FREEWAY. VEHICLE KEPT GOING FASTER. TRIED PUMPING ACCELERATOR, NOTHING HAPPENED. TRIED BRAKING, BUT CAR WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN. PUT LEFT FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL AND USED RIGHT FOOT TO TRY TO LOOSEN THE ACCELERATOR BY STOMPING ON IT. NO LUCK. BY THEN, I WAS APPROACHING VEHICLES AHEAD OF ME AT VERY HIGH SPEED (I WOULD GUESS AT LEAST 70 MPH.). BOTH LANES WERE FULL, SO THERE WAS NO WAY TO SWITCH LANES. IN DESPERATION, I SHIFTED TO REVERSE TO TRY TO STOP THE CAR. THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. I STEERED THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOULDER AS THE VEHICLE COASTED. I WAS ABLE TO BRAKE AS THE VEHICLE COASTED. WHEN THE CAR STOPPED, THE BATTERY LIGHT WAS ON. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS STILL STUCK TO THE FLOOR. I STOMPED ON IT A FEW TIMES, AND IT BROKE LOOSE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A CHEVROLET DEALER. *AK

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. THE ALTERNATOR HAD TO BE DISCONNECTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

THE STEERING WHEEL DID NOT REALIGN PROPERLY AFTER MAKING A TURN. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE DESCRIBE FURTHER. *JB

POWER STEERING HAS SLOWLY GONE I TOOK IT TO MECHANIC WHO COULD NOT READ BUT SAYS THERE SEEMS TO BE A LEAK BUT HE CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHERE. IT'S CAUSED THE ENTIRE CAR TO ACT UP AND I DON'T EVEN WANT IT ANYMORE.!!

I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR A NOISE IN THE ENGINE. AFTER I HAD THE CAR SERVICED I WAS THEN INFORMED THAT A GUIDE FOR THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND THE TIMING CHAIN BENT A BARING ON THE CAM SHAFT. *LA