1997 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Complaints

INADVERTENT DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT KILLED DRIVER BY CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. WHILE TRAVELING THE SPEED LIMIT IN THE CENTER LANE OF THE INTERSTATE THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG SUDDENLY DEPLOYED FOR NO APPARENT REASON, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CAR SLID SIDEWAYS THROUGH THE MEDIAN AND WAS STRUCK ON THE BROADSIDE BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC KILLING THE DRIVER AND INJURING THREE OCCUPANTS OF THE OTHER VEHICLE. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW THREE MONTHS EARLIER AND HAD BEEN DRIVEN LESS THAN 3000 MILES. *JB THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT IN THE INITAL RECALL ACCORDING TO CONSUMER BUT DID RECEIVE NOTIFICATION AFTER THE ALLEGATION OF THE FRONT BAGS DEPLOYED AND THE DRIVER CROSSED THE PATH OF TRAFFIC RESULTING IN A CRASH. ACCODRING TO THE COMPLAINANT, THE VEHICLE WAS IMPACTED ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED INTERNAL HEAD TRAMA RESULTING IN DEATH. IT IS ALLEGED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAD HIT THE WINDOW OR THE ROOF. THE DRIVER WAS ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN WEARING HIS SEAT BELT. BOTH FRONT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED BACK IN 1997.CW

THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME HARD TO STEER. HAD THE RACK AND PINION STEERING BEARING REPLACED ACCORDING TO THE RECALL NOTICE, BUT THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA#02-V-070-000 THE RECALL WHICH WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE REGARDING THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED. *JB

THE ENGINE OVERHEATED, AND STALLED. THE SPARK PLUGS MELTED. THE TECHNICIAN FOUND THE HEAD WARPED, CAUSING EXCESSIVE INTERNAL EXHAUST HEAT. THE DEALER REPLACED THE RELAY SWITCH, REMOVED THE HEAD AND RESURFACED. THE ELECTRIC FANS DON'T TURN ON. THE TECHNICIAN FOUND THE FAN RELAY, ECT SENSOR, AND FUSIBLE LINK SHORTED(REMOVED REPLACED). THE VEHICLE HAD SURGED AND DIED OUT. THE SENSOR CONNECTOR CLIP BROKEN AND WAS REPLACED. THE CONSOLE UNDER THE RADIO HAD CRACKED. THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T START, DUE TO MULTIPLE DTC PLUGS FOULED. THE VACUUM LINE HAD BROKEN, AND THE CONNECTORS WERE RE-PINNED. THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T START UNTIL THE ENGINE COOLED DOWN. THE ALTERNATOR WAS NOT CHARGING AND THERE WAS POOR BATTERY CONTACT TO THE TERMINAL. THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED. BETWEEN THE SPEEDS OF 25-30 MPH, THE VEHICLE FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO REV UP. THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AND THE COOLER LINES WERE FLUSHED. THERE WAS NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND OR THE DEFECTIVE TIMING CHAIN. THE TENSIONER WAS REPLACED/RESEALED, THE TIMING CHAIN WAS GREASED, AND THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS REPLACED. SCC

LOWER PINION BEARING IN POWER STEERING GEAR MAY SEPARATE CAUSING A LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS AT LOW SPEED.*AK

I HAVE A 1997 CHEVROLET CAVALIER THAT RIGHT AFTER PURCHASE (1998) THE ENGINE NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE DEALER AS PER THE SERVICE CONTRACT DID THIS. SKIP AHEAD TO NOW (2003), THE CAR DEVELOPED A COOLANT LEAK. IT WAS LOOKED AT AND TESTED BY MY LOCAL MECHANIC AND WAS DIAGNOSED AS A BAD HEAD GASKET. I CALLED THE DEALER THAT REPLACED THE ENGINE AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ENTIRE ENGINE WAS REPLACED. I ASKED ABOUT THEM FIXING THE HEAD GASKET, AS IT SHOULD NOT BE LEAKING (THE ENGINE HAS 38,000 MILES ON IT) THEY SAID NO. I CALLED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED BY A GM DEALER AT THE COST OF $79.95. THIS WAS DONE, THE DEALER SAID IT WAS A BAD GASKET AND/OR CRACKED HEAD. GM CUSTOMER SERVICE SAID THAT SINCE THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THAT ONLY A SHORT BLOCK WAS INSTALLED THEY WOULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. MY COMPLAINT IS THIS; I'VE BEEN LIED TO BY MY LOCAL DEALER. THE CAVALIER HAS THIS KNOWN DEFECT. GM HAS DONE NOTHING TO TELL ME ABOUT IT, BUT THEY HAVE ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT IT TO THE DEALERS. AND NOW THEY WON'T REPAIR THE VEHICLE, NOT WILL THEY OFFER TO PAY ANY PORTION OF IT'S REPAIR. I WOULD LIKE ANY AND ALL HELP IN FORCING GM TO FIX THIS. *NLM

NAR 3-11-03 THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM CHEVROLET ABOUT THE RACK AND PINION STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY. UPON ARRIVAL THE CONSUMER FOUND REPAIRS MADE ON THE VEHICLE THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND IS NOW ASKING TO BE REIMBURSED BY CHEVROLET. *CB *JB

ELECTRICAL WIRES HAD BLOWN UNDER THE DASH BOARD. CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS IT RELATED TO THE ELECTRICAL RECALL. WARNING LIGHTS ON SINCE PURCHASE OF VEHICLE. IT TOOK THREE TRIPS TO DEALER BEFORE DEALER FOUND SHORT UNDER DASH. A FEW WEEKS LATER VEHICLE HAD TO BE JUMP STARTED. RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE FOR ELECTRICAL IGNITION. WHEN AIR CONDITIONER WAS SERVICED, MECHANIC FOUND CIRCUITS SUPPLYING POWER TO THE COMPRESSOR HAD BLOWN. MECHANIC TRACED WIRES UNDER DASH AND FOUND WIRES HAD MELTED AND SHORTENED OUT. HE REPAIRED WHAT HE COULD AND THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS WORKED. HOWEVER TO CORRECT THE WIRING PROBLEM THE ENTIRE DASH NEEDED TO BE REMOVED AND NEW HARNESS INSTALLED. CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THE ELECTRICAL/IGNITION RECALL IS RELATED TO ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. *TT *JB *TS

CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, HOWEVER THE WHEELS DID NOT TURN LEFT, BUT VEERED TOWARD THE RIGHT WHICH RESULTED IN A COLLISION. JUST RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM GM CONCERNING STEERING.

CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL REGARDING THE RACK AND PINION HOWEVER NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE.*JB