1997 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Complaints

CONSUMER NOTICED COOLANT LEAKING FROM VEHICLE. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN EXAMINED BY DEALER YET.*AK DEALER FOUND CYLINDER HEAD GASKET AND WATER PUMP LEAKING. REPLACED PUMP AND HEAD GASKETS. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. CONSUMER IS AWARE OF SAME PROBLEM WITH THE 1996 MODELS. *TT

I WAS PULLING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY AND HAD GREAT DIFFICULTY TRYING TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL OF THE CAR. THIS CONTINUED AS I MADE 3 MORE TURNS. IT FINALLY WENT BACK TO NORMAL AFTER DRIVING 5 MILES. THE NEXT DAY IT RESUMED BEING VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. I HAVE NOW BEEN INFORMED BY MY PERSONAL MECHANIC OF 30 YEARS THAT THE RACK AND PINION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 24,000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT AND ALSO QUITE EXPENSIVE. ALMOST $900.00.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 25-30 MPH STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT ALLOW CONSUMER TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. CONTACTED DEALER ,AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK

CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT PARTS FOR RECALL O2V070000 CONCERNING IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL JUNE, ALMOST THE END OF JUNE AND NOT PARTS AVAILABLE YET.*AK

WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A PARKING LOT I TURNED THE WHEEL TO GO LEFT AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND BEGAN PULLING RIGHT ALMOST CAUSING ME TO RUN INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. HAD I BEEN GOING ANY FASTER I WOULD HAVE CRASHED AND DIED. ON THE WAY HOME THE WHEEL LOCKED UP AGAIN TURNING LEFT ONTO OUR ROAD AND I ALMOST DROVE OFF THE ROAD. I'VE PARKED THE CAR AND HAVEN'T DRIVEN IT SINCE WITH CONCERN THAT THIS LIFE THREATENING PROBLEM WILL CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. MANY OTHER GM VEHICLES HAVE REPORTS OF THIS STEERING PROBLEM WITH 97 VEHICLES WHICH CAN BE SEEN IN A REPORT BY GUY CRAMER AT HTTP://WWW.YFILES.COM/GM-STEERING-PROBLEM.HTM. *AK

POWER STEERING GOES OUT WHEN TURNING TO THE LEFT. THE DEALER STATES THE NO PROBLEM CAN BE FOUND. OUR POWER STEERING GOES OUT INTERMITTENLY EVERY SINCE WE GOT THIS CAVALIER. THE DEALER HAS SAID THAT THEY COULD NEVER DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND HENCE COULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE LOSS OF STEERING HAS BECOME SO BAD THAT I WILL NOT ALLOW MY WIFE TO USE THIS CAR. I WILL NOT LET ANYONE USE THIS CAR UNTIL THE STEERING( A SAFETY ISSUE) IS RESOLVED.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 40MPH THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. DEALER NOTIFIED.*JB

CONSUMER STATES ONE WEEK PRIOR TO RECEIVING RECALL 02V07, THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED AND IT WAS REPLACED, CONSUMER IS BEING DENIED REIMBURSEMENT DUE TO HAVING THE PART REPLACED BEFORE THE RECALL WAS EFFECTIVE. *SLC

AFTER RECEIVING THE NOTICE IN THE MAIL CONCERNING THE RECALL I CONTACTED MY DEALER ANDEAN CHEVROLET, ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THE REPLACEMENT PARTS WERE ON "NATIONAL BACK ORDER" AND TO NOT EVEN BRING IN MY CAR THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY OR ANYONE ELSE COULD DO. I THEN ASKED WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN IF I'M DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND MY CAR SHOULD REALLY START ON FIRE. THE REPLY I RECEIVED WAS "THAT VERY RARELY HAPPENS, AND TO CALL BACK IN 3-4 WEEKS." TWO DAYS LATER I STARTED HAVING TROUBLE STARTING MY CAR. WHEN I TRIED STARTING IT AND IT DIDN'T I CONTINUED TO TRY TO START IT FINALLY ONLY TO END UP GETTING A MACHANICS HELP. THIS CONTINUED FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND EVEN BEING STRANDED IN A VERY SECLUUDED AREA BECAUSE OF THIS IGNITION PROBLEM. I EVEN ENDED UP REPLACING THE BATTERY DUE TO TRYING TO START THE CAR. MISSING WORK AND BEING LATE RESULTING IN LOOSING THE PLACEMENT. |WHAT DO I DO ABOUT THIS AND WHOM DO I HOLD RESPONSIBLE FOR OTHER SITUATIONS RESULTING IN THIS RECALL THAT UNABLE TO BE FIXED AT THIS TIME?*AK

I LEARNED THAT TECHNICAL BULLETINS WERE GIVEN WITH REGARD TO THIS PROBLEM. IT APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AFTER REVIEWING NUMEROUS CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND TECHNICAL BULLETINS. *AK