1997 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Complaints

ON 12/2/98 AT 26,332 MILES I REPORTED A GRINDING AND THUD NOISE WHEN TURNING. I WAS TOLD THE CAR WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE BECAUSE THE STEERING COULD GO OUT AT ANY TIME. I WAS GIVEN A LOANER CAR AND THE RACK WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. ON 6/29/99 AT 34, 556 MILES, I AGAIN REPORTED THE SAME GRINDING AND THUD NOISE UPON TURNING. AGAIN I WAS TOLD THE CAR WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AND GIVEN A LOANER CAR. AGAIN THE RACK WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRENTY. ON 11/15/00, AT 60,152 MILES I AGAIN REPORTED THE EXACT SAME GRINDING AND THUD NOISE UPON TURNING. THIS TIME HOWEVER, I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. ON 2/15/01 AT 64,434 MILES I AGAIN REPORTED THE GRINDING AND THUD UPON TURNING AND ASKED THAT THE CAR BE CHECKED. NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND SO I CONTINUED TO DRIVE WITH THE GRINDING AND THUD NOISE IN THE STEERING SINCE I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THE EXACT SAME NOISE AS THE PRIOR TWO TIMES THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. ON 11/21/01, AT 81,218 MILES, I AGAIN REPORTED THE GRINDING AND THUD NOISE UPON TURNING, AS IT WAS GETTING WORSE AND CONTINUED TO MAKE ME VERY UNEASY AS TO THE CARS SAFETY. THIS TIME I WAS TOLD THAT YES, NOW THE RACK AGAIN NEEDED REPLACED, HOWEVER I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT AS IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY.*AK

MY HORN DOES NOT OPERATE AT ALL TIMES. ALSO, A FRIEND RECENTLY RENTED A 2001 OR 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. HAS THIS BEEN AN ISSUE WITH OTHER CHEVROLETS? DEFINITELY COULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD!! *AK

VEHICLE STALLS AT SLOW SPEEDS AND IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. WILL START AGAIN AFTER 5-15 MINUTES. TAKEN TO DEALER, CANNOT REMEDY. VEHICLE HAS STALLED ABOUT 15 TIMES. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH ON WET ROADS VEHICLE HYDROPLANED AND STRUCK A TELEPHONE POLE. BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THREE PASSENGERS RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES, BACK AND NECK STRAINS. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN EXAMINED TO DETERMINE IF AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / ATTACHMENTS.*AK

HIGHLY UNUSUAL REPAIR FOR 'NEWER' VEHICLE-1997 80,000-& UNUSUAL THAT BOTH FRONT RIGHT/FRONT LEFT WHEEL BEARINGS NEEDED COMPLETE REPLACEMENT. IMPROPER INSTALLATION WAS SUGGESTED AS REASON FOR PART FAILURE SO SOON. PLEASE REVIEW MANUFACTURER'S INSTALLATION. *AK

THE CAR JERKS WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ROTORS AT AROUND 25,000 MILES. THE NEXT TIME IT HAPPENED, IT WAS AT AROUND 40,000 MILES. THE DEALER WOULD NOT REPLACE THE ROTORS. AT AROUND 64,000 MILES IT HAS STARTED AGAIN. THE FIRST TIME I HAD TO TAKE THIS TO THE DEALER, THEY KNEW WITH OUT LOOKING AT THE CAR WHAT IT WAS. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THESE ROTORS ARE DEFECTIVE AND THE COMPANY SHOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THEM. *AK

THIS PAST THURSDAY, 10/11/01, FOR THE THIRD TIME, MY HEADLIGHTS HAVE GONE OUT WHILE I HAVE BEEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. I HAVE HAD THE SWITCH REPLACED TWICE BEFORE AND AM SCHEDULED TO HAVE IT REPLACED A THIRD TIME. THIS SWITCH RUNS MY HEADLIGHTS, BRIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS, AND CRUISE CONTROL. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS EXCEPT WITH THE HEADLIGHTS. THE CONNECTION APPEARS TO BE BURNING OUT. I DO NOT THINK IT SHOULD BE BURNING OUT SO OFTEN OR IN THIS CASE, SO QUICKLY - 3 MONTHS SINCE THE LAST TIME I HAD THE SWITCH REPLACED. I HAVE DECIDED THERE MUST BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SWITCH AND THE ENGINE THAT IS CAUSING THIS, THEREFORE SOMETHING CHEVY SHOULD TAKE CARE OF AND IN MY CASE, REIMBURSE ME FOR, SINCE THIS WILL BE THE THIRD TIME I'LL HAVE TO PAY FOR REPAIRS IN THE 5 YEARS I HAVE OWNED MY CAR. I ALSO FEEL, HOWEVER, MORE IMPORTANTLY, THAT THIS IS NOT SAFE, TO BE DRIVING ALONG AT NIGHT AND HAVE YOUR HEADLIGHTS GO OUT. MY REAR LIGHTS STAY ON, WHICH I AM GRATEFUL FOR, BUT HAVING NO HEADLIGHTS MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. *AK

ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM LEAK. USUALLY LEAKS AFTER CONSUMER PARKS OR STOPS FOR A LONG TIME.*AK

DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT SEATBELT BUCKLES COMPLETELY FELL APART, PIECES OF METAL FELL OFF. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER ,AND THEY REPLACED BOTH DRIVERS AND PASSENGER'S SEATBELT BUCKLES. DEALER PUT SAME MODEL OF BUCKLE THAT HAD FALLEN APART ON PASSENGER'S SIDE, AND REPLACED DRIVER'S SIDE WITH A NEW MODEL. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

DEALER STATED THAT IN THE PAST THREE MONTHS HE HAS CORRECTED TWO PRIOR CASES WITH SAME YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL.NO SAFETY DEFECT. *AK