1997 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Complaints

FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH PROBLEMS WITH YOUR ENGINE COOLANT, I FINALLY GOT MINE FIXED. AFTER TELLING ME IT WAS THE TEMPERATURE SENSOR AND THE THERMOSTAT IT ENDED UP BEING A CRACK IN THE RADIATOR CAP, SOMETHING THAT COSTS $10. A GOOD WAY TO PREVENT ENGINE SHUTDOWN IS TO TURN YOUR VENT FAN TO HOT AIR, AS HOT AS U CAN GET IT. THAT WILL BRING DOWN THE TEMPATURE READING, EVERYTIME. SOMETHING TO LOOK FOR WHEN YOUR STUCK IN TRAFFIC ALOT, THATS WHEN IT HAPPENS WHEN YOU IDLE TO LONG.*AK

WHEN EVER THE CAR IS STARTED THERE IS A BAD KNOCKING/TICKING SOUND AS IF YOUR CAR WAS LOW ON OIL...AND EVEN WHEN THE OIL IS CHANGED AND/OR CHECKED AND THE OIL LEVEL IS FINE...THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS...I HAVE NOTIFIED THE DEALER MORE THAN 20 TIMES ABOUT THIS PROBLEM(WHILE UNDER WARRANTY) AND THEY COULD NOT FIND WHAT WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM..THEIR (CHEVY'S)ENGINEER WAS EVEN IN TOWN AT ONE TIME AND THEY HAD TO BRING IT IN THEN AND HE/SHE COULD NOT EVEN FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM....IF HE CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS..THEN I THINK THEY NEED TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER AND PULL THE ENGINE COMPLETELY DOWN THERE COULD BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO HAVE TO BE REPLACED AND WANT THE OWNER TO COVER THE CHARGES WHEN IT IS NOT EVEN THE OWNERS FAULT...CAN YOU PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT I NEED TO DO TO GET A RECALL DONE ON ALL THE CAVALIERS THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. *AK

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARM DOES NOT PARK IN THE DOWN POSITION WHEN THEY ARE TURNED OFF, THE WIPERS WOULD REMAIN IN UPRIGHT POSITION DISTRACTING THE DRIVER'S VIEW, DELAY FEATURE STOPS AT A HIGHER PAUSE LEVEL, ON ONE OCCASION WIPERS FAILED COMPLETELY, DEALER STATES THE ARM WAS DISENGAGED CAUSING FAILURE.*YH

FRONT BRAKE PULSATE WHEN USED. ROTORS ARE OUT OF ROUND. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME. WE HAD NEW BRAKES AND THE ROTORS TURNED AT 30,000 MILES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM.*AK

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD STAY IN UPRIGHT POSITION WHENEVER SWITCH IS TURNED OFF. WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD NOT RETURN TO DOWN POSITION. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED FOR REPAIRS. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER . *AK

I NOTICED THAT MY 1997 CHEVROLET CAVALIER HAD BEEN LEAKING COOLANT, WHEN I PROCEEDED TO FIND THE LEAK I WAS UNSUCESSFUL. MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ON YOUR WEBSITE HAVE PROVEN TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THE LEAK APPEARS TO BE AROUND THE FRONT HEAD GASKET. IT COULD POSSIBLY HAVE A CRACKED HEAD. THIS SOUNDS LIKE A LOGICAL EXPLANATION DUE TO THE VIOLENT VIBRATION FROM THE ENGINE, WHITE SMOKE FROM THE TAIL PIPE AND OVERHEATING.THE COOLANT MUST BE LEAKING INTO THE FUEL MIXTURE AT THE HEAD. THE CAR IS AT AN UNDRIVEABLE STATE. DEALERSHIPS WHICH I HAVE CONTACTED TOLD ME ABOUT RECALLS OF A SIMILAR NATURE FOR THE 1995 AND 1996 CAVALIER MODELS. WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL ON THE 1997 MODEL? THANK YOU. *AK

WHILE THE VEHICLE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL/LIGHT WITH CONSUMER'S FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL, ENGINE WILL RUN AT HIGHER THAN NORMAL RPMS AND ACCELERATE SUDDENLY. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP THAT COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM OR FIND ANY CODE ON COMPUTER. *AK

ON THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2001, THE VEHICLE AILED TO START AND WAS JUMP STARTED. WE THEN DROVE HOME (5 MINS' DRIVE AWAY) AND PARKED THE VEHCLE IN OUR CARPORT. ABOUT 5 MINS LATER A NEIGHBOR CAME TO TELL US THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE ORIGINATED IN THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN (PROBABLY DUE TO A PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION) AND DESTROYED THE IGNITION, WIPER SWITCH, TURN SIGNAL SWITCH AND THE COVERS. ADDITIONAL DAMAGE WAS DONE WHILE TRYING TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE FIRE BRIGADE WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE. THE INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE SERIOUS IF THE FIRE HAD NOT BEEN SPOTTED SO QUICKLY. *AK

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN MAKING A TURN STEERING WHEEL WILL LOCK UP. DEALER IS INSPECTING VEHICLE.*AK

CONSUMER WAS AT A STOP WHEN SHE WAS REARENDED WITH 40 MPH IMPACT. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SEATS WENT FLYING BACK INTO A RECLINING POSITION, CAUSING INJURIES TO DRIVER. *AK