1997 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Complaints

WINDSHIELD WIPERS REMAIN IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION WHEN THEY ARE TURNED OFF. AS A RESULT, DRIVER AND PASSENGERS ARE LEFT WITH LIMITED FIELD OF VISION THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. WINDSHIELD WIPERS BLOCK DRIVER'S ABILITY TO SEE ONCOMING CARS, CREATE BLINDSPOTS, AND HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS.

AS CONSUMER BEGAN TO BREAK AND SLOW DOWN, DUE TO CONGESTION THAT SHE NOTICED THAT WAS IN FRONT OF HER, A VEHICLE PULLED IN FRONT OF HER, SO TO AVOID A COLLISION CONSUMER SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED VIOLENTLY AND SUBSEQUENTLY CONSUMER REAR-ENDED THE VEHICLE, CONSUMER AND THE PASSENGER SUFFERED SEVERE INJURIES, HOWEVER THE VERY NEXT DAY AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL NOTIFICATION(98026) THE MANUFACTURER IS NOT WILLING TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCIDENT, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY A REPRESENATIVE FROM GENERAL MOTORS THAT THE RECALL WAS OLD AND THAT THE AIRBAGS SHOULD ALREADY HAVE BEEN REPLACED, CONSUMER THEN INFORMED THE REPRESEANTIVE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PURCHASED NEW.*JB

WHILE DRIVING, DRIVER'S FRONT FIRESTONE STEELTEX TIRE P194/70R14 EXPERIENCED BLOWOUT, BACK OF THE TIRE HAD SEPARATED. *SLC

DEFECT 1: ABS LIGHT WOULD COME ON WHEN MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN. ABS WOULD NO LONGER ACTIVATE WHILE LIGHT WAS ON. DEFECT 2: ALTERNATOR--WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING IN CITY TRAFFIC, RUSH HOUR. HAD PREVIOUSLY ASKED DEALER TO CHECK, BUT THEY CLAIMED IT WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. DEFECT 3: RACK AND PINION STEERING ASSEMBLY--WENT OUT SHORTLY AFTER ALTERNATOR, WHILE DRIVING IN THE DEALERSHIP PARKING LOT. DEFECT 4: TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER--TECHNICIAN SAID THIS CAUSED MAJOR ENGINE DAMAGE--GEARS, HEAD, ETC. DEFECT 5: HORN--HAS WORKED SPORADICALLY, AT BEST, FOR THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF. SEEMED LIKE A SHORT.

MY HEADLIGHTS INCLUDING BRIGHT LIGHTS WOULD NOT WORK DUE TO A CORRODED HEADLIGHT HARNESS. ON THE FIRST TWO FAILURES THE CORRODED WIRES WERE REPLACED BY SPLICING GOOD WIRING TO THE EXISTING HARNESS. FINALLY I PURCHASED A NEW HARNESS ($275) FOR A TOTAL COST OF APPROM. $700 INCL. LABOR. THE HARNESS WHICH WAS REPLACED WAS THE ORIGIONAL FACTORY INSTALLED PART.

RECALL 98 V 146 000/AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT: VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED IN 1998 FOR THIS RECALL. AT PRESENT, VEHICLE STILL EXPERIENCES AN INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT WHILE DRIVING UNDER 15 MPH. DEALER/MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK

HORN WAS INOPERABLE WHICH COULD CAUSE A PROBLEM IF NEEDED IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. ALSO, WINDSHIELD HAS SPOTS ON INSIDE AND OUTSIDE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. *AK RUBBER COVER ON ACCELERATOR REFUSES TO STAY ON. *YH

CAR WAS PARKED FOR ABOUT 10 HOURS. WHEN STARTED AND PUT IN DRIVE, "ETS OFF" LIGHT FLASHED AND THEN REMAINED ON STEADY. ALONG WITH THIS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO STAYED ON. BOTH LIGHTS REMAINED ON FOR DURATION OF DRIVE HOME FROM WORK, APPROXIMATELY 25 MINUTES. ENGINE SOUNDS FINE, NO STRANGE NOISES, BUT WARNING LIGHTS STILL REMAIN ON. TAKING IT TO A MECHANIC TO BE CHECKED OUT.

ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING, TOOK TO SHOP WAS TOLD THAT THE COMPUTER SHOWED A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM BUT NONE WAS FOUND, LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN WITHIN 24 HOURS TOOK TO SHOP AGAIN STILL SHOWING TRANS PROBLEM STILL UNABLE TO FIND PROBLEM WAS TOLD THAT THE ONLY WAY TO RESET LIGHT WAS TO PUT ON COMPUTER BUT COULD NOT PROMISE WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. *AK

HORN ACTIVED BY ITSELF AT NON STOP UNTIL IT DID NOT WORK ANY MORE. THEN, EVERY NIGHT HORN USED TO GO OFF IN MIDDLE OF NIGHT. PRESENTLY, AIR BAG IS SHOWING PUNCTURED PROBLEMS. *AK