1995 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Complaints

ENGINE FAILED TO START. CONSUME R HAD TO HOLD KEY IN START POSITION FOR A LONG TIME TO START VEHICLE. DEALER CONTACTED.*AK

VEHICLE WAS PARKED INSIDE OF GARAGE. AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE BLEW UP INSIDE OF GARAGE. FIRE STARTED INSIDE OF STEERING COLUMN.*AK

NHTSA RECALL 02 V 070 000/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 02008 CONCERNING IGNITION SWITCH. DEALER:KIN DICKSON CHEVROLET; WALDORF, MD; PHONE# 301/645-700) WANTED TO CHARGE FOR A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK BEFORE RECALL REPAIRS COULD BE PERFORMED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE HEAD GASKET LEAKS INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY. NLM

MY WIFE DRIVE THIS CAR. IT WAS TAKEN INTO THE DEALER 4-5 TIMES TO GET A STALLING PROBLEM FIXED. DURING ONE TRIP THE REPLACED A HEAD GASKET AT 77,764 MILES ON A BULLETIN FROM GM. THE DIDNT CHECK THE HEAD FOR DEFECTS. THE DEALER TOLD US GM ONLY LET THEM REPLACE THE HEAD GASKET. IT IS NOW 15 MONTHS LATER AND 14,000 MILES ON IT, THE HEAD GASKET HAS FAILED AGAIN. GM SAID IT IS NOT COVERED AND THE DEALERSHIP WANT 1, 100 TO FIX IT. SEEMS TO ME GM HAS A PROBLEM WITH BAD HEAD GASKETS AND INSTEAD OF FIXING THE HEAD AND GASKET RIGHT THE FIRST TIME, THE JUST CHANGE THE GASKET AND WHEN IT IS OUT OF WARRENTY STICK IT TO THE CUSTOMER.*AK

THE FIRST INCIDENT WITH MY 1995 BASE MODEL CHEVROLET CAVALIER WAS WHEN THE HORN STOPPED WORKING, WHEN I NEEDED IT MOST ON A FREEWAY WHEN SOMEONE WAS ABOUT TO HIT ME WHILE CHANGING LANES. THE HORN FAILED, AND IT HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF ABOUT $100, WHICH I COVERED, SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS RECENTLY OFF OF WARRANTY. MONTHS LATER, THE TRUNK LATCH REFUSED TO WORK. I COULD NOT OPEN THE TRUNK FROM THE REAR OR FROM THE INSIDE OF THE CAR. IN LATE 2000, MY BRAKES WERE MAKING GRINDING NOISES. TURNS OUT THE ROTORS WERE BADLY WARPED AT 50,000 MILES. NOW, 15,000 MILES LATER, THE BRAKES ARE GRINDING AGAIN, WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE ROTORS MAY ONCE AGAIN BE WARPED. AT THE BEGINNING OF 2002, I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR A ROUTINE INSPECTION, ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS CRACKED AND LEAKING COOLANT ALL OVER MY ENGINE. THE HEAD GASKET HAD TO BE REPLACED, WHICH WAS A VERY COSTLY REPAIR. ONLY RECENTLY HAVE I HEARD THAT THIS MAY OR MAY NOT BE COVERED BY A "SECRET" WARRANTY UP TO 7 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES, SOMETHING I WISH I HAD BEEN NOTIFIED OF BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. FINALLY, WITHIN WEEKS OF THE HEAD GASKET REPAIR, THE PLASTIC ON THE DRIVER'S SEATBELT SNAPPED OFF, SO NOW I MUST HAVE THE ENTIRE SEATBELT REPLACED. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH ALL OF THE PROBLEMS I HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH THIS CAR, AND I HAVE HEARD THAT OTHER CAVALIER OWNERS HAVE HAD EVEN WORSE EXPERIENCES THAN ME! I WOULD LIKE TO SEE GENERAL MOTORS STAND BY THEIR PRODUCTS AND AT LEAST REIMBURSE ME FOR SOME OF THE HEAD GASKET REPAIR COST, WHICH WAS NEARLY SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS, BUT THIS MAY ONLY BE A PIPE DREAM. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE CAVALIER ENGINE HEAD GASKETS FOR THE 2.2 L ENGINES. THIS SEEMS TO BE A LONG-RUNNING PROBLEM ON CAVALIERS THROUGHOUT THE 1990S THAT GM HAS YET TO PUBLICLY ADMIT OR ADDRESS. WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR THEM TO RECALL IT, SOMEONE DYING ON THE ROAD WHEN HIS OR HER CAR EITHER STALLS IN BUSY TRAFFIC OR CATCHES ON FIRE?

"LOW ANTIFREEZE" LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF. ADDING ANTIFREEZE FIXES TEMPORARILY, AND WE STILL SMELL FUMES FROM HOOD. INFORMED BY MANUFACTURER OF FAULTY CYLINDER HEAD GASKET MONTHS BEFORE PROBLEM MANIFESTED. DESPITE COUNTLESS REPAIRS, LIGHT COMES ON AND CAR CUTS OFF SPORADICALLY. NO REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS. MIDDLE BACK SEAT BELT ALSO RELEASES, CAUSING OUR TODDLER'S CHILD SEAT TO TIP OVER WHEN VEHICLE TURNS CORNERS.*AK

POWER STEERING RACK AND PINION. WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE CUT OUT LIKE STARVED FOR GAS, THEN DIED AND WOULDN'T RESTART, REPLACE TANK ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY. CK P/STEERING FOR LEAKS, P/STEERING PUMP LEAKING FLUID, R AND RPS PUMP AND RESEAL COMPLETED, P/STEERING PUMP BUSHING GETTING WORN. ON ANOTHER OCCASSION REPLACE PRESSURE HOSE DUE TO LOST OF POWER STEERING. COOLANT LIGHT COMES ON AND CAR OVERHEATES. VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE DUE TO LEAKAGE, OIL AND POWER STEERING PUMP FLUID WAS LEAKING, TOTALLED.

TOTAL LOSS OF VEHICLE. WENT TO START MY CAR, WOULDN'T START. TURNED KEY, STARTER CLICKED, BUT ENGINE DIDN'T TURN OVER. TURNED KEY AGAIN, ENGINE DID NOT TURN OVER. TURNED KEY TO "OFF" POSITION, THEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO TURN OVER, WITH THE KEY IN THE "OFF" POSITION. REMOVED KEY AND WENT INTO HOUSE. APP. 15 MINUTES LATER CAR WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED "ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION" WAS CAUSE OF FIRE. PRIOR TO THIS FIRE HAVE HAD SEVERAL EXPERIENCES OF CAR NOT STARTING FOR A WEEK AT A TIME AND THEN SUDDENLY WILL START. THIS ALL BEGAN AFTER HAVING RECALL WORK DONE APPX. 2 YEARS AGO ON PCM.*AK

THIS IS THE 4TH FAILURE OF THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET SINCE 3/99...GM AND THE DEALER REFUSED TO FIX THIS LATEST FAILURE UNDER WARRANTY. *AK