Complaints by model year
Each bar is one model year. The most recent years are still collecting complaints.
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026
New York safety inspections
Share of first inspections failed on safety, by model year. Older cars fail more as miles build up, so compare each year with the average car of the same year. Best against its own year: 2001.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections, initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Year by year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Cavalier | 287 | 0 |
| 2004 Cavalier | 330 | 1 |
| 2003 Cavalier | 678 | 1 |
| 2002 Cavalier | 196 | 0 |
| 2001 Cavalier | 243 | 1 |
| 2000 Cavalier | 315 | 2 |
| 1999 Cavalier | 240 | 2 |
| 1998 Cavalier | 345 | 4 |
| 1997 Cavalier | 540 | 7 |
| 1996 Cavalier | 503 | 7 |
| 1995 Cavalier | 270 | 4 |
| 1994 Cavalier | 212 | 1 |
| 1993 Cavalier | 146 | 1 |
| 1992 Cavalier | 134 | 1 |
| 1991 Cavalier | 55 | 2 |
| 1990 | 55 | 0 |
| 1989 Cavalier | 43 | 1 |
| 1988 Cavalier | 12 | 2 |
| 1987 Cavalier | 24 | 2 |
| 1986 Cavalier | 18 | 2 |
| 1985 | 4 | 2 |
| 1984 Cavalier | 8 | 2 |
| 1983 | 3 | 5 |
| 1982 | 1 | 1 |
A model year gets its own page when it has enough data for at least three sections
Most common problems
- Electrical system1,165
- Engine and engine cooling720
- Service brakes, hydraulic561
- Fuel system, gasoline508
- Steering399
- Air bags328
- Power train312
- Visibility292
NHTSA ODI complaints, all model years
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 294 Cavalier vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died, and 255 people died inside them. These are counts, not crash rates: a model with more cars on the road shows up more often, and people killed outside the vehicle are not counted here.
| Model year | Vehicles in fatal crashes | Deaths in the vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 29 | 23 |
| 2004 | 57 | 53 |
| 2003 | 47 | 43 |
| 2002 | 52 | 44 |
| 2001 | 32 | 26 |
| 2000 | 22 | 20 |
| 1999 | 23 | 20 |
| 1998 | 11 | 10 |
| 1997 | 7 | 7 |
| 1996 | 3 | 1 |
| 1995 | 2 | 0 |
| 1994 | 1 | 1 |
| 1993 | 3 | 2 |
| 1992 | 2 | 2 |
| 1991 | 2 | 2 |
| 1989 | 1 | 1 |
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain) · how we count
Fuel consumption by year
Official Canadian test results for 11 model years, best variant per year. Combined consumption ranges from 9.2–10.2 L/100 km.
| Year | Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Cavalier · Compact · Regular gasoline | 10.8 | 7.2 | 9.2 |
| 2004 | Cavalier · Compact · Regular gasoline | 10.8 | 7.2 | 9.2 |
| 2003 | Cavalier Bi-Fuel · Compact · Regular gasoline | 11.1 | 7.9 | 9.6 |
| 2002 | Cavalier · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 11.5 | 8.1 | 10.0 |
| 2001 | Cavalier · Compact · Regular gasoline | 11.7 | 8.5 | 10.2 |
| 2000 | Cavalier · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 11.6 | 8.2 | 10.1 |
| 1999 | Cavalier · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 11.9 | 7.6 | 10.0 |
| 1998 | Cavalier · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 11.4 | 7.2 | 9.5 |
| 1997 | Cavalier · Compact · Regular gasoline | 11.5 | 7.3 | 9.6 |
| 1996 | Cavalier · Compact · Regular gasoline | 11.5 | 7.2 | 9.6 |
| 1995 | Cavalier · Compact · Regular gasoline | 11.5 | 7.3 | 9.6 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
In New Zealand
3 Cavalier cars are on the New Zealand register; 67% arrived as used imports.
| Model year | Registered | Sold new in NZ | Used imports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1994 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
New registrations in Europe
1 new Chevrolet Cavalier cars registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland between 2010 and 2010, from the European Environment Agency's CO₂ monitoring of every new car. In 2010 the largest markets were Spain (1).
| Year | New cars | CO₂ g/km |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1 | — |
Averages are weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value (NEDC until the WLTP switch). European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Recalls
40 campaigns cover the Cavalier; the latest 12 are below.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE REAR LAMPS THAT PROVIDE STOP AND TURN SIGNALS AND TAIL LAMP FUNCTIONS STOP WORKING BECAUSE OF INADEQUATE CONTACT BETWEEN THE BULB AND SOCKET. IN ADDITION, IF ONE BULBS WERE TO BECOME INOPERATIVE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING IN CRUISE CONTROL, THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD DISENGAGE WHEN THE REMAINING BULB WAS ACTIVATED. IF BOTH LAMPS WERE TO BECOME INOPERATIVE, THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT ENGAGE.
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 210, 'SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES.' THE PASSENGER-SIDE REAR SAFETY BELT MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED WITH AN INCORRECT NUT AND BOLT.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE ENGINE FAILS TO START AND THE DRIVER HOLDS THE KEY IN THE "START" POSITION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, HIGH CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, AND SOMETIMES PRODUCES ENOUGH HEAT TO MELT INTERNAL SWITCH PARTS.
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES AND MINI VANS HAVE LOWER PINION BEARINGS IN THE POWER RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY IN WHICH THE RETAINER TABS WERE NOT CRIMPED PROPERLY. THESE AND SOME OTHER RETAINERS USED IN VEHICLES ASSEMBLED BETWEEN JANUARY 1, 1996 AND OCTOBER 31, 1997, COULD FAIL AND PERMIT THE BALL BEARINGS TO ESCAPE.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE ENGINE FAILS TO START AND THE DRIVER HOLDS THE KEY IN THE "START" POSITION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, HIGH CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, AND SOMETIMES PRODUCES ENOUGH HEAT TO MELT INTERNAL SWITCH PARTS.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE BI-FUEL OPTION FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO. 101, "CONTROL LOCATION, IDENTIFICATION, AND ILLUMINATION." THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS IN THESE VEHICLES ARE AT FULL ILLUMINATION LEVELS AND CANNOT BE ADJUSTED. THE STANDARD REQUIRES AT LEAST TWO LEVELS OF ILLUMINATION.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH BI-FUEL COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS (CNG) VEHICLES. THE CNG FUEL LINE AND THE CNG HIGH PRESSURE REGULATOR COOLANT LINES CAN CONTACT OTHER FUEL (GASOLINE) AND BRAKE LINES ON THE VEHICLE. ABRASION FROM CONTACT CAN CAUSE A LEAK IN THE BRAKE PIPE, FUEL PIPE, OR BOTH.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES DO NOT COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 101, "CONTROL LOCATION, IDENTIFICATION, AND ILLUMINATION." THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BACKLIGHTING MAY NOT FUNCTION AFTER ADJUSTING THE INTERIOR LIGHT INTENSITY.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. ONE OF THE REAR SUSPENSION TRAILING ARM BOLTS CAN FATIGUE AND BREAK.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. BECAUSE OF CERTAIN CALIBRATIONS IN THE AIR BAG'S SENSING AND DIAGNOSTIC MODULE, AN INADVERTENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT COULD OCCUR IN A LOW SPEED CRASH OR WHEN AN OBJECT STRIKES THE FLOOR PAN.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH MIS-LOCATED WELDS AT THE JOINT BETWEEN THE LEFT ROCKER PANEL INNER REINFORCEMENT AND THE BODY SIDE RING. THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 214, "SIDE DOOR STRENGTH."
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR THE INTERIOR LAMPS TO COME ON UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE THE VEHICLES ARE BEING DRIVEN. THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 101, "CONTROLS AND DISPLAYS."
NHTSA recalls