Vehicle Data Hub

Chevrolet Cavalier by model year

6,287 owner complaints are on file with NHTSA for the Chevrolet Cavalier across 16 model years. Choose a year for problems, recalls, fuel economy and crash ratings in one place.

See the best and worst years for the Chevrolet Cavalier

Complaints by model year

Total NHTSA complaints by model year, Chevrolet Cavalier 0 450 900 1990: 70 '90 1991: 77 '91 1992: 178 '92 1993: 237 '93 1994: 310 '94 1995: 392 '95 1996: 748 '96 1997: 751 '97 1998: 473 '98 1999: 337 '99 2000: 447 '00 2001: 356 '01 2002: 254 '02 2003: 867 '03 2004: 428 '04 2005: 362 '05
Older model years have had longer to collect complaints, so a taller bar on an older year is not necessarily a worse year. The best and worst years page corrects for this.
View the numbers
Model yearComplaints
199070
199177
1992178
1993237
1994310
1995392
1996748
1997751
1998473
1999337
2000447
2001356
2002254
2003867
2004428
2005362

All model years

Model yearComplaintsMost reportedRecallsMPGSafety
2005 362 Electrical system (60%) 25 to 26
2004 428 Electrical system (45%) 1 24 to 27
2003 867 Fuel system (47%) 1 24 to 25
2002 254 Electrical system (14%) 21 to 25
2001 356 Electrical system (17%) 1 21 to 24
2000 447 Electrical system (17%) 2 22 to 24
1999 337 Brakes (17%) 2 22 to 25
1998 473 Electrical system (16%) 4 23 to 25
1997 751 Electrical system (16%) 7 23 to 26
1996 748 Engine (17%) 7 23 to 26
1995 392 Engine (23%) 4 22 to 26
1994 310 Brakes (25%) 1 20 to 26
1993 237 Brakes (25%) 1 20 to 26
1992 178 Brakes (33%) 1 20 to 26
1991 77 Electrical system (23%) 2 20 to 25
1990 70 Electrical system (31%) 20 to 26