1998 Chevrolet Cavalier problems
Owners have filed 473 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier. Electrical system is the most reported problem area, at 16% of complaints. Next are brakes (14%) and steering (12%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 473 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 16% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 42 and 11
- Injuries and deaths
- 38 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 82,000 miles 104 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 9 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 11 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 10 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 17 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 17 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 8 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 14 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 8 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 5 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 3 |
| 200k+ miles | 2 |
What the data shows
Of the 104 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 82,000 miles. For electrical system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 77,000 miles (23 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 42 complaints mention a crash; 11 complaints mention a fire; 38 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1998 ranks 5th most-complained-about out of 16 model years of the Chevrolet Cavalier with enough data (280 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 4 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
When vehicle was involved in a rear end crash, traveling at 55 MPH, both air bags deployed. The hot gases from the driver's side air bag burned the driver and the passenger. The driver's right arm was burned. The passegner received burns on the chin/wrist/elbow and inside of the right arm. The vehicle has not been repaired.
Traveling approximately 20 MPH, our vehicle struck from behind (rear-ended) by an SUV. The impact caused both driver and passenger seats to collapse backward providing no support and causing injury to both driver and passenger.
While stopping at an intersection consumer's vehicle was rearended and pushed into vehicle in front, airbags deployed, passenger's seat reclined all the way, driver's seat 3/4 of the way.
The rack and pinion on my car failed as I was driving it. I had to have it replaced. Although there is a recall on the lower pinion seperation as of jan. 2003, it only seems to cover a certain range of VIN #'s for this make. My mechanic called in jan. Of '03, but was not able to obtain any information on it. I guess until a large number of people complain, and there are no injuries, the manufacturere does not take it seriously.
Fuel gauge showed more fuel in tank than there really was- the car stalled on a busy highway showing 1/4 tank of gas when it was empty.