Engine
2.2L 4-cyl
How to read this file. Complaint records are unverified owner submissions to the federal safety agency. Counts are raw, not adjusted for sales volume or vehicle age. Recall campaigns apply to the model; only a VIN check shows whether this car is affected or repaired. Parts shown are named by an editorial note or listed as a search directory; none is a diagnosis. Full methodology.
Fault profile
Complaint-component records on this vehicle, grouped by family. A complaint naming two systems counts once in each.
Complaints are owner-reported and not verified by the agency.
When it fails
The timing of this vehicle's reported failures, from the complaint file itself. A cluster tells you what to expect and when; it is shaped by reporting behavior as well as by the vehicle.
Vehicle age when the failure occurred
Years between the model year and the owner's reported failure date. Based on 112 of 134 complaints with a usable failure date.
Known issues
The component families with the most complaint records against this vehicle. Counts, crash and fire figures belong to the whole family, not to any single named issue. Parts listed are related system parts, not a diagnosis.
Brakes
58 complaint records8 crash reports
"ABS LIGHT IS WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THERE IS SOME VIBRATION WITHIN THE BRAKE PEDAL. *AK..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse brakes parts in the directory →
Electrical system
25 complaint records7 fire reports2 crash reports
"MOMENTS AFTER PARKING, NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM DASH AND FRONT DOORS, DUE TO SHORT IN ELECTRICAL SYS. FUSE AND RECEPTICLE. *AK..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse electrical system parts in the directory →
Engine & cooling
18 complaint records1 fire report
"ENGINE HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT, CAUSING FLUIDS TO SPRAY ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION. COOLANT LEAKED OUT OF RADITOR. *AK..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse engine & cooling parts in the directory →
Recall campaigns
Safety-recall remedies are normally provided at no charge. Under US federal law the mandatory free remedy applies when the vehicle was no more than 15 years old at the time the defect was determined; manufacturers often cover older vehicles voluntarily. Canadian rules differ. Confirm eligibility with the manufacturer using the VIN. Each campaign number links to the federal record.
| Campaign | Component | Summary | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 91V166000 | Latches/Locks/Linkages | THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH SPRING IS IMPROPERLY INSTALLED OR MISSING, LEADING TO A CONDITION WHERE THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH DOES NOT ENGAGE THE SECONDARY STRIKER. | Normally free |
Transport Canada recalls
Recalls issued under Canadian law for this model year, from Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database. Matched by model name, so a Canadian-market variant may appear here that was sold under another name in the US. Units are Canadian vehicles affected.
| Recall | System | Units (CA) | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991133 1991-09-23 | Structure | 235 | THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH SPRING IN THESE VEHICLES MAY BE IMPROPERLY INSTALLED OR MISSING. THIS COULD LEAD TO A CONDITION IN WHICH THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH DOES NOT ENGAGE THE STRIKER. |
Service bulletins and warranty extensions
Manufacturer communications to dealers on file with the federal agency: repair instructions, service campaigns, and warranty extensions. A warranty extension means the manufacturer may pay for a repair the recall table does not cover.
| Bulletin | Type | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00966B Jan 2004 | Service Brakes | ABS FRONT WHEEL SPEED CODES - JUMPER HARNESS. *TT | |
| 00966 Jan 2004 | Service Brakes | ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS) FRONT WHEEL SPEED CODES - JUMPER HARNESS. *TT | |
| 990730030A Apr 2001 | Power Train | OWNERS OF SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HYDRA-MATIC 3T40, 4T60, 4T60-E OR 4T65-E TRANSAXLES MAY COMMENT ON A GRINDING AND / OR GROWLING NOISE THAT IS NOTICEABLE WHEN STANDING IN PARK ON A HILL OR SLOPE WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING AND THE PARKING BRAKE NOT APPLIED. *TT | |
| 000524001 Apr 2000 | Service Brakes | INFORMATION REGARDING SNOW INTRUSION INTO REAR DRUM BRAKE ASSEMBLIES. **MR | |
| 990730030 Dec 1999 | Power Train | SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HYDRA-MATIC 3T40, 4T60 OR 4T60-E TRANSXALES MAY COMMENT ON A GRINDING AND / OR GROWLING NOISE THAT IS NOTICEABLE WHEN IN PARK ON INCLINE. *TT |
Show 8 more bulletins
| Bulletin | Type | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 876002A Jul 1998 | Engine And Engine Cooling | SOME V6 ENGINES MAY, ON A VERY INFREQUENT BASIS, HAVE AN OIL ODOR CONDITION THAT IS GENERALLY ENCOUNTERED AFTER THE ENGINE'S OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED.TYPICALLY THE ODOR LASTS APPROXIMATELY 1000 MILES AFTER THE CHANGE OF OIL AND THEN DOES NOT REAPPEAR UNTIL THE NEXT CHANGE OF OIL. *TT | |
| 98876121A Apr 1998 | Engine And Engine Cooling | VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A CLATTERING NOISE AT IDLE SPEED ORIGINATING FROM THE TIMING CHAIN AND FRONT COVER AREA. *YC | |
| 9709015015A Sep 1997 | Service Brakes | COMPLAINTS THAT THE ABS INDICATOR LAMP IS "ON". *YC | |
| 970801735026 Aug 1997 | Service Brakes | COMMENT THAT THE ABS LIGHT IS ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTC'S) 46 AND 86 SET AS CURRENT OR HISTORY. *YC | |
| 9573T4001 Aug 1995 | Power Train | GRINDING AND/OR GROWLING NOISE IN PARK ON INCLINE.*SD | |
| 435006A May 1995 | Service Brakes | UNKNOWN | |
| 438101A May 1995 | Structure | UNKNOWN | |
| 433211 Nov 1994 | Steering | CRUNCH NOISE FROM RIGHT SIDE DASH AREA WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL. *TW |
Before you buy this vehicle
A test-drive checklist generated from this vehicle's own complaint and recall record.
- Brake hard once from speed on an empty road.A pull to one side, a pulsing pedal, a pedal that sinks at a stop, or an ABS light that stays lit are the brake complaints on this vehicle presenting themselves.
- Sit in it with the engine off and test everything that has a switch.Windows, locks, lights, the cluster, the radio. Electrical faults are this vehicle's story and the hardest to see on a drive: an intermittent no-start waits for the second week of ownership. Ask for the battery's age and whether any control module has been replaced.
- Cold-start it yourself and listen for the first thirty seconds.Knocking, ticking that fades as it warms, or blue or white smoke on startup are the sounds of this vehicle's engine cluster. Check the oil level and the coolant color, and ask whether the engine or its head gaskets have ever been out.
- Run the VIN against open recalls before you negotiate.This vehicle has 1 recall campaign on file. An open recall needs VIN-specific confirmation. Many are quick, no-charge fixes and worth negotiating over; an unresolved do-not-drive advisory, or a remedy the manufacturer has not yet made available, should stop the purchase until it is resolved.
- Ask for the service history in writing, then read it against this page.The complaint families above are where owners of this vehicle report trouble. Repairs in exactly those systems are evidence the car had the problem; no such repairs could mean it never developed it, or that it was never fixed. The test-drive items above are how you tell those apart.
Parts search directory
The generic parts list for this vehicle has its own page: a search launcher for every system, filtered by fuel type and era but not by engine, trim, or brake type. It is not a diagnosis and not a fitment guarantee.
Open the parts directory for this Chevrolet Cavalier →