Reliability & cost of ownership
Chevrolet Cavalier Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Chevrolet Cavalier? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars where on file — then open the year you're shopping for its AI reliability outlook where NHTSA has enough data.
Chevrolet Cavalier problems by model year
77 recall entries and 3,948 owner complaints on file across 11 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Cavalier | 1 | 287 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2004 Cavalier | 2 | 330 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2003 Cavalier | 2 | 680 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2002 Cavalier | 5 | 195 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2001 Cavalier | 6 | 243 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2000 Cavalier | 7 | 315 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1999 Cavalier | 8 | 240 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1998 Cavalier | 11 | 344 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1997 Cavalier | 13 | 540 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1996 Cavalier | 13 | 503 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1995 Cavalier | 9 | 271 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Chevrolet Cavalier, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- electrical system1,024 complaints
- engine and engine cooling547 complaints
- fuel system, gasoline476 complaints
- service brakes, hydraulic374 complaints
- steering338 complaints
- air bags319 complaints
- power train248 complaints
- visibility226 complaints