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 — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Chevrolet Cavalier problems by model year
77 recall entries and 3948 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 NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2004 Cavalier | 2 | 330 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2003 Cavalier | 2 | 679 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2002 Cavalier | 5 | 196 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2001 Cavalier | 6 | 243 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2000 Cavalier | 7 | 315 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1999 Cavalier | 8 | 240 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1998 Cavalier | 11 | 344 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1997 Cavalier | 13 | 540 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1996 Cavalier | 13 | 503 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1995 Cavalier | 9 | 271 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
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 system1024 complaints
- fuel system559 complaints
- engine and engine cooling547 complaints
- gasoline476 complaints
- service brakes422 complaints
- hydraulic374 complaints
- steering338 complaints
- air bags319 complaints