Chevrolet / Cavalier / 1997

1997 Chevrolet Cavalier problems

Owners have filed 751 complaints about the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier with NHTSA. Engine and engine cooling accounts for 15.8% of them — narrowly the most common, ahead of electrical system at 15.7%.

Complaints751

Crashes86

Fires33

Injuries98

Deaths5

What owners report breaking

Engine and engine cooling 15.8% · 119

Electrical system 15.7% · 118

Steering 11.5% · 86

Air bags 10.9% · 82

Service brakes, hydraulic 8.9% · 67

Visibility 6.1% · 46

Suspension 4.3% · 32

Power train 3.7% · 28

Severity

Of those complaints, 86 describe a crash, 33 describe a fire, 98 report an injury and 5 report a death.

Reading the numbers

Across the 14 model years of the Chevrolet Cavalier in this data, 1997 ranks 2nd by complaint volume — 2003 draws the most.

Filings are rising — 24 in the last three years against 9 in the three before. For a vehicle this age that usually points to a wear-related failure owners are hitting now.

The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 84,197 miles.

In owners' own words

Water pump leaking and needs to be replaced for the third time. One water pump was replaced under warranty. A second water pump failed just after the 36,000 warranty was up and cost me extra to replace because of the poor design of the engine which requires that it be removed to replace the water pump. The third has just failed for unknown reasons. The vehicle only has 75,000 miles on it. Engine and engine cooling · reported at 75,000 miles

1997 Cavalier=head gasket became warped and had to be replaced=$900. Thermostat replaced 3 times since purchase, water pump replaced twice. Car returned to dealer every three to six months for the last 3 years for the same problem involving overheating and coolant leaks. Problem continually reoccurs, even after it has been deemed finally repaired. Engine and engine cooling · reported at 51,000 miles

The temperature gauge in car rises to very hot. There is no steam or anything coming from car, but you must still stop on the highway and wait for the gauge to read cool before you can continue on. This also happens if you are on a line for any amount of time. Because of this problem I own a car that I drive only around the neighborhood. Engine and engine cooling · reported at 4,500 miles

Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Safety recalls

Checking NHTSA for open recalls…

Other Chevrolet Cavalier years

1994 310 complaints · 23.5% service brakes, hydraulic 1995 392 complaints · 25.3% engine and engine cooling 1996 748 complaints · 18.7% engine and engine cooling 1998 473 complaints · 16.1% electrical system 1999 337 complaints · 15.4% electrical system 2000 447 complaints · 17.4% electrical system

Compare all 14 model years →