IllustrationCONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. WHE BRAKES ARE APPLIED THEY CAR FAILS TO STOP. THE CAR SLOWS DOWN BUT CONTINUES TO GLIDE. THE CONSUMER IS UNAWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK
1992 Chevrolet Cavalier
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1992 Chevrolet Cavalier do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 140.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Cavalier years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 5 of 134 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 48 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
15 crash reports8 fire reports9 injury reports
What owners actually said
134 reportsSUMMARY NOT PROVIDED BY CONSUMER
STEERING COLUMN WILL NOT LOCK IN PLACE. MOVES WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. TOOK TO DEALER & HAD IT REPAIRED. PROBLEM REAPPEARED. ALSO, THE ANTI-FREEZE LEAKS OUT. HAS BEEN TO DEALER 5-6 TIMES FOR BOTH PROBLEMS.
WHILE DRIVING THE LOCKING PIN FELL OUT OF THE STEERING WHEEL TILT ADJUSTER. *AK
THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING A GRINDING NOISE/PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR, AND EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK
WHILE DRIVING, DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BROKE FROM THE FRAME FOR NO REASON. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DRIVERS SEAT CAME COMPLETELY LOOSE AND FELL IN THE BACK SEAT AREA, LUCKILY THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ON THE HIGHWAY, THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY POOR WELDING TO THE BODY OF THE SEAT, THE SEAT WAS WELED BACK TO ORIGINAL POS…
Read full complaint
WHILE DRIVING, DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BROKE FROM THE FRAME FOR NO REASON. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DRIVERS SEAT CAME COMPLETELY LOOSE AND FELL IN THE BACK SEAT AREA, LUCKILY THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ON THE HIGHWAY, THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY POOR WELDING TO THE BODY OF THE SEAT, THE SEAT WAS WELED BACK TO ORIGINAL POSITION. *SLC
VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE AND FIRE MELTED NUMEROUS PARTS, INCLUDING DASH, ETC. CAUSE OF FIRE UNKNOWN. *AK
FRONT BRAKE HOSE FAILED, ALSO ABS BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED. *AK
BRAKE FAILURE.
UNSPECIFIED.
Official recalls
191V166000 · Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch
Sep 23, 1991
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH IS NOT ENGAGED, AND THEPRIMARY HOOD LATCH WAS ALSO NOT ENGAGED, THE HOOD COULD OPEN UNEXPECTEDLY. IFTHIS OCCURS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, THE HOOD MAY CONTACT THE WINDSHIELD,REDUCING THE FORWARD VISION AREA OF THE DRIVER AND A VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR.
Remedy: INSPECT HOOD LATCH ASSEMBLIES AND, WHERE NECESSARY, INSTALL A NEW SECONDARY HOOD LATCH SPRING.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.