IllustrationANTI-LOCK BRAKES FAILED ALMOST RESULTING IN A COLLISION.
1994 Chevrolet Cavalier
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1994 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: 13 of 212 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 60 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 56 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
27 crash reports3 fire reports13 injury reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
60 reportsBRAKE PADS AND ROTORS REPLACED TWICE.
HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER & WAS INFORMED OF PREMATURE DESTRUCTION OF THE ABS BRAKES FRONT ROTORS DUE TO IMPROPERLY INSTALLED PADS AT 16,000 MILES. THE FRONT ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED. *AK *SLC
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES SOMETIMES THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR AND VEHICLE TAKES A WHILE TO STOP. DEALR HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
ABS PROBLEMS; WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES ON WET ROAD CONDITIONS THERE IS NO BRAKING ACTION, AND THE VEHICLE DOES NOT STOP IN TIME. THIS CONDITION CAUSED DRIVER TO CRASH INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE ON 9/12/97. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE DEALER IS NOT ABLE TO DETECT A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM. *AK
INTERMITTENTLY, THE ABS WARNING LIGHT COMES. DEALER IS NOT ABLE TO DETECT A PROBLEM WITH THE SYSTEM. *AK WITH LIGHT BLINKING - RETURNED TO DEALER- I DICATING LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARING, THEN LOST SIGNAL- NEXT TIME WENT TO AAA GARAGE AND INDICATE OR FOR COMPUTER REPLACEMENT WAS READ SIGNAL DE-CIPHERED BY GM GARAGE. WHAT ABIG RU…
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INTERMITTENTLY, THE ABS WARNING LIGHT COMES. DEALER IS NOT ABLE TO DETECT A PROBLEM WITH THE SYSTEM. *AK WITH LIGHT BLINKING - RETURNED TO DEALER- I DICATING LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARING, THEN LOST SIGNAL- NEXT TIME WENT TO AAA GARAGE AND INDICATE OR FOR COMPUTER REPLACEMENT WAS READ SIGNAL DE-CIPHERED BY GM GARAGE. WHAT ABIG RUN-AROUND. COMPUTER ORDERED AND REPLACED BY THE DEALER, ALSO NEXT READING BY AAA AFTER NEW WHEEL BEARING WAS INSTALLED GAVE THE SIGNAL FOR COMPUTER REPLACEMENT AT THIS TIME. *YD
BRAKES, ROTORS: BRAKES AND ROTORS REPALCED AT 17000 MILES. WHEN DRIVING BRAKES WEREN'T HOLDING MAKING A LOUD NOISE AND PULLING TO THE RIGHT. PUSH BRAKES COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR AND THEY DON'T WORK.
CONSUMER HAS A CONTINUOUS PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES PULSATING WHICH CAUSE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. PLEASE GIVE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WHEN APPLYING THE ABS BRAKES ON WET PAVEMENT THEY LOCKED UP, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH CAUSED A COLLISION. PLEASE GIVE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
ABS BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, INDICATING MALFUNCTION. WHEN APPLYING THE ABS BRAKES, THEY FAILED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, THE PEDAL WILL ALSO TRAVEL TO THE FLOOR. DEALER STATES THAT THE FRONT LEFT SENSOR WAS BAD. PLEASE ADD FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
Official recalls
194V115000 · Steering:linkages:knuckle:spindle:arm
Jun 24, 1994
THESE VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH OVERTORQUED DRIVE AXLE SPINDLE NUTS. THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE EXCESSIVE LOADS ON THE SPINDLE NUT AND DRIVE AXLE RESULTING IN FAILURE OF THE DRIVE AXLE OR THE SPINDLE NUT. FAILURE OF EITHER OF THESE COMPONENTS CAN RESULT IN SEPARATION OF THE STEERING KNUCKLE TIRE-WHEEL ASSEMBLY FROM THE DRIVE AXLE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CAN RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LEFT-HAND AND RIGHT-HAND DRIVE AXLES, BEARING-HUB ASSEMBLIES, SPINDLE NUTS, AND WASHERS ON ALL INVOLVED VEHICLES. CORRECTIVE ACTION: DEALERS WILL REPLACE LEFT-HAND AND RIGHT-HAND DRIVE AXLES, BEARING-HUB ASSEMBLIES, SPINDLE NUTS, AND WASHERS ON ALL INVOLVED VEHICLES.
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
2EA94033 · Horn Pad Falls Off
Opened Sep 29, 1994 · Closed Mar 29, 1996
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:horn
THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.GM WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS RAISED BY THE DETACHMENT OF THE HORN PAD FROM THE STEERING WHEEL IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.FOR A TECHNICAL ANALYSIS OF THE PROBLEM SEE EA94-033 ENGINEERING TECHNICAL REPORT.
PE94042 · Horn Button Falling Off
Opened May 23, 1994 · Closed Sep 29, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting
There is no summary currently available