IllustrationDRIVERS SEAT BELT BUCKLE BROKE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE AND LOCK. DEALER CONTACTED, AND STATES NO WARRANTY, REPAIRS WOULD BE MADE AT CONSUMER'S COSTS. *AK
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
What owners actually said
212 reportsABS SYSTEM WOULD ONLY LOCK UP ON REAR WHEEL. REPAIRMAN WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. ALSO, REAR BRAKES LOCK UP WHEN WEATHER GETS COLD. *AK
WHEN CONSUMER GETS INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND TRIES TO START ENGINE, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE BATTERY IS DEAD. CONSUMER SAID HAD HAPPENED A FEW TIMES. PARKED VEHICLE ANY PLACE, AND STILL SAME PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE THAT WON'T CRANK. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. *AK
EMERGENCY BRAKE CONSTANLY GO OUT OF ALIGNMENT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO BE UNSTABLE WHEN PARKED ON ANY INCLINE.
ENGINE HAS A ROUGH IDLE. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED THE ENGINE MOUNTS EIGHT TIMES PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. *AK
PROBLEM WITH BACK SEAT.
THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE MOTOR TO BE INOPERATIVE, WHICH WILL PREVENT THE OCCUPANT FROM HAVING GOOD VISIBILITY. MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. DEALER REPLACED WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR 2 TIMES. PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE CAUSE. *AK
RECALL WORK PERFORMED ON THE HORN PAD, HOWEVER HAS FAILED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE REPAIR WORK, HORN PAD SEPARATES FROM VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL.
THE DOORS AUTOMATICALLY LOCK WHEN VEHICLE IS SHIFTED OUT OF PARK AND UNLOCK WHEN VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF. THE LOCKS MALFUNCTIONED AND DOORS DID NOT UNLOCK AUTOMATICALLY AND WOULD NOT UNLOCK MANUALLY FROM INSIDE. WINDOW HAD TO BE LET DOWN AND KEY USED FROM OUTSIDE TO UNLOCK DOORS.
MOTOR MOUNTS FAILED CAUSING VIBRATION.
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