Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR | |||||
| 4615 | 10023171 | Abs pump running when not needed. *nj | 10/31/2007 | ||
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - ANTILOCK - WHEEL SPEED SENSOR | |||||
| 00966 | 01/01/2004 | 00966A | 10007816 | Anti-lock braking system (abs) front wheel speed codes - jumper harness. *tt | 07/12/2004 |
| 00966B | 01/01/2004 | 10007293 | Abs front wheel speed codes - jumper harness. *tt | 06/09/2004 | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK | |||||
| 970801735026 | 08/01/1997 | 54419 | Comment that the abs light is on with diagnostic trouble codes (dtc's) 46 and 86 set as current or history. *yc | 04/07/1998 | |
| 9709015015A | 09/01/1997 | 54329 | Complaints that the abs indicator lamp is on. *yc | 03/30/1998 | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | |||||
| 000524001 | 04/01/2000 | 613590 | Information regarding snow intrusion into rear drum brake assemblies. **mr | 07/25/2000 | |
| VSS19990020 | 10/05/1999 | 607989 | Subject regarding request for customer complaint vehicles which have a front brake squeak / squeal noise complaint. *tt | 10/26/1999 | |
| 735018 | 01/01/1998 | 600221 | Comments that the rear brakes may drag/heat up or rear of car is squatting due to aggressive rear brake. *yc | 04/29/1998 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - ANTILOCK | |||
| 06/01/1998 | 09/01/1997 | ||
| We have had problems with this car from the date that it was purchased. the brake rotor problems have been worked on several times, and it will stop for a while, but will continue to worsen with time. the abs light and low coolant light have been on and off for over and year and we were told that we would have to pay to have them fixed, the sound from the exhaust, possibly the catalytic converter, has been going on for over a year and again, we were told we needed to replace it, that it was not covered under warranty. then engine is sounding more awful as time goes on...lots of noise under the hood especially at crusing speed, and then again when slowing to a stop, and more recently even when idling. not only was this car not serviced properly when i would bring it in with a complaint, but i feel as if the dealers were purposely putting me off just so the warranty would run out and i would have to fix these problems myself. obviously i am not the only on that has had similiar problems. and also, the car has been leaking antifreeze for a number of months, but cant seem to find the leak. definitely can smell the burning antifreeze, especially after an extended trip. *ak | |||
| 03/01/1997 | |||
| Have had many problems with car - at 20,000 - the dealer replaced the front brakes and machined rotors, after i requested they be checked due to squeaking. service covered under warranty. at 30,000 - the battery failed on car while parked. had car towed to dealership and replaced battery. dealer stated that there was a faulty battery cell. service covered under warranty. at 40,000 miles, horn has failed. currently negotiating with dealer to replace without cost. have always had abs problems - car will buck and jerk under certain wet pavement conditions when abs should not activate. concerned about this - but cannot afford cost of replacing abs. dealer has looked at brakes and said nothing about abs problems. have banging/clanging noise from right rear of car when car is cold. unsure what causes this. after reading the consumer complaints and defects on this website, believe that my car has these same defects. frightened that my car is now incredibly unreliable and may catch fire like other cars listed. suggestions? | |||
| 10/01/1997 | 09/01/1997 | ||
| The anti-lock brakes engage at inappropriate times, at low speeds, precisely as described in the recent recall of gm trucks and suvs. the problem comes and goes. it can occur at very low speeds, and despite very slight pressure applied to the brakes. it is most common on hills, but also occurs on flat surfaces. it occurs on dry as well as wet surfaces, although it is more common on wet surfaces. we have been to the dealer many times and although they have replaced the front brake pads and both front rotors resurvaced and the rear shoes adjusted (at a cost to us of $200.00) the problem did not go away. we are certain this is the same problem as the trucks and suvs and that the recall should be extended to the cavalier. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - ANTILOCK - ABS WARNING LIGHT | |||
| 02/05/2003 | 4 | ||
| Front brake pad and rotor has been changed four times. dealer has not been notified. please provide further information. ph | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - ANTILOCK - CONTROL UNIT/MODULE | |||
| 09/20/2004 | 0 | 1 | 05/08/2000 |
| My abs light went on after i had the brakes done. this occured several weeks after. my mechanic look at it and said the computer board was broken and it would be expensive. so now the automatic braking system does not work.*ak | |||
| 07/07/2002 | |||
| Took car to dealership to see why abs brake light stayed on. they found the bearings had fallen out of abs box. the mechanic stated it was a sealed unit and he did not know how the bearings fell out. abs system does not work. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - DISC | |||
| 02/01/2003 | |||
| While making a left or right turn there is a grinding noise coming from the left wheel. please fill in additional information. dealer is aware of the problem. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | |||
| 08/04/2011 | 65300 | ||
| Sold my 1997 chev. cavalier to a 17 year old girl. her dad took car for test drive before cash purchase. he went 200 feet down the street then backed up into my driveway. he said brake warning lite came on and brake pedal went to floor. we saw brake fluid pouring from under car. the brake line was rusted and blew out. i took the car to tuffy auto center and they spliced new brake lines to fix. i was shocked to see that plain steel lines were routed underneath the car and exposed to all kinds of corrosive elements. we were all thankful that the girl did not buy the car then get into a terrible accident that day. how many other cavaliers are out there in dangerous condition? i can not see how gm got away with brake and gas lines installed in such a cheap and potentionally dangerous location. all the previous description is accounted for by the purchaser and tuffy auto center. thank you...eugene simon | |||
| 01/06/2005 | 96000 | 15 | 04/10/2000 |
| Head gasket replaced @27000 miles, fuel pump @ 30000 and again at 96000 miles. brakes replaced 2x a year for 5 years. driver's side door doesn't seal properly. fan only works on speed 3 or 4. *nm | |||
| 02/11/2003 | 15648 | 2 | |
| Consumer received a bill for charges for repairs that was not authorized for vehicle.*mr (nar) *cb | |||
| 2 | 04/01/1997 | ||
| When the brake was applied, the vehicle experienced stopping distance. *jb after the consumer received service for the ignition recall, the consumer heard a loud noise and the vehicle didn't start until three tries later. scc | |||
| 02/01/2003 | 1 | 07/04/1993 | |
| The brakes grabbed when they were applied.*jb..*ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK | |||
| 07/01/2000 | |||
| When attempting to stop brakes grab causing the car to jerk several times before stopping. this occurs on both wet and dry pavement. in addition to this, when it rains the car has a delayed reaction with the brakes, often requiring about 10 feet before coming to a complete stop. brakes are also continuously squeaking/squealing, regardless of whether the brakes are new or worn.*ak | |||
| 09/01/2001 | 2 | 06/01/2097 | |
| Have put 3 alternators on this car, even when under warranty before 12,000 miles (approximately). brakes have been replaced at least 3 times. now, the brakes have failed completely and the abs light came on. dealer says no recalls, except for the ignition system. scheduled that for repair 7/23/02. seat belt plastic covers snapped off (belt loose on one and hit by car door when shutting it. the other one just popped off. belt continues to slip off engine, causes stalling even if driving 55 mph. now brakes intermittently failing. left front brake continues to have brake dust accumulate on wheel cover. car has 110,000 miles on it (engine repaired last year). car is also overheating; has had tstat replaced, radiator fluid. what else could cause this, i don't know. | |||
| 08/08/2000 | 02/01/1997 | ||
| Defect 1: abs light would come on when making a left hand turn. abs would no longer activate while light was on. defect 2: alternator--went out while driving in city traffic, rush hour. had previously asked dealer to check, but they claimed it was functioning properly. defect 3: rack and pinion steering assembly--went out shortly after alternator, while driving in the dealership parking lot. defect 4: timing chain tensioner--technician said this caused major engine damage--gears, head, etc. defect 5: horn--has worked sporadically, at best, for the last year and a half. seemed like a short. | |||
| 04/01/1997 | |||
| Brakes lock when stopping release and stop release and finally stop. distance traveled until complete stop is about 10 to 12 feet. my daughter has a 97 cavalier and it does the same thing. this is a very serious safety problem and must be fixed. the dealer person said that it is normal ads engagement. but that doesn't prevent a crash. he said that when one wheel is not on the same surface as the other a different signal is sent to each wheel and thus the problem of locking and releasing brakes. it seems to me that this is a systemic problem with anti lock breaks that are placing drivers in a precarious position. lucky for me there were not vehicles in front of me when the brakes acted as they did. otherwise i would have rear ended the vehicle in front of me with damage and possible injury to both of us. *ak | |||
| 01/01/2000 | 01/01/1997 | ||
| My concern is the car is only 3 yrs old and we are continueing to have problems occur, the cigarette lighter has a short in it as well. *ak | |||
| 10/08/1999 | |||
| At any time when vehicle would sit over night in rain, the next day while traveling and when depressing the brake pedal, vehicle would go into extended stopping distance, and wheels would lock up. dealer has been notified. has yet ot be repaired. *ak *ml | |||
| 01/14/1999 | |||
| Abs braking system malfunctioned, causing extended stopping distance which may result in a crash. *ak | |||
| 10/07/1999 | 1 | 11/01/1996 | |
| I was in heavy stop and go traffic. i was following the vehicle ahead of me at a safe distance (the other drive will certify this). that vehicle stopped suddenly, and i applied my brakes to stop as well. my vehicle slowed down inadequately and i rear-ended the other vehicle. i estimate my speed before i applied the brakes to be between 10 and 15 mph, and that i had between 30 and 40 feet between me and the vehicle ahead of me. i would have normally expect not to have any problems stopping under these curcumstances. as i try to remember the incident, i remember the brake pedal being very hard -- i was consciously pushing the brake as hard as i could. i have practiced emergency stopping and evasive lane change maneuvers on every car i have owned. this car does have abs, but i'm convinced that the abs failed to work correctly, and contributed to the accident. | |||
| 10/01/1998 | |||
| Abs system is working intermittently, and when applying the brakes at any speed back wheels lock up. *ak | |||
| 05/01/1998 | |||
| When driving at any speed there is a knocking noise coming from the motor. also, when vehicle is in park there is a knocking noise, and when applying the brakes, the pedal is soft and hard. the dealer replaced the sensor within the brake. *ak | |||
| 01/01/1997 | 6 | 02/28/1997 | |
| Anti-lock brake system malfunctioned, causing extended stopping distance which could have resulted in a crash. when applying brakes in a emergency / suddenly, the pedal is rigid and does not depress, causing vehicle to not stop on wet pavement / rain / snowy weather conditions. dealer cannot determine the problem. *yc | |||
| 06/26/1999 | 3 | 06/01/1999 | |
| Abs starts rapid action at slightest bump on road (even slightly raised painted intersection road lines) causing greatly increased stopping distances and almost resulting in rear end collisions | |||
| 4 | 08/01/1997 | ||
| My 1997 cavalier has nothing but problems and, being a college student makes me stuck and, that is why i am contacting you ! no safety defect mentioned in summary. *ak | |||
| 4 | 08/01/1997 | ||
| My 1997 cavalier has nothing but problems and, being a college student makes me stuck and, that is why i am contacting you ! | |||
| 2 | 03/01/1997 | ||
| Brake rotors warped, causing vibration- dealer repaird, rotors warped again, dealer wants $98 to turn down rotors again- car is still under warranty. | |||
| 06/01/1997 | 04/25/1997 | ||
| Vehicles dies intermittently after a cold start. after restarting vehicle, the engine will race. also vehicle accelerated forward without accelerator being applied. brakes were applied, but were unable to stop vehicle, it surged forward almost hitting another vehicle. | |||
| 11/24/1998 | 3 | 07/01/1997 | |
| This failure is the third one experienced. the first two were reported to mac haik service center and supposedly repaired by replacing the rear drums. i am currently filing a complaint against chevrolet because of the number of times this rear brake lockup has occured | |||
| 04/01/1997 | |||
| Abs system failure. when trying to stop brakes will lock up. applied a little pressure or slowly stepped on the pedal to stop. sounds of puffs of air and metal clacking together occurred. dealer contacted, and is aware of the problem. dealer states the problem is the design of the brakes and no other problem. problem still exists and getting worse. provide further information. *ak | |||
| 11/16/1998 | |||
| The consumer has been experiencing problems with anti-lock brakes. when applying the brakes hears a squeaky sound. the manufacturer has been contacted. *ak | |||
| When applying the abs brakes on wet or dry pavement the pedal travels to the floor, causing extended stopping distance. also a noise occurs in the dash area cause unknown. dealer cannot identify the problem. please give any further details. *ak | |||
| 02/02/1998 | |||
| Abs brake problems; when applying the brakes, under normal braking conditions, the pedal is very hard and the brakes lock up. driver has to downshift to get vehicle to stop. on 3/2/98, the front brake rotors were turned. taken to dealer 2 other times for brake problems. dealer could not find any prolbems with the vehicle. driver was involved in a crash on 8/17/98 because of this condition. *ak | |||
| 10/01/1997 | 3 | 01/01/1997 | |
| Abs system has never worked properly, repairs made to main computer however brakes grab causing vehicle to pull. | |||
| 04/29/1998 | 08/01/1997 | ||
| When brakes were applied the pedal became hard, resulting in extended stopping distance, causing a minior collision. the dealer has been notified. *ak | |||
| 03/26/1998 | 1 | 05/31/1997 | |
| Brakes failed. | |||
| 02/26/1998 | 4 | ||
| While driving vehicle about 15 mph the consumer said when she stepped on the brake pedal to stop vehicle, the vehicle started humping back and foward with no reason. vehicle had been taken to dealer and they had to turn rotors. *ak | |||
| Intermittent abs brake failure. *ak | |||
| 11/28/1997 | 1 | 04/28/1997 | |
| Abs brakes system failed causing car to skid, resulting in a collision/injuries. | |||
| 11/19/1997 | |||
| Whenever consumer drives in rainy weather abs systems fails. if it's raining and consumer is on a slight incline, if trying to brake at approx. 5mph the abs kick in and the vehicle will begin to skip down the incline . consumer says when this happens she is barely pressing the brakes. the dealer test drove a new vehicle of that mame/model/year in the same spot and the same exact thing happened. *ak dealers told her because of the same results this is normal and there is nothing they would do. consumer has taken her vehicle to richardson bros. inc. (830-393-2581) (830-216-4216) five times. | |||
| 06/01/1997 | 4 | ||
| Brakes/rotors: driving approximately 50mph and attempting to slow down, brakes went all the way to the floor and did not work. took in for repair, and they said nothing was wrong. they resurfaced the rotors and replaced one lug and stud with strip, cleaned and rear overlapping operation. took vehicle home and drove vehicle on 07-jul-97, and on the way home the brakes were dragging/grinding and pulling like the brakes are locked. *ak | |||
| 1 | 04/25/1997 | ||
| The antilock brakes failed, causing accident. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | |||
| 12/22/1997 | 8 | 02/21/1997 | |
| The front rotors have been turned and replaced on numerous occasions, right and left rear drum have been replaced as well as the cylinder.*jb | |||
| 10/04/1998 | |||
| While driving 65 mph vehicle suddenly accelerated, causing loss of control, also, vehicle caught on fire due to pressure of applying the brakes. cause unknown. *ak | |||
| 11/12/1998 | |||
| When driving at any speed and applying the brakes they will go straight to the floorboard and hardly stop the vehicle. also consumer is having problems with the windshield. *ak | |||
| 2 | 12/26/1996 | ||
| Brakes failed. | |||
| 10/28/1997 | 3 | ||
| When brakes are applied on wet pavemants the vehicle slides. owner states that the brakes have been repaired three times by the dealer. *ak | |||
| While driving on two separate occasions and three week after beingpurchased, brake cable broke, then came off, causing vehicle to wobble all over road and make load noise. *ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC | |||
| While traveling and without any indication consumer lost control of vehicle as a result of an accident. technician stated front brake disc had failed. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 03/01/1997 | 4 | 10/01/1996 | |
| This is an ongoing problem with the front rotors becoming warped after about 15,000 to 20,000 miles of use. i went to the dealer twice under warrenty and both times they turned the roters. i have since replaced the roters and brake pads three times. i think this is highly unusual. i fear someday the braking system will completly fail. | |||
| 03/01/1997 | |||
| Have had many problems with car - at 20,000 - the dealer replaced the front brakes and machined rotors, after i requested they be checked due to squeaking. service covered under warranty. at 30,000 - the battery failed on car while parked. had car towed to dealership and replaced battery. dealer stated that there was a faulty battery cell. service covered under warranty. at 40,000 miles, horn has failed. currently negotiating with dealer to replace without cost. have always had abs problems - car will buck and jerk under certain wet pavement conditions when abs should not activate. concerned about this - but cannot afford cost of replacing abs. dealer has looked at brakes and said nothing about abs problems. have banging/clanging noise from right rear of car when car is cold. unsure what causes this. after reading the consumer complaints and defects on this website, believe that my car has these same defects. frightened that my car is now incredibly unreliable and may catch fire like other cars listed. suggestions? | |||
| 05/01/1998 | 10/01/1998 | ||
| Front brake pads/rotor wore out, causing vibration when brakes are applied. also dealer replaced engine mounts/ignition switch. brake line was found rubbing against axle shaft and was fixed. in addition, front end shakes/vibrates. | |||
| 03/13/1997 | 1 | 03/11/1997 | |
| The front brakes were misaligned. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - PADS | |||
| 01/29/1998 | 1 | 01/13/1997 | |
| Brake pads and rotors failed. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - ROTOR | |||
| 3 | 06/01/1997 | ||
| The car jerks when the brakes are applied. the dealer replaced the rotors at around 25,000 miles. the next time it happened, it was at around 40,000 miles. the dealer would not replace the rotors. at around 64,000 miles it has started again. the first time i had to take this to the dealer, they knew with out looking at the car what it was. i feel that this is a safety issue and these rotors are defective and the company should have to replace them. *ak | |||
| 05/01/2001 | 2 | 03/01/1997 | |
| Front brake pulsate when used. rotors are out of round. this is the second time. we had new brakes and the rotors turned at 30,000 miles for the same problem.*ak | |||
| 04/12/1997 | |||
| When driving at any speed tranmission failed and vehicle stalled. also, when applying the brakes, they went straight to the floorboard and squeaked. brake rotors and motor mounts were replaced. also, fuel pump is going out . *ak | |||
| 07/01/1998 | 2 | ||
| Front brake rotors warped, and needed to be turned every 20,000 miles, resulting in decreased braking performance, which could result in a crash. *ak | |||
| 2 | 03/01/1997 | ||
| Brake rotors warped, causing vibration- dealer repaird, rotors warped again, dealer wants $98 to turn down rotors again- car is still under warranty. | |||
| 01/29/1998 | 1 | 01/13/1997 | |
| Brake pads and rotors failed. | |||
| 05/16/1997 | 1 | 12/18/1996 | |
| Rotors failed causing vibration. | |||
| 1 | 02/01/1997 | ||
| Rotors warped. | |||
| 1 | 12/26/1996 | ||
| Rotors failed. | |||
| 02/02/1998 | |||
| Abs brake problems; when applying the brakes, under normal braking conditions, the pedal is very hard and the brakes lock up. driver has to downshift to get vehicle to stop. on 3/2/98, the front brake rotors were turned. taken to dealer 2 other times for brake problems. dealer could not find any prolbems with the vehicle. driver was involved in a crash on 8/17/98 because of this condition. *ak | |||
| 03/12/1998 | 04/28/1997 | ||
| Brake malfuntion due to rotor/pads. | |||
| 02/26/1998 | 4 | ||
| While driving vehicle about 15 mph the consumer said when she stepped on the brake pedal to stop vehicle, the vehicle started humping back and foward with no reason. vehicle had been taken to dealer and they had to turn rotors. *ak | |||
| 06/01/1997 | 4 | ||
| Brakes/rotors: driving approximately 50mph and attempting to slow down, brakes went all the way to the floor and did not work. took in for repair, and they said nothing was wrong. they resurfaced the rotors and replaced one lug and stud with strip, cleaned and rear overlapping operation. took vehicle home and drove vehicle on 07-jul-97, and on the way home the brakes were dragging/grinding and pulling like the brakes are locked. *ak | |||
| 03/13/1997 | 1 | 03/11/1997 | |
| Rotors rotated. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | |||
| 07/12/2005 | 3 | ||
| 1997 chevrolet cavalier brake lines were rusted.*mr the rear brake lines and hoses have been replced three times due to rust. the consumer requested reombursement from the manufacturer. *nm | |||
| 05/01/1998 | 10/01/1998 | ||
| Front brake pads/rotor wore out, causing vibration when brakes are applied. also dealer replaced engine mounts/ignition switch. brake line was found rubbing against axle shaft and was fixed. in addition, front end shakes/vibrates. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - MASTER CYLINDER | |||
| 11/08/1996 | 1 | ||
| A faulty assembly on the master cylinder and the modulator caused brake fluid to leak out and there was no braking ability. the system has abs. *ak *slc | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - PEDALS AND LINKAGES | |||
| 07/02/1998 | 2 | 06/26/1996 | |
| The engines stalls. additionally, the brakes fail and pedal goes to the floor. | |||