Equal-exposure complaint evidence and changes in the reported problem mix

1997 vs 1998 CHEVROLET CAVALIER

NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21

Share shifts show how a vehicle's problem mix changed. They do not measure reliability, and complaint counts are not normalized for sales volume.

First 347 months on market for each model year

Exposure window calculated through Aug 22, 2026

Age-matched reports

▼ 36.3% fewer reports in the equal exposure window

NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21

Bars start at the neutral midpoint. Left means a smaller share; right means a larger share.

View component share data as a table

Component	1997 share	1998 share	Share change
STRUCTURE	2.4%	7.4%	▲ 4.9 pts larger share
AIR BAGS	12.9%	8.5%	▼ 4.4 pts smaller share
SERVICE BRAKES	9.7%	13.2%	▲ 3.5 pts larger share
VISIBILITY	6.0%	2.9%	▼ 3.1 pts smaller share
SUSPENSION	3.6%	1.5%	▼ 2.1 pts smaller share
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	15.0%	17.1%	▲ 2.1 pts larger share
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	1.9%	3.8%	▲ 2.0 pts larger share
POWER TRAIN	3.4%	1.8%	▼ 1.6 pts smaller share
TIRES	1.1%	0.3%	▼ 0.8 pts smaller share
WHEELS	0.4%	1.2%	▲ 0.8 pts larger share
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	2.3%	2.9%	▲ 0.7 pts larger share
ENGINE	13.9%	13.2%	▼ 0.6 pts smaller share
FUEL SYSTEM	2.8%	2.4%	▼ 0.5 pts smaller share
STEERING	13.9%	13.5%	▼ 0.3 pts smaller share
PARKING BRAKE	not reported	0.3%	▲ 0.3 pts larger share
SEAT BELTS	1.7%	1.8%	▲ 0.1 pts larger share
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	76.8%	80.6%	▲ 3.8 pts larger share

NHTSA Safety Recalls recalls · snapshot 2026-08-22

1997 13

Campaign components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, STEERING, STRUCTURE, SUSPENSION, VISIBILITY, and WHEELS

1998 11

Campaign components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER, STEERING, and WHEELS

NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21