1988 CHEVROLET CAVALIER — Owner-Reported Problems
Verdict & Safety Summary
- Crashes 1
- Fires 1
- Injuries 0
- Deaths 0
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Component Problem Distribution
Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)
UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 3 | 25.0% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| STEERING | 2 | 16.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| VISIBILITY | 2 | 16.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 | 8.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 | 8.3% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 8.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| SUSPENSION | 1 | 8.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| WHEELS | 1 | 8.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 9 | 75.0% | 1 crashes · 1 fires |
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Problem & Recall Timeline
Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 1995-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 1995-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 1996-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 1996-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 1997-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 1998-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2002-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2004-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2004-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2005-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 88V095000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 88V121000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 06E043000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE88085 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA89010 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE89035 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA90041 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA92024 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE93090 |
Safety Recalls (3)
Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 06E043000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- THIS CONDITION MAY CAUSE AN INADEQUATE SEAL AT THE CONNECTION, POTENTIALLY LEADING TO A FUEL LEAK. IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE COULD OCCUR.
- Remedy:
- HONEYWELL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 18, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-890-2075 (OPTION 1).
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 88V095000
- Report date
- Component:
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Consequence:
- LAMPS WOULD FLASH OR BE INOPERATIVE; CARS WOULD NOTCOMPLY WITH FMVSS 108.
- Remedy:
- INSTALL NEW WIRING HARNESS.
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 88V121000
- Report date
- Component:
- VISIBILITY
- Consequence:
- WINDSHIELD COULD SEPARATE DURING A 30 MPH FRONTAL BARRIERTEST REQUIRED BY FMVSS 212. SUCH SEPARATION DURING AN ACCIDENT COULD RESULT INAN UNBELTED OCCUPANT BEING EJECTED AND INJURIED.
- Remedy:
- REINSTALL WINDSHIELD ASSURING PROPER ADHESION.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Complaint Narrative Explorer
Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records
No complaints match the current filters.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.