Dt: the consumer stated he bought a car on 6-29-05 from klick lewis inc. On his way home when he applied the brakes, suddenly the car felt like it was coming apart. He called the dealer where he bought the car and they told him the vehicle needed front rotors. On friday 7-15-05; before he had taken it in to have the rotors put on, he noticed the car was full of smoke. He called the fire dept. And they came out and diffused the fire and told him that it was an electrical problem and the car could have caught on fire. He then called the salesperson that sold him the car and they said they would have someone get back to him. He has made 5 telephone calls to them and no one has returned his calls.
1996 Chevrolet Cavalier: fire, smoke or burning smell
13 of the 503 complaints about the 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier describe fire, smoke or burning smell.
- owner complaints
- 13
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 5 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Fire, smoke or burning smell by model year
What owners say
The consumer turned on the engine and noticed smoke coming through the ignition switch, two minutes later, the steering wheel was on fire. Dealer notified. Consumer indicated there was a the federal safety agency recall on this issue. *ak
Consumer called complaining about having problems with the ignition. Also stated that while the vehicle was park on the drive way it couht on fire a totaly burned out. Dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle had recal ignition circuit thermo event. Ts
Consumer states that while vehicle was parked in garagae ,theirs was smoke coming form the front of the vehicle. Vehicle was serviced , maybe smoke came for anti lock brakes or engine. Cause still unknwown.
Consumer received a recall 02v070000 regarding ignition switch. Had vehicle serviced at dealer ship. However, after vehicle was serviced it caught on fire. Dealer was notified, but refused to service vehicle.
After parking vehicle transmission caught on fire. Dealer notified.
There is a burning smell in vehicle while driving.
Vehicle was sitting all day until the evening when consuemr went out and inside of the vehicle was filled with smoke. Consumer found out that wiriing harness under dash caught on fire. Manufacturer was not concerned with incident, but interested to know what consumer was seeking.
When stating vehicle saw smoke coming from steering column. With no prior warning vehicle caught on fire. Contacted dealer ,and dealer stated nothing could be done.
Was driving and started to smell burning plastic. Parked vehicle and checked it out. Noticed, after removing dome light, a hole in roof due to light bulb. Ceiling was burned. Contacted insurance company and was referred to dealership for estimate of cost.
Knocking noise near trunk area, burning smell constantly, panel lights always show something wrong, ets off light blinking, tilt sticks, horn defective, don't start in warm weather,popping noise in rear side, coolant leaks, power steering hoses had to be replaced because they burned up and leaked fluid onto exhaust system, window rattles when coming down, window not aligned right air comes through on both sides,alarm doesn't work 85% of the time even with new batteries, nothing but problems since june 1, 1999.
Aftering trying to start the vehicle twice, vehicle caught on fire in the ignition switch area and burned. The vehicle was totalled.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Electrical system: ignition: switch
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles. If the engine fails to start and the driver holds the key in the "start" position for an extended period, high current flows through the ignition switch, and sometimes produces enough heat to melt internal switch parts.
- Risk
- If the switch is damaged, a fire could occur in the steering column, even with the engine off and the key removed.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a relay kit in these vehicles to prevent high current from flowing through the ignition switch. Owner notification began march 27, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020, pontiac at 1‑800‑762‑2737, buick at 1‑800‑521‑7300, or oldsmobile at 1‑800‑442‑6537.
Recall number 02V070000 · Recall details
Questions about the 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier fire or smoke
Is fire, smoke or burning smell a common problem on the 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier?
13 of 503 owner complaints about the 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier (3%) mention fire, smoke or burning smell. The model year with the most reports is 1997.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier?
There is 1 recall and 5 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
Stalling 33ABS 28No deployment 17Check engine light 17Brake failure 13Loss of power 12Overheating 12Transmission failure 12Won't start 11Engine failure 9Headlights 9Seat belt 9Steering lock-up 9Knocking 7Fuel pump 6Jerking 5Power steering loss 5Pulling 5
VIN decoder
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