Car radiator fan won't kick on cause car to get very dangerously hot causing car to become a bomb
The worst 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine110
- Electrical107
- Steering83
- Airbags78
- Brakes64
- Visibility40
- Suspension27
- Transmission26
- Fuel system23
- Body20
- Acceleration18
- Lights16
- Seat belts13
- Seats11
- Tires8
- Locks4
- Wheels1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
Stalling 40Wipers 20ABS 19Fire or smoke 18Won't start 18No deployment 17Grinding brakes 13Power steering loss 13Overheating 12Knocking 10Fuel pump 10Steering lock-up 10Headlights 9Engine failure 8Check engine light 7Fuel smell 6Jerking 6Loss of power 6Misfire 6Pulling 6Hesitation 5Seat belt 5Sudden acceleration 5
Recalls 7
Steering: rack and pinion
- What is wrong
- Certain passenger vehicles and mini vans have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These and some other retainers used in vehicles assembled between january 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997, could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
- Risk
- If this occurs, the pinion shaft can be forced upward during left turns and back down as the steering wheel is moved back and to the right. If the pinion shaft moves further, the driver will need to exert more effort to turn the steering wheel, similar to a vehicle without power assisted steering. If the pinion shaft moves even further, the driver will require much higher effort to turn left and may not be able to turn the wheel as much as intended. With the maximum pinion shaft movement, which requires internal gear component damage, the driver can encounter high resistance to turning left, followed by unintended power assist to the right. In any of these conditions, a crash could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a new lower pinion bearing unless inspect of the existing bearing indicates that replacement of the gear assembly is necessary. Owner notification began january 24, 2003. 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, or oldsmobile at 1‑800‑442‑6537.
Recall number 02V286000 · Recall details
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
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. One of the rear suspension trailing arm bolts can fatigue and break.
- Risk
- If this were to occur while the vehicle was in motion, a loss of vehicle control can occur, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the rear suspension trailing arm fasteners.
Recall number 98V319000 · Recall details
Air bags
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Because of certain calibrations in the air bag's sensing and diagnostic module, an inadvertent air bag deployment could occur in a low speed crash or when an object strikes the floor pan.
- Risk
- Air bags deploy with great force and can seriously injure unrestrained occupants who are too close to them.
- Remedy
- Dealers will recalibrate the air bag sensing and diagnostic module.
Recall number 98V146000 · Recall details
Structure: body
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. These vehicles were built with mis-located welds at the joint between the left rocker panel inner reinforcement and the body side ring. This does not meet the requirements of fmvss no. 214, "side door strength."
- Risk
- In the event of a vehicle crash, the sheet metal structure would not perform as desired increasing the risk of personal injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the welds and, if necessary, place five welds between the involved panels and apply primer and topcoat finish materials.
Recall number 98V032000 · Recall details
Wheels: space saver wheel
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The compact spare tire assemblies were assembled with incorrect rims. If the spare tire is underinflated, the bead can separate from the rim causing a rapid loss of air. This does not comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 110, "tire selection and rims."
- Risk
- A rapid loss of air can increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the rim on the compact spare tire assembly. Owners are requested not to use the spare tire until the rim has been replaced.
Recall number 97V106000 · Recall details
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer
- What is wrong
- These vehicles were built with an incorrect wiper blade assembly (17" long instead of 22" long) on the driver's side. This does not comply with fmvss no. 104, "windshield wiping and washing systems."
- Risk
- The area and pattern wiped on the windshield will be reduced and could affect the driver's view in wet weather increasing the risk of a vehicle accident.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect for the correct wiper blade assembly and install a correct length wiper blade assembly.
Recall number 96V160000 · Recall details
See all 7 recalls for the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
Defect investigations
Unintended vehicle acceleration
On september 23, 2003, the federal safety agency received a letter dated september 8, 2003 from mr. Donald friedman, petitioning the agency to open a defect investigation into unintended acceleration involving [model year] 1996 and 1997 general motors j-cars.in support of his petition, mr. Friedman cited a report he received for gm showing it had received far more reports of alleged unintended acceleration for these models than for others.after assessing the data claimed by the petitioner to justify his request, odi found no indication that defect trend related to the petitioner's allegations exists at this time.therefore, there is no reasonable posibility that an order concerning the notification and remedy of a safety-related defect would be issued as a result of granting mr. Friedman's petition.consequently, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize the federal safety agency's limited resources to best accomplish the agency's safety mission, the petition is denied.for additional information concerning this analysis, please refer to the attached federal register notice.
DP03007
Fire in steering column area
PE02001
Oversensitive air bag deployments
There is no summary currently available
EA98001
Inadvertent air bag deployments
There is no summary currently available
PE97041
Technical service bulletins for the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier 94
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy...
- Fuel system, gasoline
- This informational bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Procedures to Unlock Delco...
- Equipment: electrical: anti-theft devices
- Equipment
- This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information with the field action courtesy...
- This technical bulletin provides a procedure to reprogram the media disc player with the latest...
- Equipment: electrical: anti-theft devices
- Vehicle Recalls
- This informational bulletin provides the technician with information on what E85 fuel may due to a non E85...
1997 Chevrolet Cavalier fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.2L 4‑cyl | FWD | 20-22 | 29-33 | 24-26 |
| 2.4L 4‑cyl | FWD | 19-20 | 29-30 | 23 |
What 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Air bags deflated september 9, 2012 while in motion turning a 90 degree bend then braking into road bank on a the side of a country dirt road. An early inspection was handed down from the commonwealth state of pennsylvania on july, 01, 2016. Shortly after the vehicle was involved in auto accident while parked stationary in a parking lot. The chevrolet cavalier failed the enhanced state inspection thence after due to air bag safety feature. The car is in fair condition appraised above blue book value and mechanically runs better than it did 4 or 5 years ago. There is a salvage title currently on the motor vehicle. All the vehicle needs is new air bags.
While driving my horn stopped working without any kind of indicator!! 3 time this has occurred while driving !! Major safety issue! Was unable warn car backing out and had to swerve to avoid accident! Replaced fuse 3 times!! Someone may die as a result of this malfunction!! Never received any kind of notice from dealership/ manufacture regarding this issue! Upon googling found many are experiencing same problem!! A serious accident or death may result because of this defect!!!please,please look into this problem !!!!!! Also the gage lights tend to stay on!! First it was the oil sensor lite, now the radiator lite!! Both chambers are full even after professional servicing!!!!!! The oil lite still comes on just had professional oil service?!????
The safety device light came on. It won't go off, can't start my car.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 chevrolet cavalier. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start on the first attempt. The contact also stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was repaired. The contact was not aware of all the details involving the repair and the cause of the failure was not disclosed to the contact. The contact was notified of the federal safety agency campaign number: 02v286000 (steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000.
My 1987 chevy cavaliar shut off in the middle of driving multiple times. The first time I heard clicking in the cluster and the theft system light turns on and my fuel pump shuts down. I have been in very critical places while this situation takes place. The theft system has shut my vehichle off on the highway, in the intersection ect.. I have tryed to reset this system numerous times. I have come to the knowledge that this is a serious problem with many chevy cavaliars and other gm models. This should be a recall and should be fixed. I, a loyal gm customer, should not have to drive a unpredictable vehichle that has security problems that are due to the original making of the system. I have no money to pay for this and am stuck with this problem. It is very unsafe.
My rear defrost quit working and I went and checked some of the connections. The connection under the dash had been melted, with the plastic showing evidence of being melted. I have done some checking on the internet and it appears it is a problem. If you check gm cars pontiac, and gm some of the vehicles have had this issue. It appears to be very common based off the forums and you tube video's. It appears in impala, cavalier, sunfire, and this isn't an all inclusive list. This is concerning because it appears to have been a problem for a few years and gm allowed this to happen.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 chevrolet cavalier. The contact stated that when engaging the brakes, all the brake fluid leaked from the brake line. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the technician stated the brake lines were corroded and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 118,000 and the current mileage was 118,500. The VIN was unavailable.
I was driving around 30 MPH to a stop sign and my car died while in drive, approaching a stop sign. The incident happened again in may 2010 when I was driving home and had to coast down a bridge, which prompted me to sell the car because I felt it was unsafe to drive anymore.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 chevrolet cavalier. The contact stated the engine failed to start after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and an authorized dealer for diagnosis. The technician stated that the engine wiring harness was faulty and exposed melted wires. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.
Compare the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
Other model years
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Questions about the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier
Is the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier reliable?
Owners have filed 540 complaints about the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier, 1.9 times a typical Cavalier model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier?
Engine and cooling, with 110 complaints, typically around 75,000 miles. Next is electrical (107).
How many recalls does the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier have?
7 recalls, covering steering, electrical system and suspension.
What year does the Chevrolet Cavalier have bad engine?
The Chevrolet Cavalier model years with the most engine complaints are 1996 (118 complaints), 1997 (110 complaints) and 1995 (82 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier get?
Official estimates for the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier range from 23 to 26 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.2L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 20-22 city and 29-33 highway.
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