Your vehicle report
2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 243
- Received Nov 2000 to Mar 2019
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Ignition key sticks or will not turn13 complaints · 5.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps12 complaints · 4.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Steering wheel clunks or clicks when turning12 complaints · 4.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #04V036000On 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 23 crashes, 8 fires, 24 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
- Front brake rotors warp and wear early
- Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up
- Brakes make grinding or squealing noise
1 more problem
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
- Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps
- Steering wheel clunks or clicks when turning
- Tires blow out or tread separates
1 more problem
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 1 |
| 2001 | 32 |
| 2002 | 48 |
| 2003 | 39 |
| 2004 | 38 |
| 2005 | 22 |
| 2006 | 3 |
| 2007 | 11 |
| 2008 | 11 |
| 2009 | 4 |
| 2010 | 8 |
| 2011 | 5 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 10 |
| 2015 | 5 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 243 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 13 | 5.3% | – | NHTSA recall #04V036000 |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 12 | 4.9% | – | |
| Steering wheel clunks or clicks when turning | 12 | 4.9% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 10 | 4.1% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 9 | 3.7% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 8 | 3.3% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 8 | 3.3% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 8 | 3.3% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 7 | 2.9% | – | |
| Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly | 7 | 2.9% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 6 | 2.5% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 6 | 2.5% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 6 | 2.5% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 6 | 2.5% | – | |
| Dashboard cracks near passenger airbag | 5 | 2.1% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 5 | 2.1% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 5 | 2.1% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 4 | 1.7% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #04V036000January 27, 20041,415,231 vehicles affected
electrical system: ignition: switch
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.
If the switch is damaged, a fire could occur in the steering column, even with the engine off and the key removed. The fire could spread to the interior of the car, which could injure occupants or cause damage to adjoining structures.
Remedy
Dealers will install a relay kit in these vehicles to prevent high current from flowing through the ignition switch, and check that your car will start with a properly charged battery and, if necessary, replace the ignition switch. Owner notification will begin on march 1, 2004. 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 1-800-630-2438, Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668, Buick at 1-866-608-8080, or Oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537. Customers Can also check their vehicle online by going to www.mygmlink.com and entering the vehicle's identification number.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN