Is a Chevrolet Cavalier a good car?

[Maddies Mama]

I drove a 1993 Cavalier for 2 years in the early 2000s, then bought one new in 2005. Both were great cars. The only reason i dont still have my 2005 Cavalier is because it was a 2-door & very difficult to get my daughter into her car seat in it. Otherwise, I would probably still have the car. I loved both of them. I drove the 1993 into the ground and it just kept going and going.

 

[minniefan65]

I had a 2003 Cavalier until about 3 years ago when some yutz smashed into the back of it doing about 45 mph while we were at a standstill. I spent over a month looking for another Cavalier for something near the money that the insurance company gave me. I loved my Cavalier!!! I ended up with a KIA Spectra because it was in the right price range. I hate my KIA. It is like driving a tin can on wheels. I would recommend a Cavalier any day.

 

[maxiesmom]

I have a cavalier and I love it! It is my second one, actually. My nephew has one now too. I have found them to be good, solid, cars.

 

[Eeyore98]

OP, in my experience, they are decent cars. Beware that pretty much any wreck will total it because of crumple zones, but they are safer for that reason.

I had a 2000 Cavalier bought new in 1999, did develop a transmission fluid leak a few months in but was fixed in a day under warranty. Several months later I was in a wreck on the highway and that one was totaled. Got the same car again after insurance paid out, and drove that for 3 more years until my sister rear-ended someone in it and totaled it.

Several years later, the same sister bought a used 2004 Cavalier and has had no issues with it other than usual wear and tear (tires, brake pads, etc.). Still has it today.

It's not just a small car thing. Honda Civic's and Toyota Carollas of late 90's early 2000's had a reinforced "cockpit" that the Cavalier couldn't hold a candle to. Yes, if it was a bad accident, the Carolla/Civic would be toast, but the cockpit would stay intact better protecting the driver.

My friends brother was driving a early 2000's Cavalier on a snowy day when he lost control and crossed the center line and hit a Carolla head on at 50mph. He died and the lady driving the Carolla walked away with minor injuries.

I'm sorry to tell such a gruesome story, but it's part of where my opinion was formed from. The other part was buying my own car and my dad diligently looking at safety features, and in his research Cavaliers were some of the unsafest cars on the road.

I'm terribly sorry about your friend's brother, but I had a very similar wreck in a 2000 Cavalier and walked away with zero injuries. I was on the highway going 70-something, and it was rainy. Someone came into my lane without even looking and would have hit me. I swerved to avoid hitting them and hydroplaned, then hit the highway median head-on.

The entire front of the car was toast, but the cockpit was perfectly fine. The airbags went off but I didn't even need them because the seatbelt stopped me short of them.

Same story when my sister rear-ended someone at lower speeds (about 35-40). Front end pancaked, but she and her passenger were both unharmed.

I wonder if there weren't extenuating circumstances in your friend's brother's case.

I had to go back to a 2009 publication to get info on a 2002 model.

They stopped production on the Cavaliers in 2005, so most info on them probably will be older.

 

[angierae]

I'm terribly sorry about your friend's brother, but I had a very similar wreck in a 2000 Cavalier and walked away with zero injuries. I was on the highway going 70-something, and it was rainy. Someone came into my lane without even looking and would have hit me. I swerved to avoid hitting them and hydroplaned, then hit the highway median head-on.

THis sounds a lot like the wreck I got in with my Chevy Cobalt. I was in the left lane, and a car and I both tried to change into the center lane at the same time. I swerved back, lost control, spun out and went head-first into the median, practically at highway speed (70).

The car was totalled, but my daughter and I walked away with nothing but seatbelt bruises.

I don't think a car getting totalled is an indication of it being bad in a crash - I consider it a feature - the CAR took the brunt of the impact, not ME.

I went out a week later and bought another Cobalt with my insurance pay out.

 

[TifffanyD]

I had a 2002 Chevy Cavalier and traded it in in 2006 because in the less than 4 years I had it the automatic window broke twice (and there's no backup!) and the steering was going.

Also... it handled terribly in ice and I spun out once and hit a guard rail. I bet the steering breaking was a factor in that too. I didnt' feel safe in it after that

 

[MichiganKris]

My husband has a 2003 Cavalier with about 120,000 miles on it. The only problem we have had beyond normal maintenance is the steering got a little bit loose, it has a bad design where some pins go into a plate and the holes in the plate wear causing the steering to loosen. It cost about $300 to fix. I don't consider that bad for a car that is 8 years old with that number of miles on it.

As far as the cars crumpling in an accident, that's what they're supposed to do. You want the car to absorb the impact of the crash, not your body.

 

[mafibisha]

We have a 2005 with 80K miles on it. Its been wonderful. So great, and safe that out oldest DS is now driving it with our complete confidence.

 

[cheerforchelsea]

Currently driving a 2001 Cavalier with 120K miles on it - purchased new and never had a problem with it at all. (It is not my only vehicle - have a 2011 Ford Expedition and a 2012 Volkswagen Passat.... I keep the Cavalier as my "run around car" just because I want not because I have to.) We have had several over the years and they have all been GREAT!!! We had a 1997 that had 200K miles on it when we sold it. Only repairs that have ever been made to any that we have had --- which totals about 5 or 6 over the years - has been to replace the fuel pump on a 2000 model when someone so nicely put sugar in the gas tank.

 

[malibuconlee]

My second car was a 1996 Cavalier. It was my moms, bought brand new, then I started driving it 1998 after blowing out my knee and not being able to drive my manual transmission Geo Storm anymore.

The transmission fell out of it (not literally, lol, but you know what I mean) in 2000. The car was 4 years old & had less than 10k miles per year on it. The A/C also died the same year.

I know 1996 is MUCH different from the year of car you're looking at so I can't say whether my experience really has any relevance. But for me personally, I'd never buy another one.

I had a 1996 Cavalier too, but I had much better luck with mine (mechanic wise, we wont' discuss accidents LOL). Got rid of it in 2008 and it still only had about 120K on it. Had to get rid of it because I refused to do a carseat in a two door car.

Replaced an alternator. Went thru a couple of batteries, but I think that's from the VERY short drive to work in cold weather. After all the cheepo used cars I had before it was nice and I chuckled about keeping a car long enough to go thru the original and replacement tires.

Over all it was a very good car for me.

 

[denise5374]

My DH had a 1999 Cavalier(bought new) and he traded it in in 2008 with 203,000 miles on it. Other than routine maintnence never had any problems with t. We only traded it in because we needed a bigger car.

 

[foltzy]

My husband has a 2000 Cavalier. He loves it, I hate driving it. We've owned it for about 4 years now. We plan to have it for many more years yet. He really loves it but I feel squished when I drive it.

 

[Massillon Dad]

bad, bad car.

 

[mydisneymoney]

No matter what car you are looking at, there will be people who have had wonderful experiences with it and some that have horror stories. I have a 1998 Cavalier LS and have had no real problems with it (knock on wood). We have had to do general maintaince to it and really only use it to drive around town but I would not hesitate to let our son drive it when he is old enough to drive. It doesn't have power anything on it. It doesn't have cruise control but the air conditioning works great. I live in Montana and we get lots of snow and I can say it drives great in the snow. If I was looking to replace my car, I would look at another Cavalier.

 

[njmom47]

DH drove one (I would say a mid-90s model) and loved it...got rid of it when we decided we needed a better way to lug around 3 kids. DD1 had a 2000 Z24, great little car; until her ex-bf totaled it. I don't remember needing a lot of repairs or things going wrong with either car.

 

[ready to relax]

2000 Cav here that is going through my daughter with 150000+ miles...only tires/brakes/battery OH and the radio was crap (and having a teen you may already know how important that is) very dependable, kinda scary on ice/snow only because it is a smaller car...OHH one more thing, the A/C is very unpredictable...and I have known other cav owners that have had the same issue...hope this help!

 

[S. C.]

No matter what car you are looking at, there will be people who have had wonderful experiences with it and some that have horror stories. I have a 1998 Cavalier LS and have had no real problems with it (knock on wood). We have had to do general maintaince to it and really only use it to drive around town but I would not hesitate to let our son drive it when he is old enough to drive. It doesn't have power anything on it. It doesn't have cruise control but the air conditioning works great. I live in Montana and we get lots of snow and I can say it drives great in the snow. If I was looking to replace my car, I would look at another Cavalier.

Well said!

 

[tink2dw]

We have had 2 Cav's 1989, that car never didn't start!! bought it for $1500.00 replaced the catilitic convertor and it drove like a dream for 10 years!! then just stopped dead. Dh bought a 2005 used 1991 cav that we still are driving!! No problems!!

 

[ashmarie06]

I have a 1998 cavalier that I bought in 2007 with 97,000 miles on it. It now has 155,000 on it. I love my cavalier. Up util this year I've only had to do routine things on it. This year however I've had to replace the muffler, water pump, and thermostat. Last week the heating and air conditioning went out. I'm retiring her! I'm actually going car shopping today. Looking at an equinox and a cobalt


I also had a lot of problems with paint chipping and rust on my cavi.

 

[malibuconlee]

This thread is a year old!