1996 Chevrolet Cavalier Transmission Problems

WHILE TURNING INTO A GAS STATION AND CAR BEGAN TO MAKE CLUNKING, SPUTTERING NOISES. IT STALLED THEN BEGAN TO GO AGAIN, THEN JUST STOPPED AND SAT THEIR HALFWAY IN THE ONCOMING LANES. THE ENGINE JUST REVVED IN ANY GEAR. THE CAR WAS PUSHED INTO THE GAS STATION TO AVIOD A HEAD-ON COLLISION AND A CHUNK OF THE TRANSMISSION CASING FELL OFF. THE CAR WOULD ONLY MOVE IF IN NUETRAL AND PUSHED. THE CAR IS PENDING DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR.*AK

NHTSA ID

10086209

Incident

Aug 4, 2004

Mileage

140,000 mi

WHILE APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. HOWEVER, MECHANIC WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE OR RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

10068661

WHILE SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION, THE CLUTCH GAVE OUT ON THE THIRD GEAR. *AK

NHTSA ID

10024385

Incident

Jun 18, 2003

1996 CHEVROLET CAVALIER: CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND ETS OFF LIGHT CAME ON DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING, OFF AGAIN BY THE TIME WE GOT TO HE DEALER. HAPPENED AGAIN DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING A WEEK LATER. DEALER FOUND THAT COMPUTER CODE INDICATED FAILURE OF A PUMP SEAL IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (4-SPD OVERDRIVE TRANSMISSION). COST TO REPAIR WILL BE AT LEAST $1,305. OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FOUND ON THE NHTSA SITE SHOW PROBLEMS WITH PUMPS INSTALLED IN TRANSMISSIONS PRIOR TO JUNE, 1996. CAR HAS ONLY 37,000 MILES.

NHTSA ID

10000904

Incident

Jan 3, 2003

Mileage

37,000 mi

AFTER PARKING VEHICLE TRANSMISSION CAUGHT ON FIRE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID

8009869

Incident

May 13, 2002

WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING, THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD NOISE. CONSUMER PULLED TO THE SIDE TO RESTART VEHICLE, BUT TO NO AVAIL. SOMEONE CAME TO HELP GT IT BACK ON THE ROAD BUT THE VEHICLE STOPPED AGAIN. VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND CONSUMER WAS INFORMED A MAJOR TRANSMISSION JOB WAS NEEDED. CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT OF MONIES PAID FOR SERVICES. *JG

NHTSA ID

565310

Incident

Dec 10, 2001

TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE, INTERMITTENTLY, TRANSMISSION FAILS TO OPERATE. *JG *AK

NHTSA ID

8001176

Incident

Dec 7, 2001

WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION FAILED, CONSUMER STATES NOW STARTING TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE CURRENT TRANSMISSION.*JB

NHTSA ID

785581

Incident

Aug 1, 2000

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME FOUR-SPEED OVERDRIVE TRANSMISSION WILL AUTOMATICALLY SHIFT DOWN TO A LOWER GEAR, AND "ETS OFF" AND "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHTS COME ON SIMULTANEOUSLY. VEHICLE REMAINS IN LOW GEARS UNTIL LIGHTS GO OFF OR UNTIL VEHICLE COOLS DOWN. ALSO , THAT WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS VEHICLE JERKS AND VIBRATES AS IF THE ABS IS KICKING IN AT SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS. *AK

NHTSA ID

890115

Incident

Aug 1, 2000

WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT GEARS. CONSUMER PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

888402

Incident

May 14, 2001

NO TRANSMISSION WHICH HAS BEEN CARED FOR, WHICH THIS ONE HAS, SHOULD FAIL AT 78000 MILES. *AK

NHTSA ID

741026

Incident

Feb 1, 2001

THE TRANSMISSIONS IN GM CARS SEEM TO BE HAVING MULTIPLE FAILURES AT WHAT I SEEM TO THINK ARE UNUSUALY LOW MILAGES. THIS TRANS THAT WENT OUT IN MY CAR IS A GM REBUILT TRANSMISSION WOULD SOMEBODY PLEASE LOOK INTO THE GM TRANSMISSION SITUATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

740271

Incident

Jan 24, 2001

TRANSMISSION WENT OUT CAR WILL NOT MOVE AND IT ALREADY HAS A GMC REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION IN THE CAR. *AK

NHTSA ID

740056

Incident

Jan 24, 2001

MY ETS OFF LIGHT AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ILLUMINATED FOR THE PAST 10 MONTHS. THE CODE 1810, WHICH IS THE TCC SWITCH, HAS SHOWN WHEN MY CAR HAS BEEN SCANNED. MY CAR HAS BEEN SEEN BY SEVERAL MECHANICS . THE SWITCH HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND IT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE MECHANICS TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. I HAD A NEW TRANSMISSION PUT IN. THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON WHICH CAUSED MY CAR NOT TO SHIFT PROPERLY. ALL THE MECHANICS THAT HAVE LOOKED AT MY CAR SAID THAT GETTING A NEW TRANSMISSION WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. WHICH IT HAS NOT. WHAT CAN YOU RECOMMEND I DO. DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS TRANSMISSION EVEN THOUGH IT HASN'T FIXED ANYTHING? ALSO THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED SHORTLY AFTER MY WARRANTY EXPIRED.

NHTSA ID

739647

Incident

Mar 15, 1999

4 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FORWARD GEARS FAILED, REVERSE STILL WORKS. *AK

NHTSA ID

739628

Incident

Jan 13, 2001

WHEN DRIVER WENT TO ACCELERATE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THIS IS SECOND TRANSMISSION IN VEHICLE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID

877737

Incident

Jan 9, 2001

I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY TRANSMISSION IN THE PAST AND NOW AGIAN I AM HAVING TO HAVE IT REPLACED. *AK

NHTSA ID

735143

BRAKES FAILURE TO STOP, CAR SLIPS IN GEAR WHEN PRESSING ON BRAKES, HORN SOMETIMES DOESN'T WORK THEN IT STARTS TO WORK , HEADLIGHTS GO DIM WHEN BRAKES ARE PRESSED ,NOISE IN REAR AREA

NHTSA ID

733900

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MY TRANSMISSION ON MY CAR TWICE WITHIN A 2 YEAR PERIOD. I WAS TOLD BOTH TIMES THAT THE PUMP SHAFT HAS FAILED IN EACH OCCASSION. ALSO NOTE, EACH TIME I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION BECAUSE OF THIS PART, I HAVE HAD TO PAY AT LEAST OVER $1400. *AK

NHTSA ID

732304

Incident

Sep 1, 2000

REAR SEAT BELT GUIDE DETACHED FROM THE SEAT. *MJS

NHTSA ID

553736

Incident

Nov 30, 1998

AT 46K MILES, MY TRANSMISSION PANEL LIGHT STARTED GOING ON AND OFF. AT 53K MILES, A GM DEALER READ A P1887 TCC RELEASE SWITCH CIRCUIT MALFUNCTION. AT 58K MILES, THE TRANSMISSION BROKE AT 70 MPH ON I77 NORTH OF CHARLESTON WVA. THE GM DEALERSHIP IN WVA FOUND THAT THE PUMP IN THE TRANSMISSION CAME APART, DAMAGING THE CLUTCH AND FLYWHEEL ASSEMBLY, REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION, AND BILLED ME. I CALLED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY SAID I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, TOUGH LUCK, NO OTHER PROBLEMS LIKE THIS HAVE EVER BEEN REPORTED. HOWEVER, I FOUND NUMEROUS IDENTICAL PROBLEMS IN THE NHTSA FILES (SEE NHTSA BULLETIN SB049140). I PRINTED A TSB (SERVICE BULLETIN) FROM A GM DEALER IN OHIO THAT SHOWS THAT THE TRANSMISSION PUMPS INSTALLED ON CAVALIERS BEFORE 6/96 HAVE HAD TRANSMISSION PUMP SEAL FAILURES THAT CAN LEAD TO THE TRANSMISSION BURNING UP EVEN THOUGH THE CAR DRIVES LIKE NORMAL. SINCE GM ADMITTED IN THE TSB THAT CARS PRODUCED BEFORE 6/96 (MINE WAS BUILT 4/96) HAD A PUMP PROBLEM, AND THERE IS NO RECALL ON THE CAVALIER TRANSMISSION, I BELIEVE I STILL SHOULD BE REIMBURSED BY GENERAL MOTORS FOR THE COST OF A REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION ON MY CAR. THE COST FROM THE DEALER TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION WAS $2,062.70.

NHTSA ID

726161

Incident

Jul 16, 2000

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL NOT TURN OFF AFTER FOUR TIMES IN SHOP, MISFIRING,SEVERAL KNOBS HAVE FALLEN OFF,PASSENGER WINDOW DOES NOT WORK,INTERIOR PROBLEMS. *AK

NHTSA ID

725651

ENGINE HEAD GASKET/STRUTS/STARTER/TRANSMISSION/ DOME LIGHT/ PAINT/,MUFFLER/SEATS AND ABS BRAKES HAVE ALL GONE BADLY AT LEAST ONCE, AND SOME HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND ARE BAD AGAIN. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED SEVERAL TIMES, BUT REFUSED TO CHECK OR REPLACE. NO LONGER DOING BUSINESS WITH THEM DUE TO THE SERVICE. I HAVE BEEN HAVING TO PAY FOR ALL OF THE SERVICES. *AK

NHTSA ID

718613

CAR REFUSED TO MOVE WHILE ENTERING TRAFFIC, ALL REG MAINT. PERFORMED, NO WARNING, BARELY AVOIDED BEING REAR ENDED. COMPANY NOT INTERESTED IN DANGER OR IN RESPONSIBILITY FOR DEFECTIVE PARTS. ENGINE WORKS, CAR WILL NOT GO INTO GEAR. *AK

NHTSA ID

715500

Incident

Nov 29, 1999

VEHICLE'STRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON THE STREET AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH WITHOUT WARNING. HAD TO PUSH VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD TO AVOID A COLLISION, BELIEVED THIS CONDITION WAS DUE TO MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT SINCE VEHICLE HAD ONLY 54,000 MILES OF WEAR. CAN NHTSA HELP IN THIS MATTER. *AK

NHTSA ID

848485

Incident

Sep 14, 1999