Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE A DIP STICK FOR THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. DEALER INSISTED THAT THE VEHICLE MUST BE BROUGHT TO THEM IN ORDER FOR THE TRANSMISSION FLUID TO BE CHECKED. CONSUMER CLAIMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING WHILE THE DEALER WAS SERVICING THE VEHICLE. *AK
THIS E-MAIL IS IN REGARDS TO MY 1998 CAVALIER RS. THIS CAR HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT TROUBLE SINCE I BOUGHT IT ON JUNE 29, 1998. JUST 14 MONTHS AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR, THE CLUTCH GOES OUT. THEN IT GOES OUT FOUR TIMES THEREAFTER. A TOTAL OF FIVE TIMES MY CLUTCH HAS WENT OUT. THE REASON I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW AUTOMOBILE WAS FOR THE DEPENDENCY OF THE CHEVROLET PRODUCT. I WAS MISTAKEN IN MY THINKING OBVIOUSLY. THAT DATES OF HAVING TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER ARE AS FOLLOWS: 08/29/99, 04/05/01, 08/09/01, 10/17/01, 06/26/03. I UNDERSTAND THINGS GO WRONG WITH VEHICLES, BUT FIVE TIMES ON THE SAME PROBLEM. (NO THE CLUTCH IS NOT BEING RIDDEN.) THANKFULLY I HAVE REIMBURSMENT TOWING ON MY INSURANCE, CONSIDERING I WAS MILES AWAY FROM A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP. ALSO, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON JULY 20, 1999 (13 MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR). MY RECEIPT STATES ALL THE CYLYNDERS WERE MISFIRING. ON NOVEMBER 21, 2001 MY CATATYLIC CONVERTER HAD TO BE REPLACED. (DON'T EVER GO ON A TRIP IN THIS CAR!) ALL THE WORK STATED ABOVE WAS DONE BY CHEVROLET DEALERSHIPS. THE CAR IS PAID FOR NOW AND THEY RECEIVED ALL OF THEIR MONEY OUT OF ME. I JUST HOPE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE. (THE CAR WAS IN MY GRANDMOTHER'S NAME, MARY H. DECKER 3416 ST ANN ST OWENSBORO, KY 42303. IT IS NOW IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING THE NAME ON THE TITLE.)
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION:1998 CHEVROLET CAVALIER/5 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION TOTAL FAILURE. WHILE DRIVING - WENT TO MAKE A TURN - SOMETHING SNAPPED - STEERING WHEEL SNAPPED BACK - FRONT END SHIFTED AND MOTOR TWISTED - VEHICLE CANNOT BE DRIVEN - THERE IS NO TRANSMISSION FUNCTION . *NLM
CLUTCH WENT OUT AT APPROXIMATELY 40,000 MILES. TRANMISSION SYNCHRONIZERS ALSO WENT OUT AT THE SAME TIME. DEALER REFUSED TO RECTIFY PROBLEM UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY I HAVE DOES NOT COVER TRANSMISSIONS. I WAS NOT OFFERED ANY EXTENDED WARRANTY CHOICES WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. I WAS JUST ASKED IF I WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE ONE. I PAID A LOT OF MONEY FOR AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT I HAVE USED 1 TIME FOR A FAULTY FUEL PUMP. MEANWHILE, I HAVE HAD A NEW CLUTCH PUT IN ($650), BUT HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REPAIRED YET SO MY CURRENT CLUTCH IS BAD AS WELL DUE TO THE SYNCHRONIZERS BEING FAULTY. SO NOW I HAVE TO PAY FOR ANOTHER NEW CLUTCH AND A NEW TRANNY!
THE TRANSMISSION FAILED PREMATURELY, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING WARRANTY REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE DEALERSHIP. *MJS
MY VEHICLE HAS TROUBLE DOING EVERYTHING A NEW CAR SHOULD DO. THIS VEHICLE HAS JEOPORDIZED MY FAMILIES SAFETY ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. HAVING THE HORN NOT WORK WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE PULLS OUT ON ME IS A SERIOUS MATTER WHICH SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO. EVERYTIME THE OIL IS CHANGED ON THE CAR THEY COME BACK AND TELL ME THE TRANSMISSION IS LEAKING AGAIN. OBVIOUSLY REPLACING THE SHAFT SEAL IS NOT FIXING THE PROBLEM ESPECIALLY WHEN IT LEAKS AGAIN 3000 MILES IN BETWEEN DEALERSHIP VISITS. HAVING A CONSTANT GASOLINE AND SULFER ODOR EMITTING FROM THE VEHICLE WORRIES ME ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING I HAVE TWO VERY YOUNG CHILDREN.WHEN BROUGHT UP TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY WILL NOT LOOK INTO THE MATTER ANYMORE UNLESS A ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. THIS VEHICLE WILL SHORTLY RUN OUT OF WARRANTY AND I BELIEVE GENERAL MOTORS HAS BLOWN OFF MY LETTERS, PHONECALLS AND E-MAILS KNOWING THIS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME IN THIS MATTER, SINCERELY CLIFTON COLE. *AK
HIGH PITCH HUM USUALLY AFTER 45 MPH BUT OCCURS ALSO WHEN MOTOR IS STRESSED RELATED NOT SHIFTING . MOTOR SHIFTS AT 10MPH, 20MPH, AND SOUNDS STRESSED / LABORED FROM 45 TO 55MPH BEFORE IT SHIFTS AGAIN IF IT SHIFTS AGAIN. CAR IS AUTOMATIC 3 SPEED. WHEN SHIFTING IT JERKS FORWARD AND THEN SUDDENLY PULLS BACKWARD HARD. WHEN SITTING STILL SHIFTING FROM PARK TO DRIVE CAR JERKS HARD. WHENSITTING STILL AND SHIFTING FROM REAR TO DRIVE, CAR SHIFTS HARD. ALL GEARS SHIFT HARD. USING TRANSMISSION OIL. OFTEN HAVE TO RESTART ENGINE 4 TIMES BEFORE IT REMAINS RUNNING. COUNT TO 10 BEFORE RESTARTING DOES NOT HELP. WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, OFTEN FEELS A HARD PULLING LIKE IT IS REALLY WORKING HARD TO PULL ITSELF. ACCELERATES AND DECELERATES AS IF IT HAS ITS OWN MIND. CHEVY TRIED TO REPROGRAM TWICE BUT WOULD NOT TAKE SO REPLACED COMPUTER ABOUT 8 MONTHS AGO. BUT IT IS DOING IT AGAIN. *AK
TRANSMISSON SLIPS SOMETIMES AND NO ONE CAN TILL ME WHAT IS WRONG. THE MOTOR MOUNTS BROKE AND THERE IS ONLY 29,917 MILES ON IT. THE CAR VIBRATES REALLY BAD WHEN YOU ARE JUST SETTING IN IT WITH THE CAR RUNNING LIKE WHEN YOU ARE AT A RED LIGHT OR A STOP SIGN. YOU JUST START THE CAR UP AND IT CLUNKS YOU TURN THE CAR OFF AND IT CLUNKS.
THIS CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER RECOGNIZES THE PROBLEM BUT CONSISTANTLY REFUSES TO TAKE ANY RSPONSIBILITIES FOR THE JUNK THAT THEY SOLD ME. THIS CAR HAS BEEN TO THE BODY SHOP FOR REPAIRS ON THE MANUFACTURER GROUND EFFECTS PACKAGE THE TRANSMISSION THAT DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY THE BRAKE SYSTEM THE I HAVE HAD TO HAVE ROTORS TURNED AND WITHIN FOUR MONTHS HAVE BRAND NEW ROTORS BUT ON. THE SUNROOF DOESN'T OPEN PROPERLY, THE TRUNK LID HITS THE BUMPER WHEN YOU CLOSE IT,THE ENGINE MAKES A WEIRD RATTLE NOISE WHEN YOU GO OVER A BUMP,THE DOORS DO NOT CLOSE ALL THE WAY, THER IS TONS OF RUST ON THE INSIDE WALLS OF MY TRUNK, I WAS ALSO NOTIFIED OF A RECALL ON THE OIL CONSUMPTION VALVE TWO WEEKS AFTER ALL THE OIL IN MY CAR HAD LEAKED OUT CAUSING MY ENGINE TO KNOCK ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK (HAD TO PUT FOUR QUARTS OF OIL IN IT THREE DAYS FROM HAVING AN OIL CHANGE, I NEVER RECEIVED THE AIRBAG RECALL FOR MY VEHICLE. TO WRAP THIS UP IN A NUTSHELL I WILL NEVER BUY A CHEVROLET PRODUCT AGAIN I WILL RESULT TO A FORIEGN CAR MAKER (HONDA) TO PURCHASE MY NEXT VEHICLE. NK
THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HESIATE WHILE DRIVING WHICH MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. BEEN TO DEALER NUMEROUS TIME ,BUT DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
THERE HAS BEEN ONE THING WRONG AFTER THE OTHER EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR AND I BELIEVE IT A PIECE OF CRAP BUT I GUESS THAT I AM STUCK UP IT SINCE CHEVROLET DECLINED MY BUYBACK REQUEST.
SMELL OF BURNING WIRES WHEN DRIVING. RADIATOR HOSE FAILED PRIOR TO/AFTER RECALL REPAIRS. ALSO, TRANSFER CASE MALFUNCTIONED PRIOR TO/AFTER RECALL REPAIRS 98V013000. IN ADDITION, REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR HANDLE BROKE INSIDE.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION FAILED.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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