Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 31 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.
The 25 most recent of 31, in the owner's own words
ENGINE SHAKES WHEN FIRST STARTED N WHEN IDLING, BUT NOT WHEN DRIVING. HOSES N BELTS R NOT IN GOOD SHAPE. NOT SURE ABOUT THE AIR BAGS BUT SEEN ON THIS SITE THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. I HAVE SEEN THAT THERE ARE OR WHERE, QUIT A FEW RECALLS THAT WERE NOT TAKEN CARE OF. ESPECIALLY SAFETY ONES.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN 2005 WHEN SHE MADE A RIGHT TURN AT 15 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL MADE A CLICKING NOISE AND BEGAN TO VIBRATE. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS THAT WOULD ALLUDE TO THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD UNLOCK AND TURN INVOLUNTARILY WHEN IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LOCKED. THE FUEL GAUGE WAS ALSO DEFECTIVE. SHE ALSO NOTICED THAT THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, AND HEADLIGHTS, WERE ALSO FAULTY. THE BULBS IN THE LEFT REAR TURN SIGNAL AND BRAKE LIGHT BURNED OUT AND MELTED AFTER THEY WERE USED THREE TO FOUR TIMES. THE CONTACT CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER TO ASK ABOUT RELATED RECALLS AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE NO OPEN RECALLS FOR HER VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT FOUND EIGHT RECALLS FOR HER YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 77,000.
I PURCHASED A NEW 1999 CHEVY CAVALIER IN MARCH 1999 AND BEGAN HEARING CREAKING SOUNDS COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN ONE YEAR AFTER PURCHASE. SINCE THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY I TOOK IT THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT FOR REPAIR. THEY GREASED SOME PARTS TO DIMINISH THE NOISE. I TOOK THE CAR IN 2 OTHER TIMES TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AND THE SAME ACTION WAS TAKEN, NO PARTS WERE EVER REPLACED. RECENTLY I TOOK THE CAR TO A CHEVY DEALERSHIP AND I WAS TOLD THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR ABOUT $2300. THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS AND WARNINGS TO MECHANICS THAT CONSUMERS MAY COME TO THEM WITH THESE ISSUES LISTED OVER THE LAST 9 YEARS. THEREFORE, THIS IS A FLAW WITH THE VEHICLE THAT UNTIL NOW CHEVROLET HAS NOT TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR. CURRENTLY THE VEHICLE IS STILL MAKING THE NOISE AND I WAS WARNED IF THE WHEEL STARTS TO "STIFFEN UP" TO COME BACK IMMEDIATELY AS THE DANGER OF LOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IS EXTREMELY HIGH. *TR
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND WAS HEARING THIS WHINING NOISE. THE NEXT DAY I PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT AT WORK AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN THE WHEEL. I CALLED THE SHOP I TAKE MY CAR TO, AND SET UP AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THEM CHECK IT OUT THE NEXT DAY. I TOOK IT TO THEM AND THEY SAID A METAL PIECE UNDERNEATH THE CAR HAD RUBBED AGAINST THE TUBE THAT CARRIES THE POWER STEERING FLUID. I ASKED THEM WHAT HAD CAUSED IT AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE WAY THE CAR WAS DESIGNED. *NM
STEERING-NOISE WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL, IN ANY DIRECTION. TOOK TO A REPAIR SHOP AND WAS TOLD I NEEDED NEW BEARINGS IN THE STEERING COLUMN. *JB
DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT THE STEERING WHEEL SPUN AROUND FREELY WITHOUT THE VEHICLE MOVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THEY DIAGNOSED THAT THE COUPLING WHERE THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT MEETS THE STEERING WHEEL SLID OUT, LEAVING THE BOLT IN THE STEERING COMPLETELY INTACT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED, BUT IS STILL AT THE SHOP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, BUT REFUSED TO ASSIST DUE TO THE NUMBER OF MILES ON THE VEHICLE. *AK
STEERING:RACK AND PINION...WENT OUT. I HEAR THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS AND YET NOBODY IS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I AM JUST GOING TO HAVE TO LET EVERYONE I KNOW TO STAY AWAY. 1999 CHEVY CAV.
CAR STARTED BEING HARD TO STEER TO THE LEFT AND IT WAS INTERMITTENT. IT JUST STARTED THAT MORNING OF 5-28-05 . I WAS GOING DOWN A STEEP HILL AND IT BECAME HARD TO TURN IT ON A CURVE GOING OFF TO THE RIGHT. I PROCEEDED SLOWLY AND AS I ATTEMPTED TO MAKE ANOTHER LEFT TURN SOMETHING SNAPPED UNDER THE FLOORBOARDS OF THE CAR AND IT WOULD NO LONGER TURN AT ALL-IT WOULD ONLY GO FORWARDS OR BACKWARDS. I HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK WHO TOWED IT TO THE CHEVROLET DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM AND THEY INFORMED ME THE STEERING GEAR BOX TOTALLY HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A TOTAL COST OF OVER $1800.IT TOOK THE DEALER 5 DAYS TO COMPLETE THIS REPAIR AND THEY KEPT THE OLD PARTS
RECALL 02V286000 CONCERNING POWER STEERING ASSEMBLY. THE STEERING WHEEL INTERMITTENTLY LOCKED UP WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS. CONSUMER SAW ON NHTSA WEBSITE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM INVOLVING 1996-1998 VEHICLES, BUT THE 1999 VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. *AK THE DEALER REPLACED THE POWER STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY. *NM
CONSUMER STATED THAT EVERY 4500 MILES RACK AND PINION STEERING MALFUNCTIONED. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND THE MANUFACTURER INDICATED THAT THEY WILL GIVE CONSUMER $600.00 CREDIT TOWARDS A NEW VEHICLE. THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE TO THE CONSUMER. *AK
SAME DEFECTIVE BEARING PROBLEM IN STEERING AS 2000 AND CHEVROLET CAVILIERS. BEARING IS NOISY WHEN WHEEL IS TURNED. COULD CAUSE STEERING WHEEL TO FREEZE OR LOCKUP UPON BINDING. BEARING IS A UNIVERSAL SWIVAL TYPE BEARING LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STEERING COLUMN, JUST IN FRONT OF THE FIREWALL AND IS COVERED BY A RUBBER BOOT. THE BEARING MAKES A NOISE WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED. THE NOISE GOES AWAY WHEN THE BEARING IS SPRAYED OVER AND OVER WITH WD-40, BUT COMES BACK AFTER A THOUSAND MILES OF DRIVING. OTHER 2000 - 2002 CAVALIERS WERE RECALLED BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT THE 1999 CAVALIERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM LIKE THIS ONE AND SHOULD ALSO BE BROUGHT TO THE DEALERS ATTENTION AND RECALLED. *JB
CD WILL NOT PLAY. GET ERROR MESSAGE. KNOB ON MIRROR FELL OFF. BATTERY WAS REPLACED IN SEPTEMBER 2000. BATTERY KEPT DYING ON ME.
THE CONSUMER NOTICED NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AND THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THE STEERING COLUMN SHAFT WAS BINDING. *AK WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STILL OR TURNING, A CLUNK NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE STEERING SHAFT BINDED. (NANCY WITASZAK-CONSUMER) *SCC *JB
THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN.*JB
CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME DEFECT WITH THE STEERING RACK AND PINION AS STATED IN RECALL NUMBER 02 V 286 000, BUT THERE VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED. PH
WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR IN SPRINGFIELD MO., I ONLY HAD 8 MILES ON THE CAR WHEN I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT. I LIVE IN ROLLA WHICH IS ONLY 110 MILES AT THE MOST. I DROVE STRAIGHT HOME AND THE MILEAGE SHOWED 265 MILES, TWICE THE MILEAGE. ALSO, THE CAR SHAKES AND GRINDS WHEN STARTING. THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. THAT WAS WHEN IT HAD LESS THAN 1000 MILES. FUEL LINES OR SOMETHING SMELLS HEAVY WITH GAS. MY CAR EATS GAS MORE THAN MY ASTRO VAN. THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. I HAVE PUT THREE COOLING SYSTEMS IN THIS CAR THEY SAID WAS WRONG. FUSES KEEP BURNING OUT. I HAVE REPLACED 65 BULBS, THEY SAID NOTHING IS WRONG. IT'S MUCH WORSE NOW. WHEN I TURN THE CAR THE STEERING STICKS THEN GOES INTO THE TURN, THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. THIS CAR HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT TROUBLE SINCE I BOUGHT IT. PH **DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS**770836
WHEN DRIVING CAR IT FEELS LIKE WHOLE FRONT END IS FALLING OUT. STEERING WHEEL SHAKES AND WOBBLES
CONSUMER STATED HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS RECALL#02V286000 RACK AND PINION. DEALER WILL NOT REPAIR BECAUSE VIN NUMBER IS NOT INCLUDED. TS
OUR DAUGHTER ALICIA CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT OAK STREET, SHE MADE A LEFT HAND TURN ONTO BROADWAY. WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS COMING BACK OUT OF THE TURN IT JERKED IT OUT OF HER HAND AND HER CAR SWERVED TO THE RIGHT AND SHE RAN OVER A GRATE OVER DRAINAGE AND HIT CURB WHICH BLEW OUT TWO FRONT TIRES, THEN SHE JUMPED CURB STOPPING CAR ONE FOOT FROM TREE. SHE HAD ONLY ONE TIRE LEFT ON ROAD OTHER THREE WERE IN YARD. ALICIA WAS NOT INJURED, THOUGH SHE WAS VERY SHAKEN UP. WE CALLED ADR WHICH SENT A TOWING TRUCK TO THE 1700 BLOCK OF BROADWAY TO PICK HER CAR UP. THERE WAS A MRS. PETRY WHO WAS BEHIND ALICIA WHEN THIS HAPPENED. SHE STA;YED WITH ALICIA UNTIL I ARRIVED ON THE SCENE. NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED THOUGH A POLICE CAR DID DRIVE BY WHILE WE WERE WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK. I CALLED GM IMMEDIATELY TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY RECALLS ON THE RACK AND PINION. I CALLED AGAIN ON MONDAY, JULY 22, BUT I DID NOT HAVE VEHICLE # IN FRONT OF ME. I CALLED BACK ON JULY 24TH WEDNESDAY ABOUT 10:30 A. M. IN THE MEANTIME I HAVE BEEN ON INTERNET AND I HAVE SPOKEN TO A FEW PEOPLE WHO KNOW THINGS ABOUT CARS. I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT GM HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH RACK AND PINION FOR YEARS.. THERE HAS EVEN BEEN RECALLS. I TALKED TO A CYNTHIA MCDONALD ON JULY 24TH ABOUT 10:30 A.M. AND SHE TOOK DOWN A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED WHERE VEHICLE IS , SO FORTH. SHE ASSIGNED #1-187-50-241 AND SENT THIS INFORMATION TO THE PRODUCT ALLOCATION RESOLUTION DEPT. AND TOLD ME THAT I WOULD FOR SURE HEAR SOMETHING IN TWO BUSINESS DAYS. I CALLED ON MONDAY AND WAS TOLD THAT DON LATIMER #57748 AT THE BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTER AT 1-800-231-1841 HAD THIS FILE AND SHOULD CONTACT ME BEFORE THE END OF THE DAY. ON TUESDAY I WAS TOO BUSY AT WORK TO CALL. ON WEDNESDAY JULY 31, I CALLED AT LEAST THREE TIMES AND LEFT AT LEAST T WO VOICE MAILS FOR MR. LATIMER . I WAS TOLD NOT TO GET THE CAR FIXED UNTIL I HEARD BACK FROM GM, I AM AFRAID THAT I WILL BE CHARGED STORAGE.*AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED UP, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL. VEHICLE HAS BEEN CHECKED BY DEALER.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS STEERING HAS LOCKED UP, AND CONSUMER HAS HAD TO TURN VEHICLE OFF TO UNLOCK STEERING. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DEALER CHECKED VEHICLE BOTH TIMES AND WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND PROBLEM,I TRADED THIS VEHICLE AFTER LAST OCCURRENCE, NO PAPER WORK WAS GENERATED FROM EITHER VISIT. * MJ
FIRST, THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT AT DEALERS, THE SENSOR FAN NOW DOES NOT WORK, THE BATTERY AND RADIATOR ARE NOT FUNCTIONING, THE STEERING IS MALFUNCTIONING, AND THE BRAKES ARE SLIPPING, AND NOW THE TRANSMISSION IS ALSO SLIPPING AGAIN, I REPORTED ALL THIS TO CHEVY AS I WAS NOT GETTING SATIFACTION FROM THE DEALERS IN FLORIDA AND NOW THE MY VEHICLE IS BROKE DOWN AND WILL NOT RUN IN BRADENTON FLORIDA AT COX CHEVELOT ON CORTEZ ROAD IN FLORIDA, I CALLED AND TALKED TO SEVERAL WOMEN IN THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AT CHEVY AND THEIR NAMES ARE BRANDY MAYS AND LILLANIA LOPEZ, I STILL HAVE NO VEHICLE AND NOW I AM NOT RECEIVING ANY COURTEOUS SERVICE AS I WAS TOLD CHEVY WOULD BUY BACK THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS A LEASE. I HAVE PURCHASED A NEW CHEVY TRUCK AND DUE TO THE RED TAPE AND CHEVY NOW REFUSING TO HELP ASSIST ME WITH THE BUY BACK I AM UNABLE TO KEEP MY NEW TRUCK DUE TO THIS RED TAPE AND ALL THE FORMS AND INFORMATION THAT THE SERVICE DEPT. NOW SAYS I NEED TO HAVE HAD DONE, BUT I WAS NOT INFORMED WHEN I FIRST MADE THE COMPLAINT ON SEPT 7. I CALLED BACK ON SEPT, 28, WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT CHEVY WENT BACK ON THEIR WORD. I AM NOT A CAR DEALER, I DO NOT WORK AT CHEVY AS A SERVICE REPRESENTITIVE, AND I SURE DO NOT KNOW WHAT PAPERS OR FORMS ARE REQUIRED FOR THE MANUFACTURE IN DETROIT MICHIGAN NEEDS TO FILL OUT PAPERWORK. I AM AN UNSATIFIED CONSUMER, AND I FEEL THE RUN AROUND I AM RECEIVING IS A GREAT INJUSTICE. I LOVED MY CAR AND IT IS IMMACULATE INSIDE AND OUT. I ONLY WANT TO KEEP MY NEW CHEVY TRUCK WHICH IS NOT LOOKING AS A POSSIBLE OPTION AS CHEVY IS NOT COOPERATING, THE DEALER MOVED ITS LOT, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENTS IN FLORIDA WILL NOT SERVICE THE VEHICLE, AND IT IS AN ENGINE CENSOR CHIP, THE TRANSMISSION, THE RADIATOR SENSOR FAN AND NOW THE STEERING, I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE ON HOW TO REPAIR A SENSOR CHIP OR ANY OF THESE THINGS AND SINCE THE CAR IS IN FLORIDA I CANNOT GET IT TO KENTUCKY. NOW GMAC, MY FINANCER ON MY NEW TRUCK WILL NOT FINANCE ME. *AK
POWER STEERING RACK AND PINION WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING. LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE TEMPORARILY. HAD NO STEERING CONTROL. *AK
VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING ONGOING BRAKE PROBLEMS, FRONT ROTORS HAVE WARPED SEVERAL TIMES AND HAVE BEEN REPLACED, BRAKE PADS AND THE CALIPER MOUNTING SLEEVES HAVE ALSO BEEN REPLACED, THE BRAKE LIGHT AND ABS LIGHT WERE ILLUMINATED AT THE SAME TIME, DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS DUE TO A FAULTY EBCM COMPUTER MODULE WHICH HAD BEEN BAD FOR A WHILE, BRAKE PROBLEMS STILL EXISTS. DRIVER'S SIDE AXLE SEAL LEAKED. CONSUMER STATED THAT THE FRONT END SEEMED LOOSE WHILE DRIVING, DEALER FOUND NO PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING LINKAGES. THE BLOWER CONTROL SWITCH WAS REPLACED DUE TO BLOWER INOPERABLE ON HIGH. *SLC
#1. AIR BAG AND SEAT BELT INTERMITTENTLY FLASH APPROX ONCE A SECOND, FOR 10 TO 15 SECONDS WHEN THE CAR IS STOPPED OR MOVING. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE. THEY DID A SCAN WITH TECH 2 AND FOUND NO CODES SET. THEY SAID THIS IS NORMAL OPERATION. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE AIR BAG NOT DEPLOYING IN AN ACCIDENT GIVEN OTHER REPORTS OF NO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT LISTED ON YOUR WEB SITE. #2 IF TURN SIGNAL LEVER IS NOT MOVED TO THE PHYSICAL STOP FOR A FLASH TO PASS, ONLY THE REAR TURN SIGNALS WILL FLASH. THEY FLASH FAST JUST LIKE WHEN ONE BULB IS BURNED OUT. DEALER SAID THIS IS NORMAL. #3 THIS IS THE 2.4L ENGINE. UPON DECCELARATING FROM AT LEAST 2ND GEAR ALMOST TO A STOP AND THEN ACCELERATING, THE TRANS HESITATES SLIGHTLY AND THUMPS INTO GEAR. THEN THE UPSHIFT INTO 2ND GEAR IS NOT A SMOOTH SHIFT BUT VERY HARD. EVEN THOUGH MECHANIC ACKNOWLEDGED EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM DURING A TEST DRIVE WE BOTH MADE TOGETHER, HE STATES HE COULD NOT DUPLICATE COMPLAINT ON THE PAPERWORK. SCAN TEST OK, NO CODES, OK AT THIS TIME. IT SEEMS TO ME, IF THERE IS NO CODES SET IN THE CONTROL MODULE THEN THERE CAN NOT BE A PROBLEM. WHAT DID MECHANICS DO BEFORE CARS HAD COMPUTER CONTROL MODULES? DID THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO DO SOME WORK TO IDENTIFY WHAT WAS WRONG? BY THE WAY, I AM A COMPUTER ENGINEER AND HAVE BEEN ONE FOR 35 YEARS. I PLAN TO CONTINUE PERSUING THIS PROBLEM. I ALSO OWN A 1998 CAVALIER WITH THE 2.2L ENGINE AND A 1999 BUICK CENTURY WITH THE 3.1L ENGINE. THE 1998 CAVAILER HAS THE SAME TURN SIGNAL PROBLEM BUT NOT THE OTHER 2 PROBLEMS. THE CENTURY HAS NONE OF THESE PROBLEMS.
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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