RoadVitals

1999 Chevrolet Cavalier Transmission Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Transmission reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
14
Latest Sep 16, 2005
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
6%
of 240 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

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 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 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.

Owner reports naming transmission

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

ElectricalTransmission
Filed Sep 16, 2005

TWO ISSUES LEFT CONSUMER STRANDED IN 1999 2.2L CHEVROLET CAVALIER CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF INPUT SHAFT/INPUT DRUM ASSEMBLY ON 3T40 TRANSMISSION, LEFT OPERATOR WITHOUT ANY FORWARD OR REVERSE DRIVE GEARS WHILE DRIVE WAS ENGAGED AND ROLLING. MANAGED TO AVOID CRASH. REMEDY WAS REPLACEMENT OF TRANSMISSION WITH REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION. INCIPIENT WORSENING OF STARTING TIMES. POOR FACTORY ECM CALIBRATION IN ALL OR MOST 1999 2.2L CAVALIERS CAN LEAVE OPERATOR STRANDED IN WARM STARTING CONDITION. RESULTS IN POOR INITIAL RUNNING AND LARGE AMOUNT OF UNBURNED HYDROARBONS RELEASED TO ATMOSPHERE. A TECHNICAL BROCHURE EXISTS TO REMEDY THE SITUATION, BUT NO RECALL. DEALER WANTS $90 TO REPROGRAM ECM. *JB

NHTSA ID
10136720
Incident
Jan 1, 2005
Mileage
137,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Jan 3, 2003

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS

NHTSA ID
10001928
Incident
Dec 15, 2002
Transmission
Filed Sep 26, 2002

WHILE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH THE TRANSMISION BROKE APART, CAUSING RAPID LOSS OF POWER. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED, PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *MR

NHTSA ID
8019638
Incident
Jul 10, 2002
Transmission
Filed Nov 7, 2001

VEHICLE DOES NOT CHANGE INTO GEARS PROPERLY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURHTER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID
898892
Incident
Nov 7, 2001
BrakesElectricalEngine+2 more
Filed Nov 7, 2001

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

NHTSA ID
754191
Incident
Aug 25, 1999
EngineTransmission
Filed Mar 8, 2001

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
742139
Transmission
Filed Jan 18, 2001

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY THE CAR STOPPED MOVING. HAD IT TOWED INTO THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATED THE CLUTCH & 3RD & 4TH GEAR WENT OUT. WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY STATED THAT THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT HAPPEN VERY OFTEN TO OTHER SIMILAR CARS. I TALKED WITH AN INDIVIDUAL THAT HAS BEEN SERVICING CHEVY CARS FOR 22 YEARS. HE STATED THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION CARS THAT THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS WHICH CAUSES THE CLUTCH TO NOT DISENGAGE AND BURNS UP THE CLUTCH AND RUINS THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN THE CAR STOPPED WITH NO WARNING ALMOST CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT ON THE HIGHWAY. AFTER THEY FIXED THE CAR TWO DAYS LATER I WAS ON THE SAME HIGHWAY AND THE CLUTCH BURNED UP AGAIN. IT IS NOW BACK THE DEALERSHIP TO BE REPAIRED.*AK

NHTSA ID
739567
Incident
Nov 24, 2000
Transmission
Filed Jul 26, 2000

VEHICLE WAS PARKED INSIDE OF PARKING LOT. WHEN CONSUMER WENT TO START VEHICLE, SHE APPLIED REVERSE GEAR, AND VEHICLE WOULDN'T MOVE AT ALL. ALSO, IT WAS LEAKING WATER, A DEFECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *AK

NHTSA ID
866038
Incident
Apr 1, 2000
BrakesEngineTransmission
Filed Jun 8, 2000

TRANSMISSION WOULD KNOCK WHILE IN PARK. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN/OUT OF DEALER'S SHOP ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM IS REOCCURRING. ALSO, ENGINE WOULD OVERHEAT. ALL BRAKES AND FRONT ROTORS REPLACED. *ML

NHTSA ID
863254
Incident
Jan 1, 1999
AirbagsEngineTransmission
Filed May 31, 2000

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT ANY SPEED VEHICLE WILL STALL WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. *AK A PULL IN THE SHIFTS WHEN THEY CHANGE GEAR DUE TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE. CONSUMER DOUGHTYER IS DRIVING THE CAR IT STALL CAUSING MINOR ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE AIR BAG VIOLENTLY DEPLOYED HITTING THE DRIVER IN CAUSING INJURY, THE OTHER AIR BAG BROKE THE WINDSHIELD. *YH

NHTSA ID
862828
Incident
May 24, 2000
Transmission
Filed Jul 30, 1999
Crash reported

VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY, LEFT IN NEUTRAL WITH PARKED BRAKE ENGAGED ON A RAINY DAY. APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES LATER VEHICLE ROLLED OVER AND HIT ANOTHER PARKED VEHICLE ACROSS THE STREET. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID
843854
Incident
Jul 28, 1992
Transmission
Filed Jun 3, 1999

THERE IS NO LIGHT ON THE SHIFT LEVER INDICATOR SO AT NIGHT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO READ WHAT GEAR DRIVER IS PUTTING THE VEHICLE INTO. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ID
838781
BrakesEngineTransmission
Filed May 14, 1999

VEHICLE EXPERIENCES INTERMITTENT STALLING/ACCELERATION AND STARTING PROBLEMS. MJS

NHTSA ID
545612
Incident
Mar 30, 1999
AirbagsBrakesSuspension+2 more
Filed May 10, 1999

DEFECTIVE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG AND CARRIER. MJS

NHTSA ID
545440
Incident
Mar 24, 1999

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .