1994 Chevrolet Cavalier: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 310 complaints
310
Total Complaints
98,200mi
Median Mileage
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
Top Issue
41
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

82,500 25th Percentile
98,200 Median Mileage
118,050 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
44
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
35
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
11
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
11
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN
10
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
9
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
8
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
8
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
7
SEATS
6

Severity Assessment

41
Crashes
3
Fires
19
Injuries
1
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"HORN PAD FALLS OFF STEERING WHEEL. TT"
"VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAIL. TT"
"ABS BEHAVES ERRATICALLY. WHEN IT DOES WORK IT PULLS AND GRABS AND THE WHEELS WILL LOCK UP. PLEASE DESCRIBE FURTHER. TT"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28